Renee, where to next?

The year of 2023 has been the year I have regained my love for travel. It’s never left me entirely but if I am being honest living through the epidemic while in China really affected me in different ways mentally. I became a lot more anxious when traveling because of the many unknowns that came with living in China with the ever changing restrictions. Nonetheless, with each day my confidence to travel is being restored. I am innately an anxious babe but with each flight I feel brand new.

This flight took me on an overdue girl’s trip to another dream destination, Phuket Thailand. My second dream destination in the space of just a few months. Pinch me please, I can’t believe I’m living my dreams. While this trip was a dream it was a bit nerve racking. Not to plan or execute, but rather waiting for the visa to be processed. Let’s just say I got the visa two days before we were supposed to board our flights. We were right in the middle of changing our destination to Singapore when I received the email confirmation of the visa. Immediately, we got into booking mode and completed our bookings the day before our flights.

We decided to fly to Bangkok and then transfer to Phuket the next day. We will definitely be returning to Thailand to explore Bangkok and another island. After landing in Phuket we got a taxi from the airport to our hotel, Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa. It’s such a lovely property and the staff are very welcoming and accommodating. While we were located not too far from the airport, we were far from most if not all the attractions we wanted to experience. So unless you plan to rent a car I would suggest staying closer to the Patong Beach area. It will make your stay a lot more seamless.

Day 1

Our first day in Phuket saw us getting settled in at our hotel and getting familiar with our surroundings as well as booking all the excursions we had planned. After all this was completed we decided to have dinner at one of the famous restaurants in Phuket, Three Monkeys. Built into trees and around lush landscape the sprawling Thai and Japanese infused restaurant was a magnificent sight to behold. I will dive into all I ate in another blog post. After a scrumptious dinner and a full on photoshoot we made the hour long drive back to our resort. We had a full day planned for the next day so we had to get our rest.

Day 2

Day two which was our first full day in Phuket saw us journeying to explore the Phi Phi Islands. I think this is one of the main attractions in Phuket and we just had to ensure we did it on our first full day. Our excursion was booked through our hotel and included hotel pickup and drop off along with small breakfast options and snacks and refreshments throughout the entire tour and a buffet lunch . It’s an entire day tour and lasts about 7-8 hours total. Cost was about USD $100 (3700 baht). We boarded our catamaran at the Royal Phuket Marina and set sail to our first stop of the day which was Maya Bay Beach.

It was the most beautiful and almost perfect beach I had ever seen. The sand felt like I was walking on clouds.

Fortunately and unfortunately it was the first day Maya Bay was reopening after being closed for two month. And let’s just say it was packed. We aren’t allowed to swim at Maya Bay only to take in the view and put your feet in the water. And I think this has helped to preserve this area. It was the most beautiful and almost perfect beach I had ever seen. The sand felt like I was walking on clouds. I had water shoes on and in retrospect I should have taken them off to feel the sand between my toes. I also wish we had more time at this location. It was so picturesque.

Originally we wanted to our trip to Phi Phi island to be on one of the traditional long tail boats. But it would have made the trip even longer than it was on the catamaran. We saw so many when we arrived at Maya Bay and it was beautiful to see. It will be a must do on my next trip to Thailand. Fun fact is that most of the long tail boats are taxi boats that normally take visitors from the smaller islands. But I have seen options of luxury long tails available online.

After Maya Bay we moved on to Phi Phi Leh and Pileh Lagoon. Here we got a chance to swim around a bit and observe the scenery at the Lagoon. Life vests were the stars of this excursion because Reneé cannot swim. Again I need to change that! We then moved on to see the Viking cave. Then sailed to ‘Monkey Island’ to see some monkeys. But there was really only one monkey. So everyone was gathered around to see the single monkey. It must have felt like a super star with all those cameras pointed at it.

After our very refreshing swim at the Pileh Lagoon we headed to our snorkeling stop. This stop was a lot less crowded than Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon. And that was a plus for snorkeling. I think this was my second time doing going snorkeling and it was amazing. I mean it was definitely exhausting, but it was such a great experience. As I entered the water I saw one of the biggest parrot fishes I’d ever seen. It was so beautiful and blue. I saw a variation of species I’d never seen in real life before.

Lunch time came around we docked on Phi Phi Don. This is the largest of the islands and it has not only restaurants and souvenir shops but a hospital and school. It’s a town on its own and ferries to other islands also dock there. At the lunch break you are able to eat, and go shopping. We were exhausted from the first snorkeling so we ate rested a bit and then went souvenir shopping.

Our final stop was Bamboo Island. Here we had the opportunity to go snorkeling again, but we really just wanted to relax. There was a bar on the island so we went bought a coconut and just sat and took in the scenery and took pictures on the beach. We only had about 30-45 minutes on the island because the tide goes down at a certain time and snorkeling would have to come to an end when the tide went down. The island is protected by a government department (I forgot the name, sorry!). Fresh water isn’t on the island so if you need to rinse off at the shower you will be doing so with water from the ocean. The rangers have tents and mats that can be rented if you plan on spending a full day at Bamboo Island. We were even fortunate enough to see baby ‘lizard’ ( I’m not sure if it was a Komodo dragon or a water monitor). Was I scared? Of course! Did I run? No.

