KINGDOM OF DELIGHTS
- Bill Watt
- May 3
- 7 min read
Updated: May 9
MOVIE LOCATIONS TO ROYAL PALACES; SEA CANOES TO LONG-TAIL BOATS; SPICY CURRIES TO STICKY RICE ... THAILAND LEAVES BILL WATT WONDERING WHY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR HIM TO RETURN.
My wife Marie and I first visited Thailand on our honeymoon ages ago. We loved the mix of hustle and bustle, Buddhist culture, history and luxury resorts and planned to come back. But, for some reason it just never happened.
However, after years of can we or can't we, should we or shouldn't we, we finally made it again, this time in the company of two great friends - Leanne & Mark - and Thailand certainly did not disappoint.
The schedule was simple. Day 1: Sydney to Phuket, followed by eight nights at the Marriott Merlin Beach Resort. Day 9: Phuket to Bangkok, followed by 4 nights at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. Day 13: Fly home to Sydney.
As our two-weeks in the tropics sped by we racked up a host of memorable moments. Here are a few ...
CANOE VIEWS
Can something be both chaotic but ethereally peaceful,all at once? The answer is "yes". As part of a fabulous catamaran tour of Phang Nga Bay and surrounds (ex Phuket) with Sawanu Travel (www.sawanutravel.com) we joined a crowd of travellers on canoes winding our way through the caves and lagoons of beautiful Hong Island (Koh Hong).
The start for me was inauspicious, with my wife crashing down on my foot as she lowered herself "gracefully" onto our canoe. Off we went with our local paddler doing the hard work at the back of the vessel. We joined a procession of others on the water, but somehow the crowd didn't seem to matter. With majestic lush green peaks towering above, surrounded by calm lagoon waters and winding our way through a network of quiet picturesque caves the prevailing feeling was one of overwhelming serenity. As we waited to enter one cave a chap in another canoe exiting the grotto told us: "A once in a lifetime experience". I have to agree.
THE NAME'S BOND
In the 007 film The Man With The Golden Gun, superspy James Bond has a pistol duel with evil nemesis Scaramanga in one of the most spectacular spots imaginable in Phang Nga Bay. The location of the duel - on Khao Phing Kan island opposite a towering limestone rock called Koh Tapu (tapu means nail in Thai) - is a popular stop-off point for tours, and inevitably Khao Phing Kan is now known by travellers and locals alike as James Bond Island. Of course, when we visited we had our pictures taken in a fake pistol-firing stance. I was forced to do it against my will (yeah, sure) ... such crass tourist behaviour is beneath my dignity.
FLOATING VILLAGE
Just up the way a bit from James Bond Island is another of Phang Nga Bay's unique attractions, the floating village of Koh Panyee. The village is made up of houses, markets and a large restaurant, all built on stilts which spectacularly stretch from the almost vertical limestone cliffs of Koh Panyee island. It also has a floating soccer pitch where, we were told, tourists are sometimes included in play. The only requirement is that they can swim ... in case they need to retrieve the football from the sea.
Founded by fishermen from Java in the 18th Century, it is entirely Muslim and has a quite spectacular mosque. We stopped at the village for lunch as part of our tour. The timing was perfect ... we had worked up an appetite swimming, canoeing and engaging in imaginary gun duels ... and our buffet spread at Koh Panyee Village Restaurant did not disappoint.
THE AWAY GAME
Phuket is a beautiful island, but the townships can be a little bit spicy (read seedy, if you wish). Patong town has a spectacular beach, a vibrant retail district and a huge and chaotic "entertainment" area at its heart. Central to this is the bar-lined Bangla Walking Street. Right in the middle of this street is the Aussie Bar Phuket (phuketaussiebar.com), and it's the place to head when your footy team is about to play back home in Oz. Multiple large TV screens show AFL on one side of the double decker pub and NRL on the other.
We headed there twice, once to watch the might South Sydney Rabbitohs (my team) and the next morning to watch the not-so-mighty Parramatta Eels (my mate Mark's team). Surprisingly, both won ... and a great time was had by all. With friendly clientele and efficient staff, I can recommend the Aussie Bar as a terrific place to experience footy away from home.
OFF THE RAILS
It's a bit like magic. One minute there is a street full of market stalls with locals buying up essential stores and tourists haggling for trinkets and souvenir t-shirts; next minute - abracadabra - there's a great big bloody train travelling through that exact same street. It's called the Maeklong Railway Market and we visited it as part of a day tour from Bangkok that included the floating markets, the Bridge on the River Kwai and Kanchanburi War Cemetery.
