1961 Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 57

HISTORY & TRAVEL Yes, it may not be what you were expecting but you will see this quite a bit in Phuket. The trouble is if you’ve never been to Phuket it’s very difficult to decide where to stay. Were you looking for something more like this? Same Phuket, completely different location. If you are going to Phuket for an absolute party holiday maybe Bangla Street is the place for you. There are loads of images on the internet of it but basically its club after club for your partying pleasure. If you are looking for something like the photo above then look at the islands off Phuket are for you. Having gone there, if I were to go back I would definitely stay at one of the Islands off Phuket. You can take a quick boat trip in for the day if you want to see the main island and or have a party-out day and you will be away from all the hustle and bustle when you want to be. Come on miles and miles of beautiful white sandy beaches. In fact the islands off Phuket are quite famous for being in several movies and when you go explore them you will understand why! The main island is much more interesting at night. Everywhere is sort-of lit up like a disco-like town. Even the taxi’s can look like mini clubs and can be rather elaborate and cool. This is an extreme example of what I am talking about, believe me it wouldn’t be uncommon to see a small little van which looks and sounds like a night club rolling down the road with a group of party animals hanging out of it. Not the holiday you’re looking for? How about trekking through the jungle on a massive elephant? I’ve never been on an elephant before and I didn’t know what to expect. The one good thing that came of the adventure was that I realized when you get out of the main towns and villages Phuket has a great deal more to offer and see. It’s full of amazingly beautiful scenery and friendly people. Communications can sometimes be difficult with the locals, but there are usually people who either speak English or at least some English. So don’t worry about it, venture out. I was so glad I did, there is so much there to experience and do. Getting off the beaten path in Phuket gives you the chance to see what the people of Thailand are like. This is a demonstration of traditional plowing techniques used in agriculture. Many of the larger farms now have modern day equipment to do the work, however these 57 1961 Magazine Fall 2016