Whats Your Ideal Day Out In Phuket ?

[freebird32]

Jusy wondering what the rest of you get up to...any suggestions would be welcome..thanks

[SeanMoran]

It depends on the weather.

[cognos]

I go for a long bike ride one day, and the next day I go to the gym..I used to have beers in the late afternoon.. no more of that.. so i feel good EVERY morning..after the morning workouts..I help my Thai wife's family doing whatever..then I check my stocks on the internet, and when the nieces and nephews come home from school, we sometimes go to the beach, and they play and I pick up broken glass and garbage.. in bed by 10 pm, up at 7 am.. once a year I go to Bangla road for a late night, as that is even once too many

signed: not your typical party animal

[Peterocket]

Restaurants

Boat trips

Gym

Bike rides

Bars/Clubs

Cinema

Work..unfortunately..:-(

What do you do?

[pagallim]

In spite of all the adverse publicity, there are so many things to do in Phuket, so ultimately it comes down to what are your personal preferences.

I would urge you to try a day trip to one of the islands, but then again, some of them are only extensions of the over pricing policies of Phuket. Sometimes takes some planning, but for me the islands east of Koh Yao Noi (Krabi side), with their deserted beaches, are wonderful (the group around Koh Hong). Get a portable bbq, some kind of temporary cool box for the meat and drinks, and chill out away from the organised tour orientated crowds. If there are a few of you, surprisingly inexpensive, but I also appreciate that the organisation of such a trip isn't easy.

Within Phuket, try some of the lesser known areas, especially Cape Panwa. The beaches at Khao Khad (apologies if misspelt), near the Novotel, and Ao Yon are relatively unspoilt, with one or two local, sensibly priced bar/restaurants. The views are wonderful, and they're really the definition of chilling out in Phuket.

[Theo007]

Sorry but my ideal day in Phuket involves head to the airport!

[pagallim]

Sorry but my ideal day in Phuket involves head to the airport!

A typical response from someone who's probably never left the confines of Patong (or maybe hasn't even been here?) and certainly hasn't done any serious research beyond reading posts or having first hand experience about tuk tuk rip offs and bar girl sob stories. You (Theo007) really to expand on such statements to be taken seriously.

[tigerfish]

havent been to phuket for a while, but i have spent quite alot of time down there and part of the family live in phuket town. my ideal sunday and alternative you could say to roast beef on a sunday in the u.k. would be to, wake up around 9.a.m. shower, jump in the jeep and meet up with the rest of the family at wat chalong. let them do their bit with budda, and then myself, my wife and the rest of the family would make the short journey to rawi. from midday onwards we would just sit down on the beach front and just look out into the ocean. order food from the restaurants on the other side of the road, b.b.bqed prawns, chicken, makeral, squid, various form of som tam, sticky rice. crack open a couple of bottles of beer and thai whiskey and just watch the world go by, until sunset. we would all play in the sea, go for a walk along the water front to see what the fisherman had caught that day, buy thai sweets later on in the afternoon and just enjoy the fact that we had one day in the week were we could enjoy being a family and not have to worry about the day to day problems that arise in the other 6 days of the week.

really miss those days, cant believe some of the stories and negativity i read on tv about phuket! still wont stop me going back.

[pagallim]

havent been to phuket for a while, but i have spent quite alot of time down there and part of the family live in phuket town. my ideal sunday and alternative you could say to roast beef on a sunday in the u.k. would be to, wake up around 9.a.m. shower, jump in the jeep and meet up with the rest of the family at wat chalong. let them do their bit with budda, and then myself, my wife and the rest of the family would make the short journey to rawi. from midday onwards we would just sit down on the beach front and just look out into the ocean. order food from the restaurants on the other side of the road, b.b.bqed prawns, chicken, makeral, squid, various form of som tam, sticky rice. crack open a couple of bottles of beer and thai whiskey and just watch the world go by, until sunset. we would all play in the sea, go for a walk along the water front to see what the fisherman had caught that day, buy thai sweets later on in the afternoon and just enjoy the fact that we had one day in the week were we could enjoy being a family and not have to worry about the day to day problems that arise in the other 6 days of the week.

really miss those days, cant believe some of the stories and negativity i read on tv about phuket! still wont stop me going back.

