Ban Nai Inn, Phuket, Day 1

So we say bye to the wet and rainy Krabi, and get on the move again in the direction of Phuket. We have heard it has a reputation as a party island, but at the moment we are both struck down with cold and neither of us are in much of a party mood, so we decide to stay in a quieter section.
The bus from Krabi is due to arrive at 11, and there isn't much surprise when it is an hour late. It is rather annoying as it is eating into an afternoon in Phuket, of which we only have two, but it happens so frequently out here we are kind of used to it. Luckily we manage to wrangle our way into the front two seats of the minibus, which means we aren't cramped in the back. Unluckily, the seat seems to be right above something very hot, which isn't ideal in this heat. The drive to Phuket takes a lot longer then expected, and it is already mid afternoon by the time we make it to the island (if you can call it that, it is a very big bit of land connected to the mainland).
It takes another few hours to work our way to the south of the island, and to our destination. This would be annoying, but it actually turns out we pass by most of the landmarks and through most of the towns, which turns a boring bus journey into a sightseeing tour. We go through Patong (the party area) and are soon glad we opted to stay in town. It doesn't look the nicest of places, but the beaches look as good as expected round these parts.
As we arrive in Phuket town we grab a taxi from a friendly driver to our hotel. We are greeted by a very unfriendly man at reception who shows us to a much better then expected room. Amy befriends the local cat, who soon becomes rather attached judging by the ringing of his collar as he waits outside our door for a slither to squeeze through.
We are worried about the town as it doesn't look to great, but as we head out to see some sights, we soon see we were wrong to be. The old city is amazing! The architecture and design of the buildings, all painted in different bright colours, makes wandering through the streets a joy. It is lovely and quiet, and just the kind of place that we needed after a rainy few days in Krabi town. We stop for a hot drink and too admire the amazing graffiti that is littered all over the small streets. What a place! Tea is also great, even though Amy's curry is a lot spicier then expected (this, along with late transport, is also often the case).
We retire back to the room happy with the choice we have made, and very excited to see more of it all tomorrow!Read more