Breakfast at Nap Patong

It doesn’t quite have the ring as Tiffany’s, but we like it better.

Nobody can remember the last time that they had continuous rain in Phuket for 5 days. Even during the rainy season it rains for a couple of hours every day, then the sun comes out. We have been in Phuket for the very same 5 days and only saw the sun for the first time on our day of departure. Its a shame as we never got to use our lovely balcony and roof terrace but at least we had a nice room to hibernate in and cheap dvd’s to watch. It was also compensated by the lovely breakfasts at the Nap Patong. I always started the day with a 3 course breakfast as it was in with the room price and it was so nice. Starting with a fruit course which varied each day and I hardly recognized any of them. There were huge eyeballs with eyelashes around the sides and the fruit tasted like a lychee. There were

proper lychees still in the skin and I had one at the back in the middle of my plate. For main course I always have the freshly cooked omelette and the crispy bacon but today I only had vanilla toast and sweetcorn with them. Finishing off with a small cheese course and bread with home made strawberry and honey butter. All washed down with a different fresh juice with each coarse and a nice cup of tea.

Our mini bus picked us up at the hotel and we arrived at the port just in time for the ferry to Koh Phi Phi. The journey is just under two hours and it didn’t rain all day. It was overcast but the sun felt strong through the clouds. We disembarked, paid our 20 Baht island cleaning fee and walked the 2 minutes to hotel Natasha, dropped our stuff off and rushed out for lunch as we were starving by this time. Claire had already had a slice of pizza at the ferry terminal as she was too upset to eat much breakfast. Hotel Natasha is fine and we have wi fi in our rooms but everything would be a come down from the Nap. We have a fridge, tv, air con and shower room with a window this time but it feels small after our suite. Its not bad for under £20 a night and whilst walking we spotted the place that we stayed in last time we were her called the Phi Phi Inn and Claire had a quick look inside to make sure.

Phi Phi has no roads or cars so its walking all the way which adds to its charm. Added to the fact that its quite cheap, its swamped with young backpackers. I was the oldest swinger in town last time we were here and now Im 4 years older. Its not as busy as last time as we are in the quiet season but its better for us. The walkways are lined with shops, bars and restaurants, dive centers and massage shops. Perfect for the young. Last time we were here we walked for miles and miles but I can hardly remember any of it. Dementia setting in I guess but can’t remember for sure.

The islands around here are a sight for sore eyes but there seemed to be cats everywhere this time. Lunch was great,

with a largeSingah to wash it down and all for a tenner for the two of us. Not quite Goa prices but still not bad and you get authentic fresh cooked Thai meals thrown in. We bought some supplies on the way back to our room and sorted out the wi-fi and hi-fi when we got back. Most drinks are cheap over here except for wine which is very expensive. The cheapest bottles are about 600 Baht (£12) in a shop and more in the restaurants. A large local beer is between £1 and £1.50 according to where you buy it but I have tried them all and trust me the Singah is the best followed by Chang, Leo and Tiger. They were selling the cheap “buckets of booze” that you get at Koh Phang Yang for the full moon beach parties so we got one. You get a bucket with a quarter bottle of spirits, a can of coke and a small bottle of Red Bull. We got the rum one this time but they have all different versions. Not bad for 200 Baht or £4. You normally get a bag full of ice with it and you are supposed to pour everything into the bucket, put the bucket in the ice bag and share it by drinking out of the long straws provided. The Red Bull is not official Red Bull as it is officially sold only in cans produced by Rexam who I used to work for and contains Austrian spring water. 

The laws are different over here and I hear that the ingredients that stimulate you are about 100 times stronger than back home. That’s why they give you such a small bottle. Got to go now; got to get Hi !