HAGGLE FAIL
They said to haggle ... but not over the cost of beer, apparently. Nobody told me! Anyway, the four of us are on a long-tail boat (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-tail_boat) at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market west of Bangkok when Mark and I decide to enjoy a Chang's beer as part of the experience. Up sidles our boat to another with a lady selling said beer. "How much," I ask. She gives a price. I offer less ... and get my marching orders. Anyway, the next boat selling beer was nearly double the price. "Yep, we'll take it", I said, not wanting to offend anyone else, and just a little thirsty!
DOWN TO THE RIVER
The Thai capital is a huge, hot and crazily busy metropolis, but there is a simple, relatively cool way to reach the city's highlights ... use the river. And, booking into a riverside hotel makes this transport route incredibly easily. For the equivalent of less than $10 we wound our way up and down the Chao Phraya River on the ferry system, seeing some amazing sights.
The hop-on, hop-off all-day boat pass delivers you at the door of the colourfully spectacular Grand Palace, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Just back down the road a little is Wat Pho, a temple renowned for it's giant reclining Buddha. Here, oddly, you can see a number of giant statues of the famous Italian traveller Marco Polo. Then a quick ferry jump across the river and you are at Wat Arun, a Buddhist temple named after the Hindu god of dawn, Aruna. It has a series of spires stretching up to the sky, the central and highest rising to 82m.
The river boats also deliver you to more modern places of worship such as the IconSiam luxury shopping precinct and food and drink super-centre, Asiatique The Riverfront.
PICTURE PERFECT EATING
Location, location, location! While in Thailand we seemed to be constantly eating or drinking with incredible vistas stretched out in front of us. And, the quality of the food inevitably matched the view. While staying at the Marriott Merlin Beach Resort in Phuket it started in the morning with breakfast at the Beach Grill where the lovely Merlin Beach stretched out before us. In the evening we would have a beer or cocktail enjoying a similar view as the sun sank into the west at The Rum Shack bar.
In nearby Patong, we discovered Meg Khram The Sunshine Restaurant with its stunning clifftop views of the beach stretched out below. The delicious food, great service and subtle saxophonist, along with a sudden spectacular thunderstorm, made for a great night out.
Of course, there was the floating village restaurant at Koh Panyee (mentioned earlier) with its views looking out onto Phang Nga Bay.
Hard to top in the viewing stakes was eating lunch at The Floating Restaurant, Kanchanaburi with the famous Bridge Over The River Kwai a stone's throw away. The food here was good but not spectacular (apart from the crispy chicken drumsticks, which really hit the mark) but eating with a remarkably historic bridge almost within touching distance was something I will always remember.
During our time in Bangkok, my wife Marie had a landmark birthday. We celebrated with Leanne and Mark at the Shangri-La's Salathip Thai Restaurant with the Chao Phraya River running alongside us. With traditional Thai dancers, amazing food including a gluten free birthday cake (organised by Leanne), and the amazing setting we couldn't have asked for more.
A special mention goes to The Cozy Cafe Phuket, a short walk from our Phuket digs at the Marriott. We popped in for a caffeine fix (cold and hot) and were blown away by the view from the open deck. And, the coffees were good, too!
A STICKY SITUATION
Confession time: I have a sweet tooth and during this trip I seem to have developed an obsession with Thai mango sticky rice. Oh my goodness, it was EVERYWHERE and I just had to try it EVERYWHERE. It never failed to delight. The best, I think, was the simple takeaway pack we picked up at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Just perfect! But, a special mention must go the mango sticky rice macarons I tried at YenlyYours Dessert in Bangkok. Macaron top and bottom with mango surrounded by Thai sticky rice in the middle. What can I say ... a taste sensation.
REMEMBRANCE
Thailand makes it so easy to relax and leave behind the anxieties of the modern world. It's also easy to forget that some horrific events have marred this beautiful nation's past. One of the worst was the treatment of prisoners of war and Asian slave labour by the Japanese during World War II. The River Kwai Bridge, built by PoWs and made famous in the movie Bridge Over The River Kwai, serves now as a memorial to the estimated 16,000 PoWs and 90,000 Asian workers who died building the Death Railway between Thailand and Burma for the Japanese forces.
We finished our visit to the bridge with a walk around the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery where more than 5000 Commonwealth soldiers, including 1362 Australian Diggers, rest for eternity. I found myself both sad and angry. These men did not die with rifles in hand fighting an enemy, but as horribly mistreated captives of a brutish regime. They deserved so much better. May they rest in peace.
We flew Jetstar direct from Sydney to Phuket, Bangkok Airways from Phuket to Bangkok and Finn Air from Bangkok to Sydney. We stayed at the Marriott Merlin Beach Resort, Phuket and the Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok. Unfortunately, it was all paid for by us.
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