North
Central Area in Phuket
 Covers
the center part of the island above Phuket Town and running up the
east coast to the top of the island. The central area also includes
the Kathu District. This part of the island is where most of the
tin mining activity was centered. This area has been extensively
altered by large scale open-pit, and strip mining for tin. The area
was once fairly mountainous but is now y a flat plain dotted by
small lakes and ponds. The last tin mine closed in 1992 effectively
ending  an
intense period of mining that lasted at least 500 years.
Today many of the damaged areas have been reclaimed
by the jungle, or covered with rubber plantations, golf
courses, and housing projects. The Central area still impresses
the newcomer with its lush tropical greenery. It is mildly reassuring
to know this area once looked like a moonscape and now has recovered
to the point that most people who visit are unaware of the wholesale
destruction this area once sustained.
 In
many respects this is the most interesting part of the island. The
north area includes many of the island's historical sites and important
wats, and is the least developed part of the island. It has a beautiful
national park with virgin rain forest, jungle trails and waterfalls.
The Heroines Monument stands in the traffic circle on the main highway
between the village of Thalang and Phuket
Town This monument commemorates the two sisters who are
credited with winning the Battle at Thalang against the Burmese
in 1785.
We will work our way over the hill to the central
area (Kathu District) and proceed north to the top of the island.
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