Phuket 2017

Phuket, Thailand 2017

Saturday 25^th November 2017

It was over 100 days ago when we booked this holiday. With my studies going on, I had little time to mentally prepare that I was actually going to Thailand. Up to the very last day before departure, I was still working on my thesis. Even sitting on the plane, I could not quite shake away and had found it really hard to readjust and acknowledge that I was off on holiday. The feeling was lingering with me for a while. The airline we flew with was Qatar, it was a really nice flight and smooth and no complaints with them. At the time of booking there was no direct flights so the journey did take quite a while. 

Sunday 26^th November 2017

We arrived in Phuket early in the morning and our transfer was waiting for us. The humid blast as you walked out of the airport was a good reminder that I was no longer in the UK. It started to feel like I was on holiday although it was so early the skies were pretty dull and grey. We were staying at ‘Katathani Phuket Beach resort’ and it is one of the most amazing hotels I have been to. Not so much because of the actual hotel and rooms but the facilties and the local area with lots of happy hour bars, two amazing recreation rooms with lots of games and things to do, pools, the massage on site, restaurants on site and not to mention the long stretch of private beach. I probably have missed things but it was really good, and I would stay again and recommend it. Upon arrival lovely staff, given a cold towel and a welcome lychee juice drink, greeted us. Wonderful. We decided to have breakfast and little did we know, it was the first of ‘charge to room’ we was going to encounter. I loved that It was so easy to go around the complex without cash and just a room number.  We checked in and got our room, it was nice, the room didn’t blow me away but it was clean and everything was working. We chilled a bit and then headed to Karon viewpoint. The weather at this time was supposed to be moving out of monsoon season and usually would have sunshine, but today wasn’t really the day. It was raining which didn’t help lift my mentality. As the hotel is quite far from the town and I suppose everything else, the hotel had a taxi rank outside which as good, they charged fixed rates which probably was not the cheapest but it was convenient. Karon viewpoint was ok, wasn’t amazing, I can imagine it to be much better given the weather but nonetheless, holiday began. We came back to the hotel shortly and it was then we discovered the recreation room (rec room). It was amazing! This blew me away. It had a massive seating area with a tv, computers along the side, a gym at the back of this room, an arcade area with a pool table and darts board and board games. It was amazing! It wasn’t too busy either and it was free! We played a few games of pool and just chilled out. It was beginning to feel like holiday, I was beginning and finally relaxing into this mind set. We also checked out the happy hour bars and their cocktails were great and cheap! It was fantastic! As we weren’t sure what to eat and it was our first night, we decided to get room service. Before we headed back to the hotel we stopped off the local seven eleven for snacks, water and other supplies. While it was quite fast and easy to get, the choice of food wasn’t a huge amount but the portions were substantial and there was an ok selection. I was full by the end of it and tired!  

Hotel: http://www.katathani.com 

Monday 27^th November 2017

An early start but it wasn't too much of a struggle. Breakfast was included in the room so we woke up and went down bright and early at 6am as it opened, and to our surprise there were a few others already there. I was really happy with the choice and the variety of things they had. We had to fill ourselves up as it was the half day bike tour today. I booked this prior to our trip back in the UK. They had confirmed everything online and they were coming to pick us up at the hotel also. We finished breakfast and got ready and went to the hotel lobby waiting for our pick ups. We saw a few vans and thinking it was them but it wasn't, then we saw one with bikes loaded onto with the words 'amazing bike tours'. It was for us! The bike tour was amazing. We happened to be the only ones who had booked for that day and so we ended up having a private tour, it was so fun! The tour included stopping at the Gibbon rehab park which was a nice little pit stop. You'd get quite out of breath on some of the hills, either that or i am just very unfit! But it was so much fun and not once did it feel uncomfortable. They were very accommodating and friendly. I definitely would recommend it! They drove us back to the hotel. We decided to visit the rec room for a game of pool and also the beach and the pool just to wind down. It was a fantastic start to the holiday. In the evening or early morning, we decided to go to the beach for a stroll at night and take pictures of the stars. It was a clear evening and you could see the stars. It was a really nice time for me to pause and just soak in and process where i was. It was to my surprise when my boyfriend decided to propose to me. I was quite nervous and couldn't quite process what was happening. I was so pleased and very happy to be his wife to be. 

