Casual Phuket

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Introduction: Traveled to Phuket with my husband during the month of Feb 2014. It was end of the peak tourist season so you can get a good deal for hotel and other things. The weather is quite hot during the day and pleasant during the evening.



Flight: So first things first. We got a killer deal on the tickets (although we booked almost 10 months in advance), Jetstar came up with 1-1 free tickets and since Phuket was the only destination that we hadn't been to so booked tickets immediately. The tickets cost us around 196 return Singapore dollars (S$) for 2 people (without baggage).



Hotel: We booked the hotel at bang on Bangla street because that is where we heard all the action is. We are basically a couple who doesn't like to spend too much on hotel since we basically use it for sleeping only. So as long its clean and safe its fine with us. We booked Amata resort on Bangla street. A 3 star hotel i should say with basic facilities provided. Maybe if you book a better room in the new wing then the room quality might be better. We got a non refundable deal on Agoda for S$ 265 for 4 nights which was a good deal considering the location.



Day 1- We arrived at Phuket at around 9.20 pm. You can either take a taxi or bus for your transportation to the hotel. I have a friend working there so booked a taxi from him. The taxi charged at 600 Baht for the ride (the hotel had quoted 900 Baht for the same). The drive was long about an hour and so after checking into the hotel it was around 11 pm. That’s when we went out for our adventure to the famous Bangla street.



Bangla street: What should I say about the famous Bangla street that hasn't been said already. The moment you enter there you will be bombarded with people from all the strip club and ping pong bars to just to come in for a drink. We were a young couple so they still were not so pushy if we refused. I have heard if you are a single guy or group of guys they are definitely more aggressive in their promotion. It’s a long street with bars and clubs on the both the side. Some street artists are also there performing magic and dance for tips. Also there will be lady boys all dressed up and asking you to get pictures clicked with them. Caution although they try and tell you its chargeable but its not so clear (maybe because of the accent or the way they say it) so you might not realize that you have to cough up around 200 Baht for picture with them. So be sure before you get a picture clicked.



Strip clubs and Ping Pong bars: So there is no dearth of Strip clubs and Ping Pong bars in Bangla Street. It’s just a matter of choice which one you want to visit. There are strip clubs with local girls, lady boys, Russian girls to name a few for your choice. Ping pong shows have lady boys mostly showcasing their unique talents. It’s weird, disgusting and interesting at the same time. So it basically depends on your appetite to watch these things. Just expect weird things coming out of unexpected places.

So do you need to be careful about anything? Yes! most probably you will chose to go to one of these clubs with a representative of this club whom you meet at Bangle Street. They will convince you by telling you that all you need to do so is buy just 1 drink and have a look. If you don’t like it you can leave. They will be no entry charges. Sounds fair enough since a drink would not cost much and you would get to explore the club as well. But here is the catch because what they don’t tell you is the price of that 1 drink. It will be 5 times or more of what you would normally get in a good restaurant. So you end up paying a very high price. The key is to ask them which drink they can offer and for how much before you go to the club with them. They will try to tell you that they can’t reduce the price but that is not the truth. If you bargain well then you can actually go to 1/5 or more of the price mentioned in a menu. So it is up to your bargaining skills J, but do decide everything before you go there because once you enter the club the original guy would disappear and you will not be able to bargain then.



Day 2: Beach and Simon Cabaret show

So we got up late next day to explore the beach area and book some tours for the next day. It was scorching hot that day. The sand on the beach was burning so we took a quick u-turn from there and came back. So if you are up some massive sun tanning and surfing the beach during the day is for you. Otherwise I should say you definitely can avoid going to the beach during the day time.

We took a small walking tour in the main street basically looking to book some tours. Now the guide to book these tours is that they will offer you flat 50%!o(MISSING)f the price mentioned in the brochure. Yes 50%!e(MISSING)ven without asking, so you realize that there is scope for more bargaining. So it’s better to book all your tour from the same guy so they give you additional discount because you are booking more than 1. Again here your bargaining skills come handy and finally how much discount you get is up to you. Another thing (please excuse my general habit of being suspicious) you tend to feel a little suspicious since most of the tour operators are just sitting on the road side with a small table full of brochures. And since they charge you in advance, getting a little worried is natural. So we were also worried about the geniuses and quality of the tour. But we got what we were promised. The pick up from the hotel was at the scheduled time and everything went smoothly. More on the tour details later. Just a piece of advice in case you have food restrictions please inform the agent in advance. They usually try and accommodate your requests.



Simon Cabaret show: This is the famous lady boy show which is highly publicized. It’s basically a group of lady boy dancers performing on songs from various counties and some comic acts in between. I think it’s a nice show but not something which is a must watch. If you have an evening free then do go for it. But in case you cannot find time for it don’t fret over it either. We got the VIP seats for 600 baht each including hotel transfers. Honestly VIP seats do not make much difference. They are just in front but the theater is not so big so the view from back seats should be equally good. So the choice is up to you. Also, at the time of exit of the show, all the dancers line up for photographs. Please note that they charge, around 200 Baht for each picture.



Tiger Kingdom: This is one of the unique places that we got to visit. It’s apparently very common in Thailand to have such farms. So you can visit them in other places in Thailand as well. You basically get to spend 15 minutes with a tiger (size of your choice) and click pictures with them. It’s a not cheap but I think it’s worth every penny you spend. I strongly recommend it.

Day3: Phi Phi island tour



We took a speed boat tour of Phi Phi Island. I would say this tour is for those people who would love to swim or snorkel in the open waters. They give you about an hour or more to do so. So if you are not brave enough to jump in middle of the ocean then it can become a little frustrating waiting in the boat. Other than that they take you to another beach and monkey beach. It’s OK but nothing great since it’s so crowded you hardly get to enjoy much. Food served was good and the arrangement was done nicely. The tour takes the whole day and you come back in the evening exhausted. So keep 1 full day for this.

Day3: James bond island tour

We took the big boat tour for the James bond island tour. It was more relaxed and slow as compared to the Phi Phi Island tour which we personally liked. So depending upon your preference you choose your boat. Exploring the caves through Kayak was lovely. You should definitely go for that. Again it’s a full day tour so you will be exhausted by the end.



Day4: Last day

We kept the last day light and went for a long massage before heading to the airport.





Overall its wonderful place for a quick get away. Do go for massages ( we got 1 everyday) because of the affordability. Ideal to go with friends.

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