PHUKET, THAILAND
My friend Mon took me fishing with his family when I visited Phuket. His father is a fishing aficionado and so was the rest of the family. We rode their fishing yacht from Ao Chalong (Ao means "bay" in Thai) and spent the morning trying our luck at catching our dinner for that evening. Finding where the fish were was easier than I thought. With just a push of a button, their on-board sonar device that detected how many fish were under the yacht. However, catching the fish was quite a challenge, not to mention a test of patience and timing. Our fishing rods had about 10 hooks so that should have evened out the odds.
My friend Mon took me fishing with his family when I visited Phuket. His father is a fishing aficionado and so was the rest of the family. We rode their fishing yacht from Ao Chalong (Ao means "bay" in Thai) and spent the morning trying our luck at catching our dinner for that evening. Finding where the fish were was easier than I thought. With just a push of a button, their on-board sonar device that detected how many fish were under the yacht. However, catching the fish was quite a challenge, not to mention a test of patience and timing. Our fishing rods had about 10 hooks so that should have evened out the odds.
Fishing, we go!
Mon
The deck
Enjoying the morning sun
Reeling in
Caught any?
It's not the quantity but the quality
For lunch, we docked at Coral Beach where Mon's family owns a restaurant by the coast. While waiting for lunch to be served, we went snorkeling in the nearby coral reef. The island was totally deserted except for the restaurant staff -- a welcome retreat from all the tacky tourists in Patong Beach. It was as if the whole island was reserved just for us. The view was absolutely picturesque. After eating, we spent the rest of the day just lazing around on the beach. The breeze was gentle and the waves were hushed. With a cold watermelon shake in one hand and sand in between my toes, I was all set to enjoy some peace and quiet.
Fetching us from the yacht
Waiting for the boatman to come back
Chill
It's all ours!
Winding down
We left Coral Beach at dusk. The ride back was shorter than it seemed and the waves were not as roused as they were in the morning. We brought the day's harvest to Mon's other restaurant, Kan Eang @ Pier which was right beside Chalong Bay. This has got to be my most favorite restaurants in Southeast Asia. Not only are their Thai dishes fantastic, but the ambiance -- the view of the calm bay, the fresh air, the austere furniture, the customer service fit for a king -- was absolutely wonderful. At night, they have live jazz music to soothe the soul while sipping a mojito. This place is perfect for a date. The chefs of Kan Eang (which means "at ease" in Thai) prepared half-cooked sashimi out of the fish we caught that day.
It's time to go
Retake
Ao Chalong
The dock
Dinner
Posts
"Kan Eang" means intimately naka.
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