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dingclancy
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Simple Phuket Experience
It would be quite surprising for many to marvel at how easily Phuket managed to make a come back after the disastrous Asian tsunami that wiped out a good number of its shoreline resorts. The island is currently doing well and is attracting visitors to its pristine shores once again. While in Phuket, there is nothing better to do than lounge around the beach and sip on ice-cold fruit shakes. One can also take the opportunity to look and shop around, but that would not be the main attraction of the area. There are a lot of water sports that could be enjoyed, and there are many interesting people to meet.
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Marc888
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The Baantonsai Garden Resort
The Baantonsai Garden Resort became my home for 2 nights recently whilst I was in Patong Beach in Thailand Phuket Province. This budget place was an interesting place to stay because it was well located and the rooms were spread out over a large area in a chalet style, which is something more often found in much more expensive resorts. The gardens were quite extensive and nicely tended and so the resort did live up to its namesake. There was also a pool which was set in the grounds and a restaurant which provided inexpensive meals in a nice setting. Room rates were very modest, and long stay rates were down right cheap! Baantonsa is located in Nanai road at Patong Beach.
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Marc888
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Ekkamon Mansion
I met my friend at the Ekkamon Mansion during my stay in Phuket town and was able to size up this modest budget hotel for myself. It was actually quite good value since with rooms starting at only 600 baht (that’s barely 12 Euros), it happened to be bright and modern and well fitted out. The dining room downstairs looked a bit sparse, but yet still very clean and the hotel also had parking available. I was able to sit on my friends balcony and relax whilst looking out over Phuket town and once we were done with the relaxing it only required a very short work for us to get right into the centre of town.
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Marc888
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Rome Place Hotel
Although I hadn’t planned to stay in Phuket town it was getting late and so I booked into the Rome Place Hotel which is located quite close to the main bus station in the town. The room was fairly basic, but very clean and comfortable and the hotel was quiet. This made for a good place to stay overnight before heading off to some of thr beach resorts and it seemed its location served to provide a lot of convenience for people using the buses and coaches that terminate in the Town. Outside, the main shopping and restaurant areas were all within walking distance and so this place made for a perfect stay.
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Marc888
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The Marine Inn
I was able to stay at the Marine Inn which is a small hotel in the Thai resort town of Patong, on the island of Phuket. This hotel was moderately priced, but since it is relatively newly opened was very clean. The Thai style furniture added a very nice touch and I was able to enjoy a private balcony as I decided to take one of their superior rooms. The hotel was very close to the centre of the action in Patong, and this was very convenient for what were some very late nights! As an added bonus, I found out that the hotel owners were diving enthusiasts and so I was able to get plenty of information on snorkeling and diving options in the town.
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Marc888
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Poppa Palace, Phuket
Poppa Palace sounds like a strange name for a hotel but in fact the place itself was anything but. I was able to stay there for 2 nights and found that this boutique hotel in Phuket was both quiet and clean. The modern room was quite spacious but also comfortable with all of the homely touches that I could have hoped for. There was a small pool which was set next to the very beautifully designed lobby area. At a cost of only 1200 baht per night (that’s barely 25 Euros), I was able to enjoy a stay that represented quite a bargain. Poppa Palace is located in Patong Beach’s Rat U Thit Road in a very central location.
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Marc888
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Departing Phuket
By 8:45am I had reached the airport and the plane that was to take me to Kuala Lumpur was waiting on the tarmac. After going through immigration I boarded the plane and enjoyed the 1hour and 40 minute hop to Kuala Lumpur. Everything was on time and my plan was coming together very nicely. I was amazed how cheap this flight was, and the fact that other travelers who must have been struggling to find a reasonably priced flight from Bangkok were not making use of this bargain flight which was actually still half empty. It seems that looking at alternative departure or arrival airports can yield really good results especially when direct flights are unavailable or too expensive.
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Marc888
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booking a taxi
I asked the reception staff to book a taxi to pick me up and was told that it would arrive in about twenty minutes. Time was getting tight!
I was actually hoping to get to the airport cheaper than the price of the expensive trip from it the previous day, but since I had to pre-book the taxi, the fare was again 500 baht. I imagine that there would have been plenty of low cost options had I have been leaving at lunch time or in the afternoon as I recall the town being full of taxis and tuk tuks all jostling to get their next customer. However as I was short on time, I had no choice but to cough up the amount for this expensive trip a second time. This small part of my journey was beginning to be almost as costly as one of the flights!
