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Last Updated on May 1, 2019— comments 2

6 Things to do in Phuket (And Many Useful

Travel Tips!)
written by Melissa Hie

Phuket was one of the first destinations I went to when I first started
traveling. Itʼs easily accessible with the recently renovated Phuket
International Airport and provides a great introduction for beginner
travelers who are looking to travel in Thailand.

Happy me on a Long Tail boat!

In recent years, Phuket has gotten a reputation for being a wild party
place and rampant with dirty bars and sex tourism. Itʼs true to some
extent, but the REAL truth is, thatʼs just Patong Beach – a small sliver

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 that makes up Phuket. Phuket is a huge island and there are definitely a
lot more to see than Patong Beach! I will outline the activities below to
make your trip easier.

Phuket Travel Tips

Cash is still king in Phuket – Upscale places take credit card, but
most restaurants are still cash-only or charge 3-10% or have a
minimum spend for a credit card transaction, so make sure you
carry cash with you! I would allocate about 400 baht per person per
day exclusive of hotels and activities to be on the safe side.
Phuket is not cheap – In relative to the rest of South East Asia,
Phuket is quite an expensive place, especially in terms of transport.
Phuket is even more expensive than Bangkok, the capital city of
Thailand.
Money Exchanges are relatively honest – Of course, you still need
to do your research beforehand. But I find that even in the touristy
area, currency exchange gives you a pretty good rate. For example,
Iʼve just traded my SGD for 23.03 and the going rate is 23.51. Only
2% difference!
Phuket is NOT all party and sex tourism – Phuket has been mostly
known by the area called Patong Beach, but there is a lot more to
see and do in Phuket, as you are about to find out!
4G connection is stable in Phuket – So if youʼd like to be
connected throughout your trip, I recommend pre-buying a SIM

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 Card and pick it up at the Phuket Airport.

Long Tail Boat on Monkey Bay on Phi Phi Island

Get in from Phuket Airport

Great news! Phuket Airport is a lot more organized now in terms of
transportation than when I came here 7 years ago. Prices are now fixed
so you donʼt need to haggle. The prices are also the same inside the
airport and outside at the pickup area.

Below, I am using the prices to go from the airport to Patong / Phuket

town for comparison purposes. If you are going to the southern areas
such as Kata and Karon, it might be slightly more expensive as it is
further away from the airport.

1. Minibus (180 Baht to Patong)

We took the minibus from HKT airport to Patong for 180 baht per
person. This is the cheapest option if you are going alone or in a group
of 2. They did drop us off individually in front of our hotel, but that also
means longer transport time since you might have to wait for others to
get dropped off first.

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 Also, they made us stop briefly at Phuket town to record our drop off
point while selling some Phuket tours which added further 15 mins to
the journey (although I have to note that there was no hard selling,
which was impressive).

2. Private Taxi (650-800 Baht to Patong)

IMPORTANT: If you want to take the taxi option, I recommend
booking ahead here since their price is 20% cheaper than getting it
from the airport. Their price to drop off at Patong is 650 Baht for the
4-seater car (which takes 3 passengers) vs 800 Baht if you book at the
airport.

I recommend this if you are going as a group of 3 or more, as the cost

is not that much more than going on the Minibus, and you get dropped
off right away in front of your hotel instead of potentially waiting for
other people to get dropped off first.

3. Airport Bus Express (150 Baht to Patong)

Although the cheapest, I personally donʼt think this option makes much
sense. For example, itʼs only cheaper by 30 baht (less than $1) to
Patong compared to the Minibus, and it takes longer as it makes stops
before finally getting to the tourist area (Phuket Town, Patong, Kata,
and Karon). You can view the timetable and fares here.

