Phuket/ Patong Beach

12/6 - 12/10, 2017

Just before St. Nicholas Day, we went from Koh Samui to Phuket, an island on the west side of Thailand, under bright sunshine. Our hotel was in Patong Beach.

Faik and I flew with Thai Airways and met Mae Mae on site, who was now on vacation with us. It was great to have her with us. She can speak English and Thai, which was an advantage, especially when speaking with the locals.

When we arrived in Patong Beach, I realized that I had been to Malle before and I searched for the "Helmut". It actually looked like that. A huge beach 🏖, many cheap high-rise hotels, and colorful hustle and bustle. There are even the well-known and popular "pillars" here. What I didn't know was that Patong Beach is the Ballermann of Thailand.

When checking in, we were lucky and got a higher level of quality. Our pool on the high-rise was pretty awesome. We shared it with many Russians.

What Mallorca is to Ballermann, Bangla Road is to Patong. Strip clubs, pubs, clubs, and party temples line up closely together on 800 meters. In addition, there are many hawkers who want to invite you to sex or the famous ping pong shows. We went over once and were not impressed. Since Mae Mae couldn't drink a bucket, there are no party stories here either.

In Phuket, I trusted a travel agency, which also had a massage parlor and probably more to offer, with my laundry. My complete laundry went to a laundry service for 225 Baht. I couldn't dry the laundry on my balcony due to the nighttime rain. Would I see it again?

On December 8th, my personal highlight so far arrived. A boat trip to Koh Phi Phi. An island group, including Maya Beach.

We started with Lady Gaga (Liza, our tour guide) first to Monkey Bay where we could see monkeys in the wild. Then we continued snorkeling towards Koh Phi Phi. It was awesome! Fish in all colors and sizes, corals, and everything at 32 degrees and sunshine. Afterwards, we had lunch on Koh Phi Phi and again had two Americans with us on board, who were initially forgotten on an island 😂. Even the little girl (no, not Faik) who was bitten by a monkey left the boat and had to go to the doctor.

After lunch, we drove to Maya Bay. "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed there. Even if the rock is just a famous rock, the beach in front of it is simply awesome. The panorama is a dream, and drifting in the water while snow is announcing itself in Germany, has something special.

Completely relaxed and satisfied, we went to another small island where we had a beer and a coconut. Then we went back to the hotel.

On another day, friends of Mae Mae picked us up and we went to Phuket Old Town. In the past, the Portuguese were here. We ate ice cream and the power went out. Both of Mae Mae's friends work in the hotel and earn 500 euros a month. Nevertheless, they wanted to invite us to lunch. We paid the bill and paid 50 euros for at least 16 different freshly prepared meals, including 4 coconuts and cola. It is customary to order many portions of food and share them in the middle with everyone. People also let others try their food. The Thais don't get upset either when they are stuck in traffic or someone steals their parking space. How do they do it? 🤓

The next day, Faik used the first item from my travel pharmacy and went to Bangkok. The fresh lunch or the "hot pot" in the evening were apparently not as fresh as we thought. Because I also got a queasy stomach and got on the plane. But hey, one year without vomiting! ;-)

p.s. I got my laundry back. With very good quality.