The title is a bit misleading, as I didn't actually spend two months in Phuket. Rather my first and second trips there took place in rapid succession, so I'm just grouping them into one entry. The first trip took place in August, and we went with our friend Molly and stayed at some hotel on Patong Beach, which is Phuket's party central. The second trip was a couple weeks later in September, where we stayed at the opposite end of Phuket's relatively limited spectrum at the Amanpuri.
Phuket is considered by most Asians as their premier holiday destination. I arrived at that conclusion completely unscientifically, but I have enough anecdotal evidence to back that up. It's a unique (for Asia) package of cheap and good food, cheap golf, great beaches and cheap sex that makes it almost impossible to have a bad time. Many Westerners also find the place irresistible, and many families, mostly Europeans come back every year for an affordable and easygoing family vacation. For me, it's probably the place I've gone more than anywhere else for a holiday, but that doesn't translate into any sort of high ranking on my favorite places list. It's fine for an easy weekend, but I could never spend longer than that there. It's got some really nice hotels, which for me is the main draw, but the island itself is fairly ugly, with a pretty plain interior and way too overdeveloped. The party scene is crazy, and the area around Patong Beach seems to be competing with Bangkok's Patpong as the sleaziest place on earth. Not sleazy dangerous at all, just supremely tacky. Everyone should go once to see thousands of drunken tourists flop about the market, getting tattoos, buying t shirts, eating terrible fast food, then heading to the hundreds of strip joints and other sex places. If you like transvestites, this is the place for you, and you can be certain that if any woman talks to you in a bar, she's a prostitute or a man. But once you get the Patong Beach scene out of your system, focus on the rest of the island. Again, I think it comes up short on natural beauty, but it's got some great hotels, good restaurants, endless beaches and of course the always hospitable Thai people.
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