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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