A one hour flight south to Phuket and a preflight sticky rice snack is provided in the free economy lounge, lunch served swiftly en route, chicken with sticky rice and rice pudding dessert. With the pressure of the descent on landing I literally felt sticky rice was coming out of my ears.
Khao Lak, one hour drive north on the west coast was devastated by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami with a small museum and police patrol boat washed 2km inland left as a memorial. There is a tsunami warning klaxon outside our room, not sure what we do if it goes off, but i think i would try my luck in the wardrobe, in which we found 2 extra large golf umbrellas when we unpacked and a note offering a wide selection of DVDs in reception. Bang on cue the heavens opened and from the balcony we watched soaked guests scurry back to their rooms in the tropical downpour.
Unable to explore we ate in the hotel that night, sadly the worst meal we have had here. Outside is a notice offering a Thai cookery class with their expert chef, presumably how to snip corner off carton and pour yellow gloop over anaemic-skinned chicken and flabby onions and throw in a handful of KP nuts, but as Martin pointed out, the rice was nice.
The mornings are hot and sunny and it tips down late in the day or overnight. A short walk down the beach on a fine evening we found a perfect place for a cocktail watching the sunset and good home cooked thai food, £12 for cocktails with spicy stir fried peanut appetiser, 2 main courses, fresh fruit for dessert and an aromatic liqueur digestif thrown in and tip. With the savings we had another massage. Bliss.
This area is very popular with Germans and Scandinavians with only a few English. Restaurants such as Bavaria House advertise XXL schnitzel. The classic stereotype appears to be firmly rooted in fact. At dawn the sunbeds are all covered with green hotel towels, we eventually found a couple free down on the beach and I checked them carefully assuming they must be faulty.
Our room is large with a glimpse of the pool and the sea. Sliding picture windows divide the bedroom and bathroom, which is great if u want to gaze at the view lazing in the bath but not so good if you like any privacy whilst on the loo.
A couple of days by the pool or beach is enough for me, very much the odd one out trying to keep my sunbed in the shade so I nag Martin into booking a few day trips and promise that we will do nothing but sleep in and rest for the last few days in Thailand. Pick up tomorrow at 7.30am for a trip to the local national park.