** Fair warning this is a long post with tons of photos! Was quite an adventurous day! May be a good distraction from all the corona news.
Jason, Non and I decided to spend our Saturday morning hiking to Black Rock Viewpoint. I have never been there before and it was on my list of areas to see. Jason hasn’t been there for a long time and Non has never been. (We were making fun of how the locals need us expats to make them a guide to their country’s best viewpoints and beaches- Non is Thai)
I gave a forewarning to Jason that I am not only close to double his age but also twice his size. I was hoping they would take it easy on me with this hike!
This was the beginning point of the hike. Right after, up the hill, there was a fork in the dirt road. One way led down to the beach and the other to the viewpoint. We decided to go to the viewpoint first and then come back and go swimming at the beach. Non didn’t pack a suit so we were teasing him that nobody would notice if he went in his underwear. Apparently his undies are quite scandalous….or so he led us to believe.
Along our walk Jason “smelled” cashews. He has quite the nose. He also claims to have the super power of being able to smell roaches. There is no way I would have known this plant was growing nuts. You can see from the shape that the nut is inside the curved shell. I guess they are difficult to open and somewhat poisonous?
But Non jumped up and grabbed a ripe one and took a bite out of the fruit that grows above it. In the photo above the fruit is a green piece, but it then becomes yellow and eventually red, and drops down once it’s ripe. We saw a red one that some animal got to. Non used to hunt with his dad when he was a kid, so he is very savvy to the plants and animal tracks. We saw many snake tracks crossing our dirt path. I do not want to be here when the sun goes down.
Jason was in love with these fern plants, so we made him go in for a photo opp.
We eventually came across this viewpoint. It was beautiful and unexpected. You could see Chalong Bay and Panwa Viewpoint.
Non took this selfie which I love! We are quite the motley crew. These guys are so easy going and great to be with.
One last shot of this viewpoint. Then we wandered back the way we came. A local on an ATV told us the black rock viewpoint was a different way. So we headed to it. (I thought this was it….apparently not)
Well we found it. And it was equally beautiful with a view of Nai Harn beach. You could also see Phi Phi Islands from here.
One of the guys snapped this photo of me asking them what something was. I love how natural it is.
Jason sat down to take it all in. I made a comment about his perfect posture, I could use a lesson.
You can see from the greenery that it hasn’t rained at all. I would hate for anyone to set a flame anywhere on this mountain top.
Non has a new camera and is trying his hand at photography. He has captured some unbelievable shots of nature. I think I mentioned him before. I am hopeful he will find work with his skills.
After that viewpoint we kept following a road that was going straight downhill. For about 45 hard minutes. At this point, my knees were a little achy from bracing for stability in the loose dirt. I was thinking, there is NO way I will make it back up. I was optimistic that we could reach the beach at the end of this road.
We eventually came to a leveled out area called Dragonscape. Not sure why. But it says so right on the rock 🙂
From here we could see Nai Beach. You can see we are still quite far up the mountain.
We decided to keep following the road downhill. We passed a house with a very angry dog. We left Non to make friends with him.
Not sure if you can see Non here at the top left corner, but he opted to just take a short cut through the jungle instead of staying on path.
This is a great view showing the type of roads we were taking through the jungle.
The colors never cease to amaze me here.
We eventually got to a dead end of the road. It ended with this shack reflecting some hint of civilization, with lawn chairs, a pit to cook on, a few dishes, hammock and life vests. But where to go from here? I was officially out of water.
I took this photo of the well kept spirit temple as I was relaxing on the lawn chair.
The view to my left.
The view to the right. Guess we are rock climbing our way to the beach. Looks do- able right?
This photo captures the scale of these rocks we were about to take on. Non just jumped right on top of that! I took the route around it.
At one point we were hoping this fishing boat would come save us. But there was no way they could get close enough with all the rocks in the water.
An occasional crab shell would scare me as I was climbing.
We were determined to make it. Jason kept saying there is no way back. He was quite the trooper doing this all while wearing flip flops. Non was so agile- jumping from rock to rock with no fear. I made the guys go first because I had to evaluate the placement of my already exhausted body before I made the move.
