Phuket – Our beach escape in Thailand

It was late in the afternoon when we left Bangkok and arrived at Phuket Airport. From the window of the aircraft, we could already admire the beaches and got excited, while wondering what the following days would bring. It is always a strange feeling when we leave a place. We get used to an area but shortly after we need to start again orientating ourselves in a new place. Still, we found it easier this time.

The friendly receptionist at our hostel already informed us in advance about the different ways to reach the little city from the airport. We decided to take the airport bus that cost us 100 Bath for a distance of around 30 km, which was the cheapest way to get to the city.

Phuket

Ko Phuket (Ko means island) is located in the south of Thailand and spreads over 543 km², which makes it the biggest island of the country.

Phuket is a touristic hot spot for all kinds of travelers. You will find here families, backpackers, luxury travelers, foreigners living on the Island and people looking for beach escapes or enjoying the colonial city life in Phuket town. Therefore Phuket offers all kinds of attractions and generally at higher prices than in other parts of the country.

Patong Beach

After the warm welcome at the hostel and good sleep at night, the following day we enjoyed a big cup of coffee at the coffee shop next door where we planned our first day on the island.

We decided to use the local bus to discover the nearest beach that was Patong Beach. When we arrived we understood instantly what the place was about. Honestly, I was a bit shocked seeing the crowds of people lying next to each other like sardines in a can. As we traveled to most of the destinations in the past nine months during low season, I felt a bit naive visiting the most touristic beach on the island and wondering why it was more crowded than I imagined it.

However, we walked around and enjoyed the sun, when we found a great beach club that offered for 200 Bath per person access to their pool and private beach, to free internet and cool music. The holiday mode switched on instantly and we enjoyed the place without hardly any other visitor.

In the afternoon we took the bus back to Phuket Town for 30 Bath, which seemed fair for the distance that we traveled and later we enjoyed the evening on the colorful streets where a night market happened to take place the same day.

Weekend Night Market

Thailand is famous for its many various markets. After visiting the Floating Market in Bangkok we were curious about the night market that took place during our weekend in Phuket, starting from 4 pm to 9 pm. It felt nice to walk on the busy but colorful streets, observing the vendors, locals and visitors strolling around and enjoying themselves. The streets were filled with delicious food smells and music form the little shows that were performed.

This place offered really everything, all kinds of Thai and Chinese dishes, clothes, souvenirs, art, etc. We enjoyed various snacks and were positively surprised by the low prices.

The second day was dedicated to exploring a bit more of the old town of Phuket, which impressed us with its colonial buildings and street art. The charm of the many coffee shops, cute boutiques, art galleries and international restaurants reminded us a bit on George Town in Malaysia.

The perfect beach escape in Phuket

The last day we decided to see a bit more of the island that was covered in rich green colors as the monsoon just came to an end. We took again the bus, this time more south towards Rawai Beach. The bus driver let us out close to the pier where the boats set off to the surrounded islands.

The coastal area was busy with boats offering tours. The many restaurants and shops reminded us a bit of Patong Beach but we understood quickly that the place was different, as hardly any people were around, mainly locals but not so many tourists.

The App Maps.Me guided us towards another little beach that we wanted to visit, just one kilometer further from where the boat drivers were waiting for tourists to arrive. After a nice walk, we reached a beautiful little beach and wondered why there was nobody else apart of us and a few locals that seemed to live there. We enjoyed a few quiet moments and I instantly forgot about the shock I got at Patong Beach.

Later that evening we spent some time around one of the local markets in the town, where you could find cheap and authentic local food.

Overall, we can say that we had a great time in Phuket, but as budget travelers that also don’t feel like sharing places with the crowds, it didn’t fully feel like our type of place to be. Still, we will definitely return with more time to explore the north side of the island, as well as the Big Buddha Statue and some of the many small islands that surround Phuket.

Click here for more pictures from Phuket.