After planning (and postponing) for a couple of years, our girls’ trip with my college besties finally happened.

We opted for Phuket because we all love going to the beach and I think it is a perfect vacation getaway for all of us. We also found out from our old messages that we wanted to go to Thailand together and indeed, it finally happened.

Phuket has a lot to offer such as tons of island hopping, temple visiting, elephant sanctuary, crazy nightlife, and so on. And since this trip was an all-girls trip, it was too fun not to share.

So here’s a quick guide to Phuket, Thailand.

Pre-travel Guide and Tips:

How to get the Phuket?

We took a plane from Bangkok to Phuket. You can check other options below:

Powered by 12Go Asia system

How to stay connected?

We bought a SIM card during our trip. Feel free to check a few options below.

Klook.com

Transfer from Airport:

We had a very difficult time from the airport to our accommodation in Patong. We booked through Grab and the car can’t get inside the airport.

Book an Airport Transfer Online:

I suggest getting an Airport Transfer ahead of time to get an easy transfer. BOOK HERE

Minibus:
Minibusses are also available at the airport. We took a minibus going to our accommodation but it took us a long time to ride one. They need to get enough (if not full) passengers to fill the minibus.

Prices:

  • To Patong: 180 Baht
  • To Kata: 200 Baht
  • To Karon: 200 Baht

Another option is to take a taxi, but it is more expensive.

Island Hopping Tours:

Tours and Activities:

Klook.com

Where did we stay?

We stayed in Patong Studio Apartment. The location was great! We can go to Patong Beach and Bangla Road on foot.

There are also a lot of restaurants on the corner. Money exchange outlets were also scattered in the area.

Where to stay?

 You can book via Booking.com:

Booking.com

Things to do in Phuket, Thailand

Thalang Road in Phuket Old Town

A colorful road located in Phuket Old Town. It has cute stores full of colors, and you can come across these street wall art.

It would be better if we visited in daylight, but it was less touristy during the night.

Chaofa Variety Weekend Market

This night market offers different varieties of food. We were overwhelmed by all the crowds in the area and we were a bit confused about what to eat from all the selections we could choose from.

Food is always a great way to experience a new culture and we surely did enjoy our food adventure in Chaofa Variety Weekend Market.

The Great Buddha of Phuket

It is great to visit Big Buddha during the morning because there are not many tourists around. You can have the entire place all by yourself as we did. We were the first one during our visit.

Visitors are asked to dress politely, especially when entering the temple. Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. They have sarong or cover-ups available for free.

There is no entrance fee but you can give any donation amount for the maintenance of the temple.

P.S. We covered our shoulders with a sarong when we entered the temple.

Wat Chalong

Wat Chalong, or Chalong Temple, is the largest of Phuket’s temples, and the most visited.

Dress Code & Behaviour:

As with all Buddhist temples, there is a strict dress code that must always be followed.

1. Shoes are never allowed inside a temple, so be sure to leave yours outside with all the others.
2. Women are required to cover their shoulders and wear pants or skirts that extend down to their knees.
3. A certain level of respect is expected, Speak in a quiet tone within the temple and don’t touch the statues or other Buddhist relics.

Visit www.wat-chalong-phuket.com for more details.

Bangla Road

Bangla Road is where the party life is located in Phuket. The area is composed of bars, clubs, and restaurants.

You can find a lot of ping pong shows, macho shows, and strip clubs here. Always be careful with their schemes in this area. Be aware and do your research.

We do have a great time here, chilling and drinking (a little bit).

Phuket, Thailand

Patong Beach

The main beach in the area. Many restaurants are located near the beach.

We actually didn’t spend a lot of time here. But if you visit the area, I think mornings are the perfect time to avoid the crowd.

Island Hopping

We chose the Maya Bay & Koh Phi Phi Speedboat Tour.

What is included?

  • Full-day island hopping tour
  • An English-speaking guide
  • Free hotel pick-up and drop-off service is only available for hotels within Patong Beach, Kata Beach, Karon Beach, Phuket, Kamala, Surin Beach, Ao Makham, and Panwa Beach
  • Lunch

What To Bring:

  • Swimwear
  • Light shirt
  • Beach towel
  • Sunscreen
  • Sunglasses
  • Camera
  • Sun hat
  • Cash

During our tour: The local government prevents tourists from visiting Maya Bay directly. The itinerary instead included sightseeing around areas near Maya Bay.

It was also raining really hard at the beginning of our island hopping. We thought they were going to cancel but luckily the tour continued. In the middle of our tour, it stopped raining and we enjoyed the rest of our tour.

Please note that the itinerary is approximate and subject to change according to weather and sea conditions of the day

Here are the places and activities during our island hopping:

Koh Khai Nok Island

Phuket, Thailand

Lunch at Koh Yao Yai Restaurant, Phi Phi Don Island

Phuket, Thailand

Sightsee around Maya Bay and Loh Samah Bay

Maya Bay is the most famous turquoise cove with a white sandy beach enclosed by limestone cliffs. It is currently closed during our visit so we just stopped by and looked at the locations.

Loh Samah Bay is a scenic bay with a small green island known for its snorkeling. We did snorkel during this trip but I am not quite sure where exactly. Maybe we could go back and do some snorkel here. 🙂

Phuket, Thailand

Pileh Lagoon

This picturesque inlet is known for its clear waters & popular with snorkelers.

We were very excited to take photos here, and we spent our entire time doing that. Hahaha. Some went for a quick dip. It was really fast and our time was not enough!

Phuket, Thailand

Viking Cave

This limestone cave with wall paintings is a site for harvesting bird nests for a traditional Chinese soup. I personally never tried this kind of soup.

We were just stopping by in this area.

Phuket, Thailand

Phi Phi Beach

Phi Phi Beach is quite beautiful! We spent some time here just swimming.

Monkey Beach

The name of the beach is very obvious, it has a lot of monkeys around.

To be honest, I am quite afraid of monkeys, but I did still enjoy our brief time on this beach watching the monkeys.

I just want to share that upon our arrival, it was raining very hard and we thought we would not enjoy this trip but luckily the weather changed and we had a great time!

Also, I always believe that with the right company, vacations will always end up amazing. So I encourage you to take a trip with your girlfriends and start planning your all-girls trip.

If you are planning to visit more of Thailand, check this post: The Perfect 3-Week Thailand Itinerary

If you have any questions or suggestions on what to do in Phuket, kindly comment below and I would love to know more.

Pin for later!

Phuket, Thailand

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post do contain affiliate links that I earn a small commission for, but they come at NO extra cost to you! Any purchases you make through my links help keep the site running (and help me feed to survive). Still and the same, as I’ve mentioned above, I only recommend brands that I personally use or believe in. Thanks in advance for your support!

Originally published: July 11, 2019