PHUKET ‘17

1. Maya Phuket Hotel

2. Snorkeling 

3. Try anything with bird’s nest in it

Phuket was the last leg of our trip in Thailand and it was something we were really looking forward to after such intense traveling. We had seen pictures of all of the little islands off the coast like Ko Phi Phi, Ko Samui, Ko Lipe etc. In particular, we had dreams of seeing the bioluminescent plankton on Railay Beach. I think the pace with which we were going caught up to Lauren though, and she ended up getting pretty sick the day after snorkeling. We ended up taking it easy the rest of the time and cancelling a few of our plans in favor of getting some down time. I mean, it’s a tropical paradise, so what better place to slow down? 

The first thing we did in Phuket was to take a tour of Monkey Island, Mossquito Island, Maya Bay, and go snorkeling. Last I heard though, there were some concerns about the coral in the area near Maya Bay that I’m sure exists in other places where snorkeling is present. Unbeknownst to many, sunscreen can actually really do some serious damage to underwater life. Read here for more info on how you can protect your skin and also our precious coral reefs. Maya Bay was truly beautiful, but very crowded. They let us off for a little bit to go walking around the island and we did see some beautiful sights while there.

The snorkeling portion was something that I had been working up a knot in my stomach over the entire time, however. I can’t swim. In fact, I sort of have… mild panic attacks in deep (and shallow) bodies of water. I was still eager to give snorkeling a try, though. You’re provided life jackets, if you want them, and all the equipment like flippers and the snorkeling gear, so that helped a bit. The first stop for snorkeling, Mosquito Island, was near shore and it only went to about 15 ft. deep. I stood in the shallows some time mustering up the courage, watching people swimming by me carefree. As soon as I felt buoyant enough that my feet had trouble staying on the ground, I would feel a terrible, and completely irrational, constriction in my chest. I practiced my deep breathing for some time to calm myself, when I saw a bright yellow tropical fish swim near me. I was so distracted and excited by how incredible this was, that I ended up floating off after it. Before I knew it, I could hardly get enough of this activity! Our next destination, Pileh Lagoon, was 30-40 ft. deep and I nervously and excitedly hopped in to go look at more fish. I still haven’t learned to swim (unless you count the doggy paddling I learned only 4 years ago swimming), but I am so eager to get out and try snorkeling again! This was an INCREDIBLE experience.

While on the boat tour, we learned about the Thai delicacy, bird’s nest, and we became obsessed with trying to find a way to try it. We both love trying foods unique to specific locations. Life is short, eat the nest, amirite? We went to a convenience store and found a juice drink with bird’s nest in it and Lauren even got some at the airport to bring home. Not quite sure who figured out that you could eat it, but it makes for a fun “what’s the most interesting thing you’ve eaten?” fact. It really didn’t taste like much, I think people enjoy it more for the gelatinous texture it takes on, but it’s considered to be a highly nutritious food. I now see bird’s nest at our local Costco and now I what’s up.

For accommodations, we stayed at Maya Phuket hotel and managed to find an incredible discount on a room that gave us poolside access, which we definitely took advantage of. For a single night, it costed us about $60 USD, so about $30 per person since we split the king size bed again. The place was immaculate but had some romantic touches like a towel swan and flowers on the bed, so it sort of felt like I was on a honeymoon with my best friend. The bathroom, which was tucked from view of the bedroom, had glass walls though, so if someone is taking a shower or trying to use the mirror to get ready, you can see the person on the toilet. Not sure why that’s a thing at hotels all over the world, the ability to see your partner on the loo.

Because we didn’t end up getting to do everything we wanted to do, I’m putting my remaining bucket list below for anyone curious.

Bucket list:

1. Nai Harn Beach

2. Naka Night Market

3. Phang Nga Bay

4. Phuket Old City

5. Bioluminescence on Railay

6. Coffee at Hock Hoe Lee

7. Last Bar (Drinks for 100 THB and great HH)