Phuket – Travake Blog

I went to Phuket in Thailand between 4/27 and 5/2. Phuket is a world famous beach resort. I enjoyed the beautiful sea and tasty food.

Japanese / 日本語

Diary

4/27 : Tokyo/Haneda -> Kuala Lumpur

4/28 : Kuala Lumpur -> Phuket Airport -> Hotel -> Full Moon Festival at Paradise Beach

4/29 : Nai Harn Beach

4/30 : Phuket Town(Thalang Road) -> Hanuman World

4/31 : Coral Island (Package tour)

5/1 : Yanui Beach -> Promthep Cape

5/2 : Phuket -> Kuala Lumpur -> Tokyo/Haneda

Introduction of Hotel and Tourist Spots

Hotel (Navatara Phuket Resort)

We stayed Navatara Phuket Resort in the Rawai area, the south end of Phuket. Free worn-out bicycle is available. There is a pick-up service to a nearby sightseeing spot. Pool is small but clear and comfortable. Buffet style breakfast was delicious. Although it’s characteristic of this area, be careful because there are many insects and come into the room.

Beach

There’re 3 beaches near Navatara hotel : Rawai, Nai Harn and Yanui.

Rawai beach is not suitable for sea bathing because of many stones and muddy beach. Rawai’s seafood market is crowded with many Chinese groups, so I do not recommend it.

Nai Harn beach and Yanui beach are beautiful sandy beaches, the waves are quiet and calm. There are some restaurants near each beaches.

Full Moon Party

Speaking of the full moon party, Phangan Island is famous, but the full moon party is held on Phuket Island as well. The party is held at Paradise Beach in Patong District. It is small compared to Phangan Island but you can enjoy the party well enough.

Phuket Town

Phuket Town is the central city area of Phuket. There are stylish pastel color buildings along Thalang Road. Those buildings are cafes and grocery stores.

Hanuman World

Hanuman World is a theme park where you can enjoy the zipline in the jungle. It looks scary, but you don’t need to worry. Professional guides supports you. There is a pick up service to the hotel.

Coral Island

You can get to Coral Island in 15 minutes by boat from Chalong Pier. The sea of Coral Island is very beautiful with high transparency. If you do snorkeling you can see corals and lots of fish. Center of beach is crowded by many Chinese tour groups, so if you want to stay quietly, you should go to the east end of the coast.

Promthep Cape

Promthep Cape is famous for its beautiful sunset, so it gets very crowded in the evening.
However, I think it’s the same as the many capes around the world. There is nothing so special. If you want to see sunset, you should go to other quiet seaside hills.

General Information on Phuket

Weather

Period during we stayed(4/28-5/2) is the boundary season between the dry season and the rainy season. It was almost cloudy every day, but it was sunny for several hours and rainy for several hours. It’s meaningless to check the weather forecast.

Transportation

Taxi is expensive for asia. Local bus (Songthaew) is cheap but very slow (20-30km/h). I think bike is the best. People’s driving manner is relatively good.

Stores

There are many convenience stores (Family Mart and 7-Eleven) in Phuket. You can buy delicious food, souvenirs and medicines. In some stores, credit card is not available. The food of convenience stores is of good quality. I love the dessert of taro with coconut cream sold in Family Mart.

Foods

For Thai cuisine lovers, foods you eat at any restaurant must be delicious. But some foods are very hot and spicy, so be careful!

The foods I especially like on this trip are the following three.
“Tom Yam Potek” (Archee Restaurant) : Herbal seafood soup. Umami of seafoods, good scent and sour taste.
“Roti” (Aroon Restaurant) : Sweet snacks made with flour and egg.
“Kao Yam Pattani” and fresh Thai vegetables (Aroon Restaurant) : “Kao Yam Pattani” is mixed rice with vegetables. Healthy and light food. You can also enjoy various flavors of Thai vegetables.