In truth, not so very different from what you would remember it, however Rawai beach is pretty dirty now, and not a very pleasant place for anyone to swim, and walking along the beach means avoiding the plastic bags, used condoms, and flotsum and jetsum that you would get in a commercial port. I even stopped taking my dogs swimming there, as there is so much crap on the beach. Good views though, but in all seriousness, much nicer places not so very far away.

[BlueSmurf]

Have been going there for hols from up in the North for 8 years usually 5 weeks a year in 2 trips..nearly stopped going 3 years ago but discovered renting a automatic scooter and <deleted>> those red tuk tuk's..all was well in the world again! I tend to travel outside Patong along the coast roads to different beaches in the daytime, either early morning and back by lunch time or in the afternoon to Kata for a dip and watch the sun go down while having some food.... Best advice I could give anyone "If you can ride a motor bike get one"...

[grumpyoldman]

Sorry but my ideal day in Phuket involves head to the airport!

Good riddance !

Coffee

internet surf

Nai Hairn Beach

Massage

relax in the sun after massage

read the paper or my book

swim

notice the hot ladies in bikinis

off the beach for volleyball with my pals

drinks with my pals after volleyball

dinner

shower

more drinks

oogling girls

decide whether or not to proposition said oogled girl (s)

rest

[Doz]

One of my favourite days is me and the other half jumping on the bike and going off to Cape Panwa.

We always go to a little beach bar thats right on the front opposite Chalong bay. Drink a couple of beers with the sand between our toes then make our way a little further round to another lovely little place for some more drinks and food.

Total chill out and makes me feel how lucky i am to live here.

[ScubaBuddha]

Sorry but my ideal day in Phuket involves head to the airport!

Hmmm....Are you Mr. Anwar from my avatar perhaps?

Phuket...so much potential. Lots of natural beauty here, and I don't mean just the ladies.

Yes we have major transportation issues, and in general the drivers seem to be crazier and more aggressive/dangerous than anywhere else I have been in Thailand, and I have been almost everywhere. And the bad driving goes for a surprising number of expats who, I must admit, have really assimilated well.

Despite it all, I still absolutely love it here. (Here is away from Patong but not so far away that it makes a night out on the piss with the boys impossible)

Blast around the island or up the coast on the Ninja (when I had her)

Mountain Biking,

Surfing,

Day at the beach,

Kitesurfing,

Beach Volleyball,

Take in a movie at one of the theatres,

Bowling,

Play music,

Motocrossing through the hills on the enduro,

Paragliding (I've not done yet but maybe soon since I see there is a club here now)

Scuba Diving,

Snorkling,

Treking/hiking, to the falls up north or around Promthep cape.

Paintballing,

Shooting guns,

Soak in a heated Jacuzzi (PM me. I know 2 good spots now)

Visit the Hot Springs (Technically Phangna but just over the bridges)

Rent a ski boat for a day of exploring/wakeboarding.

And for the ladies, plenty of shopping.

[Briggsy]

Airport.

Plane to Chiang Mai.

One way.

[ozymandious]

Early Morning Bike Ride, Followed by a wonderful breakfast, Long massage, Take the kids to the Beach in the afternoon, beers at sunset, then some video games at night.

[madmitch]

Airport.

Plane to Chiang Mai.

One way.

Maybe you could join Theo007.

Walked from Karon to Big Buddha today. Got me in the mood to find more treks around Phuket. Maybe I'll start another thread soon.

[ScubaBuddha]

Airport.

Plane to Chiang Mai.

One way.

I was bored in Chaingmai after 3 days.

[slipperx]

Airport.

Plane to Chiang Mai.

One way.

I was bored in Chaingmai after 3 days.

I would be too!

What's good -

The occasional fantasic girl - could be checkout, at a till, in a bar, walking down the road, in the ice cream shop.

The weather.

The smiles when you go into most non-tourist places

The lack of education

A few fantastic restuarants that are not madly expensive

My kids

My Wife

The corruption (if you are an ALIEN the corruption is good - long timers get me I think)

What's not

The tuk-tuk overpricing and mafia-style control

The police

The dual pricing

The freelancers who are just here to rip off tourists

The jet ski operators

The wait time at traffic lights in the rush hour (why is there a rush hour on this island)

The corruption

a thousand other things!

Why am I here?

My family.

There are a million more things I dislike in my home country - that doesn't make this place paradise - it was once - it got worse - it is still getting worse. I hope it will change for the better.

