Wanderings - Drifting in Phuket

What my dreams look like...

Drifting in Phuket

Drift - to be carried along by a current.

Phuket is a great destination for drifting.
It's a place where the currents of wind, water, and desire pull you from moment to moment.

As Phuket is famous for sand and water, we spent a day drifting along a couple of small islands, Koh Kai Nok and Koh Kai Nai, off the east coast.

Snorkeling over colorful reefs, I watched parrotfish munching, rockfish lurking, and smaller fish darting among the staghorn, brain, tabletop, vase, and flower corals.
At one point, I was floating through a school of small yellow fish, listening to the sound of my breathing, when the fish suddenly disappeared. I wondered why, until I noticed two six-foot long sharks, about ten feet to my right.

Cool, I thought. I was pretty happy to see sharks so close.
I turned to my left, making sure I was not drifting towards a nearby rock wall, and saw another shark, about five feet away from me.
Um, now I'm surrounded, I thought. While these sharks were probably not dangerous, I wasn't comfortable floating in the middle of them.
So I swam to the rock wall, putting all the sharks on my left, until they swam away, oblivious to my concerns.

With the sharks gone, I resumed drifting in body and mind, over the reefs.

The View from Koh Kai Nok

The Banyan Tree Spa

Even on land, we spent much of our time drifting.
Drifting up beaches, on an ocean breeze. Drifting through shops, lured by low prices. Drifting through hotel grounds, during humid evenings.

At The Banyan Tree Spa, I drifted on the current of Lor's experienced hands, during a lomi lomi massage, with music and incense in the air.

Times like this remind you that control is a massively over-rated concept.

Wisdom consists of knowing when to release control, and when to take control.

And everything about Phuket says, "Release".

Including the hotels.
One of my pet peeves in life is the 'international hotel' concept.
It disturbs me immensely that a person could wake up in a hotel room, and not be able to figure out where he is, from the decor of the room.

Banyan Tree Villa Interior

That is not a problem at the Banyan Tree.
Every room is Thai-style.
Natural woods, silk fabrics, and traditional arts abound in each villa.

The rooms create a current that, like Phuket, encourages you to relax, let go, and...
Drift.