Bike Tour: http://www.amazingbiketoursthailand.asia

Tuesday 28^th November 2017

Waking up as his fiancee was strange, but it was a good feeling. It was my fiancé's 30th birthday today, so we booked to have a massage on site and it was just the funniest thing. Although we have been to other spa and massages before, this one was a 3hour one and it was with both of us in the same room. I was not sure what to expect and wasn't sure how it would be like, as it seems every country has a different definition of massage, not to mention the different types. Any how, we went for it and first part was a steam room. We was given some ridiculous but highly hilarious string, hay, see through type underwear to change into and it was just cringe. The massage itself was good and we had a body scrub. It was such a nice experience and so relaxing. It felt so nice especially after a work out with the bike tour. It was decently priced too as we got a special offer, which the hotel occassionaly advertise. We went for a coffee at the lobby lounge and then had dinner at the seafood place within the site.

Wednesday 29^th November 2017

We started the morning with breakfast as you do, and once again there was a lot of choice and was delicious. We then headed to Patong and walked along the beach of Patong as the shopping centre was not opened yet. The stretch of beach at Patong was very not very nice compared to Kata beach. It was full of tourists and the sand just seemed dirtier. We passed through Bangla Road, which is party central at night. During the day, it was as dead as, but you could imagine how crazy it got. As the afternoon approached, we headed back to the large shopping centre (Jungceylon) and began our browsing around and shopping. There were some really good things for sale and I bought a couple of things. This was a massive shopping mall as it had a cinema and also an escape room within it. We decided to have a go at the escape room and without giving too much away, I only found this room ok. But i suppose, if you like escape rooms and trying them out, then this is not to be missed! For lunch, we hit up McD's, and wait before you wonder why, it was because they had a DOUBLE fillet of fish burger which you do not find in the UK, so it was a must try for me. It tasted exactly the same but with double the fish, and it was really nice. After the long day of shopping, we decided to hit up a Phuket food market. It was full of fresh cook on the stove fish and other bits and bobs and it was really tasty. We bought some stuff to take back to our hotel too for a later snack. It was a good shout!

Shopping centre /Mall: Jungceylon 

Escape room: Address: 187/1-4 Thanon Ratuthit Songroipi Rd, Tambon Patong, Amphoe Kathu, Chang Wat Phuket 83150, Thailand

Food Market: Malin Plaza Patong, Prachanukhro Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket 83150, Thailand

Thursday 30^th November 2017

We planned to set off to see Phuket town so we took the free bus service offered by our hotel that took us near by. It stopped at another shopping centre which we briefly had a browse, but as we had a few things on our list to visit today, we didn't stay too long for the shopping. Using maps, we headed towards the Trickeye museum and what was worse, it was raining. So in the heat and rain with umbrella and the crazy roads, which I do not feel it is designed for pedestrians, it was a horrible feeling. However, a strange man and wife in the car (as we later found out) beeped at us and he was in a taxi car. he pulled over and offered to take us to the museum. We was a bit reluctant at first and I was feeling a bit on edge but he was in a licensed taxi, and there was someone else in the car, and he wasn't charging too much and also it was really bad weather conditions, so we accepted. On the way to the museum, he was very chatty in the taxi and telling us his life story, he asked where else we wanted to go and offered us some prices. Coincidently, he had worked at the hotel we was staying and he was very happy to drop us off there at our end destination. So what had happened was that he became our private taxi driver and waited around when we went to places, like the museum.  The trick eye museum was one of the best places I have been to, in terms of weird and wonderful. It is full of optical illusions and makes great photo opportunities. We spent about 30 minutes in there and it was really fun, and luckily it was not busy as waiting for the different pictures would have been unpleasant. But as there was hardly anyone around, you could freely take your time snapping away and enjoying the artwork too. I loved it. We headed out, and met with the taxi man's wife who showed us back to the taxi, we then headed to Rang hill, a viewpoint as well as monkeys roaming up there. Once we got there, I was amazed at the amount of monkeys that were there and couldn't stop filming and taking pictures of them. The actual view itself was average as the weather wasn't amazing, but it was great to visit it. We wanted to visit the Chalong temple but the taxi driver was unsure of this. After talking to his wife, they agreed and said he knew where it was... I am sure he didn't know what this was, and we was unsure if this place even existed, so we went with it. He had taken us to a random temple but we just went along with it and took the snaps. That was the end of our planned journey and he also wanted to call it a day, so we headed back to our hotel. However, before we headed back to the hotel, he decided to take us to the Gem factory to look around, he kept stating that we did not need to buy anything but simply look if we wished. I am sure they must get something for bringing customers as we said we wasn't interested but he insisted. The whole trip of the taxi cost us 700 bhat, which is very good considering it is about 500 just to get to Patong by taxi. It was a really enjoyable experience and great fun. 

