Hello,
Right now flights are so cheap, $300 return to Phuket from Perth.
My partner of 13 years and I recently broke up. We are going to Phuket to revive our relationship. I am so excited.
It looks like such a beautiful place. Beautiful beaches, lots of things to do, restaurants etc.
Has anyone been, and do you have suggestions from stuff you enjoyed?
Thanks!
I've been to Phuket many many times. For your first visit it's good to do a lot of the touristy things.
Do the tropical island tours - Phi Phi Islands, James Bond Island, Similan islands, Phang Nga Bay etc. In some tours you'll go to various bigger islands where you can relax on the beach and go snorkeling. While in others you're on a bigger boat and get kayaked to smaller islands and through caves. Snorkeling off the boat is good too.
FantaSea is a cultural themepark and hold a massive theatre performance full of everything - elephants, pyrotechnics etc. Simon Cabaret is an entertaining show and you can evenget your picture taken with the ladies ;) Take the Mrs to Jungceylon Shopping Mall.
ATV tours are a lot of fun too. You get to drive through smaller villages, through the jungle, rivers and up mountains where you can see both ends of Phuket. Some even take you to waterfalls to swim at. The Phuket Shooting Range is great fun too.
Plus one for the day trip James Bond Island with the snorkling. I don't know if there are a variety of trips available, and it sounds quite lame, but it was a very pleasant day trip. Note with Thailand you have to shop around and negotiate well, especially if you are a foreigner and especially if in a tourist area (such as Phuket).
Beaches in Thailand are talked up by people from UK, Europe, etc. They are nowhere near as good as Aust beaches.
Don't you have to pay a 400 baht fee now on top of the tour price?
Thailand to collect 400-baht national park entrance fee from foreign visitors
The beaches on Phuket itself are pretty gross (Patong, Krabi, etc), but the beaches on Phi Phi and James Bond are good. If possible, i'd stay on the islands for as long as possible just so you can actually relax, rather than go to fake markets and bars.
Pardon me - where do you find such tickets?
skyscanner.net is the best place for cheap plane tickets. It scans all the prices all over the web.
There are plenty of youtube video's, most importantly you should google "Thailand Scams"
Whatever you do, don't hire a jet ski in Thailand.
Also nothing says romance like a night out in Bangla Rd, Patong.
Phuket simple. Bangla Road + Bangla Road + Bangla Road everyday.
But in all seriousness, take a trip to Phi Phi Island, go to tour agents and ask for tickets to Ping Pong Shows and Lady Boy shows like Simon Show or Aphrodite (negotiate hard!), spend a day at Fantasea, or just hang out at Patong Beach.
If you are getting cheap airfares then consider paying a bit more for a nice waterfront resort with full buffet breakfast included.
Spend a day doing a thai cooking class.
Like everyone else has said, day speedboat trip to Phi Phi & other islands.
Phang Nga bay is beautiful too - fairly long transit from Patong Beach to your boat though - but they drive like wannabe F1 drivers so it doesn't drag on.
If you've been to Bali, which I'm assuming you have given that you live in Perth, its similar but less painful and better beaches. Good place to go and relax~