Get Around Phuket

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 Self-drive a Rental Motorbike or a Rental Car – This is probably
the cheapest and best option to get around Phuket, but only if you
are comfortable with driving. We rented a motorbike for 300 baht a
day in Patong, while cars would run about 900-1200 baht. You can
get motorbike rental anywhere in the city – for cars, you might want
to check out Ninaʼs Cars.
Charter a Car with driver – If you canʼt drive, chartering a private
car is also an option! You can book car charter for 1500 for half a
day or 2000 baht a day. I recommend this if you are traveling in a
group of 3 or more people.
Take a Tuk Tuk – Tuk Tuk has novelty value, but contrary to
popular belief they are not exactly cheap. I would only use this for
short rides and if Iʼm traveling in a group since they run over 200
baht per ride.
Public Bus – This is probably the cheapest option at around 50-100
baht per person depending on the destination. Phuket Smart Bus is
a great option to transfer for one beach to another beach. You can
also try the Blue Bus (Song Taew), which is an open-air wooden bus
which takes you from Phuket town to certain beaches (like Patong,
Kata / Karon) but it does not take you from one beach to another.
There is very little official information about Song Taew online, so
the best bet is to find out about them once you arrive in Phuket.
Regular Taxi – The taxi business in Phuket is a well-oiled machine.
For the most part, you can expect standardized fares based on
destinations, and they are not very cheap. We paid 600 Baht to go

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 from Kata Beach to Phuket Town and were taken in a huge van that
could have fit 10 people. Makes me wonder how to catch the normal
4-seater taxis…
Use Grab – Grab is the ride-sharing app that has chased Uber out
of South East Asia. They work exactly the same as other ride-
sharing apps – download the App, input where youʼd like to be
picked up and where you want to go, and agree on a fare. Iʼve put
this option as last because in my experience Grab has been much
more expensive than a taxi in Phuket.

Where to stay in Phuket

Most tourists stay on the west side of the island. This is because the
west side of Phuket houses many bays that offer great swimming,
warm water and a great view of the sunset. Here are a few areas you
can consider, depending on the traits of each area:

If you like nightlife, loud parties and want to be in the middle of

everything, Patong Beach is the place for you. If youʼre coming for
a special event, such as Songkran or New Years, you might want to
stay in Patong for the action and festivities.
If you still want to be around restaurant and bars but donʼt fancy the
loud parties, try Karon and Kata Beach. Karon is located slightly
south from Patong and is referred to as the quieter Patong. Kata
Beach is further down south from Karon, where it seems to
accommodate Russian travelers in particular – all restaurants and

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 menu would have a Russian translation. The beaches are about as
crowded as Patong though.
If you want to stay in a quiet town with resorts, try Surin Beach and
Kamala Beach in the north, or Kata Noi in the south. My vote goes
to Kata Noi as it is very quiet and small.
If you want to be away from the beach and learn more history of
Phuket, try staying in Old Phuket Town. Honestly, this is my
favorite place to stay in Phuket, even though itʼs far away from the
beach.

So far, Iʼve stayed in Patong, Kata and Old Phuket Town. I found this
combination to be a good mix of beach and cultural vacation.

Things to do in Phuket
Okay! So now that weʼve gotten the necessary travel planning stuff out
of the way, here is what you can do in Phuket:

1. Find the Hidden Secret Beaches in Phuket

Okay, I lie – these beaches arenʼt exactly a secret since they are well-
marked on Google Maps, but they are pretty hidden! The best part?
They are only 10 minutes drive from Patong and Karon Beach.

Freedom Beach
This beach requires a little bit of work to get to, but itʼs totally worth it!

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 There were no amenities like umbrella, restaurants or water activities,
but Freedom Beach was one of the best swims Iʼve had in a while! The
warm water was clean and the bay is lined with soft white sand. There
are also not very many people here, probably because of the
difficulties to get here.

How to get to Freedom Beach

By Motorbike – Head to this point on Google Maps. Youʼll be taking
a short rocky dirt road stretch that ends with a gate with a private
property sign. Youʼll need to be very confident with your bike since
the path also gets pretty steep on some part. They will charge you
200 Baht for using the steep path down to the beach, which is about
a 10-minute walk down that consists of mostly steps. Remember
that you have to walk back up the same set of stairs later!
By Motorbike (Alternative Route?) – You might want to try the
road that leads to this spot called One n Only. I did not take this
route so I canʼt vouch for it, but this place is located right on
Freedom Beach itself.
By Longtail Boat – Another way to get to Freedom Beach is by
taking a longtail boat from Patong for 1400 Baht or Kamala Beach

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 for 3500 Baht, which quite frankly I think is just a rip off! But this
does save you from the steep walk back up later on.