They kept coaxing me along. I stepped into some leaves at one point, NOT a good idea. Cut up my foot. Then I also stepped onto a smaller rock that moved when I put my weight on it, so I fell to my knees at that point. But both injuries quite minor.
I think this was after climbing for a bit. The end beach goal seemed so far away still.
Looking back you can see the white roof of the housing where we had started. Question is can you see me in this photo?
Taking a breather, Non capture us. At one point I had to physically duck to fit in between two rocks.
I still can’t believe we did this.
Looking down into the sea. At one crossing point the water was splashing up and I thought this would be an interesting way for the world to take me out 🙂 Wiped out on the rocks while making my way to a beach.
When we finally made it, we climbed up to a landing where a worker was crashing glass bottles against the rocks. The guys made it up way before me and apparently the glass breaker said “where did you guys come from!!??” Then charged them 100 BHT each to access the beach.
View from the landing point. I sat down and tried to get my face to return back to my normal red coloration.
We ended up grabbing drinks at this restaurant on the beach. Our food for some reason was swarmed with flies. I think flies around here are seasonal.
Jason and Non. Was such a great adventure. One which we all said we would never do again 🙂
Looking out at the mountain and rocks we conquered.
Non had regular shoes on so he had to rock climb, again, to get to the other side of the beach. I refused and went through the water which was surprisingly cold!
View from the other bar. No flies here.
Jason and I went into the water to feel human again.
I think this beach is trying to be like Paradise Beach but it is not as well kept and the water is not as kind. I discovered I prefer the calm alcoves to swim in. I don’t enjoy fighting the waves and current. This beach also got deep super fast. Most in Phuket you can still stand quite a ways out.
As we were leaving to get the truck back up to our cars this was the view looking back toward the beach. Notice the cute tent treehouse? I was wondering if that was for rent or just something to explore. I was in no mood to climb, but it was a thought.
As we were walking out, Non spoke with the guys near the truck and then walked past them. I asked what they said and he mentioned they were charging 100 BHT each to take a ride back up, so we were walking. Being the trooper that I am I took my place in the back and started conquering the first steep incline. I stopped half way and told the guys that they should go on without me, as I would be taking a lot of breaks and I didn’t want to hold them up.
They turned the corner to see the next incline and agreed we were not doing this 🙂 We watched as a young Russian couple passed us. We waited about 5 minutes and then loaded into the back of the truck. I have to tell you, even riding up this mountain was tough! I had to hold onto the rails with both hands.
I noticed they fill in their dirt road potholes creatively with coconut shells. But I didn’t dare snap a photo for fear my phone would bump out of my hands or worse yet I would fly out the back. As I predicted, we picked up the Russian couple less than halfway up. They negotiated for half price and jumped in the back and joined us.
Was one hell of a day and one I will cherish! Love my adventures here. #lovemylife
I am looking into language schools for Zoe to possibly come over for a few months on an education visa and study Thai language as well as advance her German. I told Zoe her payment to me would be to take what she learns of Thai and patiently help me to also learn. I think it would be an awesome international and inexpensive experience for her resume.
I visited two schools, each affordable and one more local than the other. Both offered German private classes for advanced students. It’s fun to think about her coming over for a bit, but more than likely won’t happen until next year.
After visiting the schools, I landed in a lunch spot which offered homemade lemonaide —so flipping good! Tasted like a mojito! Speaking of, I have only had one alcoholic drink since I left The States. 2 weeks dry! 🙂 Pretty proud considering not one day went by in the USA where I didn’t partake in a drink. I was waiting to drink with Kassie, Bobby and Jeff who were expected this week in Phuket, but unfortunately the virus got their flights and they are hunkering down with the rest of the world.
I headed to the beach for bit afterwards to enjoy the sun again.
I couldn’t resist a selfie with the red umbrellas behind me.
They were lined up offering plenty of shade. I have gotten used to the sun and my sunblock seems to be doing an excellent job protecting me. I haven’t ever gotten red here. Just a little browner 🙂
The sun started to settle and reflect on the water and I was mesmerized by the glimmer.
