Wonderful Phuket... Christmas 2014
It's Christmas and the holiday season is upon us. The family decided to take a trip to Phuket Island to enjoy the sun, sea and sand.
The airline tickets cost 2 arms and 2 legs due to the super peak season. We fly with MAS by the way and it cost RM 3200 for 6 tickets (2 adults and 4 children).
Accommodation wise, though more expensive than usual, was still reasonable at RM 2000 for 4 nights. We stayed at Swiss Palm Beach Resort which is just a very short walk away from the famous Patong Beach. You can visit their website at www.swisspalmbeach.com for more information.
DAY 1
Our flight out of KLIA was rather late in the afternoon and by the time we reached Phuket and cleared immigration it was already late evening.
DAY 2
Our hungry stomachs directed us back to Patong town and we found ourselves at Jungceylon for some shopping. After that it was alfresco dining with seafood and a nice live band playing Thai rock ballads.
DAY 3
This was a special day as we went island hopping. The beautiful islands and scenery around Phuket Island just took our breath away. We opted for a bigger boat since we wanted a slower pace to the tour. Those looking for faster and more exciting ride can opt for speedboats but they cost slightly more. Lunch and drinks are provided.
First stop is Panak Island for some cave canoeing.
This is followed by Hong Island for some more canoeing and also to explore the inner lagoons.
Next up is the famous James Bond Island. Shopping for expensive souvenirs can be done here.
Finally it's Khao Ping Kan for some self canoeing. A wonderfully fulfilling day trip.
After a day's work, it was back to Patong beach for dinner. After another round of seafood dinner, we took a night stroll along Patong beach. At night, the beach is different from the day. We saw many people walking about and there was also a lot of lights being shone towards the beach to allow people to walk confidently on the sandy side.
On our way back to the resort for a good night's sleep we came across a banana pancake vendor on a motorbike. The pancake looked delicious and we couldn't resist. It tasted as delicious as it looked.
What a perfect end to a perfect day!
DAY 4
On the fourth day, we hired a guide to take us around Phuket Island but not before we have a delicious breakfast at the resort's restaurant.
Then it was off to our tour. First stop, Karon View Point. From here we can see Karon beach and Kata beach.
Next up is an Elephant ride. Overall, this particular activity is not encouraged due to how the elephants are treated and the fact that they are not native to this island. Guess we did not have the benefit of hindsight at the time.
It was time for lunch and our guide drove us to Rawai beach for (according to him) the most affordable and fresh seafood on the island. The seafood was definitely fresh since it comes direct from the sea right behind the sellers.
After selecting your choice seafood, you can go to one of the restaurants just across the road that will cook them for you for a small fee. Overall we spent close to RM 250 for the whole meal.
After a most satisfying lunch, we headed to Wat Chalong. The beautiful pagoda temple is a captivating sight to behold.
Back at Patong beach, it's time to take another dip in the sea. The cooling water in the evening is so welcoming.
DAY 5
This is the day we fly back to KL but not before we make the best of the time left in Phuket. First to come would be another round of sand and sea play at Patong beach.
The airline tickets cost 2 arms and 2 legs due to the super peak season. We fly with MAS by the way and it cost RM 3200 for 6 tickets (2 adults and 4 children).
Accommodation wise, though more expensive than usual, was still reasonable at RM 2000 for 4 nights. We stayed at Swiss Palm Beach Resort which is just a very short walk away from the famous Patong Beach. You can visit their website at www.swisspalmbeach.com for more information.
DAY 1
Our flight out of KLIA was rather late in the afternoon and by the time we reached Phuket and cleared immigration it was already late evening.
The road trip from Phuket airport to our accommodation was arranged by the resort. The trip took about 1 hour with the driver stopping to refuel.
When we finally reached the resort it was already early into the night. The resort was beautiful but we did not have much time to explore it due to our hungry stomachs. So, once we finished unpacking the necessary items, we headed for dinner.
Dinner happened to be a simple roadside stall which we managed to find along the way.
Nothing spectacular but a nice dinner anyway. After that, it was a leisurely stroll along the main road next to Patong beach. Chinatown was one of our stops along the way but there was not much going on which is disappointing really.