Paradise Beach
Paradise Beach is an established private beach resort and super easy
to get to. The beach is located in a calm bay, perfect for swimming and
other water activities! You need to pay 200 Baht to get in, and once
inside you need to cough up another 100 Baht/person to sit in the
Umbrellas. The cost of food and drinks are also pretty steep here, so I
would plan to spend at least a few hours here to make it worth it. The
good news is, the entrance fee covers a lot of activities for free so you
wonʼt be bored.

I recommend walking to the end of the jetty and jumping into the water
from there. The water is very clear and there are tons of fish for
snorkeling!

How to get to Paradise Beach

Take your motorbike or a taxi to Paradise Beach as marked on Google
Maps. The road is well marked and paved the entire way, so you donʼt
have to worry about it. This road will take you to a parking area, where
you can then take a free shuttle bus to take you the rest of the way
down to the beach. This is because the road down is extremely steep
and itʼs not recommended to drive your own bike or car for your own
safety.

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 2. Learn the History of Phuket at Old Phuket Town
Phuket is now known for the beach, but apparently, there is still
another side to this island that many tourists tend to miss out on. I was
so very pleasantly surprised when I arrived in Old Phuket Town on my
last leg of the trip.

I enjoyed my time in Old Phuket Town so much that I wrote a separate

post on it here. Itʼs very historical and charming with lots of colorful
Peranakan shophouses and a decent cafe scene, very similar vibe to
Penang.

Soi Romanee in Old Phuket Town

3. Island Hopping Tour to Phi Phi Islands

Visiting Phi Phi Islands is without a doubt one of the most famous
activities that can be done from Phuket. This tour takes you to Monkey
Beach, vicinity of Maya Beach, swimming in Pileh Lagoon, Lunch at Phi
Phi Don (the big Phi Phi island) and Koh Khao Nok. Maya Beach is
probably the most popular one, as it was the shooting location of the
movie “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio. But Maya Beach is
currently closed to the public due to overtouristing, so the tour will only

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 take you to see it from outside of the bay. (Personally, I hope they
never open to the public again…)

Monkey Bay on Phi Phi Island

Monkey Bay on Phi Phi Island

Excuse me for looking super frumpy but it was SO hot that day!!! I couldnʼt wait to jump into the
water

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 I booked the Island Hopping tour here for 1300 Baht. Most places in
Phuket were selling the tour for 1500-1900 Baht, so this was quite a
good deal. Plus our guide Bobby was such a delight to have! Itʼs also a
well-operated tour, with very on-time pickups and drop-offs. That said,
this is also a large tour – at high season, youʼd probably be traveling
with 20-25 other tourists in a speed boat. But thatʼs the case with Phi
Phi Island tours as they are so high in demand.

I think this island hopping tour is too overdone now, but if this is your
first time in Phuket youʼd still probably want to check this out at least
once. Itʼs still a good way to spend the day and enjoy Thailandʼs
beaches. Iʼm just a grumpy old fart cos Iʼve been to Phuket more than
three times and did this tour each time

4. Ao Phang Nga National Park and Phang Nga Bay

Day Trip
Ao Phang Nga national park is located slightly north of Phuket, about
an hour drive. I learned my lesson after the large group Phi Phi Island
experience, so I booked a slightly smaller tour that goes at an off-peak
hour. Even though it costs double the price of a normal tour and we
had to wake up at 4 AM, it was worth it! In most of the places, we were
the only people on site. I highly recommend this if you are sick of the
crowds in Phuket.

You can read about the day trip to Phang Nga Bay here.

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 Samet Nangshe Viewpoint

Wouldnʼt have gotten this photo if we hadnʼt arrived before everyone else!

Again, this off-peak-hour tour can be booked here: Phang Nga

Treasure and James Bond Island Sunrise Day Tour and I really think itʼs
worth every penny.

5. Spend a few days in Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao

Yai
Note: I did not get to go there on this trip since we wanted to stay
longer on the main island due to Songkran festival, but I did do
extensive research on it and itʼs something I want to do in the future!

Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai are a set of two islands just an hour boat
ride outside of Phuket. Noi means short and Yai means long – so you
can kinda guess what they are.. yup the north island is shorter, so itʼs
named Koh Yao Noi, while the southern island is longer and thus

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 named Koh Yao Yai. I have heard that Koh Yao Noi is the better island
as the northern part offers a beautiful view of Phang Nga Bay.

