We were based in Patong Beach for the final few days of our trip. We wanted somewhere to relax and feel like a typical holiday; so why not spend it at the beach. It took an hour from Phuket International Airport on a shuttle bus costing £5 each. Patong means “the forest filled with banana leaves” in Thai felt very touristy in comparison to everywhere else we had seen on this journey. Our accommodation was at PR Patong Residence costing £31 per night. The prices were a lot higher than everywhere else we had stayed, but that’s the price you pay I guess for staying in a tourist hot spot.
The first day we decided to relax and have a walk around the town. The majority of tourists were Russian, European and American. The beach expands the full length of the town and has many parasails and water sport activities that the locals try and sell to you constantly. Especially jet skiing! With the location being so popular, there are thousands that bask in the sun on a daily basis meaning space is at a premium. For our only beach day of the trip, we decided not to have it there. There are many massage parlours and spas on most street corners. The staff are all ladies who are dressed to impress. An hour’s treatment can cost 800 Baht plus, so there is certainly a market for it here.
I would recommend eating at Wine Collection which is next to the Jungceylon Shopping Center. The restaurant is Italian themed with other western dishes on offer too. There is a large selection of wines stored on racks next to the tables, making you feel like you could be sitting in a vineyard. We ate there for 2 nights in a row trying their pasta dishes and delicious Tiramisu.
We booked a day trip to Phuket City costing $25 each. Everyone onboard was American apart from us and were in their 20’s. We first went to Karon View Point that was a 20 minute drive south. We had a short period of time to look across at sprawling beaches as far as the eye could see before heading to Windmill Hill viewpoint at the southern tip on the island. When we arrived, I thought there may have been a historic windmill, I did not expect to see an electric wind turbine, not so cultural after all. The resorts next to the site looked lovely however, with scuba diving and paddle boarding on offer. If I was ever to go back, I wouldn’t mind staying there to completely relax for a few days.
Sitting at the top of Nakkerd Hill near Chalong, The Big Buddha statue stands 45 metres tall looking across the bay to Phuket. Constructed in 2004, building work still continues to this day (March 2020) with the inside still not accessible to the public. The view from the outer platform and golden buddha were just as impressive albeit slightly smaller. We got to try some complimentary coconut ice cream that was included with our entry which was a welcome refreshment, the only problem was there wasn’t enough of it.
We moved onto the last buddhist temple of our trip, Wat Chalong. There are many golden statues in the gardens surrounding the temple that was built in the 19th century. The grand pagoda dominating Wat Chalong is reputed to contain a splinter of Lord Buddha's bone. I’m not quite sure what to make of that but the intrinsic details in the architecture of the building are worth a view.
One of my favourite parts of the day was experiencing the cashew nut factory. Located just south of the city, we were able to see the processes the cashews are put through in the various machines. There were many flavours ranging from salty to sweet that you could taste and buy for around £4 per bag. If you are not a nut fan, the souvenir shop is really good at the front of the store. I bought quite a few items from here for a decent price.
Our final stop of the tour was in Phuket old town. We had 45 minutes to explore the streets and market stalls. The roads were narrow with colourful archways surrounding you on each side. It felt a little like Havana in Cuba with rainbow colors segmenting the buildings. We walked mainly down Thalang Road browsing the souvenir shops and came across a few great finds. Kristen managed to find a shirt for her father and I bought an ornamental coconut that can be used as a decorative bowl. The night market was just starting to set up stalls as we were leaving unfortunately, however we got a small taste of what Phuket has to offer. The former trading post between India and China has plenty to see and a lot of history to explore. If you want nightlife and beaches, Patong Beach is the place to be. If you want more culture, Phuket city is only 15 minutes away.
Our final full day and only beach day of the entire 4 weeks was spent at Freedom Beach. It’s a 10 minute drive and costs 250 Baht to get there by taxi. The climb down to the beach takes you through the jungle and a very steep pathway. We encountered many people stopping for breaks on the walk. Once you arrive at the bottom, the tree line opens up to a spectacular view of the beach below with crystal blue waters and small wooden boats moored along the shoreline.
We first set our towels down in the shade then realised we were directly below a palm tree holding many coconuts. I’m not sure my insurance would cover that kind of injury. The shallows are quite rocky in places but once you manage to get 10 metres out, you can swim and snorkel more easily. I’m not a marine biologist, but I did notice a few species such a Parrot and Angelfish the further I went out. There are a few food stalls at the back of the beach but it’s quite minimal and the food that I saw had flies sitting on it for a while. We took the safe option and went for a bag of crisps instead. We spent a few hours there before heading back to town.
The next day, we flew back to Bangkok signifying the end of our trip. The time had flown by and was an absolute blast. Kristen had a very early morning flight back to Canada and I had slightly longer to enjoy the city and collect my cashmere suit. At the final try on the jacket, trousers and shirt fitted perfectly. I had a small amount of time remaining, so I decided to walk to the Grand Palace again and bought a brass temple bell before heading back to the airport. My bags by this point were very full and my cash was almost gone. Before boarding my flight, I had 1 US Dollar and 4 Baht (10p) remaining. I pushed my budget close to the limit!
