SUNDAY 25 | FEBRUARY 2018 ADVENTUROUS CALL AN
First came the winks and then the sly, suggestive grins whenever any man announces his plans to visit Bangkok. It is quite natural, for a destination whose reputation as a sex tourism spot precedes it. Well, there is sad news for those who nurse X-rated dreams of massage parlours, skimpily dressed gogo dancers or the red light area when visiting Bangkok. Apparently, the tourism minister is trying to give a facelift by reinventing the country as a female-friendly tourist destination. A change that was evident when I decided to fulfill my longstanding dream of visiting Bangkok. My wife Smitha, my daughter and son accompanied me when I embarked on a 10day visit that completely changed my perspective of the infamous city and its provinces.
What I saw in Bangkok was a normal city with its share of hardworking denizens going about the business of living. Across the country, tourists are given top priority. Contrary to popular belief, the infamous ‘sex tourism in the open’ was really not that out in the open. Perhaps it happens clandestinely, which would be happening in every city in the world. Some new rules have been put in place, which has considerably cleaned up the image of the city — is what a guide informed me.
Moving on to the journey, my first destination was the Krabi Islands. This is not a single island but is made of many smaller islands like the Ko Poda, Ko Ngai, Ko Phi Phi Le, Ko Yao Yai and the Ko Lante Yai to name a few — all of these islands can be reached by boats.
Out of these, perhaps the most well known is the Phi Phi islands, which is an adventurer’s paradise with its white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, towering limestone cliffs, caves, waterfalls and the exotic wildlife. What I loved the most were the beaches since astonishingly it was the first time I had set foot on a beach. We had food from a small hotel run by a mother-son duo and the food, mostly chicken and beef, was delicious, not to mention healthy with all the soups, broths and dishes having a good share of vegetables and greens in it.
Leaving aside the food, what my family and me enjoyed were the adventure sports. Kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, canoeing — you name it and this place has it on offer for you. Though very enticing, what is sad is that I am not much of the adventurous type and would rather spend time sitting inside the confines of my room watching the world go by. I am too lazy to walk around. But the adventurous spirit managed to snare me on one occasion when I went canoeing.
From there we travelled to Phuket by road, which is a mere three-hour journey. We visited the James Bond Island, which is a famous landmark in Phang Nga Bay. It became quite well known after it was showcased in all its grandeur in the 007 film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
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