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Not content with cycling just from London to Sydney, we thought we’d add (another!) extra 160km to our trip by popping down for the day (like you do!) to Phuket island. Since we were so near we thought it would be rude not to! :p
So off we went and instead of heading east towards the Malaysian border, we continued south. Boy what a day that was! The road ahead looked like shimmering glass in the distance, and the tarmac looked like it was melting in parts. It was HOT! Temperature had crawled up to a searing 38C, with no cloud cover or wind. It was hard work breathing, let alone cycling.
We had intended to stay on a beach in the north part of the island, away from all the tourist traps further down. Alas Sedef (!) missed our turn-off (having appointed herself tour leader for the day). Once we realised, it was too late to turn back, so we had to cycle an extra 20k the long way round and over another steep great big hill! The really annoying thing was that right next to our road climbing the big hill was the lovely long flat runway of the Phuket airport. There is just no justice in the world.
Almost at sunset (and having cycled 95kms in the heat) we stumble-crawl-pushed into a low-key beach called Nai Yang. And found that the main hotel of the resort town had been abandoned since the tsunami, which meant that all the other hotels were all full! After half an hour of fruitless searching we were recommended a quiet little place round the back of the beach. It looked from the outside like someone’s house, with no posh hotel sign or anything, just a wooden gate. But once through, it was like walking through the mirrorglass in Alice in Wonderland. It was a brand new family run hotel called ‘Sea Pines‘, built on stilts in traditional Thai style over fresh water canals. Everything done tastefully in dark teak, and even an antique Thai house that was deconstructed in central Thailand, shipped here, and rebuilt on site. Not to mention a very nice swimming pool, that was the perfect depth for ‘nervous swimmer’ Nic (i.e. he could tip-toe stand in the deep end). The resort was also not too touristy (which we hate) – it was a laid back, sleepy place, with a few nice restaurants spreading their tables on the sand on the beach.
Cycling in the heat for weeks had finally begun to take its toll. We were both beginning to show signs of heat exhaustion, so since we were in such a lovely place, we decided to take a rest day here. Well not so much of a rest day for Nic – for Sedef decided to train him like the seal that he is (!), in the swimming pool of the hotel. We had the whole pool to ourselves all day, other guests having retired to the beach to roast like chickens. So we went through all swimming strokes, and Nic even learned how to nose-dive in his second try!! And we have video evidence to prove it! We must have been in the pool for three hours – it was simply too hot outside – we came out only when our fingers and toes began to look wrinkly!! 🙂
We thoroughly recommend this hotel to everyone (Sea Pines, Nai Yang Beach, Phuket) – at around 20 pounds a night, it was a very expensive place for us (but we are worth it! :p). For all you rich devils in full time employment it should be a bargain! Certainly so compared to the rest of Phuket…
