Phuket Travel Forum

Hi,

I and my family (8 passengers - 6 people over age group of 55 and myself and the 3 month pregnant wife (aged 27 and 26 respectively) are travelling to Phuket from India.

We would be arriving in 1st week of June and would be in Phuket for 4 days.We would be residing near the Patong area. Needed help with the following tentative itinerary

Day 1 - reach Phuket at around 3.00 PM. (day free - suggestions welcome)

Day 2 - Tour of Phi Phi and other islands

(what can be the expected costs ? With a pregnant wife, is it advisable to go via speed boat ? What tour can be recommended ? For 8 people, what kind of bargaining would be possible ?, any reliable tour operator suggestions ? any extra costs ? snorkelling gear, entry fees if any included ?

Day 3 - planning on Phang Nga islands trip (again the above questions, mode of transport ?, costs ?, anybody recommended?)

Day 4- 1/2 day Island trip (costs etc)

Other things i needed help with were

1- Transportation from Airport to Patong beach for 8 adults + baggages(we ere considering a driver like daj/ mai etc who can do a round trip pick up) what are the charges etc ?

2. Being pure vegetarians , what would be the food options possible for us - thai as well as indian ? any recommendations ?

3. Regarding beach activities like jet ski, parasailing etc, what would be the best place and going rate ?

4. a good massage parlour recommendation (spa may be too tight for the pocket, considering 8 ppl, but a warm, nice hygienic massage parlour recommendation is welcome)

5. Night activities we were planning was Phuket fantasea show and simon cabaret . should i buy tickets from agents or directly ? what would be the best way for 8 ppl to get there ?

6. Lastly, i was considering the hongs by starlight trip (john gray) instead of phang nga discovery. however,the costing is really pinching at approx 3500 baht (8 people). views requested on whether i should still go for it

Can help with some of that:

Trips to Ang Thong from Samui or Phi Phi from Phuket are as easy as ABC. You can walk down any street in Thailand and speak to a tour seller who will arrange them for you. I've been on something like a dozen similar tours in Thailand and they have all been the same standard. Reliable (they pick you up from your hotel and the trip runs like clockwork) and safe. The only thing you can't legislate for is the weather (it poured with rain when we went to Ang Thong). The only thing I would warn is that with 8 of you, most trips run every day, but are subject to space on the boat. You might have to book 2 days ahead with a large party.

Up to you re. Speedboat. I'd suggest it can be uncomfortable bouncing on every wave, so a normal boat is probably the best.

Lots of food options for veggies, especially in Patong and Koh Samui. In addition to the usual array of Chinese, Thai and Indian dishes, these resorts are very tourist focussed and have a range of American/European type eateries too. You might have to be clear when ordering in soome places though as I'm not sure the idea of vegetarian translates.

Massage is everywhere. Just pick one you like the look of, all the girls will be outside touting for business so you can get an idea of the price and the people who will be doing it.

Head to Patong beach for a plethora of jetski/parasailing guys.

Wow. That's a lot of questions!

I may not address all of them, but here's a little help.

Schedule:
I wouldn't plan to do much on the first day. If you arrive at about 3, by the time you collect your luggage and actually leave the airport, it is likely to be at least 3:30. It will take at minimum half an hour to reach Patong, (4 p.m.) and 15-30 minutes to get checked in at your hotel (4:30 p.m.), settle into the rooms, etc. By the time you are ready for any activities, it will already be early evening. The most you will be able to do is to wander around the streets of Patong for a while before you look for dinner. As for the rest, you'll need a holiday from your holiday since you have every minute packed with activities. Why not spend some time just relaxing?

Boats and water-based tours:
Speedboat travel to Phi Phi is not recommended for pregnant women or elderly people this time of year. There is a good chance there will be waves and the ride may be very bumpy. Why risk it? You might consider a simpler trip around to nearby islands in Chalong Bay instead. As it is east-facing, the water will be calmer. Boat travel in Phang Nga Bay should be okay. Again, it faces east, so is protected from the wind/waves for the most part. The John Gray trip is excellent. Keep in mind that the price includes all transfers, two wonderful meals (John is veggie, so he always has veggie food on offer on the trip), and one guide for every two passengers. You will find it to be money well spent.

Transportation:
You should arrange this ahead of time. I'm not sure whether the drivers listed have access to larger vehicles, but you can certainly ask your hotel to send a mini-bus for all of you and your luggage. Otherwise you'll need a whole fleet of cars to get you all to Patong.

Food:
I'm veggie, and I have no trouble at all. I haven't found an Indian restaurant I like here, even after 4 years on the island, but there's supposed to be a new one on the beach road in Patong, and it got great reviews in the food column of the local paper. For Thai food, I just ask the cook to make any curry from the menu that catches my eye "DJAI" which means vegetarian. There are also veggie food stall-type restaurants not too far from some of the temples. There's definitely one at the north end of Patong town, just down the road from the large temple.

Beach:
Patong beach is polluted, and besides, the red flags are up. Be careful in the water this time of year. There are dangerous rip currents present.

Shows:
I don't like Fantasea myself as it's so very fake and they use captive animals, particularly elephants. I don't support any business that makes elephants perform (or other animals for that matter). Simon's show is a transvestite spectacle, so it's certainly different. Buy tickets online.

Hope that helps.
Greetings from Phuket
Q

I agree with Quero for Day 1.

For a trip to Phang Nga Bay, I recommend Phuket Sail Tours with Captain Mark. He's very highly regarded. http://www.phuketsailtours.com/information.html You should be able to bargain on price at this time of year with pretty much all operators, since you have a large group.

If you're planning any snorkelling/diving, I would recommend Phuket Scuba Club. They're a very professional company with warm, friendly people.
http://www.phuket-scuba-club.com/

I love the Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant in Sam Kong (right near the Bangkok Phuket Hospital). The food is awesome. You should try some traditional Thai curries that are made from mushrooms. The Kua Gling Het is fantastic. It's a dry curry made with lemongrass, coconut and kaffir lime. One of my favourite dishes, although I usually eat it as a pork curry. It's not in Patong, so let me know if you want more details on how to get there.

For the transportation, I recommend Mai, a very good friend of ours who has a van that can seat up to 11 people, so 8 with luggage would be fine. He can be contacted on; hknuch@hotmail.com. For an airport transfer, I believe it's 600 baht for the airport transfer and 1,500 baht for a full day.

Mai can organise your tickets and transfer to Fantasea and Simon Cabaret if you wish.

I strongly recommend John Gray's tour. As you have a group, John will give you a good price, although his margins are very small, write to him at; info@johngray-seacanoe.com