To get there, catch the hourly long tail boat from Bang Rong Pier from
Phuket. You can read Kristinʼs post on Koh Yao Noi here, and Not Quite
Nigellaʼs post here.

6. Scuba Diving in the Andaman Sea

If you are a Scuba diver like myself, youʼll be interested to know that
some of the best dive sites in the world are quite close to Phuket.
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, and Richelieu Rock, just to name a few!
These sites are famous for the beautiful purple corals as well as rare
sightings of Giant Oceanic Manta Rays and Whaleshark (in the wild, not
captive or lured). The best time to see them is from January – March,
while the dive season is from December – April before Monsoon
comes.

If you do want to do the dive, these sites can be reached by staying in

Khao Lak, a small town an hour north of Phuket. Youʼd have to arrive
the day before your scheduled dive and stay in Khao Lak for the dive,
so youʼll have to set aside at least 2 days out of Phuket. Itʼs not very
cheap, in fact, itʼs one of the most expensive dives Iʼve ever done at
5800 – 6300 Baht for TWO dives, but itʼs worth the premium price!

I also recommend doing a liveaboard if you have the time, as the dive

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 sites arenʼt exactly close to town – the ferry ride out could be over an
hour. You can also dive most of the famous sites by living on board.
You might need an advanced certification due to the currents and
depth youʼd be doing on these dives. I recommend Khao Lak Explorer
and Wetzone Divers. Iʼve dived with both of these dive operators and
they are both amazing!

Where to eat in Phuket

Here are restaurants Iʼve enjoyed throughout my trip:

Halfway Inn in Patong Beach – Great food, cheap prices, and VERY
friendly staff and owner. Dave, the owner personally greeted us and
gave us recommendations for Songkran!
Hern Coffee and Bistro in Patong Beach – Itʼs a bit pricey in
relative to the rest of Phuket, but this is the only cafe in Patong.
Great place if youʼre sick of Thai food.
The Pad Thai Shop in Karon Beach – I am SOOOO sad that I didnʼt
get to go on this trip, but it looks ammaaaazing!
Eightfolds in Kata Beach – Great fried rice here at reasonable
price.
Mom Triʼs Kitchen in Kata Noi Beach – Upscale restaurant with
amazing view. I recommend coming here a little before sunset
(5:30PM) as they have the best view from here.
Tu Khab Kao in Old Phuket Town – This restaurant received Plate

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 Michelin, which rewards restaurant that simply serves good food.
And I agree with them! For more recommendations on Old Phuket
Town, click here!

Amazing view from Mom Tri in Kata Noi

Getting out of Phuket

While getting in from the airport was easy, getting out isnʼt as
straightforward as you canʼt just book it on the spot (unless you are
willing to pay for a premium) and there isnʼt one price for all. I definitely
recommend booking in advance so you donʼt risk missing your flight.

For a cheap option, you can consider taking the airport express bus.
You can also book a shared minivan for 320 Baht, which apparently
sometimes results in a private taxi depending on the demand.

As for me, I opted to book a private taxi since I donʼt want to miss my
flight. I booked my taxi through Klook since they are 20% cheaper than
the going rate of 800 baht from Patong / Phuket Town.

Alright, I hope you enjoyed your stay in Phuket!

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 Related

A Quick Guide to Old Phuket How I Afford to Travel to 36 Phang Nga Bay Tour: Day
Town, the Hidden Gem of Countries (The Answer Trip from Phuket, Thailand
Thailand Won't Surprise You) In "Thailand"
In "Thailand" In "Travel Tips"

F I L E D U N D E R : Thailand

by Melissa Hie

Hello! Welcome to Girl Eat World. I'm Melissa, the "Girl" in Girl Eat World. I run a
popular Instagram account by the same name, @girleatworld, where I update my
followers about my food and travel adventure. I love writing really long detailed blog
posts about my travel experiences, which I'm guessing was how you ended up on this
site! (Read more about me here)

2 Comments

Khao Lak Explorer

August 7, 2019

Thatʼs a great read you made, thank you for that. Will include all your recommendation for our
next trip to Phuket.

Reply

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 wonder
May 22, 2019

needed to know where i can drink beer in phuket

Reply

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