A trip to Phuket: Day 2

The next day, I was awake early at 7am, because the sun was already up and shining. It was so bright that I thought it was past 8am! Or maybe I woke up early due to the time difference between Phuket and Malaysia. 7am in Phuket was actually 8am Malaysian time. Anyway, it was a good time to start the day with the buffet breakfast provided by the hotel. Again, we had our breakfast just by the beach, with the sound of waves in the background.

Our table no. 38

Even though the variety wasn't great, the quality was actually pretty good. We had the following dishes:

Breakfast: Fried rice, egg, grilled tomatoes, bacon and hash brown

Saucer's plate: Fried rice, noodles, pancake, sausages and baked beans

Breakfast wouldn't be complete without the hot and crispy toasts!

Freshy toasted bread

Customized omelette and ham

Fruits were sweeter in Thailand, I wonder why...

Fresh and sweet fruits

A cup of tea to wash it all down

At about 9am, we took a walk at the beach before proceeding to the Kamala Village to rent the bike. Needless to say, we're definitely not going to sign up for the day tour with the driver at the taxi counter, after what happened yesterday. The beach was still deserted at the early hours, so I camwhored a little bit. Look at the magnificent clouds in the background! So fluffy and picturesque.

Kamala beach in the morning

On the way to Kamala Village, I noticed that there was a pretty park with many coconut trees. We must not have noticed this park when we walked past yesterday night.

Park at Kamala Village

This was how Kamala Village looked like in the daytime. I know, nothing fancy but at least it had the basic necessities for human survival. ;)

Kamala Village 7-11

I guess the shops in Phuket don't open until later in the afternoon. It was a very quiet walk towards the motorcycle rental shop. Notice the Phuket tuk-tuks resting at the shoulder of the road.

Quiet streets in the morning

Saw this modern-looking hotel along the way, couldn't resist but to take a picture of it. Perhaps the choice for our next trip?

The Palms, Kamala

Renting a motorcycle was really simple. All you need is a valid driving license from your home country. Thank goodness Saucer is a legitimate licensee. :) Before long, we were speeding against the direction of the wind, looking for the first petrol station to fill up the tank first. Petrol price in Phuket was not cheap at all! Almost RM3/litre!! Anyway, our destination was to go to Patong town. I was the navigator, obviously, and the genius me led us to the huge shopping complex called Jungceylon Mall at about 10am. :) It was really hot, so staying indoors was a good idea for us. (Where's the rain?)

Jungceylon Mall, Patong


Empty mall in the morning

There's also a huge Robinson in the mall.

Robinson


Pizza Hut poster in the background

At the early hours, all the shops were not open yet. According to the guard, the mall only opened at 10.30am so we walked out to visit the area surrounding it. We came upon the first hawker stall in Patong, selling a weird-looking type of fish. Didn't look appetizing at all, I know, but smelled wonderful! There were about 3 or 4 persons queueing to buy those fish, but I didn't. I read from the blogs that it's better to avoid roadside stalls in Phuket, to prevent unnecessary discomfort.

BBQ fish

However, I could not resist the coconut water from the fruit stall just nearby. In the hot scorching weather, the refreshing coconut water was a blessing from heaven. Bliss!

Coconut water at fruit stall

After getting refreshed, we continued walking to other parts of the Patong town.

We came across this bazaar just opposite Jungceylon, selling mostly clothes and shoes. It was from here that I bought a nice summer dress (which I would show you later ;) ) and Saucer bought some good quality t-shirts.

Bazaar at Patong

Patong town

Then we came across a large market, housing fresh seafood, meat, vegetables, fruits and even clothes! Best of all, the market was extremely clean and well-maintained without the fishy or meaty smell. Oh, did I mention it was air-conditioned too?

Market in Patong


Interior of fresh market

Fruits and meat

Look at the gigantic fresh oysters sold there!

Seafood - huge oysters in the middle

The market had 2 storeys, with an escalator connecting them together. While the ground floor was filled with raw food, the first floor of the market was selling mostly clothes, accessories and shoes.

First floor of market


Shoes, anyone?

Soon, it was past 11am, and we made our way back to Jungceylon. By then, the mall was already bustling with visitors, foreigners and local alike, and shops were all open for business. We visited the Carrefour inside Jungceylon and was enticed by the glorious smell coming from the bakery. The choice of bread and pastry available there was definitely more than what I'd seen before in Malaysia. Probably to cater to Westerners who formed a large part of the Phuket community.

Fresh breads

There was another section which sold just herbs and spices, note: HOT spices, judging from the bright red colours. These were meant for cooking, perhaps the delicious tom yam soup? *slurps*

Variety of spices

Oh look! More cheap beer! *grabs them*

Drinks at Carrefour

Walking towards a connecting mall

We saw the huge yacht outside of Jungceylon, which was also the signature symbol of this mall.

Yacht outside Jungceylon

Pretty water fountain

By this time, we had walked for about 3 hours non-stop in Patong, and our feet exclaimed happily when we saw the comfortable chairs for foot massage! Massage was one of the most popular services provided by the Thais, so we decided to give it a try. We paid for a 30 minute massage at RM16 per pax. Not too bad, considering the amount of relief it provided. :)

Comfortable massage chairs

My tired legs

After massaging, we felt like we were walking on clouds! *LOL* Well, if only for a few minutes. :P

This post is getting a little too long! I shall continue with Day 2 in the next entry. Stay tuned! :)