[RufRoc]

Originally Posted by snaronikar

Whatz your connection? Is it a dial up connection?

It's a Broadband connection. Now I've ended up uploading two pics at a time, anything more than that and it errors out. It does work occassionally though.

@iraghava: Thanks. Really regret not taking a proper pic of his ride.

Here are a few pics of the resort and the beach. Will try to post comments after each pic. There's a lot to write about Phi Phi but I'll let the pics do the talking for now.

We sight Land


That's our resort


How welcome could you make someone feel


Cheesy but oh so thoughtful . That's our room made up by staff who had too much time on their hand, jus kidding. Will write about them later, lovely people.



We broke one of these he! he! it was an accident.


Entrance to the Reception




The restaurant at night

[Sam Kapasi]

Hey,

Due to my mad schedule and travel I was unable to offer you all the help you requested. I must apologise.

However I see you did very well for yourself Bravo!

[RufRoc]

Beautiful view - all from our room. What a sight to wake up to. The island on the horizon is the Mosquito Island, wonderful site for snorkelling. Pics from out there coming up later.






Morning has broken



Lovely view from the restaurant. Imagine being served breakfast while looking over that clam sea.



Egg shells stuck on cactus (it's cactus, right guys ... you see, I know my meat but not my plants)

[RufRoc]

@Sam: Thanks, I figured you were real busy after reading your travelogue . There are some things I regret not being able to do ... wanted to taste a durian and know what the fuss is all about, wanted to get a tatoo but just couldn't find the time and a lotta other things like that but then Thailand's a place you can keep going back to, so you can be assured I'll be back for your help, hopefully sooner.

Back to the pics ...

Here are some pics of the beach, right in front of the resort. We went there in the beginning of Sep and I think the season kicks in only from Oct, so we had the whole place to ourselves and it was an awesome feeling. To my knowledge there was only a Japanese couple in the resort, till about the time we left. The northern part of the beach has four resorts, Zeavola (which is a frightfully expensive place but awesome), Holiday Inn, PP Erawan Palms Resort (the one we crashed in) and Phi Phi Natural Resort. So it's only the people from this resort who use this section of the beach and it's a lovely beach ... white sand and calm waters, so very inviting and the right recipe for a relaxed holiday.

We had breakfast at the resort's resturant but for lunch and dinner we checked out a place nearby in the Gypsy Village, a small rest 'Jasmin's BBQ' ... lovely food and we had some great Breaded Chicken out there. Interesting locals too, though every bit scarred by the Tsunami, you get to see lots of photos and information put up at places and only then do you understand the difference between reading about it sitting in the comfort of our homes and actually being there, affected and eventually trying to rebuild lives .

The sea was a bit choppy with it raining every afternoon for a couple of hours so we couldn't venture out to sea. There are no roads on the island and the only way to get around is using the local's long tail boats. The air's so pure, you just can't imagine how things once felt like. And I don't have to start about the fruits, I could have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner ... delicious, the coconuts, pine apples, mangoes, everything just tastes so so good.

Will continue this tomorrow where after a quick stop at Mosquito & Bamboo Islands, we'll bid good bye to Phi Phi and work our way back to Phuket.

P.S: Sorry, there are no comments on this set of pics ... in a rush to wind up work for the day.

[RufRoc]

Day 5:

Our two days on Phi Phi; a pleasant blur. Today’s when we have to get back to Phulet, our ferry leaves at 1:30 from Tonsai Bay, so we have the morning to kill. As we have a lovely breakfast we chat up our waiter for the last two days and he asks us if we’d visited Bamboo Islands, just 15 minutes away (from our side of the island). We tell him how we couldn’t coz they said the sea was a bit too rough lately, he says he’ll check and fortunately we’re in luck. We get ready double quick (since we would have to check out as soon as we get back) and hop onto one of those long tail boats.

Sadly, this is one of those places where a photo doesn’t really do justice to all that natural beauty around you. Anyway, here are some pics from the Bamboo and Mosquito Islands. This is the same island which you’d have seen in many of our pics (especially the ones from the room).

The view as we approach Bamboo Island

Calm Inviting Sea

The view around the corner

Another postcard perfect picture

Check out the Corals near the shore (first time I'd seen this stuff so you get my excitement)

One of my favorite pics, the lone boat on the beach

A look around that calm waters


Lil Birdie doing it's rounds


This was our ride for the morning (a long rickety tail boat)

[RufRoc]

Here are a few more pics from the Bamboo Island.

Tsunami Hazard Boards - a powerful reminder of the force of nature.



This is a pic of the Park Rangers Unit on the Bamboo Island. There's a 200 THB per person entry fee on this island since it's a protected reserve. But as long as the place remains absolutely litter free and as beautiful as this, who can complain.



If the footprints ain't in a straight line, nope ... we weren't drunk .



