Travel Guide to the Perfect First Time Vacation in Phuket, Thailand !!

If beautiful beaches, warm weather and great food is on your mind, Phuket makes for the perfect travel getaway! Its an underrated destinations for most Indians as they choose Bangkok over Phuket, but oh-so beautiful has my heart for its mesmerizing beaches, serene ambiance and the exhilarating islands!

Phuket has a lot of options to choose from with a budget for every traveler! Kata, Karen and Patong are the most famous beaches there! We choose to stay between the Patong and Karen beach with Karen only a walking distance from our hotel while Patong was 15 minutes by cab.

As we sit in a 21 days lockdown in India, I pen down this article of places to visit in Phuket based on my own travel experience with the Do's and Don'ts. If Phuket is on your travel itenary after we have survived the Corona Pandemic, do give it a read!

Phuket Day 1                                                                                                We landed in Phuket from New Delhi and the Visa on arrival formalities were a chaos! Took us 4 hours to process the same and move towards the hotel. Our driver dropped us at the wrong hotel and we had to go through a series of events to FINALLY reach our hotel. None the less, we rested and relaxed in our bathtub all the while relishing that we were finally on VACATION ! The day was spent in leisure where we chose to explore the nearby Karen Market ! Fresh fruits and pancakes are a bliss here and definitely recommended.

Phuket DAY 2                                                                                             We had the day to explore the famous PHI PHI ISLANDS! We took a speed boat which had 40 passengers onto our excursion which included - Maya Bay , Monkey Bay, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh ! While Maya Bay is closed for tourists to preserve the coral reefs, Phi Phi islands offer various sports activities like Snorkeling, Under Sea water diving, Parasailing, Jet sking and much more! We gorged on pineapple honey pancakes at Phi-Phi Island for just 60Bhats and enjoyed the stunning views. Important Tip - Everything is more expensive at Phi-Phi Island since it is away from the mainland. Also its more hot on Phi-Phi as it is a small island so carry hats and sunscreen with spare clothes.

Day 3 - City Tour Phuket                                                                  Phuket is a beautiful city with many tourist points. We visited the Phuket Viewpoint where we could see the 3 beaches - Patong, Karen and Kata ! We also saw a Giko which our tour guide showed us hidden between the rocks. From there we visited the famous Wat Chalong temple where firecrackers are burnt at regular intervals for good luck!It has the remains of Lord Buddha and is a serene place to visit ! After this we visited the BIG BUDDHA, the most famous destination in Phuket . We could see Big Buddha from Phuket Viewpoint as well. It is situated on a height from where you can see most of Phuket ! There is a place dedicated where you can write you wishes on a gold leaf for 100 Bhats!                                                                                                        Tiger Kingdom - This place has a lot of controversy around it. Your life is at your own risk here.With the constant debate that the tigers are drugged ( or not), they will make you sign a form stating if anything happens to you, it is your own responsibility. The tigers are ranged as baby, small, medium and large! You can visit each enclosure for 10 minutes only to click pictures and are allowed to pet the tigers only at the rear end.

Day 4 Patong Beach                                                                          Patong beach is the heart of Phuket. The popularity of the beach is due to its wild nightlife with shopping, dining and massages being the cherry on top. You can indulge in bar hopping at the Bangla street or just rent out an umbrella and relax on the beach!

Tips for shopping at Patong Beach market - Bargaining is the key! Put your Sarojini Nagar skills here and you will be surprised at what all you can buy! I indulged in some floaties ( very common in Phuket in almost every other shop), slippers, kaftans, bags and passport covers!