How to get there...
With any holiday the process starts with booking flights and I found flights (at a very short notice) for £354 per person flying with Air china on the way there and Air Shenzhen on the way back. Our flights consisted of a stopover in China so make sure you have the correct entry requirements whether that being you need a transit visa etc etc. Luckily if your a British citizen you WON'T need a transit visa if your stopover in China is less than 24 hours. Flying to Phuket took a whole day of travel so bear this mind when deciding on how long to go for. Another thing to mention is that if you're a British citizen you will not need a visa to travel to Thailand if you're going for less than 30 days.Where to stay
When doing our Phuket holiday research we decided to stay in the Patong area which is one of the main tourist areas within Phuket. We simply chose a more populated tourist area for a number of reasons being accessibility, safety and convenience. Travelling as a student I was pretty much on a tight budget for the trip and therefore stayed in a more affordable hotel the Phoenix Grand Hotel. With 4 nights and breakfast included it cost no more than £45 per person. The only downside I would have to mention is that the breakfast options for vegetarians were poor however this was expected with a more budget hotel.
Airport transfers and SIM cards
Because our hotel was located a 40 minute drive away from Phuket airport we had prior to our trip booked an airport to hotel transfer with Klook which was the cheapest option that was available. I could not recommend this site enough as we used it in regards to EVERYTHING which you will encounter as we go along. The transfer was extremely reliable and most importantly safe (being two girls travelling across Thailand never did we once feel unsafe or worried). Within our transfer package we also decided to include sims which made our trip so much easier. They cost around £3 each and the data lasted for 8 days before they needed to be topped up again which could be easily done from your phone so you don't have to worry about trying to find a store and topping up.
How to get around the island
The best to get around the island is to rent out a scooter which seems to be the most cheapest transport option however this wasn't a choice for us. Prior to our trip my research had informed me that grab was the uber version in Thailand and therefore was the next best option. However, I found grab to be ridiculously expensive in Phuket to the point where we had spent £20 per person in one day which didn't seem reasonable to me at all. I would only recommend getting a grab if your travelling from one end of the island to the other. If you want to hire a car for the day most grab drivers are also your usual taxi drivers so if you let them know your plans for the day you can negotiate a reasonable amount for the entire day. If you are doing journeys that are in the vicinity of where your staying then tuk tuk's are your new best friends. On average a single tuk tuk journey to your destination would be 200 baht and this can be easily split between your group therefore being your cheapest option.
What to do in Phuket
1. Visit the Big Buddha
There's not a great deal of sightseeing to do in Phuket as it's all beaches and boat days that will mostly occupy your time therefore visiting the Big Buddha, Wat Chalong and old town won't take more than half a day to a day. Entry into the big buddha is free but bear in mind to dress appropriately by wearing clothing that covers your shoulders and past your knees. As the buddha is situated on one of the highest points on the island the views are INSANE. Although there are some well known view points of the entire island you can just visit the buddha and get the exact same views but without the hike (seems like a win win to me).
2. Visit Wat Chalong
Again, Wat Chalong is completely free to visit allowing your sightseeing day costs to be kept to a minimum. This was the first Thai temple I had visited and I was in awe of the architecture and the religious beliefs and values behind Buddhism. Not only were the temples majestic in their own way but were surrounded by stunning clean gardens.
3. Visit Old Town
It was a no brainer to visit the colourful Old town of Phuket which made a great place to grab some lunch, fresh juices and do a spot of shopping. Whilst walking around we noticed one particular road that was full of stalls where we decided to do some souvenir shopping. I came to Thailand with a huge list of things I wanted to get and found some real gems here. Don't feel afraid to haggle prices down (don't be too ambitious) but if you don't try you don't get right?
4. Boat tour to Phi Phi island
Boat tours are the best way to go island hopping especially if your in Phuket for a short period of time and don't have time to stay a few nights in these different islands. I loved boat tours so much that I wish every day I spent in Phuket consisted of island hopping. We booked all of our boat tours with Klook (I wasn't joking when I said my whole trip was 'sponsored' by Klook). Our tour guide was phenomenal constantly making us laugh and providing us with tonnes of information throughout the day.
The way the tour works is that you get picked up (and dropped back off) from your hotel but prior to this the pick up time is emailed to you. The itinerary for this particular tour was that we was taken to Maya Bay however this is closed off to tourists and therefore making the beach inaccessible in order for the sea life to recover from the masses of tourists that visit every year. Then we was taken to a beautiful spot to have a swim. For those that can't swim (like myself) don't worry, you get offered a life jacket allowing you to float freely. Then we arrived at Phi Phi island where we were able to have lunch (which is included within the tour price) and have some free time to explore and roam the island. Lastly, we were taken to a snorkelling spot which I would highly recommend taking part in.
A word of advice would be is to take a waterproof bag with you to keep your belongings because it tends to get slightly wet on a speedboat. Secondly, I would highly suggest purchasing a waterproof phone case where you can insert your phone and some money allowing you to take pictures underwater. These can be brought here.
The way the tour works is that you get picked up (and dropped back off) from your hotel but prior to this the pick up time is emailed to you. The itinerary for this particular tour was that we was taken to Maya Bay however this is closed off to tourists and therefore making the beach inaccessible in order for the sea life to recover from the masses of tourists that visit every year. Then we was taken to a beautiful spot to have a swim. For those that can't swim (like myself) don't worry, you get offered a life jacket allowing you to float freely. Then we arrived at Phi Phi island where we were able to have lunch (which is included within the tour price) and have some free time to explore and roam the island. Lastly, we were taken to a snorkelling spot which I would highly recommend taking part in.
A word of advice would be is to take a waterproof bag with you to keep your belongings because it tends to get slightly wet on a speedboat. Secondly, I would highly suggest purchasing a waterproof phone case where you can insert your phone and some money allowing you to take pictures underwater. These can be brought here.
5. Boat tour to James Bond island
Another tour I would recommend booking if your short on time would definitely be the James Bond island. It doesn't take a genius to work out that one of the James Bond scenes were filmed here hence bringing in masses of tourism to this island.
Again booked through Klook however, this one was slightly different where we went on a slower boat taking two hours to get here but I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was the perfect way to meet new people from across the globe which really helps for those travelling alone. It was at the end of the tour that I realised that I wasn't ready to leave because of all the amazing people we met on our day trip.
With this tour we had the chance to sit in smaller boats whilst being kayaked around which allowed us to experience the island in a more fun yet intimate way whilst simultaneously enabling us to make friends with the locals too.
6. Zip-lining and ATV'ing
There are so many activities to do on the island and zip - lining and ATV'ing are one of those. I would say it's an activity when you have ample amount of time within Phuket. At this point I never knew how much I was going to love touring the islands so I have a slight regret not booking myself onto an another tour but this was just as great. It's one of those things that you don't get to do on a regular basis so why not do it whilst you're in Thailand?
7. Watch the sunset from Kee Sky Lounge
By far this was one of my favourite sunsets I have ever witnessed. We got here around 40-45 minutes before the sun was about to set thinking it was going to be busy but to our surprise we had the whole lounge to ourselves.
I couldn't have had the most perfect ending to our stay in Phuket with the most vibrant colours running through the sky, great cocktails and live music playing in the background. If your in Phuket I highly recommend giving this rooftop bar a visit at sunset.
Thank you for giving my Phuket guide a read, if you have any more questions feel free to let me know:)
