Throwback Thursday: My Thailand trip – part 2 – Phuket

If you missed out on part 1 of my Thailand adventure – hop on over here & read all about our first (and last stop), Bangkok…  If not, then simply read on… 🙂

So instead of flying from Bangkok to Phuket – which granted is a very quick flight, but does come at a price, Kim and I decided to do an overnight bus which takes about 12 hours.  Why?  Because it’s an adventure, that’s why.  Also… it gave us more money for drinks & shopping.  #Priorities

Now the central bus station in Bangkok is a bit chaotic and you need to ask quite a few people until you find someone who speaks English and can direct you to the correct ticket line & terminal, but once on the bus it’s comfort all the way.  The seats are so big, you have more space than you’ll know what to do with.  They also recline all the way back so you’re almost lying down, AND each passenger gets a little care package with water and snacks.  How cute is that?  There’s of course also aircon, and a toilet on board.  However I do recommend you rather wait for a scheduled stop, because a Thai bus toilet is something that will haunt my nightmares still for years to come…

Our hotel in Phuket was the Meir Jarr Hotel (booked via Agoda.com) – it cost us around R1100 per night (that’s for 2 sharing a standard double room with breakfast).  I didn’t think that price was too bad, especially considering that we were there over peak NYE time, and also location wise this hotel is a total win because you’re less than 5min walk away from Patong Beach.

Also our room was really nice and spacious, and pool wise, I think this one beat all the other pools on our trip:

My only hotel complaint was that the front desk staff don’t really speak much English.  So this makes things a bit tricky when trying to book a taxi, etc.

Our first order of business after settling in at our hotel was of course… massages!  In Thailand, particularly Phuket and the other beachy areas, little Thai massage shops are found absolutely all over the place with prices that you simply won’t believe.  For a Thai foot massage (which actually ends up being pretty much a full body massage, because they also do your arms, back, neck & shoulders) you’ll pay 250 baht which at the exchange rate at the time was only R86.  Seriously… best money spent, ever.  You’ll end up wanting to do one or more of these per day.

As I mentioned above, we stayed pretty much right on Patong Beach.  It’s quite a popular (and large) beach, and there are lots of little restaurants & bars just across the road which makes it quite convenient to pop over get something to eat/drink and then hit the sand again.

It was here where we actually decided to spend our NYE.  Well between Patong Beach and the infamous Bangla Road – basically Patong’s party zone, lined with bars and clubs where you can see everything, and I mean everything you want really…

So what did our NYE end up looking like?  A little bit like this:

My only word of warning:  Watch out for those fireworks… people will literally just set off a massive firework right next to you.  Safety measures don’t seem to apply really…

But all ‘n all, this was hands down one of the best NYEs ever… one which we definitely all felt the after effects of next day…

Other notable mentions have to go to the food.  Thai people definitely know their flavours, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re eating at a street stall, a market or a restaurant, it’s really all amazing & very well priced.

Our favourite “watering hole” became this very laid back sports bar kinda place right on Patong beach (opposite side to Bangla Rd, on the far end, situated on a corner) – I just can’t for the life of me remember its name (a sign of too many good times there I’m sure), but the drinks were cheap and the vibe was fun:
As far as sights go – Phuket is really all about chilling on the beach.  BUT, a Phi Phi Island tour is a must.  Just don’t book this tour through your hotel, because they will rip you off.  Rather walk down to the beach area and stop by a few of the little tour stalls you’ll see.  You can negotiate prices, and then decide on the best deal.  You’ll come across different packages ranging from 800 baht to 2000 baht per person, just never accept the pamphlet price, always ask for a better deal.

Most of the Phi Phi Island tour options stop at the same spots (Monkey Beach, Maya Bay, Bamboo Island, Koh Phi Phi Don), you’ll just pay more/less based on the size of the boat and meal options.  It’s pretty much a full day out – so do keep that in mind.  Also pack enough sunscreen & a hat, because you will get burnt, trust me.  But as far as must do’s go, this is a real big one, especially if it’s your first visit to Phuket.  Let me show you why:

So yeah, as you can see Phuket is a really horrible place to visit…  😉  But seriously, it’s really beautiful and a must see, so go ahead and add it to your bucket list.

In my next post I’ll cover Koh Samui and the full moon party in Koh Pha Ngan – so keep an eye out for that next Thursday…

PS:  Check out my Phuket tips on Webjet.co.za‘s new Travel Destination pages: http://www.webjet.co.za/destinations/phuket/

xxx