My Journey to Phuket
If you hear a rumble, your karma is fine. If not, Konstantin Kan will let you in on a little secret.
KK
Konstantin Kan
Wed, 08 Jun 2022
It is impossible to view Thailand neutrally – you either selflessly fall in love with this country, or you can't stand it.
I am definitely in the first category. Thailand, or rather Phuket – is my place of power. I want to come back here again and again.
Phuket is attractive because it is quite versatile and is suitable for a very wide range of travellers. Do you like to lazily bask in the sun whilst listening to the sound of the sea? Then this is the place for you, there are more than 20 beaches to choose from. Do you want to start an adventure and deep into the mountainous jungle with just a backpack? Easy. Can't imagine your life without noisy nighttime parties? You've found the right place. Do you want to devote your holiday to health and do yoga every day at sunrise? Bingo again! Welcome to Phuket!
There is also a gong near the Buddha – you need to rub it to check karma. If you hear a rumble, then everything is fine. If not, then try again.
This 45-meter Buddha statue is located on the highest point of the island and is visible from almost every corner of it. It is definitely worth visiting the statue: the view from the top is gorgeous.
Cape Panwa, located in the southeast of Phuket, is far from tourist attractions where you can enjoy the natural, untouched beauty of nature – the perfect place to meet the dawn. The sun rises here around 6 a.m.
The southernmost point of Phuket is at Cape Panwa.
One advantage of Phuket is the variety of fruits all year round.
The cuisine here is amazing. Delicious tom yam, pad thai, a variety of fresh seafood, and all this at affordable prices – what else do you need for happiness?
Everything that local shops offer looks very appetizing, however, for a while you will have to forget about your diet – the portions are large and quite oily.
I advise you to visit one of the night markets near Patong, where you can have a very tasty and inexpensive dinner.
The main beaches are located on the western side of Phuket. There are no tourist beaches on the eastern side, as far as I know.
The top 3 of my visited beaches were: Naiharn, Karon, Kata. I strongly recommend visiting these 3 beaches first. The sand on the beaches is white, clean, and the water is transparent.
One of the party pieces of Thailand is massage. Traditional Thai massage, which is more like passive yoga, is most popular in Phuket. It is characterized by twisting, pressing and slight pain. If you have a low pain threshold, warn the massage therapist in advance.
Visiting the Old Town area, you will be able to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a completely different Thailand. It is located away from the beaches and the tourist bustle.
Most of the buildings are made in a Chinese-Portuguese style. You can feel the history and the spirit of old Phuket literally in the air.
Monkey Hill or Monkey Mountain is a place where you can meet local monkeys without any fences or cages.
It is better to prepare in advance and not go empty-handed, because local monkeys are used to goodies from tourists. At the foot of the hill, enterprising grandmothers sell bundles of bananas.
Phuket offers many excursions to neighbouring islands, such as Phi Phi, Phangan, James Bond Island, etc.
There are also 2- and 3-day excursions, which include tours to more than 10 islands. You can basically pick any of them, you are guaranteed an interesting experience.
Phuket is a kind of "Mekkah" of a healthy lifestyle. Do you remember the movie "Kickboxer" with Van Damme? By the way, it was filmed in Thailand. The film made an indelible impression on the little me. Who did not dream of going on a long journey into the jungle as a child, finding a bearded martial artist with secret techniques, learning from him, and then defeating all the villains?
Many years on I wanted to make this dream come true. And Phuket is perfect for this.
Martial arts classes, namely Thai boxing or Muay Thai – a national and almost sacred sport in Thailand - inspired me to visit this country for the first time.
Muay Thai is rightfully considered to be one of the most effective types of martial arts in the world, arms, legs, knees and elbows are used in combat. That is why Muay Thai is also called "the battle of eight limbs". In general, I have always been struck by the contrast of the soft temperament of Thais and the rigidity of Muay Thai – this country combines things that may seem incompatible at first glance.
In Phuket, there are the largest number of Muay Thai camps, not only in Thailand but all over the world.
There is even a special sports street - Soi ta-iad, where not only Thai boxing and MMA halls can be found, but also fitness/CrossFit gyms, healthy food cafes and equipment shops are located.
Due to the high humidity and intensity of training, classes are pretty challenging. Each workout literally squeezes all the juices out of the body.
Well, in the end, as befits a good movie, after a long gruelling training session, a fight with the main villain should take place, where good defeats evil and you can return home with a sense of accomplishment.