Phuket was such an enchanting place. During my time in Thailand, visiting this location had to be the best thing I experienced. 

The Buddha Cave Temple, or Monkey Temple,  was quite an interesting place. There are monkeys everywhere that you can feed and interact with. Walking past the monkeys there is a cave that houses a large reclining Buddha statue (although nothing compared to Wat Pho in Bangkok!) and a monk that will bless you. 

The next stop was the infamous James Bond Island, where The Man With The Golden Gun was filmed. It was interesting to see, but much too crowded for my taste. 

Next up was lunch at a Muslim fishing village that was floating seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Later that night on Kamala beach, a bunch of us talked a man on the beach into selling us paper lanterns for 50 baht each. It was so magical to light the lanterns, make a wish, and watch that wish float away over a moonlit ocean. 

The weather was pretty hot and humid, as can be expected in tropical environments. That also comes along with occasional rain storms although I completely lucked out and missed all the rain!

Kho Phi Phi Island was just as gorgeous as I have seen in photos. While the water wasn't super clear for snorkeling, the vibrant turquoise color and refreshing temperature made it a great place to relax.  

On to clearer waters, the snorkeling was amazing! So many fish and different things to look at under the sea.

The last day in Phuket was truly my favorite. After enjoying a leisurely breakfast by the pool and overlooking the beach, I walked down and had an incredible Thai massage. What made it even better is that it was around $8 for an hour of bliss. After that I indulged in a $5 lunch of pineapple fried rice with prawns. 

In Phuket I experienced a level of zen I didn't think was possible. All the fears of solo travel drifted away with the tide and I felt truly at peace. It was a feeling I knew wouldn't last forever, but one I will never forget. Thailand holds a piece of my heart forever and always.