Getting to the Island: We planned to spend our second full day in Phuket with Peep's bosses and their other guests, including the father and step-mother of one and the two brothers and their respective wives of the other, plus a few more. We were running a little behind to meet up with them, so we bought breakfast at a nearby convenience store and ate it back at the condo before descending one level to join the group. We all rode in a taxi van to the west side of the island where the marina holding their boat was located.
Upon arriving at the marina, we met up with one of the bosses' brother, who had gassed up the boat and discovered one of the two tanks had a leak. The spilt fuel had been cleaned up, but some residual odor still existed. The smell dissipated after we motored a short way on the quick, fifteen minute trip to their private island. Once at the island, we quickly transferred from the smaller boat to the full-sized yacht docked there, which featured three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, and an eat-in kitchen area on the lower level. The upper level contained a table and plenty of seating.
Cruising on the Water: We spent the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon on the top level of the yacht, where we enjoyed a lunch of finger foods and snacks while we gazed out at the many islands and other boaters passing by. We saw several islands used in the filming of "The Man with the Golden Gun", and as we approached the famed island of Mr. Scaramanga, Bond's nemesis in the film, we saw many vessels moored near several islands and people swimming, jetskiing and sea kayaking around them. We finally arrived at James Bond Island, circled it, and then headed back. Altogether, we spent just over three and a half hours on the yacht.
On the Island: Once back at the private island, we got the full tour by one of Peep's bosses. When he first acquired the island ten years ago, it was little more than a jungle infested rock sitting in the sea. They ran electrical lines to it and have been building on it ever since. Just off the dock is a private swimming area and a large pavilion, where the island staff had snacks waiting for us. Then it was up the long drive into the heart of the island. Peep and I walked, while her mother got a ride on the golf cart.
The Main House: Starting at the highest point on one side of the island, we saw the two, unfinished buildings that make up the main house. Each one contains nine bedrooms, a great room with kitchen area, and a 1.3 million gallon cistern to collect rainwater. One of the buildings will also have two swimming pools, a wet deck, a theater and a massage room attached, once finished. It sould be complete in another two years. Heading toward the other end of the island we passed the manager's house, where all the island staff stay.
Guest House: Continuing past the manager's house, we reached the completed guest house, with four bedrooms, a great room with kitchen, and its own swimming pool. All the teak furniture and doors inside were hand carved by a family of wood artisans in northern Thailand, and were just stunning in their detail. We had just enough time for a quick dip in the pool before heading back to Phuket before the tide went out, which leaves the marina inaccessible. After changing into some dry clothes, we headed back down the drive to the dock and then onto the boat we originally took to the island.
Trip Back: Within a minute or two of casting off, the engines on the boat began losing power. Unable to quickly diagnose and correct the problem at sea, we called back to the island and had the staff bring a smaller motorboat out to tow us back in. Some of us then transferred to the smaller boar, not all were able to fit, and we quickly raced back to Phuket and into the marina, probably exceeding some speed limits to avoid settling down in the water and getting stuck on the bottom in low tide. We learned later that the second group did get stuck, necessitating some to jump in the water and push to get their boat moving again.
Once on Phuket, we took a taxi back to the west side of the island, where Peep, her mom, and I immediately headed for the same restaurant close to the hotel for dinner, as we were all very hungry. Just as we were finishing our meal, Peep's bosses showed up for their meal and Peep set up a meeting with them for the following day before we returned to our room for the night.