Trickeye museum: http://www.phukettrickeyemuseum.com/index.php/en/

Friday 1^st December 2017

After a long day and busy last few days we decided to keep it quite chilled today. We headed out to the stretch of beach and just enjoy the weather and the beauty of Thailand. Took a few snaps on the beach. We also used the gym facilities as well as returning to the recreation centre for a few games of pool, dart and just enjoying the air conditioning. We explored the local area and to pick up small souvenirs along the way. We had dinner at the restaurant that was authentic Thai food, and it did not disappoint! It was one within the hotel complex and it was really delicious and romantic. 

Saturday 2^nd December 2017

We had booked a cooking class prior to flying out to Thailand and it was called 'Sally's cooking class'. It was great fun and lots of learning and we actually made three dishes. It was well organised and light hearted and I thoroughly enjoyed it! After this, we headed to Prom Cape viewpoint which apparently had good sunset views. However, the weather was not great but as we left it was 'ok'. Along the way, during the taxi ride, it was heavily pouring down and it did not look promising at all! But by the time the taxi arrived there, the rain had stopped and we managed to just catch the landscape views. There wasn't much of a sunset due to the poor weather but it was a nice little something to do and see. We spent the rest of the evening at the hotel and again recreation centre.

Cooking Class: https://katathaicooking.com

Sunday 3^rd December 2017

Today was another new experience, we planned to go to the big buddha but via an ATV! We booked this before flying out again and it was one of the most amazing, thrilling yet quite tough little things to do. It was because of the hilly muddy slopes that required some control on these bikes but it was definitely worth it! We had so much fun and it was just me and my fiancé and the tour guide. The weather stayed dry and it was just lots of fun! After this, we headed to old Phuket town and explored things that was to offer. We walked around and ended up also at the weekend market. We got a tuk tuk back to our hotel which was an another great experience! Lots and lots of fun.

ATV Big Buddha (1.5hours tour): https://www.phukettoursdirect.com/atv-tours.html

Monday 4^th December 2017

Recently I am more aware and conscious of being an ethical traveller. I have always been an animal lover and so I was really happy to have found an elephant sanctuary in Phuket. It was one of those difficult places to get to but when I booked this online, which does not require payment they send a recommended taxi service that takes you there from your hotel, which just requires you to email them and arrange this with them, so having Wifi is a must! They were very good the taxi service but perhaps a little pricy but it was definitely worth it. We went for the morning tour and it was the most fantastic experience I have had! You get to learn about the life of these saved elephants and it really inspired me to do something similar in the future. It left an impression on me. The buffet lunch was also on point! After a lovely morning, we headed back to the hotel with the arranged taxi and we headed to the rec room for a few games of pool. 

