Phuket Island, Pearl of the South

Phuket in the rain (CNB 2013)

While on our Andaman Sea cruise, Ko Phuket or Phuket Island was the (Superstar Libra) ship's first port of call. When we left the ship on a small boat to the island's Patong Beach jetty, it was raining cats and dogs. The Patong Beach area seemed a pretty busy stretch despite the rain, and according to our local guide Samart, most tourists who come here now are Russian (previously it was the Scandinavians). There are no signs of the tsunami disaster which devastated Phuket in 2004. In fact, just two years later Phuket had recovered and the tourists have all come back in droves.


Phuket was originally Bukit (hill) in Malay. This biggest island of Thailand is also a province with income derived from tourism, tin, rubber and cashews. Formerly it was called Ko Thalang and before that Junk Ceylon (English corruption of the Malay 'Tanjung Salang' or Cape Salang). Phuket has a culture all of its own, combining Chinese and Portuguese influences with that of the chao naam or the sea gypsies, an indigenous ocean-going people, and the southern Thais. About 35% of the island's population are Thai Muslims and mosques outnumber Buddhist wat (temples) 38 to 37 (in 2001)*.

Elephant ahoy!

A tour of Phuket island had been arranged for us. By bus we were taken to the Island Safari Adventure Camp where we rode on elephants; always a thrilling experience. We noticed that all the mahouts seem to be Myanmarese and they displayed great control of the elephants (aided by sharp metal hooks which did not look elephant friendly). There were other rides including on bullock carts and 4WDs, but when in Thailand, elephants are the way to go.

Tourists riding in a bullock cart (CNB 2013)

On the south east of the island is Promthep Cape with a panaromic view of the Andaman Sea and the Indian Ocean. This is the southernmost tip of Phuket. There is also an elephant shrine there. While taking photos at the Cape, a very red-haired girl snapped our pictures (on the sly), so in turn I took hers, but with her permission. She may be a chao naam but the language barrier between us provided only uncertainty. Anyway it turned out that she was working at a nearby stall which then processed our pictures and put them in frames. A tourist trap surely, but then parting with your money for a tacky souvenir is really voluntary.

At picturesque Promthep Cape (CNB 2013)

Red-haired girl at Promthep Cape (CNB 2013)

After Promthep Cape we went to where all tour buses seem to stop by - this cashew nut factory of Sri Burapha Orchid. I love cashew nut so it was fine with me. Here you get to see how they extract the nut from the cashew seed and process it. The nuts get flavoured in ...  wasabi, bbq, honey, tom yum of course, etc., etc. There was also cashew juice which proved quite a refreshing taste.

Extracting cashew nuts (CNB 2013)

Just before going back to the ship, we returned to the Patong Beach area again to check out the (in)famous Soi Bangla (Bangla Road), Phuket's 'party zone', closed to traffic when the sun sets. There was also quick shopping done at the Jungceylon shopping complex.

One of several bars on Bangla Road (CNB 2013)

Sidewalk tile of the Patong Beach area (CNB 2013)

We left Phuket to get back to the ship around 8.00 pm. Suffice to say, we only got a glimpse of this island life in the very short time we were there.

*Ref: Thailand. 9th ed. (Lonely Planet, 2001) Ex Libris CNB 1299  ** I know, I know ... it is a decade old!
11 November 2013