Phuket - Take 2: The Planning

the first time i went to Phuket, Thailand (last year around May) .. i fell inlove with the place. for someone who loves the beach, who loves shopping, and who loves a bustling nightlife .. this is indeed the place to go. it was a great experience having to share it with friends who loved the beach as much as i do. i knew then that i would be going back to this place, the question was only when, and if i got some stash to spare, and with whom. :)

i didn't really expect i could go back to Phuket this year. when a friend decided to visit me in singapore, i suggested that why don't we go visit Phuket since he's already on vacation. i also invited my younger brother who's in bohol that time to join us. i haven't seen him for two years already, so i thought this would be a good time to bond :)

i was pretty excited about the trip cuz i had to prepare everything for myself. ( i admit there was a time when i almost backed out from this, but had it all sorted out.) i love planning for trips. i've planned for a vacation in osaka, japan with my dear friend, tantan. we did all the visa applications to the booking of tickets. i've planned for a week trip to seattle, wa. though someone else was incharge of the flight, but i did my own visa application too.. and how to get about the place, like drive for the first time in an interstate highway. :) then last december, i've planned for a highland getaway with my parents in berjaya hills, in malaysia... a place that i never imagined going to... and won't be going back either. hehe. these are places i've been to the first time, but never hesitated a moment when it comes to planning for trips. what can i say, i love to travel. ( mmm... i'm having a moment here about reconsidering my career path once again. but that's out of topic. :D )

booking for flights to Phuket is pretty easy, and cheap when you come from singapore. budget airlines like tigerairways and jetstar has cheap travel deals and promos. i took the tigerairways since it got an early flight, which allows us to maximize our stay in thailand. the cheapest one-way flight available then were as low as SGD9.90 (about Php300.00). but that's less the tax, ofcourse. the return trip ticket i got cost about SGD192.00 total per person, which i think is a pretty good deal already.

Tip for budget travellers: it helps to plan your trips in advance, and choose off-peak seasons to maximize your budget.

Phuket, being thailand's biggest island, has hundreds of hotels/resorts/hostels/budget rooms/apartments to choose from. there are also lots of online sites to book your hotel. try to read the reviews from the hotels as they are very helpful, unless you already have a pre-picked hotel of your choice. i booked our hotel thru asiarooms.com (this is free advertising) and i wasn't disappointed with their service.

where to choose a hotel in Phuket? From what i know, the island has three famous places with good beaches: Patong, Karon, and kata. the most popular is Patong, since it has the liveliest nightlife, and more shops. but if you opt for a romantic beach getaway, i think Karon or Kata area would be a better place to go. the shorelines aren't too crowded.

when choosing for a hotel, try to get one that suits your budget. it's alright to go for cheaper hotel rooms since you wouldn't be staying there most of your time anyways. hotels nearer the beach are a bit expensive. so picking a hotel on the next block is more reasonable. it's not that far to the beach, plus there's much to see around the streets that you wouldn't mind walking a bit. if you choose Patong beach, i suggest booking a hotel that's along Rat-u-thit 200 Pee Rd. they are more reasonably priced than the beach front hotels and not too far from the beach area.

(to be continued..)