Just such a beautiful place isn’t it? Every day literally perfect.
As I continued my drive north up the highway, the road curved sharply to the west and next thing you know I was driving parallel to a new beach. Of course I know you all won’t believe that, yes, there are still beaches I haven’t yet explored. This one in particular was completely secluded with literally nobody in sight.
I parked Mia in the sand and walked through a wooded area to find this beautifully long beach.
The colors were magnificent.
No humans and no garbage in sight. Just pure beach beauty for miles.
“Every time I stand before a beautiful beach, its waves seem to whisper to me: If you choose the simple things and find joy in nature’s simple treasures, life and living need not be so hard.”
The water itself was a bit sandy and not clear like at other beaches on Phuket. The waves were a tad rough, but nothing that would keep anyone from swimming. I sat on the beach for a bit, just soaking it in. Then headed back onto the highway and within 5 minutes pulled over at another stop I couldn’t resist.
I mean doesn’t this look like a postcard?
A huge tree just laying in the sand.
I decided to sit down at one of their outdoor bamboo picnic areas to again admire the view.
Nobody here. So sad to see what the virus has done to the tourism industry. I know many of these places will not survive without customers for this long of a period.
I was literally feeling like the luckiest person alive. I was soaking in the sun and flying by the seat of my pants exploring. I ordered up a couple of fried eggs since it was still morning and a soda water, my new go-to to quench my thirst. Total price 50 BHT- aka $1.50
Later in the late afternoon, on my way back from the viewpoints, I decided to settle here on my beach mat for an hour and take in the sun. I did a U turn and went down a one way road past many high end resorts. I parked my scooter by where the taxi guys were napping and found my way to the beach again.
There were some people walking along the beach this time, which I imagine you could do for literally hours. (I googled and this beach is 11km long) Was thinking next time maybe I will do that and check out what is along these empty shores. This beach goes all the way up to the bridge and down to the airport. I later saw a sign that said there was no swimming at this beach, which is probably why there are so few people here.
I was determined to see if the dirt path down to Tri Trang was still open after my months of being away. They were working on a lot of construction before I left in that area and I predicted they would close that walkway off to the public.
I am happy to report, I was incorrect. The path is now fenced with the resort on the other side. It appears as if the resort never opened but is now fully constructed.
There is plenty of shade here. I planted myself in the sun until it was too hot. The water at this beach is always very shallow with a coral/shell bottom. Probably why it’s not as popular as some of the other beach options.
This is a newly constructed sign with a concrete walkway area. You cannot get to the beach from here without walking through the water. There is a resort that cuts you off from crossing over.
I love how deserted it is here. Very few people ever make it to this location.
It remains to me the best view of the mountains and ocean.
The sun was starting to settle so I decided to wander up the hill a bit and try out one of the local restaurants for an early dinner.
All of these restaurants had incredible views. All were completely empty. There are hardly any tourists here at this point. Traffic is empty. No buses. I literally whizzed right through Patong which is usually the most trafficy area.
This is the view from the place I selected. I could see Patong across the sea. I heard some excitement and laughter coming from the waters below so I looked over the balcony to see what was going on.
Discovered elephants bathing with a few tourists who were taking rides and playing with them in the water.
I don’t like seeing humans riding elephants. Many of these elephant experiences are not always what is particularly best for the elephants. But when watching them in the water, the elephants seemed to have fun splashing around. There were two baby elephants too. I watched one of them go under water for quite a long time. I didn’t realize they did that.
View looking back toward the beach I was at earlier. It still seems surreal that I get to live here.
Kata Beach hostel stay was on the radar for the weekend. I wanted the kids to have the international hostel experience and get a feel for being in an area that was walkable.
After checking them into their cubby hole living space, we jumped on the scooters and headed to Kata Noi which is the smaller beach of the two. We stopped at a place for lunch which featured 100 baht cocktails. So we started off our afternoon trying out a few.
Not the best have to say, but it was fun.
Zoe sporting her blue tongue since her two drink choices were always blue.
All smiles after the second round.
The beach was busier than I’d ever seen it but still not as packed as the larger beaches.