Day 3

Day three was dedicated to Phuket Elephant Care, where we learned some vital information about these rescued elephants. I went through so many different emotions this day. I was sad for a lot of this day after hearing the stories of these elephants. The abuse they endured was so inhumane and I really don’t understand how people can put living things through such abuse. Two elephants among the group could be seen ‘dancing’ when they saw us approaching to feed them, and we were told it was because they were being taught to perform. They would remember if they swayed they would be given the food and not be whipped. Such a terrible thing. Many could be seen with their ears damaged and there was even one that was blind. All in all it was an experience I thoroughly cherish and would do again

Two elephants among the group could be seen ‘dancing’ when they saw us approaching to feed them, and we were told it was because they were being taught to perform. They would remember if they swayed they would be given the food and not be whipped.

The cost for this hour and a half excursion was about USD $55. It included feeding the elephants after a short introduction to how to feed them and some facts about these Asian elephants. After feeding we changed and went to give the elephants a rub down with some mud and then move on to shower and wash them. Finally the day was concluded with making our own souvenirs, which was hand painting a small elephant magnet. I would recommend this experience if you would like to interact with elephants. Riding an elephant should not be done in my opinion as there are far better ways to interact with these gentle giants.

After we went to the elephant sanctuary we opted to return to our hotel and relax a bit and then head to Patong Beach in the night. No trip to Phuket is not complete without a visit here. It’s like the entertainment hub in Phuket. The pedestrian street is lined with a plethora of bars, restaurants, street performers and a few ‘vendors’ with special offerings. I hope you get what I mean.

We walked around and took in the sights. We bought souvenirs and then found ourselves at one of the famous fish pedicure shops. Without hesitation we paid (100 baht or about USD $3) and took our seats for our 15 minute fish pedicure. It was such an odd feeling. If your ticklish on your feet, you’ll be laughing like I was when you first submerge your feet. It was an odd feeling but I really enjoyed this experience. So many people saw us doing it and then opted to also try it. Is it a tourist trap? Yes! Should you still try it? Absolutely!

While walking around we came up a street food section where vendors had a selection of the biggest seafood I have ever seen on offer. You could select from their menu offerings and have your choice of seafood prepared to your liking. We only opted to try the coconut ice cream from a street vendor. That was the star of the entire night. There is so much to do at Patong Bay and it’s a must visit. Whether to indulge in street food, go clubbing or bar hopping or even just taking in the sights, it’s a must do in Phuket.

Day 4

On our final full day we visited the Big Buddha. From our hotel it was about an hour and a half drive. We arrived and entered free of cost. We made sure we were modestly dressed but if you arrive and you’re not covered properly they have scarfs and wraps for purchase at the gate. The drive up the mountain was scenic. Many people opt for the ATV tour up the mountain to the temple but we didn’t want that. So we took a car from our hotel. Our driver waited for us to be finished and took us back to our hotel. Generally you could have the car for four hours and they would take you to any other location with the time frame. We had a massage booked after so we opted to return to the hotel.

The scenery at Big Buddha is spectacular. We were in awe when we got to the top and looked down, amazing. When we visited we saw that inside the Buddha and some surrounding areas were being renovated. As stated before the temple does not have an entrance fee and I think that makes it a bit more difficult for the upkeep of the grounds. There are many donation boxes around the grounds and I would suggest donating anything you can.

While we were there we saw monks giving blessings to individuals and also saw many people giving offerings, praying or asking for blessings. It’s a beautiful place and for some reason it felt so calming to be there. After we walked the grounds we descended and went to the gift shop, where I purchased my elephant print trousers. You never leave Thailand without an elephant printed piece of clothing.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive early if you can. Get familiar with your hotel and if necessary make reservations for your intended excursions if you haven’t already booked online in advance. You can opt to relax by the pool and have drinks until it’s time for dinner. Next I suggest having dinner at a restaurant of your choice. I definitely suggest Three Monkeys.

Day 2: This will be your first full day in Phuket and you should dedicate it to a full day’s excursion. A Phi Phi island tour is perfect for this day. These tours generally last about 7-8 hours, so after this you may be tired. I would suggest booking a massage after this excursion so you can relax and unwind. In the evening you could either have dinner at your hotel or a restaurant of choice.

Day 3: On this day I suggest reserving an early visit to an elephant sanctuary. There are various options to select from so you can select the one you’d most want to experience. After being dropped back to your hotel you can choose to relax a bit and then head out to Yona Beach club. This is a floating beach club that gives such a unique experience. While I didn’t get to experience it I couldn’t leave it out of my recommendations.

Day 4: On your final full day in Phuket I would suggest visiting Big Buddha. It’s definitely a sight to see and it does not take a long time to explore. Right down the hill is a tiger sanctuary that you can also visit on the way down the mountain. After all the day time activities you must then head to Patong Bay Beach. Head to the famous Bangla street to take in all the sights, hit the club and indulge in the amazing street food. Don’t forget that coconut ice cream.

I hope this itinerary will be helpful on your trip to Phuket. Or at least inspire you to visit Thailand. Until next time let’s see where to next!