A view of Mosquito Island from the boat. I don't think they let people off this island (to protect the corals all over the place). Lovely turquoise water (and this is where you realise things change after marriage ... I would have shouted 'Look at that Green water' but now I've been taught that there's a color out there, 'Turquoise' and to think that I once thought everything could be classified in shades of Red, Green and Blue)


More pics of the Mosquito Island. (I honestly don't know why it was named so, must be in memory of some famous Thai mosquito)






This is from back on our beach as we along with lil birdie take a long last look at the Island in the distance.

[Sam Kapasi]

Gorgeous photos! Ah my beautiful thailand... I think I need a holiday soon!

[BIKeINSTEIN]

Pics so good get stolen.
Why aren't they watermaked?

[rjstyles69]

rufroc amazing pics buddy. I simply have no words to describe the beauty of the country captured by you. Good work there and once again its not about the camera, its the eye behind the view-finder.

OT : PM coming your way , I need to make my itinerary. Simply tempting .

[nemo]

Great stuff! Is paradise any closer to this place?

[RufRoc]

@rjstyles69: Your reply is on it's way, hope it helps.

@BIKeINSTEIN: Well, I didn't think about watermarking, any specific reason why I should. Thanks anyway buddy.

The last set of pics, from the journey back to Phuket.

Another favorite pic of mine



A pic of some cottages on stilts, couldn't find out the resort. I think that's Long Beach on Phi Phi but I could be mistaken.



Traffic at Tonsai Bay, saw some very interesting vessels here. Tonsai Bay is the main entry/exit point at Phi Phi and it's a welcome sight, busy but welcome.




Don't ask ... Absolutely no idea


One last look at the island as we pull away, it's back to the hustle and bustle of life.



Good bye Phi Phi ... thanks for the memorable moments etched in time.



The last leg of our journey (3 days in Phuket) coming up next.

[RufRoc]

Day 5 (evening):

It’s an uneventful journey (The rain chases me indoors) back to Phuket, end up watching ‘Bourne Identity’ on the ferry and before I know we’re back at Rassada Harbor. There’s a minivan waiting to transport us to our hotel ‘Sugar Palm Resort’ on Kata beach. We’d decided to crash at Kata instead of the more famous Patong beach, to beat the crowds and we were right. It’s a nice quiet part of the town and the best part is that you can still catch all the action on Patong coz it’s just a 15 min drive away.

This resort certainly has us smiling the minute we check in. Lovely place and I’m secretly congratulating myself on my choice. Will share pics of the resort as we go along. We decide to take the next 3 days (also our last three days in Thailand) nice and easy, no rush … just let the moments reel us in.

But before I go on, realising the fact that this is apparently a car crazy forum, here’s my share of machines on two wheels and four. (Two wheels and four? Hmm … I don’t think that came out right).

The Thais love their rides, you see Tuk-tuk’s with cool alloys, fake Momo steerings and cool gear knobs, all over the place. Turn a corner and you’re distracted by throaty roars, growling snarls and imagine what monster sits under some of those hoods. Walk a little further, listen a little more and there’s more than the thumping whoof emanating from cool rides, I have a feeling that the owners closely resemble another crazy commnuity that I’ve come to know, back home … proud and passionate but yet oh so crazy [FONT=Wingdings][FONT=Wingdings][/FONT][/FONT]

I think the best place to have shot cars would have been in Bangkok but I just didn’t find the time. At Phuket, most of my shots are on that long stretch of Patong Beach, so apart from the regulars, the chances of spotting an exotic, pretty slim. So don’t get expectations too high.

I’ve got to say that you see the Honda Jazz everywhere (I was beginning to see it in my sleep, you get the point)



Jazz n Blues



Guys, Isn’t this the Jimmy?



No points for guessing … I know, yet another of those



Phuket’s version of the Tuk Tuk, an upscale version compared to it’s smaller cousins.



Isn’t this the monstrously ugly Z3?



Silly Fortuner trying to block our way but from where I come from, the only overtaking maneouvure not permitted, is the one over the vehicle in front (thanks partly to the absence of monster trucks or else we’d be leaving behind a trail worthy of a demolition derby, at every signal)



For a minute I had myself thinking that was the Mahindra Classic.



Mean looking Civic machine.



Couple of cute behind’s

[RufRoc]

And there's more ...

Mr. Toyota on steroids



More bikes on rent but look up … there’s the friendly neighborhood spidey (in casuals)



The Jazz's equally annoying competitor for parking space around town, the Yaris.



Mr. Aveo felt left out so stuck his nose out at me. I think he's trying to say that he can be as annoying as his Japanese counterparts.







Yet another Jazz



Look ! We can drive on the pavement too, you silly Indians.

[RufRoc]

125 cc machines for rent. The red one is actually a Yamaha, Fino or something of that sort.





And now the Big Boys ...

[ATL_BOY]

RufRoc .. you should try your hands at prof. photography. The pictures actually took me there in time .. ahh Wonderful snaps bud ! I see you had a hell of a time .. also, that civic looks mean .. more pics of it by any chance ?