It has been over 10 years since I first visited the island of Phuket, Thailand. My manager at the time, Bibsy Carballo, and a director-friend, Manolet Garcia, were looking for venues to shoot the music video for “Wala Ka Na.” Bibsy happened to find a deal to cruise with Star Cruises for an itinerary that included Phuket. Now it’s kind of ironic that my first visit was on a cruise ship, and now I visit places like this everyday working on a world cruise. While I grew up taking the ferry from Cebu to Leyte to visit my parents’ families, that trip was my first time to ever step onboard a cruise ship.
Although I have traveled to 50 different countries, this was my first time to come back to Phuket.
In the past 10 years a lot has happened on the island. It’s still a great place to visit and relax by the beach. But in December of 2004 this island experienced major devastation because of a tsunami. While today it is difficult to find physical evidence of the destruction, there are signs that the island is now much more aware and prepared for future disasters. Tsunami evacuation routes are clearly marked and every hotel and resort now have plans in case of such an event in the future. Thailand has also implemented a monitoring system in place to tell if there is a threat of a tsunami. While nobody hopes for another disaster to happen, it is good to know they are prepared and ready just in case.
Two years ago, I was working on a ship and a singer in my cast was a survivor of tsunami. He was there with his family when the disaster happened and they managed to find their way to safety. In one instant his life would never be the same. Just like how the tsunami changed the island, it also changed Kerry. As a survivor, he knew he had to do something with his life and it gave him drive and determination to reach for his dreams.
As a follow up, Kerry has indeed found success. He performed in the musical “Chicago,” traveled the world with our cast, and since that time he has graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in his hometown of London. Now he is in the cast of “Miss Saigon” in the revival production in West End of London with Rachel Ann Go. Before it was even announced that “Miss Saigon” would be coming back to London, Kerry would joke that he would be in the next cast. This has been a dream of his since he was a young boy learning to perform and I have to think that his experiences along the way led him to his current success.
Now back to our current trip. The island continues to draw in thousands of tourists because of its beaches, resorts, and famous nightlife. The last time I was in Phuket, I had a busy schedule because of the music video. The highlight for me was getting to ride an elephant in the jungle. This time, my husband and I decided to walk around and relax by the famous Patong Beach.
Patong Beach is a three-kilometer long strip of beach filled with restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, and resorts. It reminds me a lot of Boracay, except the sand is not as white. The difference at Patong Beach is that it is located about 15 kilometers from the main town. But much like Boracay, there isn’t much of a need to leave the area around the hotel and the main beachfront. While the beachfront area is built up, the surrounding areas are under construction with new hotels and resorts.
One of our favorite parts was eating at a local hotel for dinner. One of my husband’s favorite foods is Thai green chicken curry. It’s very different from a traditional Indian curry, which is usually more red or yellow. But beware that even though it is green, it is still spicy. I opted for pad thai, one of my favorites. This meal reminded us of one of our favorite places to eat back in Cebu: Banana Leaf at the Ayala Center Terraces. It was surprising that by eating Thai food in Thailand, we realized how authentic the food was in Cebu. Another reminder of home came at the end of the meal when I ordered fresh mango shake to cool off from the heat and the spicy food!
Walking around, we saw a lot of familiar looking ways to get around the city. The most popular options for transportation are by tuk-tuk, bus, motorbike and songthaew, which look very similar to the Philippine jeepney. We opted to just walk around since we stayed in just one area. One word of caution about the tuk-tuks though, the locals call them the “Thai mafia” and a price should be negotiated before entering.
The sunset was amazing as we were walking down the beach. One of the favorite places to view sunset is on the northern end of the beach, called Kalim. The sunset drew out most of the people who were staying on the island. Everyone was taking photos with all of the reds, yellows, and oranges blending together as the sun met the horizon. No matter how many days a person would stay, each night everyone comes out looking at the sunset.
Much like any beach vacation, you can do as much or as little as you want in Phuket. Further to the south of Patong Beach is another beach called Kata Beach, which has options for surfing. Around the island, it is easy to find locations for snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, and yachting. But if a slower pace is more your style there are plenty of spas for relaxation.
I’m glad I got the chance to visit the island of Phuket again. I was excited when I saw that we would stop at the island as part of our itinerary. It’s like bumping into an old friend after many years. We’ve both changed along the way, but we can still meet up again and have fun.
