Phuket Island (Mar '11)

Took a trip to Phuket Island over the weekend from 18 Mar (Fri) to 21 Mar (Mon). Phuket city is the capital of Phuket Province, and located 862-km southwest from Bangkok. In recent years, Phuket has become a major tourist hub in Southern Thailand.

Leisure trip at a glance

Country: Kingdom of Thailand
Period: 18 Mar to 21 Mar 2011
Flight timings:
18 Mar: 3K 537, SIN–HKT, ETD 2033 ETA 2120
21 Mar: 3K 534, HKT–SIN, ETD 0930 ETA 1210
Air tickets: Return tickets at SGD 171.95 (inclusive of airport taxes)
Accommodation:
IBIS Phuket Kata (18 Mar to 21 Mar)
Currency exchange rate: THB 100 = SGD 4.20 (Mar '11 period)

Singapore is ahead of Thailand by an hour (Thailand time: GMT +7). Total damage was about SGD 600 including flight tickets, airport taxes, transport, food & hotel, and excluding personal expenses.

Day One

Right after work, my colleague and I grabbed our backpacks and headed towards Changi Airport. After gotten our flight tickets, we had dinner at the Staff Canteen of Terminal 1.

Glad that Jetstar airways took-off on time without any delay and arrived at Phuket at 2120 hours. After Immigration clearance, we took a limousine taxi at THB 750 from airport to our hotel located at Kata area. The whole journey took only about half an hour.

Had a good rest after checked in to the hotel.

Day Two

IBIS Phuket Kata

IBIS Phuket Kata hotel (right phot below) is located just 10 minutes away from the famous Kata Beach and opposite Club Med Phuket. The room we had booked was Standard Twin (right photo below) with a total cost of THB 6,890.90 for 3 nights (without breakfast). IBIS hotel never disappoints me with their room cleanliness and bathroom hygiene.
As the room did not include breakfast, thus we decided to have breakfast at IBIS hotel before our exploration. Paid THB 250 per person for buffet breakfast. Food varieties offered were rather standard compared to most hotels in Thailand. Following were my selections for this breakfast meal (photos below).
Phuket tuk-tuk

Tuk-tuks can be found all over Phuket, although they tend to cluster in bigger numbers around Patong. Tuk-tuks are basically small red vans (left photo below), which have open backs and sides, and can carry about five passengers (right photo below). They are 4-wheeled as opposed to the 3-wheeled version found in Bangkok. Do note that the fare, based on distance, must be agreed before boarding; never let the driver try to charge per passenger.
Hard Rock Café Phuket

Took 'tuk-tuk' from hotel to Patong which cost THB 350 per ride to Hard Rock Café Phuket (left photo below). This café is located close to the famous Patong beach. We arrived at about 11 am at its doorstep. Main purpose of this trip was to visit the Rock Shop (right photo below) to get some memorabilia.
Patong OTOP Shopping Paradise

Located on Rat-U road, directly opposite the Hard Rock Café, Patong OTOP Shopping Paradise (left photo below) is a market for authentic street food and souvenirs for tourists (right photo below). Although we arrived during noon time, there were already shops opened for business. Most tourists visit this place at night. Prices are not cheap at this market compared to others, and this definitely required a big effort of bargaining.
Jungceylon Shopping Center

One of the two biggest shopping malls in downtown Phuket, Jungceylon Shopping Center Jungceylon is a complex consists of several buildings with more than 200 stores, a cinema, a bowling alley and a Big-C supermarket (photos below).
It was close to lunch time, so we decided to have lunch in the Fuji Japanese Restaurant (left photo below). Ordered a Fuji Bento Tempura Set with Chawan Mushi at THB 313 (right photo below). Taste remained the same as the ones I've tried few years back in Thailand.
Did some window shopping at the mall before heading to the beach.

Patong Beach

Patong beach (left photo below) has been a popular beach destination with its 2.85-km long white sandy beach lined with restaurants, cafes and bars. Often the beaches are crowded, especially around sunset (right photo below). Para-sailing and jet skis as part of the more popular activities can be spotted in proximity.


We then took 'tuk-tuk' again back to hotel after exploring the beach, which cost THB 350 per ride (photos below).

Dinner at an Italian Restaurant

Had some washup at the hotel, and then we explored the kata area near our hotel. Decided to have dinner at the Sorrento Ristorante & Pizzeria (left photo below). Ordered a spaghetti carbonara (right photo below) for myself which cost THB 190 and a soft drink at THB 50. The spaghetti was authentic as the restaurant was run by an Italian.
Phuket FantaSea

Phuket FantaSea is another not-to-be-missed event for both grown-ups and children. Located on Kamala Beach, the park, with an area of 20-hectares, has a combination of theatrical show, entertainment pavilions, buffet restaurants and Thai traditions and heritage.

Bought the tickets earlier on our second day morning at the hotel concierge, at THB 1,500 per person without buffet dinner. If transportation to and from the park is required, then an additional THB 150 per ride will be included. Thus, each of us paid a total of THB 1,800.

The shuttle bus (left photo below) arrived at our hotel on 6.50 pm to pick us up. After about half an hour's ride, we arrived at the entrance of the themed park (right photo below).
First, we need to exchange our vouchers to physical tickets at the counter (left photo below) and then go through some simple security checks (right photo below).
Once we were in the park, the ambient changed into a fantasy theme (photos below). Several photo spots were available for visitors. In addition, there were several activities for visitors to explore in this park.
Tiger Jungle Adventure

We then walked into the Jungle Adventure (left photo below). It was an area where wild animals were exhibited. The enclosure of the first exhibit was designed in an Angkok Wat theme (right photo below).
It was obvious that the animals exhibited were either albino or naturally white. There were albino deers, cockatoos, white myna, and white peacocks (photos below).