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| A fierce looking God of War Statue in Chinatown |
DAY 2
We were up early the next morning and enjoyed a simple breakfast of instant noodles we bought the night before.
After that it was off to the beach for some sand, sea and surf.
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| A grim reminder of what happened here not so long ago |
A couple of hours later it was back to the resort for more water play at the pool and a walk around the lovely resort.
Lunch time came by too soon and we were off to the shopping district at Patong beach. We boarded a tuk-tuk taxi and went to Jungceylon and Patong Promenade. We had lunch at the latter.
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| Thailand Green Curry |
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| Mango sticky rice |
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| Tomyam |
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| Fried oyster with egg (O Chien) |
After a satisfying lunch, it was off to Dinosaur Mini Golf Park at Karon beach (www.dinopark.com). It was a blast and everyone enjoyed it (including me) though we discovered none of us can go professional anytime soon.
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| Now this is a tricky shot cause you wouldn't want your golf ball ending up in dinosaur poo... |
By the time we finished our golf tournament, it was already early evening so we took a stroll along the main road at Karon beach.
Our hungry stomachs directed us back to Patong town and we found ourselves at Jungceylon for some shopping. After that it was alfresco dining with seafood and a nice live band playing Thai rock ballads.
DAY 3
This was a special day as we went island hopping. The beautiful islands and scenery around Phuket Island just took our breath away. We opted for a bigger boat since we wanted a slower pace to the tour. Those looking for faster and more exciting ride can opt for speedboats but they cost slightly more. Lunch and drinks are provided.
First stop is Panak Island for some cave canoeing.
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| Moving towards the jetty to board big boat |
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| Reach Panak Island for some cave (hong) canoeing |
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| Going back to the big boat |
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| Free flow of Coca-Cola all throughout the trip... What a relief |
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| Beautiful rock formations at Hong Island |
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| Turtle rock |
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| Buffet spread for lunch... Exactly what we need after taking in the magnificent views |
Next up is the famous James Bond Island. Shopping for expensive souvenirs can be done here.
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| James Bond Island |
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| These long boats take tourists from big boat to the Island |
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| The famous rock formation at Phang Nga bay |
Finally it's Khao Ping Kan for some self canoeing. A wonderfully fulfilling day trip.
After a day's work, it was back to Patong beach for dinner. After another round of seafood dinner, we took a night stroll along Patong beach. At night, the beach is different from the day. We saw many people walking about and there was also a lot of lights being shone towards the beach to allow people to walk confidently on the sandy side.
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| Toilet bus |
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| Releasing a "Kung Ming Teng" - Sky Lantern |
DAY 4
On the fourth day, we hired a guide to take us around Phuket Island but not before we have a delicious breakfast at the resort's restaurant.
Then it was off to our tour. First stop, Karon View Point. From here we can see Karon beach and Kata beach.
Next up is an Elephant ride. Overall, this particular activity is not encouraged due to how the elephants are treated and the fact that they are not native to this island. Guess we did not have the benefit of hindsight at the time.
Our guide brought us to the famous Promptep Cape next.
After selecting your choice seafood, you can go to one of the restaurants just across the road that will cook them for you for a small fee. Overall we spent close to RM 250 for the whole meal.
After a most satisfying lunch, we headed to Wat Chalong. The beautiful pagoda temple is a captivating sight to behold.
Back at Patong beach, it's time to take another dip in the sea. The cooling water in the evening is so welcoming.
Dinner time beckons and it's another round of street food. Simple but nice.
DAY 5
This is the day we fly back to KL but not before we make the best of the time left in Phuket. First to come would be another round of sand and sea play at Patong beach.
After checking out of the resort, it's goodbye Patong and time to head to the airport. But on the way, there is still time left to visit the Big Buddha.
Overall it was a very enjoyable trip for the whole family. Five days were barely enough to cover all the interesting places in Phuket.
We spent less than RM 7500 for the entire trip and this includes flight tickets, accommodation, transportation, meals and shopping for 2 adults and 4 children. Since we went during super peak season it should be much cheaper if you travel during other times.
What are you waiting for? Just book a trip now to Phuket for you and your family and you will not regret it !!
