THAILAND
Day 5 - Trang to Phuket: 254Kms – 4.5 hours
The day starts on the smaller roads which lead from the hotel to Sikaoa and onto the highway to Phuket. Not a long day but plenty of opportunities to turn off to look at waterfalls and temples. There will be an abundance of seasonal fruit on sale by the road side. Look for the small but sweet bananas. You will also be offered Durian which you should treat with caution. Even when it’s fresh it’s an acquired taste but when it’s ripe it’s positively disgusting – it’s even banned on public transport. Other fruits that you may consider are the mangosteen and the Longon which looks like a new potato. Peel it and inside is delicious white fleshy fruit. The hairy red fruit is the Rambutan, which when peeled gives a fruit similar to the Lychee, but in my humble opinion much much better.
Arriving in Phuket the Twin Palms is easy to find and offers boutique style rooms near the beach. It has its own beach front which is just a couple of minutes walk away. Relax here with a sun downer to end the perfect day. You can also take advantage of the massage ladies on the beach.
In Phunket there are a host of things to do from fine dining to fine relaxation. There’s even a golf course for those so inclined, but perhaps the most popular pastime is shopping in the night market or just through the streets of Patong. Here we will be taking our first rest days so its a great opportunity to recharge those batteries – personal and vehicle – and relax. This will also provide a great opportunity for car maintenance and servicing.
From Phuket the group is split into two due to the shortage of accommodation en-route to Kanchanaburi. The first group gets two nights at Phuket and two nights in Bangkok while the second gets three nights in Phuket and just one in Bangkok.
Phuket to Tusita: 359Kms – 6 hours
A day to look at the effects of the Tsunami and perhaps make a small contribution to help the sea gypsies settle down into a normal life. We will be visiting a nursery school which has been built out of the ruins of the disaster but must now move to a new site as the current one is regarded as too low by the locals who are still afraid of a repetition of the 2005 tidal wave.
The school is an hour and a half north of Phuket and the children and teachers are looking forward to a visit from us during the two days the rally passes by. A wish list of items will be available should anyone feel like contributing to this very good cause.
From here the road continues up the west side of the peninsular until we turn inland and head towards Chumphon. Soon after hitting the main north-south highway we turn towards the east coast and the delightful Tusita Beach Resort. Here you can relax in the pool, go to the very quiet beach by cycle if you wish, for a dip in the sea or luxuriate in one of the spa facilities. With the resort being divided into two parts it is nice to be at the beach front as the sun gently dips into the crystal sea.
Tusita to Kanchanaburi: 543Kms – 8 Hours. Hotel: River Kwai Resort
There’s no doubt that this is a long drive but on the plus side the roads are good with only moderate traffic most of the time. Starting early from Tusita will help as the traffic will be lighter and the temperature cooler. In common with all the roads on this event there are plenty of petrol stations and if you are looking for something safe to eat and drink try the 7/11 Shops. If you want to be more adventurous there are plenty of road side cafes offering good local food.
The reason for the excursion to Kanchanaburi is two-fold. One, to see the infamous death railway and the bridge on the river Kwai, and secondly to visit the Tiger Temple which is a few kms out of town. This is a unique experience as here you can actually sit and walk with the tigers. We are arranging for the Abbot to give us a talk about the work being done at the Temple. Currently the tigers at the reserve are too tame to return to the wild but a new enclosure is being built to help future tigers that have been rescued return to their natural habitat.
The bridge, so memorably evoked in the David Lean film, Bridge on the River Kwai, is now a cast iron version as the original was blown up during the Second World war soon after its completion. However, you can walk over the bridge free of charge which is still a moving experience when you bear in mind that 16,000 prisoners of war and 100,000 asian labourers died in its and the Death Railway’s construction. If you want to see the guts and all detail of what went on there, then visit the local museum.
Kanchanaburi to Bangkok: 210Kms – 3.5hrs. Hotel: The Oriental
One of the least interesting journeys of the event as it is urbanised virtually from start to finish. The really tricky bit is the drive to the hotel once you get into Bangkok. We approach along the main road then turn south on Route 9 for a few kilometres before turning for the Taksi Bridge. Once over the bridge we are within a couple of kms of the hotel and an oasis of calm in a bustling hectic metropolis.
The Oriental is on the river with its own ‘junks’ to take you up and down the river or simply to the other side where the hotel spa centre is situated.
