Hey maca52,
Just returned from my first foray into Phuket, and I also thought that Chang Rai was an excellent place to stuff yourself with fresh seafood (1 kg.
lobsters being the preferred target). Didn't pay too much attention to price but it was definitely cheap by our standards! There are 7 small seafood "stalls" located in one laneway just off Bangla (enter beside Tiger Bar, if I remember correctly) and they share a common seating area. You have
to wander through the reps from the competing restaurants trying to entice you to their particular place, but Chang Rai was my choice (but likely only because it was the first one you hit!).
There are unlimited restaurant choices just in the Bangla Rd. area including excellent Italian (pizza & more), steak houses (Aussie beef seems to be the thing), Indian, etc. They all have real Thai food (learn to say "mai pet"
- not hot) to keep the girls happy and you should give it a chance, but it helps to wait until you've got your new BG to help you avoid catching fire by inadvertently scarfing down that chili that looked like something else to you. Beware that your new friendly Thai girlfriend will find nothing more funny than watching you pound back water & beer in rapid secession in a fruitless attempt to put out the fire!! What we do for their amusement amazes me!
Also, don't turn your nose up at the excellent street meat that is available at numerous carts - skewers of chicken, fish, etc. at miminal baht. It is a good idea to hit one of these carts when you're wandering back to your hotel at 3:00 am after another evening of over-imbibing at the endless choice of Bangla Rd. beer bars, go-go's or whatever happens to be your preference. I had a favourite cart along Bangla (near Yorkshire Inn) but they are everywhere.
Don't eat too early in the evening so you don't start drinking too early, and remember to get your 3:00 am feed from the cart - then you should be ready to do it all over again the next day, but actually survive at the same time! Enjoy your trip!
|