Inside the hongs

One of the islands we first explored. It’s hard to see here, but along the waterline there are very small caves. At certain times, when the tide is just right, you can find a cave that goes into the hollowed out center of the island.

The day after Christmas we took an all-day (10-hour) boat trip to visit caves and hongs. A hong is the inside of an island, which has been hollowed out, much like your tooth when you get a filling. The outside shell remains but the inside and the top are gone. On the main large boat we traveled with probably 20 other people. Each couple was given a guide and once we arrived at one of the four caves we went though, we’d get in a kayak with our guide and he would paddle us through the caves. We had to lie down in the caves to avoid hitting our heads on the incredibly low ceilings. After going through the cave, we’d enter the hong. It’s very quiet and peaceful inside. We were lucky enough to see two monkeys in a tree; they were at least as curious about us as we were about them. In between cave trips we had delicious Thai lunch and dinner buffets. It was a great adventure and needless to say, we were exhausted by the time we got back to our hotel.

Heading into one of the caves

Inside the hong

Inside our little sea canoe

The sea canoes hanging off the back of our boat

Leaving some of the islands on our way to a night canoe ride

Our guides waiting to take us on a night ride

A quiet return to Phuket

Christmas of 2004 will always be remembered as a very difficult Christmas. On December 26th we woke up started another day of vacation only to have it interrupted by the tsunami. It was nice to return three years later and see that the tourists are all back and the people of Phuket are doing well. It doesn’t even look like anything happened. One thing that we did notice are the tsunami evacuation route signs on every street.

We should have followed these balloons. It looks like someone was going to have a party.

This has been a fun Christmas vacation. We headed back to Phuket to meet our friends Jim and Patty for the week. It was strange to be with them in the same places exactly three years after the tsunami. It felt great to walk down the ocean front streets and see that everything has been built up and businesses there were thriving more than ever.

Coconut shell washed up on Kata beach

Laura and I both remember the feeling in the days after the tsunami very well. There was a huge feeling of adrenalin from the disaster, sorrow for the lost families and strong feelings of community working together. Within days of the waves destroying everything in their path it was incredible to see the people rebuilding, selling t-shirts and cooking meals for the tourists. Many tourists felt like the best way to support the community was to visit the retailers and eat in the restaurants. It must have worked, because Phuket seemed busier than ever.

Laura enjoying the views after a day in the sea kayaks

Some of the beautiful islands we kayaked around

Our guides are waiting

Sitting in the front of boat after paddling through some very very small caves

Half the reason for going to Thailand is to enjoy the great food

The Andaman Islands come straight out of the water