Koa neaw ma mung....found!

I finally was able to experience the infamous (as it has become!) dessert. And you are begging to know what I thought? It was OK. Not mind-blowing, but just OK.

Arriving to Rayavadee Island via a John Deere

To get from one private island to another, one would think you’d take a boat. Nope! You take a vehicle two hours, a speed boat 25 minutes, then a John Deere for 5 minutes. It’s low tide and the arrival beach at Rayavadee is a muddy mess! The speed boat stops about 100 yards away, a smaller boat fetches you and that smaller boat is tied to a tractor. The tractor takes you onto land. Crazy! 

Our beach villa is amazing. It has a wooden spiral staircase to the second level. It’s like a little condo. And there is TV--two of them. This excites Erik to no end. I am not sure what he is more excited about: the tv or the fact there is meat on this island!

Before dinner, I decide to check out the spa....three massages in one day cannot be that bad! I can give up the limited alcohol, the no meat, but I am not as eager to let the massages go. I decide on the 105 minute “Rayavadee Signature Massage.” The description says “muscle relaxation with a heated herbal pouch.” Sounds similar to the Kra Po Thai Massage to me....oh well, I decided to give it a whirl. 105 minutes of pure heaven. I can really get used to this.


It’s everywhere...but yet it’s nowhere!

I am still in search of the mango sticky rice dessert that I was told is so popular and can be found everywhere. But, I have yet to find it! This “Koa Neaw Ma Mung” is slowing and painfully becoming the Mavi Jean Jacket of this trip.

I am Jasmine Flower...Does that make Erik Aladin?

I started the morning with an egg white fritta and a foot accupressure massage and an energizing massage. Ton, one of the waiters at the restaurant, gave me a bracelet with my Thai name this morning at breakfast. He named me “Mali” which means Jasmine flower. Apparently, these flowers are very important and are used to honor the Buddha. I’m not sure what this means for me...

If I didn’t mention it before, the Six Senses Spa Destination is a wellness spa--the anti-super spa. Everything about this place is healthy....the food is all grown on the island, no meat, and no alcohol. (Well, you can have a glass of organic wine after 6pm with your dinner) After four days of detoxing, eating healthy, and having limited alcohol, I’m ready to the next part of the trip. So off to Rayavadee we go!


Be sure the 7-11 is Buddhist owned!

Started the day with a 90-minute Traditional Pra Kob Thai massage then headed into Phuket City to be a "tourist." Our tour guide, Bam Bam (yes, his real Thai nickname) took us to see the tourists traps of Phuket. Our first stop was Thalong Road where we saw first hand the Sino-Porteguese archtitecture. The buildings on this street are half Chinese (the lower half) and half Portugese (the upper half). We then visited Chalong Temple--the largest Buddist Temple in Phuket. Learned that 60% of Thais are Buddhist, 30% are Muslim, and 10% are mixed Christian, etc. I had to cover my shoulders and legs with a sarong--reminded me of Istanbul. After Chalong Temple we drove up a narrow, winding roads to see a rather new site--the Big Buddha. It's actually still under construction. What is The Big Buddha you ask? Well, it's a big buddha! 45 meter tall and made from 135 tons of Burmese white marble. It overlooks Rawai Beach--not a bad spot to be with bars, restaurants and beautiful beachline. Then we drove over in our little Prius to the Phromthep Cape--apparently the most photographed site in Phuket. (see my pic here) Then on the way back to Naka Island we stopped at a street market--Grand Bazar Instanbul, Part 2...

What words did I learn today....let's see....."thud" is "lady boy." Accordinging to Bam Bam, there are a lot of these lady boys in Phuket. Seems that Phuket is the California of Thailand (aka quite liberal). I also learned what the Thai say when they greet you and bow: "Sawadee." (pronounced saw-waa-dee). So now I walk around saying"Sawadee kha" and bowing ... alot!

At the market Erik and I had our first beer in days. It tasted so good. I think I got buzzed after half the can. In an effort to relive our Duquesne years, we asked our tourguide to stop at the Seven Eleven so we could buy a six pack to sneak back onto the island. Just our luck, the 7-11 was Muslim owned..no beer! Luckily, the stall next door was Buddhist....lots of beer!

