Phuket, Thailand: Ratchet Florida

A friend of ours once called Phuket “ratchet Florida,” and the nickname couldn’t be more accurate – the “spring breakers” of Australia and the backpacker trail all gather here.  The result is crowded beaches, over-the-top bars & clubs, and somewhat seedy local businesses.  We only spent 2 days here, and I wouldn’t really recommend spending longer.  We had fun checking out the crazy atmosphere – which was worlds apart from the laid-back, paradisaical Ko Lanta – but didn’t feel like we were missing out on much when we left.  I’ve heard that the further out you go on in the city there are more historic areas and slightly more secluded beaches, but if that’s what you’re after you can definitely get better results on a different island.

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Ko Lanta, Thailand: Bliss on the Beach

For the last week of our month-long trip, we decided to just chill out in Thailand.  Of course, Thailand is rich in cultural attractions and things to do, but we were ready to hit the beaches!  Ko Lanta was the perfect place for this, as it maintains the reputation of being one of the last unspoiled islands in Thailand (i.e. it hasn’t been overrun by tourists and crazy parties).  It was exactly what we were looking for!   While the beaches weren’t exactly deserted and there were your typical Western restaurants for vacationers, it definitely still felt paradisaical.  So for those of you slaving away and bemoaning how long winter was this year, let us take you away with photos of our tropical adventure!

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