Sedona burying her feet in the sand.
Zoe and I attempting a selfie.
I made the girls go for a walk since they get bored easily at the beach. I find sitting on the beach an excellent excuse to sit still.
We hit the beach bar after to watch the sun go down before heading back.
I swear it slips into the horizon so quickly.
Our view from the bar.
Was fun with the kitchen right on the beach and sand under our feet.
We decided to walk the streets and came across Kata Walk which is just row after row of bars jamming their own tunes and each having enough room to seat only about 10. I made Zoe pick which one to stop at and we ended up at Susy’s bar- with JoJo as our sweet bartender.
Zoe got a mojito only to spill it immediately. This was her hating her life.”
At the bar Jo Jo taught us this game where you shake the dice, and if you have ONE it gets pulled out. If you have a SIX you pass it to your neighbor. And whoever gets rid of their dice first wins. Was great entertainment.
A couple of sweet gals came to sit at the bar with us. Now 5 girls at JoJos. One of the girls ordered a Red Pussy drink. First of all, I couldn’t believe they had such a thing on the menu, but secondly, couldn’t believe such an innocent face would order one. So we had to give it a try:)
It didn’t take long before Zoe was dancing behind the bar trying to show the other bars that ours was the most fun.
Jo Jo and Zo Zo.
Sedona hit it off with the crazy owner Susy. I was long gone back home by this time. But I heard a lot of fun was had and they landed back at their hostel by 2 am.
Justin surprised us Christmas Day by treating all of us to a 4 hour spa package! Such an awesome gift and completely unexpected! We picked the Oasis spa in the Kamala Beach area which was themed out in all blues and turquoises. It was beautifully decorated and the staff were so professional. The experience of a lifetime!
These planters were throughout the spa and so cute!
This was the view at the entryway when we came in. Serene.
You got to look at this when you were face down on the massage table.
This was such a treat! Could not have been a better day.
Such character and the maintenance of this place was top notch.
We were the only ones at the spa it seemed. So quiet.
Decor inside the small house rooms”- which were complete with a sitting area, massage area and full bath.
Two of us had to share a room, so Sedona got stuck with me 🙂 We had fun.
View from inside our room looking out.
After the herbal body scrub and clay wrap they served us some fresh fruit and tea.
After our day of luxury was over we were starving so we wandered up the street and found this Thai dive which turned out to be the best place we have eaten at yet! Amazing food and so cheap! Wish it was closer to where I live.
After our half day spa treatment, we decided to go to Kamala Beach to check it out before heading home. The tsunami memorial was over there and I wanted to see it.
The memorial. There was a lot of construction around it not sure what their plans are. But this was a huge scaled chaotic metal sculpture which represented how we are all connected and everything happens for a reason.
Hoping they will maintain it better in the future. It felt neglected with grass growing up through the cracks of the stones which added to the sadness.
We arrived at the beach right when the sun was heading down.
Zoe and Sedona taking claim to this castle.
This adorable little girl was making her own swimming pool and having a blast. Kids love the sand!
Couldn’t resist making her smile for the sake of the photo.
Love the background of this photo. Looks like a prop. Everything perfect- lifeguard chair, palm tree, umbrella hammock, kayaks and surf boards.
Sisters.
Always picturesque.
Sedona and I capturing the sun with love.
Zoe’s love.
We ended our night at Home Kitchen grabbing some lava cake for dessert.
We have had some amazingly long fun filled days here in Phuket together. I feel so blessed to be sharing this side of the world with my girls who have embraced it and loved it the same as I do! Our time together has been better than I could’ve imagined. I am glad I have this blog to record my memories with them. I hope you have enjoyed our adventures too.
Paradise Beach was a must see on our to do and Zoe was ready to conquer the most dangerous mountain- Patong Hill with Tia. After stuffing our faces with a huge breakfast we set off to cross to the other side of the island.
Paid the extra for a chair in the shade.
Poor Sedona cut her foot on some of the coral under the water. So in twin style, Zoe came to her rescue with a beer!
I love this photo so much because it reminds me of when they were little together.