Mrs. Roper Goes Kayaking

Sunset is at 6:30pm here and sunrise is at 6:30am. I got up with the sun today and I am watching it set now. When we arrived on the island yesterday it was raining and we were told it would likely rain for many weeks. So this morning, when it wasn't raining and the sun showed hopes of shining soon, I knew it was all my fault and my gong wish from yesterday was coming true. (Upon arriving on the island, guests hit the gong twice and make a wish)

The morning started off with an exploration around Naka Island via Sea Kayak. It was fun to kayak in the Andaman Sea and Erik and I both got a chuckle out of my days of rowing at Duquesne and my knowledge of the many ways to turn the kayak around (port to back, starboard to row vs chop method) We kayaked to the mangroves--swamp-like places, and saw snakes. Apparently, these snakes are only dangerous at night, as they sleep during the day. Needless to say, I was happy to be out in the sea, and out of the mangroves. More sun out in the sea, anyways.

After lunch, it was spa time. A detoxifying massage was most relaxing. I think Erik and I will be so pure and clean when we leave here, and then we'll go straight to hell with all the partying in Singapore. Maybe we should have hit Singapore first...

In keeping with tradition, I learned a new word today. "Kob Khun Kha" as I learned yesterday is "Thank you" when said by a female. When a male says this, it is "Kob Khun Krab". Today, we learned that when a she-man says thank you, they say, "Kob Khun Ha." Our kayak guide told us this and our butler, Aum, confirmed. And Aum even mentioned that he should use this form...hence proving our suspicions about him straight away.

Another word I learned today, "Jaak Jai" (Pronounced Jack Ji (long "i"). This means "from the heart" and is an underlying tenet at the spa here. I like the way it sounds and the meaning is cool too. I also learned from the wellness director, a cutie from East Africa, that the best dessert in Phuket is this concoction made with sticky rice and mangoes. It is pronounced: "cow meow mam jung." Ill try and find it tomorrow when we leave the island for a few hours to explore Phuket City. On a similar note, I tried a new fruit, "mangosteen"--it was yummy.

I ditched the "spa costume" today for a much more flattering outfit--a bikini and hot pink sun dress. The sun dress, according to Erik, looks like something from the 70's that Mrs. Roper from Three's Company would wear. Regardless, it has to be cuter than those spa costumes.

Spa Costumes--all day, everyday!

After landing in Phuket, the car service (a 5 series BMW) picked us up and drove us to the Marina. Side note: They drive on the "wrong side" of the road here. From the marina we took a speed boat ride to the private island of Naka, where the Six Senses Destination Spa is located. Naka means "big snake" but we were told there are no big snakes on the island. (Should I believe them?!) Our butler, Aum (pronounced like ummmm) ordered us immediately to change into our "spa costumes." They are ivory linen yoga-like gear. Of course the size small is EXTREMELY large on me...oh well. I don't have to worry about what to wear--this is what we wear the entire time we are here! They bring fresh spa costumes daily. Erik says he feels like he is in a cult! We had lunch at "Dining at the Point"--a nice restaurant that over looks the Andaman Sea--but we are on a private island so everything overlooks the sea! The restaurant is all vegetarian--Bronwen would love it!

Our villa, #53 (there are 65 here total) has a layout similar to the Six Senses Hideaway Bill and I stayed last year in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Everything--including showers, toilet, bath tub is outside.

The weather is overcast and it was raining when we arrived--but no longer. It's kindda like So Cal--cloudy until the sun burns the clouds away around 1pm. I spent the later part of the afternoon at the Spa. I took a class on Chi Nei Tsang--internal organ chi massage. It was cool to learn the underlying physiology and applications, and now I can use it at home! Then I experienced a traditional Thai Massage. This was my second time experiencing a "Thai Massage." First time was last year at Six Senses Hideaway in Vietnam. But since I am in Thailand now, I thought I should compare. It was amazing! And I learned my first words today: "Kob Khun Kha" (Thank You).