Mai Khao, Phuket, Thailand (6th to 17th of May)

After we landed in Phuket we looked for a taxi to reach our apartment in Mai Khao, 15 min north from Phuket airport.
Taking a taxi can be a challenge in Thailand...it is known that taxi drivers never use the taximeter and ask foreigners a much higher price compared to local people. The price must be dealt in advance or you must insist on using the taximeter and make sure they really use it. Even at taximeter stands they usually make you an offer which is much higher than the actual price written on the price list, so you always have to pay attention.
Our little apartment was not far from the beach and close to different little restaurants and food stands. It was not high season and it was the beginning of the rainy season, so the beach was mostly empty and we had it to ourselves. Rain showers were very frequent and the sky often covered in clouds. 

Empty beach all to ourselves

Despite the weather we enjoyed our 12 days in Mai Khao a lot! The goal of this stay was to relax a bit after our 2 months trip and it worked well! We spent the days walking a lot along the beach, exploring the area with our bikes, eating local food and fruits and drinking smoothies. We discovered that we like the dragon fruit and mangosteen a lot :) for the durian, the king of fruits, we couldn't find much enthusiasm. 

Sunset in Mai Khao

We were a bit impressed by the trash on the roads and on the beach...especially the beach was covered with plastic, probably brought by the ocean.
The houses in this little town are very simple, mostly half open due to the warm temperatures. The same for the restaurants, which in some cases were difficult to distinguish from private houses.
We were very close to the famous airplane beach, a piece of beach very close to the airport and to the planes taking off. The spot was always full of people trying to get the best picture of the beach with the plane in the background. 

Jung coconut

Another typical trait of Thai culture are the little shrines in front of every house. The shrines are meant to host the spirits from the past and people use to put food and drinks in front of it for the spirits.
We also got a whole body oil massage once, which contributed to get relaxed to the fullest.
The 12 days past very fast and in no time we already had to pack again for our last flight before going home. We flew to Bangkok on Friday 17th and would spend 4 days there.