The girls bought me a mini Stretch Armstrong for Christmas. He will soon have a blog of his own 🙂 Here they are posing with him. I love their humor! (Santa Claus brought them a full sized Stretch last year for Christmas and Zoe claimed him as her boyfriend she had asked Santa for )
Capturing Sese’s laughter.
It was fun watching Zoe climb this rock.
Such a natural!
Had to prove mom could do it too!
I went snorkeling and felt like I was in an entirely new universe. I couldn’t believe the colorful fish that were swimming with us! It was like Finding Nemo. I had to have Zoe and Sedona try it! Was such a great experience.
The view on the other side.
We headed to Home Kitchen to catch the sunset. Zoe being her goofy self! She has the best expressions! So animated.
Sedona giving me her Frida eye. Stunning!
Sedona claimed she ordered a mixed fruit plate for dessert, and then this scrumptious hot fudge lava cake showed up complete with Christmas colored plating.
We watched the sun fade into the horizon again.
Doesn’t get better than this in life. I have to admit, having my daughters with me has been better than I ever imagined!
The twins took off this afternoon for Manila. They were harassed a bit at customs due to their passport photos looking nothing like them. Gotta admit they have done a lot of growing up in the past 5 years! But they made it out. Now keep positive prayers that they get into the Philippines and back without ending up in customs jail 🙂
I started my Sunday off with the amusing expat crew weekly brunch. They always entertain me with all their stories and adventures. I feel extremely “midwest” around this worldly group. After brunch I usually take the opportunity to hit a nearby beach. James and Jeanette recommended Paul’s, in their British accents, sounded like Pool’s. I googled mapped my way to this part of Laguna and was not disappointed. So quiet.
Spent a lot of time admiring the clouds.
Water was beautifully calm and clouds heavy and low.
This is one of the longest beaches and is connected with Bang Tao and Layan Beach.
As I was swimming I noticed a storm quickly approaching, so I had to take off earlier than I wanted. But so happy I did as I was able to avoid all the rain and even took the scenic route home. (Virlane showed me the other day so I wanted to test my memory)
Stopped into Wat Choeng Thale Temple.
Every temple is always uniquely detailed.
Going through a local village this was a surprise to find.
I decided to check out the Mining Museum on the drive home. It was closed. Not sure I would have been that entertained by it anyways with my limited interest in mining.
A lot of equipment out front.
No clue what I am looking at. I was more interested in the locals that were digging through, or dumping in the dumpster on the property. I was wondering what bodies may be discovered there 🙂
Bridge at the museum’s entryway.
At Thanksgiving dinner, I was teased that I never saw the Big Cock in Kathu and have lived there now for months. I said maybe compared to the cocks I have seen, it just may not have caught my eye 🙂 But I was determined to find it…..so I decided to google it on my way home. Was quite a day and quite a large cock!
He sits outside a restaurant called the Big Chicken.
I decided to go back to Banana Beach today. The last time I visited I was the only one on the beach, it was raining and the waves were wicked fierce. I wondered if this coast was always turbulent, so after eating brunch with the expat crew at the Gallery Cafe, I headed to this remote beach which left me in awe.
When I pulled my scooter over to park, a local gal pulled up behind me and asked if we could park here. I said yes and then pointed to the beach. She parked and I showed her the way to climb down the hill using the roots of the trees which created a natural staircase. She was so excited and kept stopping to take photos on the way down.
She later came and sat beside me on the beach and we chatted a bit. She had never been here before and never knew about it. She spoke broken English, but I learned that she sells food at a stand in Phuket Town and had the afternoon off. She decided to jump on her scooter and ride up the coast to see the beaches. It took her an hour to get here. She had on black jeans and said next time she will dress appropriately and be ready to go into the water! (too bad there weren’t any bathing suits for sale here)
I told her about Freedom Beach near Patong which is another beach you have to climb down to. She said she worked 4 years in Patong selling souvenirs and had never heard of it. She was excited that it was free, because she is upset that all the hotels are taking over and now charging or not allowing locals to use the beaches. She then told me a new beach to look for called Rock Beach. She told me they charge 250 BHT to get in. But I was happy to hear of this new one and will definitely google map my way there soon!
