Comparing Bali to Phuket holidays we can find a lot of common features: crystal water, evergreen tropical jungle, sandy beaches, amazing landscapes, luxury resorts, exotic temples, diversity of festivals. Rice cultivation dominates on Bali whereas gum trees plantations are more common on Phuket. The real difference is in nightlife. Bali is more quiet, culture oriented, with dominant Hinduism and moderate to conservative sexual freedom. Phuket is more entertainment oriented, with dominant Buddhism and extreme sexual liberty of expression. However on both islands Muslim minorities are present. If you are looking for entertainment in paradise then Phuket seems to be the best option. If you are looking for serenity and tranquility then Bali has more to offer.

Beaches and nature

Beaches on Phuket are a real paradise. White pristine beaches are everywhere, they have crystal clear water, and wonderful sea life under the sea. You can swim, snorkel, and visit the other islands that are near Phuket. Boat tours are very cheap by the way. Also you can try scuba diving, wakeboarding, water surfing, and even kayaking. The people on the beach are very friendly; you can find different restaurants and dining destination around the area. All you have to do is to sit back and enjoy your glass of cold drink. There are a lot of gorgeous landmarks to see: parks, forest reserves and waterfalls that are also worth visiting. Be careful with going to the waterfalls during the rainy season. There are also temples such as the famous Wat Chalong, What Phra Nang Sang and the What Phra Tong that is a huge Buddha statue. This is still a place of worship and should be respected.

Honeymoon and gifts on Asian dating sites

Phuket is one of the most popular places for honeymoon. Not only people from Europe or Australia choose this island but couples from Asia also. Most of the hotels and resorts have special offers. You can check Thavorn Beach Village & Spa in a Garden View Bungalow. Holidays on Phuket can be also used as gift on some dating sites. Instead of sending a bunch of flowers some sites offer a possibility to go on tour in Thailand or inviting a on a romantic date and spend a week of Phuket holidays in Patong Beach. The offer seems to be expensive but this niche market seems to be promising. They know each other by internet and decide to spend a crazy week of love in an exotic and tropical place. Everything is prepared: airline tickets, hotel on Phuket and champagne for lovers. What more would you like to expect?

Thai dishes

The food is mouth watering. The Phuket cuisine has a wide array of foods that will surely make you want to ask for more. Most of their foods are spicy so you may want to think twice before digging yourself into a delicious dish. They also take pride from their fresh seafood’s which is something every visiting tourist should really try. Some well informed people say that there is no cuisine like French cuisine, other say the same about Chinese one. I belong to the best informed people: the best cuisine is Thai. There is an astonishing mix of cultures on Phuket, Chinese tastes mix with Thai, European with Malay, and Hindu with Sea Gypsies. Thai cuisine is based on the spicy condiments. I have needed a few weeks to accustom to the local traditions. Spicy additives are not purely Thai. Portuguese sailors bring spices to Thailand from India. Thais eat a lot of fruits, impossible to remember all its names. Coconut milk straight from the coco from the refrigerator is the best way to satisfy one’s thirst. A typical Thai fruit is khanoon, known in English as jackfruit. Thais don’t know or uses bread neither, no butter, no cheese, don’t cultivate potatoes. Rice is the base of almost all dishes. Thailand is the biggest rice exporter in the world. Thais eat rice for the breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper. The breakfast is the smallest meal usually; dinner and supper are served quite early. It consists of soup, rice, meat and a lot of vegetables, part of them always fresh and green. Usually they don’t use forks or knifes either, and traditionally eat using chopsticks which are squarer than rounded Chinese ones. They eat a lot of sea fruits, and the chicken is the most commonly served meat. All the mystery of Thai kitchen lays in spicing and sauces which are countless. They eat out of the house normally. Hundreds of small restaurants are everywhere. It is not advised to keep food at home.  The biggest problem is not the heat but ants and other insects that appear in minutes if one leaves leftovers of the food on the table.

Buddhism on Phuket

Phuket like Rio de Janeiro is famous for being a hot place for searches of basic pleasures. However there is a big difference which makes Thai vacation singular. Many expats live on this island for other reasons: there’s a huge group of divers, a smaller one of artists and… a lot of people attracted by Buddhism. Monasteries are almost everywhere in Thailand, from Chiang Mai to Malaysia, from Isaan to the Golden Triangle. Buddhism in Thailand is different from Tibetan or Japanese schools. Terawada is the most ancient and paradoxically the most rational Buddhist tradition. There are some monasteries on the island but I haven’t heard about any of them as a place with a program prepared for farangs, Europeans or Americans. Some forest monasteries like Suan Mokkh or a meditation center Dipabhavan are designed to accommodate Westerners from one night to longer period, years even. Of course you can become a monk on Phuket but it could be difficult if you don’t speak Thai.

Google Earth and Tsunami

The 2004 tsunami has stroked strongly in Thailand, the images of disaster are tremendous. Thanks to Google Earth we can see the activity of volcanoes on the earth. Just few days ago before writing this article there was a very serious earthquake near Nicobar Islands, closely to Phuket. It was the strongest one after 2004. Did the system installed on the Andaman Sea react fast enough to send a signal about the danger to Phuket? If it didn’t it can be a proof that the system doesn’t function as expected. Look at the Google Earth, the earthquake was extremely strong! There is also a very interesting layer on Google Earth about ocean’s wildlife. We can admire magnificent pics and videos and learn a lot about dying coral reefs. Thanks to that layer I’ve finally understood why is it that in the north part of the west shore on the Phuket Island is much fewer hotels than on the south. These beaches are hatch fields of sea turtles and for this reason are partially protected. Phuket is an island of paradise beaches, that’s certain, but a glimpse of the eye into pictures from the jungle recall that there are some great walking paths and three small waterfalls worth seeing. They are not very impressive as to their size, but a day under the waterfall instead of a day under the sun on the beach may be a good alternative. Just be aware that it is better not to go alone to the jungle. Lizards are not dangerous, but king cobras irritate easily and monkeys like to bite. Don’t worry if you hear a very strong and long whistle of a kettle. That’s only an insect searching for a lover.