Phuket!

My guesthouse at Kata Beach on Phuket - the Shangrai-la!

I spent three nights at the Shangrai-la Bungalows on Kata Beach. I had a air-con bungalow with an attached bathroom, which cost about 350 Baht per night. I spent most of my time on Phuket, recovering from the bus trip and getting massages for my sore back. Kata Beach has been wrecked, when a mate and I stayed there in June'87, it was just a few bungalows on the beach and a couple of bars/restaurants. Now there is an open sewer running into the ocean and there is a sign advising you NOT to swim in the ocean.

Kata Beach - Phuket.

A monkey and its baby at a Buddhist Temple in Phang Nga.

On the Monday morning I walked around Phuket and took some photo's. At midday I was picked at my guesthouse and I did a half day tour of Phang Nga. We went to a Buddhist temple first, which is inside a cave! At the entrance of the Temple and the cave, are all of these monkeys! They are pretty friendly and I even had one trying to climb my leg in search of peanuts!

Me at James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay!

After the Buddhist temple we went on to Phang Nga Bay, where we boarded a long tailed boat, which took us out into Phang Nga Bay where there is these really tall limestone cliffs. Phang Nga Bay is where they filmed the James Bond movie "The Man with the Golden Gun". They took us to "James Bond Island" which is very commercialized and is complete with souvenir stalls. Shortly after we arrived there, a monsoon storm hit and everybody had to take shelter inside a cave. I had visions of spending the night inside the cave, but after a hour the storm broke and we went to the Sea Gypsy Village, where we had something to eat and drink. I eventually got back to my bungalow about 8:00pm that night. I left the next morning for Penang, Malaysia by bus.

A tame Sea Eagle and myself at the Sea Gypsy Village in Phang Nga Bay.