| Amongst Phuket's various beaches, Patong Beach | | | | compared to DiCaprio's jump over a ten-meter |
| is the most developed, most vibrant, and most | | | | waterfall, it was still every bit as astonishing. |
| visited one. It's a picture perfect postcard view of | | | | Nightlife at the Beach |
| a 3-kilometer long white sandy beach perfect for | | | | Later on at night, we made our way through the |
| swimming, lazing, and enjoying challenging water | | | | jungle of shops cramping the coastal side of |
| sports such as jet skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling, | | | | Patong beach. Compared to the tranquil beach of |
| and parasailing. Various diving and snorkeling spots | | | | Phi Phi Islands, it made for an extreme |
| are scattered throughout numerous small islands | | | | contradiction. A coalescence of noisy |
| around the area, easily accessible by boat. From | | | | pandemonium boomed in my ears as I made my |
| Phuket, there are also various adventure trips | | | | way through the street, be it vendors selling |
| heading inland for jungle trekking, mountain | | | | various cheap imitations, tuk-tuk drivers offering |
| climbing or white-water rafting. For me however, | | | | rides, and numerous tailors touting cheap |
| these are all secondary. Much like Leonardo | | | | custom-made suits. There were also the noisy |
| DiCaprio's character in that aptly named 2000 | | | | advertising of various muay-thai boxing matches |
| movie, The Beach, I came here to experience a | | | | calling out to impressionable travelers. |
| slice of the famed island paradise - the Phi Phi | | | | On Wednesday nights, Thailand's famed lady-boys |
| Islands. | | | | come out to play. Every bit as beautiful as they |
| The Island Paradise | | | | were rumored to be, they came out dressed in |
| The journey to Phi Phi Islands was suspiciously | | | | long glittering gowns with over-the top cabaret |
| easy to arrange. Numerous stalls on Phuket's | | | | shows make-up, parading and enticing various |
| crowded street offered day-tours to tourists. | | | | tourists who are eager to take photos and chat |
| Being the untrusting travelers that we were, we | | | | with them. Beware that tips would be expected |
| negotiated for a small down-payment for our tour | | | | of these miscellaneous services, a small one will |
| arrangement, with full-payment given only when | | | | suffice. They are also keen to promote their |
| we were picked up from the hotel. I suppose we | | | | one-of-a-kind Thai Girl show, which features |
| shouldn't have worried - close to 98% of Phuket's | | | | various acrobatic acts performed by the ladies |
| population depends upon tourism to make a living, | | | | and lady-boys. Be warned as well that these |
| and as such they are always eager to make a | | | | lady-boys are every bit as beautiful as they were |
| good impression. | | | | rumored to be. |
| The Phi Phi Islands comprises six islands | | | | If one were to choose a word to describe Patong |
| surrounded by the Andaman sea, 2 of them main | | | | beach's street side revelries, that word would |
| - Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh. Phi Phi Don, the | | | | invariably be "rowdy". If you are looking for a |
| largest of the six, is the only island with | | | | romantic place to dine and wine, or a relaxing |
| permanent inhabitants, but Phi Phi Leh's beach is | | | | lounge to chill and rest, then this isn't the right |
| very popular with the tourists as well. It was | | | | place for you. Instead, what you would find here |
| there on the serene Maya Bay in Phi Phi Leh that | | | | is a good mix of tourists and locals who are out |
| the movie was shot, and while my boat entry | | | | to have a good time, drink and be merry. |
| towards the beach was much less anti-climatic | | | | |