Phuket: Day 1

Right after our shift last Friday, Eli, Em-J and I met up at the airport to head to Phuket. As usual, Em-J had to stay late at the office so we only had a few minutes for dinner before rushing to the gates for boarding.

The flight was relatively short at only about an hour and a half, there is however a one hour time difference. We arrived at past 10pm which was already 11pm in Singapore. I have to say that I was impressed with their airport, comparing it with the airports in Bali and Kalibo. Right after clearing immigration, we headed to the tour booths to book our island tour.

We were told to book outside since it would be more expensive here but seeing that it was already a bit late, we really had no choice. All tours on Saturday were fully booked so we decided to just take the Phi Phi Island tour. (Another popular tour that we were considering was the James Bond island tour). There was some mighty haggling that happened and we ended up paying 1400 baht (60sgd / 1800php) per person including the transpo to and from the hotel. This is pretty competitive considering that our hotel's location is not really accessible. 

• Taxis are a way of life here. Fares are much more expensive than cab fares in Singapore and metered taxis are almost non-existent. You have to haggle to get a good deal. 

We were staying at Mai Khao which was very near the airport. I managed to haggle for a taxi ride to the hotel for 300 baht (13sgd / 430php). We would soon find out that the place we're staying at is not convenient at all.

• If it is your first time in Phuket, stay at Patong. This would allow you to save on cab fares. The beach is just across the street from many hotels and the place is bustling with restaurants, bars and shops. 

This is what greeted us when we got to the hotel. It was pretty quiet and there was a spa-like feeling even from the outside. I'll write more about the hotel in another post. 

After checking in and posing for pictures, we were taken to our room by Nan, the front desk associate via buggy. 

She then gave us a tour of our room which was pretty big. We actually have one big bed each!

Before calling it a night, Em-J called for room service since he was still a bit hungry. 

We then all headed to bed since we want to have an early start the next day.

• Phuket boasts of many beaches. The most popular based on the recommendations of the hotel staff would be the one in Patong. This is where most tourists usually go. 

• Airport to Patong would be about 45 minutes. Once there, you can almost already do everything that you need. Cab fare would be roughly about 600 - 800 baht. Based on what I saw, there are no beach front hotels as it is lined up with restaurants in a considerable distance. Hotels would just be across the street so they're still pretty convenient.

• Grab a map if you want to further explore the island and head on to the other beaches around. Our place of stay, Mai Khao also has it's own beach but it's pretty secluded. If all you're after is peace, quiet and relaxation, this is a good place to stay. Mai Khao to Patong is about an hour drive. 

By the way, thanks much to Geno who graciously gave us a free hotel stay.