Wednesday, April 02, 2008

A peek at Phuket.

Phuket tends to get a bad rap. As one of the most visited destinations in Thailand, it gets discounted as being too commercialized, too developed. Yet at the end of our trip to Southern Thailand, our flight connections required that we spend a little time in Phuket. Despite my expectations, I found that Phuket Town is surprisingly charming and intriguing. Streets were lined in old-fashioned shop-fronts that appeared to have been decorated using all the paints in the watercolor box. Inviting spicy scents lingered from sidewalk canteens; discreet alleys concealed elegant mansions, anonymous shop-houses hid plush boutiques and elegant cafes. We were only there for a few hours, but I definitely think I'll have to return soon to explore more.

4 comments:

Heather Moore said...

I love the colours and patterns.
I feel the same way about Mauritius. We were there about 8 years ago - I joined Paul after he'd been teaching there for a month. We spent two days at a resort and spent the rest staying with people he'd taught all over the island. It was fantastic, and didn't fall into any of the package holiday stereotypes one has of that island.
Enjoy your weekend,
Heather

Anonymous said...

Love those tiled floors - they remind me of the tiled halls and lobbies we have in victorian houses in Bristol.

Unknown said...

great pictures - the colours and textures are wonderful!

chanpheng said...

My one visit to Phuket was over 20 years ago - but I really liked the architecture and the color of the town as much as I liked the beaches. It must be very different right now, but I like seeing your pictures of how the old charm is still there.

Hua Hin is similar - while the main drag is developed, escaping into the back alleys is like entering another world.