The walk down with the beach through the trees.
A lot of people, mostly Russian here.
I planted myself by these rocks. The sand is super smooth, almost unreal. Not a pebble in site. I remember last time I was here it was all pebbles. I wish I understood the tides and how it changes.
Sky couldn’t be bluer.
I wanted to stay until the sun went down. Unfortunately once it was behind the hill, there wasn’t much of a sunset to see.
Selfie shot.
I loved how the locals walked out to this rock and all went swimming out there. The Thai flag on top proudly placed.
I headed out after the sun hid behind the mountain. I couldn’t help looking back at the view.
I decided I wanted to stop for tacos and then go to the grocery on my way home. Gotta say, was a long day! But I enjoyed it thoroughly. The water was crystal clear, barely any waves and the sand under the water smooth as powder. I went in four times during my beach stay. Was a perfect Sunday!
On my drive back I glanced at a clearing and saw this view. I did a U turn and pulled up to capture this shot!
I proudly drove back by heart, no google map needed, even though at several points I thought I was lost but was not. It’s a good feeling to know your way around and have a grip on the island terrain. I mean, a local followed me to the beach!!
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” ~ John Muir
Today my lunch date cancelled due to some new training. 😦 Since I already arranged my schedule to have this afternoon student free, I felt the need to get out. (truth- I haven’t left the condo in two days working from 7 am until evening. You all know I don’t want that to take over my life again!)
Deciding which beach to go to can be difficult but never a stressful decision. For some reason I have been wanting to go back to Paradise Beach to explore again. I was only there once during the day (back in May) and then once with Traci at night for the Half Moon Party.
Rented a lounge chair and embraced the shade. Ordered a fruit smoothie and some fried rice for lunch.
It was a gorgeous day. I was admiring these new chairs where the shade is provided by a cover that extends directly over your head. Look to the right and left of this photo to see two extended.
I decided to get up and take a walk on this new floating blue bridge I saw in the distance. I don’t recall these dead tree branches in the sand, but they certainly must have been there in May?
Odd that I wouldn’t remember them.
A great view of Paradise Beach as I climbed up the steps to the bridge.
The walkway took you past a rocky area where a lot of tourists had stepped out for picture taking.
View looking back on the floating bridge. A lot of snorkelers were in the water by this area.
Walking back toward the beach. Water was so green today. I love how it changes colors.
Thanks to an obnoxious group of guys (guessing from Dubai) that caused me to want to move, I took another pathway and found Chill Beach”. Upon arrival there was a topless bronze woman lying face up proud of her implants! I was sad that she wasn’t respectful of the Thai conservative culture.
View of Chill Beach. The sand was super soft and a totally different texture than Paradise which was more coral covered.
Water crystal clear. I wandered around these rocks and watched the crabs jump away. When I turned and looked toward the beach, I noticed a staircase. So I decided to head up to see what was there.
As I barefoot walked up a dirt trail, I saw this in the distance on a rock and decided to get a closer look.
From the rock where the sign was placed, this was the view.
Stunning. I didn’t realize I was on such a narrow peninsula and that water with such a different landscape was so near to the beach.
I was fascinated watching the whirlpools created from the crashing waves. Wondering if it would suck me down and if so, how deep it would be.
Selfie in my Girl Power hat I stole from Sedona in Korea. I was damn happy to have found this new spot.
I wandered up a steep incline to find this small temple.
This was a glimpse of the beach as I wandered back down the temple’s hill .
Instead of going back the way I came, I wandered the opposite direction on the path to find this swing set with a view. Sometimes I seriously am so damn happy with myself. The solo wanderer.
This was the view from the swing set. I called a few friends from here to take it in with me.
Was appropriately named Rock View Point.
As I kept wandering I found this beautiful wood sculpture. I also walked past some dorm rooms where it looked like backpackers could stay.
This is the transportation to get from the parking lot down to the beach. It’s such a steep incline. You’d be crazy to drive it but there were tons of scooters parked down by the beach. But I love my Tia too much to risk it.
Tonya Takes Thailand 