The main attraction was the white tigers where there were two of them displayed (photos below).

Carnival Village

After the mini-Zoo tour, we then walked around the Carnival Village where visitors could hunt for their souvenirs (photos below). None of the souvenirs there attracted us to purchase.

Fantasy of a Kingdom Show

This cultural show was infused with illusion techniques and special effects, and performed inside a purpose-built theater called 'Palace of the Elephants'. The theater occupied an area of approximately 04-acres, with 3 floors, and has a seating capacity of 3,000 spectators.

The show was approximately 70 minutes in duration with many animals involved, including chickens, pigeons, goats, buffaloes, elephants and even tiger. Do note that photography is not allowed inside the theater. Overall, the show was enjoyable.

Palace Court

After the show we collected back our cameras that were deposited prior to the show (left photo below). After which we walked across the Palace Court (right photo below) for our shuttle bus to transfer us back to the hotel.

Day Three

Decided to have breakfast at a Starbucks café near our hotel (left photo below). Ordered a cheese and ham puff at THB 75 and a latte at THB 110 (right photo below).
James Bond Island Day Tour

Joined a full day 'James Bond' tour at THB 1,800 which we booked it together with the Fantasea show at our hotel concierge. Waited at the hotel lobby for the coach bus and we departed at around 9 am after some confirmation.

Rubber Plantation

We were first brought to a rubber tree plantation where rubber sap tapping (left photo below) and latex processing (right photo below) was demonstrated. This was rather uninteresting to me as I had seen such demonstrations in Malaysia since my secondary school days.

Ao Phang Nga National Park

Ao Phang Nga National Park is known for its limestone rock formations. It has more than 40 islands with beautiful cliffs, caves and the largest remaining mangrove forests in Thailand.

Next, we were transferred to a jetty (left photo below) where we boarded a small motor boat (right photo below). As a safety precaution, all visitors were required to put on a life jacket.
First introduction was the mangroves where its habitats were introduced in this national park (photos below).
The park is studded with numerous limestone tower karst islands where the dramatic appearance of the islands with their sheer sides has made the area a popular tourist attraction (photos below).

Sea-canoeing

We were brought to a floating platform for canoeing rental (left photo below). A pair of tourists were companied with a guide in each canoe (right photo below).
Canoeing is the best way to explore the mangrove swamps and island grottoes in Phang Nga Bay where they are only accessible by these canoes (photos below). Also, this is a good approach to green-tourism.
It can be thrilling as the canoe passed through the narrow side of the island grottoes (left photo below), or can be relaxing to let the guide do the canoeing (right photo below).

Koh Khao Phing Kan

After canoeing, we were ferried to Khao Phing Kan Island by the motor boat. Khao Phing Kan is an island in Phang Nga Bay.

It may be disappointing to most tourists as the island is flooded with tacky souvenir shops near the jetty (photos below). Items like coral, shells, and plastic-encased butterflies, scorpions, and spiders were sold on this island.
The famous James Bond Island, or Koh Tapu, could be seen from the main island. Koh Tapu is a 20-meters tall limestone karst tower with 4-meter diameters at the bottom and 8-meters at the top. It lies about 40-meters from the shores of Khao Phing Kan island (left photo below). Its gravity defying limestone formation is featured in the James Bond movie "The Man with the Golden Gun" in 1974, and thus popularly known as "James Bond Island".

Another amazing rock formation was the huge split in the limestone on Khao Phing Kan Island (right photo below). Though seems to be split through a laser cut in the huge rock, it was formed naturally.


We climbed uphill for a better photo-shot of Koh Tapu, and a perfect picture was taken (photo below).

Koh Panyee

We were then brought to Koh Panyee, which is a fishing village notable for being built on stilts by Malay fishermen (left photo below). Lunch was offered at this village (right photo below). We were given an hour for our lunch.
This fishing village has a population of about 1,600 people and primarily based around the fishing industry, with tourists only visit during the dry season. Day to day life as fishermen can be observed from various corners at this village (photos below).

Monkey Cave

Our last sight was the Monkey Cave. Also known as Buddha Cave, or Wat Suwan Kuha is a cave at the feet of a cliff onto a large cavern with high ceilings, about 40-meters long and 20-meters wide (left photo below). There were some stairs next to the reclining Buddha to another small cave with a golden stupa (right photo below). At the very end of the cave, a fly of wide stairs opens to the forest outside and from there to smaller but less interesting caves.


This original temple is home to an impressive 15-meters long golden reclining Buddha (left photo below) and several other standing Buddha images (right photo below). The whole place is also decorated with numerous religious items.

After the cave tour, we were transferred back to hotel.

Dinner at hotel

It was raining since late afternoon, so after some washup we decided to have our dinner at the hotel at THB 299 (left photo below). The theme was Mongolian night therefore the main style of cooking was Mongolian barbeque. Despite its name, this cooking style is not related to Mongolian, but rather stir fried of meat and vegetables on a large, round solid griddles at a high temperature.

Ordered a fried seafood bee hoon (right photo below) and fried rice (bottom left photo) for the main. Ended the dinner with an ice-cream scoop (bottom right photo).

Day Four

After checked out from hotel, we took a limousine taxi to airport at THB 850 per ride, which was more than the trip made from the airport. Had breakfast at a fast-food restaurant, ordered an omelet sandwich meal set at THB 265 (left photo below).

After window shop at the souvenir shops inside the passenger terminal (right photo below), we waited for about an hour before we boarded the flight. It took off on time and arrived in Changi Airport at 1210-hours.
With this, it ended my short weekend trip to Phuket.