The hustle and bustle has tourist swamping to Patong. Beach side, loads to do, eat, see, massages, shopping, you name it. It's no wonder so many tourist are drawn here.
This will be our final destination before we have to go home😢. It will have been almost 5 weeks of travelling through Southeast Asia. I only wish time could stand still! Time flies when you're having fun that's for sure. We will be absolutely exhausted by now, which is why I chose to stay here the longest. We will still have plenty to do and see, with days of beach bumming at different bays. Everything closes late so we have time to do our tours, come back and have a rest and then venture into the night. When i say venture I mean eat, shop and massages 😁. Thailand is known for the cheap shopping. Dont be afraid to haggle. I have been to Patong about 5 yrs ago and I learnt fast! Shop assistants with their calculators to communicate, every store basically sell the same thing and most vendors have a secret back room where all the good stuff is. Don't be in a rush to buy. Have a look around, enter back rooms, check out the quality (some are much better than others) and haggle! When I was last there, I would start my price a little short of 1/3 of the asking price and then you will go back and forth til you reach an agreement. If you're not happy with the price, walk away. Sometimes you will find vendors chasing you with a lower price. Do it all with a smile as this is a part of the Thai experience.
In less than 2 weeks, we will embark on our 6 week adventure through Southeast Asia. Our first Multistop, destinations include Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and final stop Patong. 8 stops in 6 weeks. If I could do over , I would stop at less destinations but stay longer so we can relax and unwind and enjoy each stop. Our itinerary is pretty jam-packed although I am hoping we can fit everything in and have some down time as well. Travelling is exhausting, travelling with a toddler even more so. Best advice I can give on travelling with a toddler is to remember its their holiday too. Eat lots, enjoy and embrace each new memory created.
Arriving at Phuket airport, there are a few options for Transfers. You can also pre book transfers with various online quotes. Emma's Phuket tours quoted me 650thb from Phuket airport to Patong which would be the cheapest option aside from the shuttle buses.
We will be staying at The deck condominium which I found for a total of $596.91 aud for 10 nights, with a surcharge of $26 aud for late checkout at 6.30pm. I booked through Airbnb (sign up with my Invite link to receive $50 aud travel credit). With our first day in Patong starting in the afternoon, here is what our itinerary is looking like thus far:
Day 1:
Day 2:- Promthep cape viewpoint
- Yanui beach
- Ao sane beach
- Karon viewpoint (also known as Kata viewpoint)
- Kata beach
- Karon beach
- Freedom beach
- Paradise beach
- Tri trang beach
- Lucky beach @ Tri trang
- Xana beach club 10.30am - 12pm
Day 7:
Day 8:- Free day
- Free day
Our flight departs at 9.45pm on the following day which still leaves us with a day we can spend at the beach, beach club, last massage, final shopping and our last meals in paradise. Keeping in mind that we need to head to the airport around 6pm for our flight. (Wouldn't e too terrible if we missed it though!).
There is an abundance of things to do in Phuket. Beach clubs, shooting range, beaches, loads of tours, temples, waterfalls, shopping, massages. There are so many islands to see, but time is of the essence. Create a shortlist of the things you must do and the things you would like to do if you can fit it in.
Go to thailand has been a great source. You can start here and then do further research. Klook has some good pricing for tours (use my referral code y9676 to receive a discount on your first booking). Emma's Phuket tours has some great tours on offer such as sunrise and sunset tours. Emma's Phuket tours also had the cheapest private transfers to Patong. Jimmy has quoted me the lowest rate for all day driver and car hire for 1500thb from approximately 9am - 6pm. There are plenty of tour booths around so check their prices. You may find a better deal especially if you book multiple tours. For hassle free you can book in advance.
Journey with us as we venture through South East Asia and tick off all these amazing things on our bucketlist. Stay tuned and follow us as I update you on our adventures. We can not wait and dreading that 6 weeks will fly past and then it will be home time. I encourage you to take the plunge, book that long-awaited holiday. You deserve it!
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Its home time for us to recover and plan our next trip!