My second stay in Patong, Phuket, was not much different from the first in 2009.  The place is live every day of the week with flocks of horny expats, desperate old men, ladyboys, working-girls, promoters and a bunch of locals, mostly looking to make a buck off gullible tourists.

Nearly every night consisted of being a total booze-hound, frequenting the most popular clubs (such as Hollywood, Tiger and Seductions) as well as some random bars down Bangla road. If you’re new to this side of the world, I warn you, it’s not for the feint-hearted. It can get a little crazy in Patong, and if you’re not careful, you may find yourself watching an overweight, older lady shooting ping-pong balls as well as other various objects (or magic tricks!) from their vaginas. During my last stay, we made the mentally scarring decision to view a ping-pong show after rejecting 100s of offers earlier on in the week. It was unpleasant to see, to say the least, but the snake show at the end was scary-entertaining!

Moving on, in summary, the things I would definitely recommend you do whilst there:

• Eating at the “Wine Connection” at Jungceylon, (Korean BBQ is pretty good also)
• Checking out Fantasea (be warned, get a decent transfer, ours had no air-con and locked windows!)
• Hiring a moped and scooting around town as well as down to Kata or Surin beach
• Getting drunk at club “Hollywood”
• Eating a Nutella and cinnamon crepe from one of the street vendors on Patong Beach road
• Having a quiet lunch at the Sandwhich Shoppe (a little hard to find, but worth it)

And I’d advise you to be careful of:

• Cheats – you will get ripped off quite a lot, always negotiate down to something you’re comfortable paying, but if you have options and they don’t play nice, go elsewhere
• Ladyboys – some look extremely convincing, and having a female friend who convinces even the most ugly of ladyboys that they’re beautiful, whilst funny, may land you with an uninviting kiss on the cheek from a man-lady with a moustache (true story)
• Working girls – If you’re go out with the intention to pay, then that’s fine, but so many men unknowingly go home with a working girl only to realize she wants money and leave disappointed (I met of people on the way back from a night out who had just walked away from a girl asking for money, haha!)

Where I stayed: FunDee Boutique. The owner is a total champion, the place is very affordable, and the location is a prime. You can’t go wrong with this place.

I’ve just arrived in Tokyo, staying at a “Weekly Mansion” in Ikebukuro. It was quite affordable the room we’re staying in but it’s a bit of a let-down in terms of room quality. Not to worry, we shall make the most of this experience as Japan is always a great place to be.

• Previous Entry: Adventure Time. The journey begins.
• Next Entry: From Tokyo to Cold Calgary