Phuket trip 23rd & 24-05-2006

The fourth & the last day

As usual, breakfast at the hotel. (It's free by the way) After couple of shopping and buying souvenir around the shops in phuket, I think we had enough of that. So, this morning we went to the beach again to take more photos. :D The wave was big and dangerous even a red flag was raised by the safeguard. Therefore we were not able to take a swim at the beach. However, we still enjoyed ourselves playing around with the camera and took some nice photos.

Around noon, we went back to our room and start packing little by little. Since we have bought some stuff and we need to organize them before brought it back to Malaysia. After spending around 1 or 2 hours of packing, we decided to go for the swimming pool. Each of us has bought a new swim suit before we came to Phuket and it's about time to make use of it. (*They have 3 swimming pools in the hotel. Each of them is located in different location.)

After spending an hour in the pool with other foreigners, we went back to our room and watch movie borrowed from my sister. The movie title called "The 40 year old virgin" and we had very good laugh in the movie. (*The movie was good. Although it has alot of "Fxxx" words in it. :P) The movie has to be pause in the middle where my sister called to join her for a tea break. After that, we went back the show again. :D

In the evening, we go out again and dine in the hotel Thai restaurant with my sister. The food is really nice and the price is a bit more expensive compared to the Natural restaurant due the environment which is much more romantic and high class. We ordered the papaya salad again as we did at the Natural restaurant and I'm start hook up on it. (I even tried the salad in when I'm back to Malaysia and the taste is average to what I have in Phuket) By the way, if you look at the picture closely, they have this menu with gold metal plate cover which is a bit heavy to lift it. (*Ya, the menu was so heavy. I could hardly lift it up. Haha!) We even took a picture of it with the waitress after the dinner.

We take a tutu ride to the nearby Dino Park for couple of golf session after the dinner. Before entering, we were greeted by the baby elephant at the entrance. In my whole life, I never touch a baby elephant before except toys. :D The baby elephant was feed using cucumbers and we're given a basket of it. (*There was this foreginer who passed me a basket of cucumbers and asked us to feed the baby elephant. And he wanted to take a photo with me too. Unfortunately we didnt manage to do it as it's too fast. Hey, it reminded me of this handsome guy who wanted to take a photo with me while I was in Snowy mountain in Aus :P ) After that, it is about time to test my golf skill as i never play golf before. The environment is interesting because it uses the dinosaur as theme and those hole are placed in a challenging way to reached. The first shot I took flies into the bushes and i have to search it with my gf. My sister took a very nice picture showing our butt. hahahaha. Maybe brutality is not a good way to achieve my target. Anyway, we had a great fun there took a lot of pictures. (*The golf game was really a good exercise for me as i sweat alot. Moreover i slipped down quite a number of times while helping to take photos. Finally i just sat on the floor and helped to take photos. Haha!)

After the golf session, we walked around the nearby shop to see any more souvenir to get. We also took some picture at the tutu ride on the way going back to our hotel. (*It was my first time to sit on the Tutu car. Good experience!)

On the next day, is the day we heading back to Malaysia. We took more photos around the hotel and at the airport and back to Malaysia around 1 in the afternoon. So far, me and my gf was very satisfied with the trip and i really wanted to thank my sister for providing us such a wonderful stay and company at there. I believe we will be back there again in the future because Phuket is a really nice place for vacation and food. (*Ya, Phuket is a good place to rest and relax. I agree with him that we will definitely go back there again for another holiday in the future. :) )

* Added by my gf

Phuket trip 22-05-2006

The third day

As usual, we woke up early in the morning and took our breakfast in the hotel. Well, the breakfast is served in buffet style and they have plenty of choice. I think it might take a while before we getting bored having almost the same breakfast every morning.

Anyway, after the breakfast we went to the town by bus. It is not a bus actually, but a modified lorry with seats behind and travel around phuket to pick up customer every 15 mins. The fare is cost around RM 2.50 per person per trip. (*I always like to take the local bus and explore around the places I visit to. Because I think this is one of the better ways to get into the local culture.)

The first stop after we have arrived, we went to the nearby temple. This temple is actually a Chinese temple where most of the figurines worshiped here are quite familiar in Malaysia. We bought the candles and joss tick (except there is no lotus bud) in a package for praying. They have a lot of goddess there and it's about 11. The interesting part is that, they go by numbers (so you won't miss any one of them) and the joss tick is just enough for all of them (3 joss tick for one god and everybody has fair share :P). My gf was assists by the local personal to guide her through all the pray process; as for me, I just follow thru. (*The local resident there was really friendly. He helped me to carry around my hat and my thingy all around while I was praying. Although I don't speak Thai and he does not speak English or Chinese but I think we're still sharing the same purpose - to pray!)

After the praying was done and took some photo at the temple, we were interrupted by a taxi driver. It is the same person that we saw when we were stepping down from the bus. (This is quite common because the taxi driver usually find their customer by this way) We were a little bit shocked because we thought we're followed. However, after couple of chat, we told him that our next destination is the Robinson Department Store. (This place is well known for shops for souvenirs and shopping.) From the map we got in our hand shows that the departmental store is very far away from the temple and it's not within walking distance. The taxi driver told us that he can take us there for only RM 1 per person. We were hesitate at first, but after couple of thinking and consideration, we took the deal.