Edited February 6, 2010 by slipperx

[geriatrickid]

My happiest memories have been chewing mud on my bike in some of the parks.

However, I confess that the squeaky sand of karon beach holds a special place for me.

A simple walk with a trusted k9 pal at sunset along the beach empty of visitors, and we have a grand old time, until I get a phone call of someone yelling at me for being late for dinner and not to bring the dog back wet and smelly

Another favourite is a picnic on one of the quieter beaches with the crew and their girlfriends and kids is fun. I get to make the kids super hyper so they drive the parents batty.

And if you are an early riser, sometimes a surise walk along a beach is magical. It's not too hot, the ambient noise of traffic isn't there and the europeans with their sagging breasts or thong that rides the man's ass crack are not out and about yet.

[pagallim]

Airport.

Plane to Chiang Mai.

One way.

Very pleasant, and spent a couple of weeks there just over a year ago. Great to have the diversity of temperature, and house pricing quite attractive. But living there, no, don't think so. Holidaying is very limited, apart from lengthy mountain tours, not really a lot else to do in Chiang Mai. But, horses for courses etc......

[pagallim]

One of my favourite days is me and the other half jumping on the bike and going off to Cape Panwa.

We always go to a little beach bar thats right on the front opposite Chalong bay. Drink a couple of beers with the sand between our toes then make our way a little further round to another lovely little place for some more drinks and food.

Total chill out and makes me feel how lucky i am to live here.

Possibly the same location my wife and I use. Certainly the beach bar we use at Khao Khad is sand in the toes, 50 baht beer, good food and cool music. Our dogs are regulars, in fact the owners made us a private cabana so the dogs don't wander into the general area to shake themselves after swimming. Most chilled place in Phuket.

[Lovedog100]

My best day in Phuket, was the day I left. Honestly though, I did enjoy exploring the island and beaches on motorbike. I was glad to leave, and I'll never go back.

[ScubaBuddha]

My best day in Phuket, was the day I left. Honestly though, I did enjoy exploring the island and beaches on motorbike. I was glad to leave, and I'll never go back.

Other than the tuk tuk/taxi mafi, traffic, and bad drivers, and tailor touts, (thats all mostly in Patong) what makes you so adamant about not returning?

[leew]

Possibly the same location my wife and I use. Certainly the beach bar we use at Khao Khad is sand in the toes, 50 baht beer, good food and cool music. Our dogs are regulars, in fact the owners made us a private cabana so the dogs don't wander into the general area to shake themselves after swimming. Most chilled place in Phuket.

Oh yes, we have seen you many times then. Your two dogs sit in the water for hours cooling off. We have some lovely pics of them doing just that. I could sit there watching them for hours. What a great place. We will come and say hello if you are there next time we go

[pagallim]

My best day in Phuket, was the day I left. Honestly though, I did enjoy exploring the island and beaches on motorbike. I was glad to leave, and I'll never go back.

Respect your comment, but in truth, you really need to expand on that. So what was it you didn't like? Be truthful, because those of us who actually live here could possibly learn something. By the way, most of us who actually live here, don't go anywhere near the areas that are likely to cause grief. Without trying to be completely contradictory, your comment is akin to someone who hasn't done a reasonable amount of research about Phuket, and when the TAT promoted illusion doesn't materialise, blame everyone except yourself for not doing the research. I seriously welcome your contradictory response.

[pagallim]

Possibly the same location my wife and I use. Certainly the beach bar we use at Khao Khad is sand in the toes, 50 baht beer, good food and cool music. Our dogs are regulars, in fact the owners made us a private cabana so the dogs don't wander into the general area to shake themselves after swimming. Most chilled place in Phuket.

Oh yes, we have seen you many times then. Your two dogs sit in the water for hours cooling off. We have some lovely pics of them doing just that. I could sit there watching them for hours. What a great place. We will come and say hello if you are there next time we go

Actually, it's the bitch who will sit for hours, the boy is far more sensible (sometimes). He only leaps into action when children are there, or someone with a camera. I can't imagine the number of holiday photos around the world that Bof and Bif appear in. Incidentally, they are brother and sister, and they are 2 years old on the 14th February.

Regardless, please feel free to say hello whenever we are there. And more importantly, you know the place we're talking about, and how relaxed it is.