The Koh Panyee stilt village on Phang Nga Bay. Source: Supplied
AS SOON as I arrived in Phuket's Karon Beach I'd barely checked my bags into my resort before I found myself in my bikini on the white sandy beaches for which Thailand is famous.
And you guessed it, my next hour was taken up with the much-needed massage I had been dreaming of, with the sound of the water lapping up on the shore as I drifted in bliss.
All of this is what you would expect in Thailand but, as I discovered, Karon Beach has a charm all its own.
Karon Beach, or "Hat Karon", has gained a reputation for being a more "relaxed" version of Phuket. About a 15-minute drive from the better-known Patong Beach on the west side of the island, life is centred around its beautiful, squeaky beach, the second-largest of Phuket's tourist beaches, stretching 3km.
In town, the Buddhist Wat Suwan Khiri Khet, or Karon Temple, brings a peaceful atmosphere to busy Patak Rd. Alongside it the streets are relaxed, with restaurants, shopping bazaars and a handful of not-too-over-the-top bars to suit its relaxed night scene.
I'm staying at the 5-star Centara Grand Beach Resort, which is on the most secluded area of Karon Beach. One of the only resorts with absolute beachfront, it takes inspiration from the classical Sino-Portuguese style that was brought to Phuket in the 19th century. All the 262 rooms, suites and villas feature a private balcony with breathtaking views of the Andaman Sea.
But I can't spend all my time just at the resort, the island of Phuket has some amazing adventures to be found on and around the island. Taking a speedboat from the Boat Lagoon Pier, I head out to Phang Nga Bay, which is home to 42 islands dotted with iconic limestone cliffs, caves and archeological sites.
It's a 400sq km bay in the Andaman Sea and, since 1981, an extensive section of it has been protected as the Ao Phang Nga National Park. You can't miss the most famous island, the so-called "James Bond Island", which featured in the 1974 movie The Man with the Golden Gun, with its vertical limestone rock features that jut out of the sea. It is literally swarming with boats and tourists, all clambering for a photo while the surrounding islands, every bit as beautiful, are blissfully untouched.
Still in the bay, it's the visit to a fishing village Ko Panyee in the Phang Nga Province that really captures my imagination. Built on stilts in the water, it began with two seafaring Muslim families from Java, who, a couple of hundred years ago, left their homeland in search of a new place to live. They made a vow to each other that if one of them found a place with lots of fish where everyone could live, they would signal the others by raising a flag on a mountain so the others could see and join them. This fishing was so successful that today the floating village of Koh Panyee is home to about 200 families, who are mainly descendants from the Javanese families.
At first, fishing was the sole industry but nowadays tourism accounts for 60 per cent of its economy.
As we stepped off the boat, we joined travellers from all over the world dining on fresh prawns and fish that were caught just metres away that morning. A walk after lunch leads you into a world of tiny laneways where the locals are going about their day.
My afternoon goes too fast. We leave on our boat before the sun starts to set and, as we do, we can see the fishermen heading out into Phang Nga Bay to catch dinner.
Back in Karon Beach I end the day with a cocktail at the resort's Beachcomber Beach Bar, and watch the full moon light up the sky as holidaymakers enjoy the warm ocean waters well into the night.
At the southern end of Phuket Island, the Chalong Highlands rise and, from the top, you can see both coastlines and surrounding islands.
It's home to the Siam Safari Elephant Camp, which runs elephant treks with a focus on the animal's conservation. It was established by a local mahout named Tong, who was working on the Burmese border with elephants before logging was banned. Having lived and worked with elephants all his life, just like his father and grandfather, it's his life's mission to help the plight of the endangered Thai elephant by running elephant treks through the highlands, raising awareness and money for their cause. Tong invites me to jump on board "Dokel", who, at 50 years old, has the most captivating green eyes that penetrate me. "You will know if she is happy when her ears are flapping," Tong says with a twinkle in his eye.
The ride up the mountain is peaceful, as we trek past the homes of the people who work at the camp, past lush banana plantations and rubber trees. At the halfway point at the top of the hillside, the view over the Andaman Sea is breathtaking.
As we prepared to head down the mountain, Tong hops off Dokel and gestures for me to take the seat of mahout. With bare feet, I climb on to the back of her head, and spend most of the time rubbing her head and thanking her for the privilege.
As we end the safari, Dokel's ears are flapping furiously, and I am holding back tears of joy. To spend an afternoon with these incredible creatures was one of the most beautiful moments I could imagine.
Watch this story and more, on Places We Go at 4pm Network 10 today. More: placeswego.com
Go2 - THAILAND
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