After we hop into the car, the first stop the taxi driver took us was not the departmental store but to another temple. I was surprised and a little angry plus uncomfortable because the taxi cab didn't take us to our destination. Anyway, we believe that the driver has no ill purposes (bad intention?) since my sister told us that the crime rate at there is low or none at all. So, we took some photo there and hop back on the taxi again. I think the driver did mention to us about his working schedule or policy, that in order to earn some meal he needs to take us to some of the local store or shop. He has a coupon that needs to be chopped by those store supervisor and when the chop is full, then he can earn a free meal. I wasn't paying much attention at that time and I felt much better after clarified the issue. (*Can you believe that?! Just RM1 and the driver will fetch you to the destination! But of course along the way to the destination, he fetched us to other spots in order to get his coupon stamped. Anyhow, I do respect their spirit to earn a living though it did make us feel uncomfortable with the way!)

So, we were taken to one of the souvenir shop. Nothing much at there except all the local handcrafting item. We didn't bought any there though and the driver said it's okay. After that, we questioned the driver again why the fare is so cheap. He told us that May is the low season of Phuket and hardly had any tourist come here. So, the store keepers offer this package to the drivers to attract more tourist to their shop.

The next stop was a jewelry shop and we spent almost an hour there to see those shiny diamonds. (Believe me, it really shiny) The price is quite reasonable and offer much better price than in Malaysia. Again, we ask the personal there and he told it was the low season where the price will be slightly cheaper to attract customer.

After the visit at the diamond store, we finally went to the Robinson store. It was around 2 PM by then and we spent around 2 hours there to get our souvenirs and stuff. Then around 4 PM, the driver came back just like we wanted and we go for shop visit again. We asked the driver whether he can sent us back to the hotel and we'll give him some money for that. He agreed and bring us to the shop visit on the way to our hotel. We went to the second jewelry shop and again, almost the same thing we saw in the first jewelry shop. Shining diamonds. (*Diamond is a woman's best friend! Haha.. You promised me to get me one in Phuket next time right?! :P) After the jewelry shop, we went to the local food product store to get some snack. Finally, the last souvenir shop before we back to hotel and i told my gf that no more souvenir visit because I had enough of it. :D:D:D

After we reached the hotel and brushed ourselves up, i called my sister and we have a evening tea break at the hotel. Around 6:45, we was pick up by a van and headed to the local famous show, The Phuket Fantasea

We have couples of photo session and my gf bought a nice hat there. The show started at 9 PM and end at 11 PM. The van took us back to our hotel along with other foreigner who seems to like to the show very much and we also very much enjoy the show too. (*I liked the show. It was great! And the show did win the Best Tourism Attraction Award in Thailand. :) )

*Added by my gf

Phuket trip 21-05-2006

The second day of our trip.

After a good night rest, we woke early in the morning and went for breakfast at the hotel cafeteria. Then later around 10 am, we met up with my sister again and planning to go for the temple visit.

After an hour drive from the hotel to our destination, we finally reached there. We bought some joss sticks, candles and a lotus bud. The lotus is a bit weird to me because I never tried that before in Malaysia. (*I like the lotus bud. It looked so beautiful and pretty to me. I guess it's their culture to pray with the lotus bud. However, lotus bud is a symbol of purity for Chinese culture.) After we prayed, we went around the area to take some photos. We went to the near by flea market to get some souvenirs after the photo session. (*I got a good bargain on the local-made handbag. I never knew that i was a good bargainer. :P) It around noon by the time we're leaving the temple and it was started to rain.

Our next destination is the Phuket shopping center called the Central Festival. It claims to be the largest in Phuket. Anyway, we went there to get our lunch. Not a formal lunch actually but a cup of fruit shake. As know by most of the people, Thailand has reputation of having very affordable lingerie. So, after shopping session, i'm the only one who come out empty handed. (*You could have gotten some undie or singlets. :P)

After the shopping session, it was close to 2:30 pm. As promised by sister, she will bring us to the local spa. (I and my gf are not very familiar with that place until we come back to Malaysia and check out their web site). We took the oil massage and it cost us around 100 in Malaysia ringgit. (I believe that's the standard price for most of the spa service.) They have different type of oil to choose and each of them have different scent. After an hour spend in the spa, it was really relax and relief to the mind and body. (*All I can comment on the oil massage is the therapist is really a professional. Somehow, on that day itself, it was drizzling outside. The weather, the environment and the massage - they made a good combination.) We also bought some of their product like the body scrub, lotion and etc. (I just only bought the cookies)

After that, we went to the Patong streets again and have our tea time at the local starbuck cafe. Of course, that was after another round of shopping again. (Gee, maybe it wasn't so nice to travel around with girls) We sent our jeep back to the car renter and he send us back to the hotel. We reached the hotel around 5 PM in the evening and get some rest for the dinner tonight.

Around 7:15 PM, we went out again and this time with one of my sister colleague. He drove his car and we all 4 heading to the town for dinner. I'm like cars and my sister's colleague was driving a Honda City VTEC. It was a really nice car with large room and comfort. It priced very cheap in Thailand as well. I was told that the car cost around RM68K, plus it is the newest version of Honda City . (*I was never good at recognising cars. But what i could see in Phuketalot of Honda City that's. Haha :P) was

Anyway, it took another 45 mins drive to reach there. To my surprise, it was really a funky restaurant. That's not all, a nice restaurant has to back up with really good food and it has it all. Here's the photo where they have aquarium inside the TV. (I didn't take much photo at there because i think i went there for dinning, not for photo shooting.) I recommend to go back there again to anyone who is going for Phuket for travel. The name of that place called Natural Restaurant. (*Yah, really salute their innovative mind. Who would have ever thought of turning the monitor into an aquarium besides the TV?! :P)

After the dinner and couple nice chat at the restaurant, we went back around 9:30PM and rest.

*Added by my GF