In the evening we had something pre booked to phantasy, which we tried to cancel but couldn't. We was unsure if it was ethical but as we had booked and paid for it and couldn't cancel, we went along. It was something I would never go again. It advertises itself as a theme park and to me, it doesn't share the same definition. There were shops with over priced items, what was quite nice was the external decor. There were elephants that were for ridding and after a morning of learning about elephants being treated so badly, it was heartbreaking and uncomfortable to see these elephants. We had a lot of time to kill and the ticket included a buffet, it was ok. We went to see the show that was also included and it was one of the most uncomfortable experiences I have been to. Firstly, your phone was confiscated and all cameras, they even put it in black bags wearing gloves and you had to confirm and declare the number of items you had. It was a strange experience. The actual show itself, was full of animals that were doing tricks that wasn't natural for them to do and it just felt almost like torture. It was horrible. It was a waste of money, definitely next time I will check out what I am signing up for before booking it! 

Elephant Sanctuary: https://www.phuketelephantsanctuary.org/
Ethical traveling : http://chaptertravel.com/is-it-ethical-to-ride-an-animal-at-all/

Tuesday 5^th December 2017

We headed out to Phuket town for a spot of shopping. It was another nice area lined with quirky goods. We also visited the mall there and there was quite a lot of shops again and we just browsed. We then planned to go to the Chalong Bay distillery and so we searched for a taxi. We asked a few drivers who were puzzled and did not know what we was talking about. After asking a few there was a lady taxi driver who said she could take us. As it also seemed to be quite common in Thailand, the taxi driver also asked where else we planned to go, so we told her Wat Chalong - an area of the temples. The lady driver agreed to take us to both and she had a tuk tuk, so we jumped in and off we went. The Distillery was a really hidden place and contained a short tour too, with a free mojito. It was lovely but as always a bit strong for me. We bought a few bottles of the rum and then headed back to the tuk tuk. We arrived at our next destination - Wat Chalong where we got off to take photos and browse. Again a lovely area. Our last stop was back at our hotel also included in our agreed price with the taxi lady where we got back just in time for our happy hour at the Coconut bar at our hotel. It is so great to have so many happy hour bars at this hotel, i really loved it. We had our happy hour drinks and then headed for some dinner. It was another great day!  

Chalong Bay Rum Distillery: https://www.chalongbayrum.com/en/home
Wat Chalong: http://www.wat-chalong-phuket.com/

Wednesday 6^th December 2017

Now, we booked a day tour at our hotel to go onto the 'James bond island tour'. This consisted of a speed boat and island hopping to a few of the small islands. I personally did not feel it was the best experience but my boyfriend did not enjoy at all because he had the worse headache and travel sickness from the speed boat. We did not pack any medication so bear that in mind if you do get travel sickness / motion sickness. I felt it slightly but it wasn't the worse. The islands itself were pretty amazing, the tour wasn't as good as some of the other tours I have been on, perhaps it was because it was quite crowded and packed. It didn't feel so relaxing and enjoyable, instead heavily touristy. I did enjoy the last island which was Rang Yai, and this was quiet and we found a patch of beach that was much more calmer and little people. The islands are beautiful and the James bond island itself was probably over rated in my opinion, but if you love the movie, i suppose it is a good place to go to, just to say 'I've been there'. In our tour, the islands included: Hong King Island for canoeing around the lagoon with experienced paddlers - so you just sit in a boat. We visited Panyee Island which was a Muslim village for some lunch and sightseeing. This island was interesting as it was quite informative, yet at the same time I feel sorry for the locals, particularly the children who were in school in classes while tourists strolling by. As mentioned, it included a trip to James Bond Isalnd and ended at Rang Yai island. It wasn't too bad but probably not worth the money in my opinion.

Thursday 7^th December 2017

The morning of our last day in Phuket felt sad. It had been a really good two weeks and jam packed with things to do and lots of memories created. We packed up and checked out and whilst waiting for our transfer taxi to the airport, we chilled in the rec room one last time. We did our last tour of the hotel and captured it on film. The weather was amazing and so we had one last drink by the beach. As our taxi arrived, everything else went smoothly. It was time to leave. Goodbye, Phuket. 

Friday 8^th December 2017

It felt nice to come back home but it also felt I could have done with a longer holiday. It was straight back to work for me and finishing off my thesis. I would definitely go back to that resort.