Phuket ~
Thailand is always a great place to visit with many provinces to explore; one is the island of Phuket: famous for its beaches, high-end resorts, and restaurants. The first time I went to Thailand, I stayed in Bangkok, and it was a pleasant experience despite having to scale back our itinerary because of the King’s death. My cousins and I were only able to visit Phuket for a day. Let me tell you, that was not enough time to indulge in all that Phuket has to offer. So, when I got the opportunity to go again for a more extended period, I couldn’t resist.
I spend three adventurous nights in Phuket before moving onto another country in my tour of Southeast Asia. My hotel stay was at the Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket located right on the Karon Beach, near the famous Patong Beach area.
The west, lower side of the Island is where most of the action occurs, but if that is not your forte you can stay more north or on the east side for a more quieter and relaxing vacation. There is so much to do in Phuket that I would recommend visiting for a week if you can rather than three days. The tours alone take up most of your day, so make sure you plan accordingly to meet all your needs on your itinerary.
Below, I have provided some things to do while in Phuket.
Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket
This hotel is a beautiful family-friendly resort with many accommodations. There is fine dining, a spa, an adult and family pool, free dry cleaning, and a water park. Tarni, Sharry, and I had the Deluxe Pool Suite with “The Club” benefits that provide free food and drinks. The room was nifty; however, we requested double beds but were given a King with an extra bed on the side which made our room smaller and difficult to move around, but we made it work. It’s a bit pricey, and there are a lot of steps to get to your room, but you will enjoy your stay. I really liked the adult pool. The scenic view was exquisite!
Karon Beach
Nightlife in Phuket is enjoyable and entertaining, but some areas could be explicit especially in Patong, so parents do your research. You can take a taxi or tuk-tuks to get around everywhere. The tuk-tuks in Phuket are way cooler than in Bangkok, but a bit more expensive (Around 400 bahts). Moreover, you don’t even have to go to a place to party because of the sound systems in most of them; you can party right in your tuk-tuk while taking in all the views of the island! If you are looking to do some dancing, club Illuzion is a great place to go on Fridays. We surely danced the night away! Haha! Also, the food in most restaurants around Thailand is delicious but still take caution when eating from certain places.
B-52s Shots At Hooters
We couldn’t leave Thailand without getting a massage! It’s a must do on your list! Make sure you get a full body oil and Thai combo massage.
Green Elephant Sanctuary Park
I went to an elephant sanctuary in Bangkok and did not like it because of the treatment of the elephants. All of them were in chains. I said to myself at the time if I was able to come back to Thailand, I would find another sanctuary that treated their elephants much better, and I did. The Green Elephant Sanctuary Park was that and much more! We did this activity on Saturday, and we chose the morning package which included: Picked up/dropped off at the hotel, information about the vision of the park and the past of the elephants, feeding the elephants, mud spa pool, washing the elephant in the freshwater pool, XXL elephant shower, and a delicious Thai buffet. Make sure you bring swim attire, swim shoes, and a change of clothes. You will get wet and dirty! They do have regular showers for cleaning. All the elephants were too cute and friendly! I loved every minute of it except the part when the elephants pooped. Prepare yourself for that! Haha!
Here is their website if you are interested in doing this activity:
https://www.green-elephantsanctuarypark.com/en/
James Bond Island Tour
Now, I toured James Bond Island before, but it was during the day. This time we did a sunset tour with a company called My Thailand Tours, and I would recommend putting this on your list. The sunset tour is less crowded, and you get to explore everything in peace. The only bad thing is some of the souvenir shops are closed, but you can get souvenirs anywhere in Phuket. The tour package included: Lawa Island for relaxing, Hong Island with canoeing, Panak Island, Khao Phing Kan Island (James Bond Island), Ice Cream Cave, and Panyee Island in which we didn’t get a chance to go to for lunch because of time. We ate a yummy dinner with wine at our starting point on the Lamsai Pier. Canoeing on Hong Island and exploring in Ice Cream Cave was the most memorable part of the tour for me! We also did a Phi Phi Island tour with the same company, but it wasn’t as good as the James Bond one. Two separate contractors, so two different experiences. Here is the website for the company we used if you would like to book a tour too: https://mythailandtours.com/
Lawa Island
Hong And Panak Island
Khao Phing Kan (James Bond Island)
Ice Cream Cave
Phi Phi Island Tour
I was looking forward to Phi Phi Island, but as I previously mentioned, the Phi Phi Island Tour was not as satisfying as the James Bond Island Tour because of a few things: The company forgot we booked this one too, so we were not listed to be picked up causing us almost to miss our tour. They made up for it by getting us a taxi to the pier where the tour took place. When we got there the other company, who was over the Phi Phi Island Tour tried to make us pay again, but they later discovered we paid upfront already. It was crowded in the speedboat with little options to take pictures of scenery, and the ride on the way to the islands was very bumpy. We didn’t step foot on Monkey beach like we were supposed to do and we didn’t spend that much time in Maya Bay even though much of our time was taken up by the boat driver not being able to dock. We got a chance to relax a bit in Khai Nok Island, but where we ate our lunch was swarming with flies. The whole tour was not a delightful experience, and it seemed rushed; however, there were some memorable moments for this tour as well. I got to snorkel which I never did before in my life. The fishes liked me too! Our tour guide told me I must have sweet skin! Haha! I also dived into a lagoon. I will never forget those memories!
In spite of all that, we still had a fantastic time in Phuket. Then it was on to Cambodia!
