Day 1
1. Patong
Patong is the heart of Phuket, with beach and town on Phuket's West coast. It is famous for its wide variety of activities and nightlife, which is ideal for heavy partying. There are hundreds of restaurants, bars, and night clubs, lighting up the night sky of Patong. Hotels and resorts are also widely available, with walking distance to the beach.
We decided to stay in Safari Beach Hotel Patong due to its excellent location near Patong Beach, basically just across the road (1-minute walk). Safari Beach Hotel is not as luxurious or new as some other hotels in Patong, but it is acceptable since we spent most of our time out the hotel, and it is good enough for its price.
Beach
On daytime, you can enjoy fun activities on the beach including swimming, banana boating, jet skiing, parasailing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, and scuba diving. Lots of boat operators offer their boats and equipment for rent. However, if you prefer to just chill on the beach, then you might want to try out Thai massage along with a manicure or pedicure, or work out your tan by soaking up to the sun. Sun beds, umbrellas, and deck chairs can be rented anywhere on the beach.
Nightlife
Nightime is when the crowd shifted from the beach towards Phuket's famous nightlife spot - Bangla Road. Countless bars and nightclubs with girls dancing on the table top, pole dancers, and people walking around offering Ping Pong Show (sex show) is as crazy as it sounds. If you can't stand hustlers, then it is not a place for you. It is not a suitable place for family trip as well.
Opening hours: 22:00 - late
2. Jungceylon Shopping Centre
Can't stand the hot sun? Make a visit to Jungceylon Shopping Centre, located diagonally opposite to Bangla Road. It is the largest shopping mall on the island and you can shop for Thailand's popular snacks in Big C Extra supermarket.
Opening Hours: 11:00 - 22:00
Address: 199 Rat-U-thit 200 Pee Road, near Bangla Road, Patong
Tel: +66 (0)7 660 0111
Day 2
3. Old Phuket Town
The Baba community's heritage can be seen in Old Phuket Town in its architecture, commerce, dress and way of life. The core of the Old Town essentially is made up of five roads and several 'sois' (small streets), these are Rasada Rd, Phang Nga Rd, Thalang Rd, Dibuk Rd, and Krabi Rd.
4. Wat Chalong
Wat Chalong is the largest and most visited Bhuddist temple in Phuket. You will see very elaborated, detailed architecture of the temple, which is perfect for your instagram or any other social medias. Women are required to cover their shoulders and wear pants or skirts that extend down to their knees. You might also want to wear slippers for easy removal, as shoes are not allowed in the temple.
Opening hours: 7.00am- 5.00pm
Address: Chaofa Road ( West ) Chalong Phuket 83000
E-mail: info@wat-chalong-phuket.com
5. Big Buddha
Big Buddha is an important landmark in Phuket. It sits on top of the Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata, and can be seen from far from Old Phuket Town and Karon Beach. The atmosphere is very peaceful, and the view from the top is ridiculously breathtaking. Eventhough the sun was burning hot, it was windy and the coconut water we bought there managed to cool us down.
Opening hours: 6.00am- 7.00pm
Address: Soi Yot Sane 1, Chaofa West Road, Chalong, Phuket Town, Phuket 83100, Thailand
6. Karon Viewpoint
Karon Viewpoint is one of the most frequently visited viewpoints in Phuket. From here you will be able to take a view of Kata Noi, Kata Yai and Karon beaches. But to be honest, view from Big Buddha is way better, as there are trees blocking the view at Karon viewpoint.
Opening hours: all day
Address: 4233 Tambon Karon, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Chang Wat Phuket 83100, Thailand
7. Promthep Cape
Magnificent View!!! A must to visit in Phuket I must say. This rocky hill has spectacular view at any time of the day, but you must not miss the sunset.
Opening hours: all day
Address: Rawai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket, Thailand
We rented a car for day 2 as the attractions are far from each other. To rent a car, you can book it online beforehand, or you can look for car rental at car rental booth just outside the airport.
Here is the car rental website: https://www.nationalcar.com/en/home.html
Our itinerary for day 2 is as below:
We departed from our hotel in Patong -> Old Phuket Town -> Wat Chalong -> Big Buddha -> Karon View Point -> Promthep Cape
* make sure you schedule your time wisely so that you will be on time for sunset at promthep cape.
Day 3
Phi Phi Island
Upon reaching Phi Phi Island, we hopped on longtail boat taxi (as shown in the photos above), which is a simple wooden boat powered by gasoline engine. Longtail boat is generally common in Thailand, and seems to be a well organized corporation, and the prices applied to tourists are agreed on.
Our ferryman stopped by picturesque destinations from Phi Phi Don to Phi Phi Leh, including Maya Bay (where Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the movie 'The Beach'), Viking Cave, Shark Point, and Monkey Beach. You will be given time for snorkeling, swimming, and sightseeing as you take in the natural beauty of Phi Phi. Also, the equipments for snorkelling will be provided by the ferryman. The whole journey took around 3 hours.
As I was taking the 2.30pm ferry back to Phuket Island, few hours for such spectacular view of nature was a bit rush. So if you are planning on staying in Koh Phi Phi, great, you can consider taking longtail boat to explore more and for longer hours.
Prices for one-way ticket to :
Ao Koh Don : 100 Baht (3 USD) Ao Lam Hin : 100 Baht (3 USD) Ao Maprow : 100 Baht (3 USD) Ao Long Beach : 100 Baht (3 USD)
3 hours : 1500 Baht, approximately 46 USD 6 hours : 2800 Baht, approximately 87 USD
Beyond six hours, you can negotiate the price.
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