On Our Way To Paradise

This morning we get up and have some breakfast at the Phuket airport hotel which was a very disappointing breakfast. We catch a taxi to BangRong pier, about 25 minutes away. We get to the pier and I have read the ferry should be 50 baht, instead there is what is just a longtail boat, which seems to be carrying mainly locals, some mopeds, some food and one German family. They want 120baht and there is no budging on the price, they just say they will go without us, so we have no choice but to pay. We arrive at Manoh pier and there are several jeep taxis waiting. Unfortunately the German family are going to a different hotel, on the other side of the island and they guy wants 800 baht to take us to the hotel. The hotel is the completely other end from the pier and couldn’t be further away. He says the roads are really bad and that is why it is 800 and the German family go about half the distance for 200baht. We manage to barter him down to 650baht and jump in as it is so hot. The guy speeds off at a ridiculous speed and the roads are already dreadful. They get worse and worse until we get to what is just a dirt track through the jungle, the road is just mud and has huge potholes, eventually we get to a hill and because they have had some rain that morning, the jeep can’t get up, I am sure it would have, but the guy just keeps flooring it, eventually after about three attempts, tons of black smoke pour out the back and fill the cab where we are, he has probably done some damage and decides to turn around. He takes us to another pier and arranges for a longtail to take us to the resort. We have to pay an extra 50baht, but I am sure this option should cost a lot more. The longtail is much better and we get a good view around the island, which is amazing and the views of all the rocks in the sea is unbelievable. We finally arrive at the hotels pier and get onto the beach. We are greeted at the reception and it really is like no hotel I have been to, absolutely amazing! We get checked in and are taken to our room in a golf buggy, there are quite a lot of rooms, but the hotel seems very quiet, the weather is not perfect, but at least it is not raining. The room is amazing, a lobby area and toilet, a large bedroom with a partial view of the sea, a partly outdoor shower room and a balcony with Jacuzzi. We have a bit of a rest and then go down to dinner. The view from the restaurant is unbelievable and the food is lovely. I have beef in oyster sauce, Iris has green curry, which is unbelievably spicy, even though it only has one chilli. We have some strawberry shakes and I have had some unbelievable shakes in Thailand, usually about 40baht. This is just a glass of ice with half a strawberry and costs 160baht. 4 times more expensive and 40 times less delicious, disappointed. There are a lot of mosquitoes as well. The beach is swarming with small crabs as well, they are really scared and run away as soon as you go near, but there is so many. We finish dinner and relax on the beach in a hammock for a bit, before heading back for some sleep. Hopefully tomorrow will be a nice day and we can do something, although there seems like not much to do but sit on the beach.