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Marc888
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Getting a taxi to the airport
My alarm went of at 7am, which was far too early, but I decided to make a clean break and so got up and prepared for the next leg of my journey. I was able to enjoy the very nice breakfast in the hotel before checking out, but finding a taxi proved a little difficult. The busy streets of the night before had given way to an exceptionally quiet morning, with most people undoubtedly still asleep at this early hour. After walking back down the main street that was so packed last night, I was unable to find any tuk tuk or taxi drivers around, and since my departure time was drawing ever closer I was forced to return to the hotel.
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Marc888
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Sampling Patong's night life
I found out that this large place was one of the main late night discos in Patong and that although it was quiet during this early part of the evening, it was set to get insanely busy over the course of the next hour or two. I just had to stay to see if it was true! By the time I left it was 3am and I headed back to my hotel knowing that I was going to have to endure a very short sleep. I was actually wishing that my stay in Phuket was a bit longer, but I was not able to change my outgoing flights to Kuala Lumpur, and so Phuket revisited would have to wait for another time!
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Marc888
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An evening at Hat Patong
I ordered a salad and a spicy Thai chicken soup which was really delicious and complimented it with a cool beer. After dinner I decided to walk down the full length of Hat Patong street, all the way to the beach, so that I could size up this part of the town. There were numerous bars in this street, some of them getting a bit rowdy, but others quite laid back. I spent some time in a number of them but ultimately decided to head back towards my hotel as I had planned to have a relatively early night. Just before I got to the hotel I came across a large open air bar and disco which had just opened and this place looked really inviting as it wasn’t that busy.
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Marc888
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Club Andaman beach resort restaurant
I left the hotel and took a walk along the road that lead back to the beach. It was already dark and most of the restaurants and bars were starting to get busy. This street does in fact form the central part of the entertainment area in Phuket and as I walked further down I could spot various night clubs and discos already preparing to open. Still, with my stomach telling me in no uncertain terms to eat, I was hoping to find a restaurant where I could have a relaxed meal. After walking around some of the other nearby streets, I found the Club Andaman beach resort restaurant which served a nice mix of Thai and Italian food in a spacious laid back environment.
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Marc888
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Looking for a hotel at Patong Beach
As I made it to the main Racha-U road which runs adjacent to the beach road, I checked out the Patong Bayshore hotel and then went a few metres further along and looked at the Andatel Patong Hotel. This place was priced at just 950 baht per night and appeared to be well located but also away from any noisy venues. I asked to see the room and it was really nice, especially considering the price. I booked it for the night and found that this modest rate also included breakfast. Finally, I was able to dump my bags there, and have a quick shower before heading out to find a bite to eat and to sample some of Patong's nightlife.
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Marc888
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Patong Beach
Patong has a wide range of accommodation options as this busy resort town is frequented by both budget travelers and a growing number of well healed tourists alike. There were plenty of high class resorts already in place to cater for the latter group but since I was on a budget I decided to look for a nice, yet also low priced hotel. I did know from my research before the trip, that there were some very nice places further along the beach, but since I was only staying for one night and was keen to have convenience for my morning departure I wanted to stay in a central location. I was also not that keen to walk around for a long time or to go too far a field.
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Marc888
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Phuket's Beaches
There are actually a number of other beaches in Phuket dotted around what is in fact a large island connected to the mainland by a bridge. Most of them are parts of small villages or resorts, with the further away Kata and Karon beaches both being popular, though quieter, destinations. The island of Phuket also has a place called Phuket Town, however it is further to the south. Patong Beach, being the largest resort area on the island, is now just as large as, if not larger than the main town and made for a great place to spend the night. It was time to find a hotel as my bags felt heavier by the minute and so I walked back along the main Hat Patong Road and located a few possibilities.
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Marc888
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Flying to Phuket
I was able to enjoy a relaxing hour or so before boarding and decided to eat lunch at the airport terminal’s sixth floor restaurant which provided a nice selection of international food. It was then time to board. After an uneventful flight which took little over an hour and 20 minutes I arrived at Phuket international airport.
It was late afternoon and I decided to take a taxi to Patong beach, which is a large beach resort town quite close to the airport. I was expecting the taxi to be cheap but the minimum price was 500 baht, which certainly was a factor that I didn’t consider. With no other options readily available I took the cab and after 40 minutes found myself in the centre of Patong.
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Marc888
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Phuket Beaches
Phuket is always seen as a nicer tourist alternative to some of the others in Thailand, but the main beach at Patong is now very similar to Pattaya or other Thai resorts. To find a better beach look at Kata Beach or follow the small circular road to the southern most parts of the Island. The main Phuket town which used to be less attractive a place to go to than the bustling resort town of Patong now seems to be enjoying a revival of sorts and is worth checking out.
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