4 Days in Phuket
Any itinerary to Thailand isn’t complete without a stop at their beautiful islands. We only had 4 days here but I could have easily spent 2 weeks exploring all this beauty. Since we had such a short time here we opted to stay in Phuket and venture out to the islands for day trips. I would’ve loved to have spent a few nights on the islands, but that just means I’ll have to come back!
Where to Stay
There are so many beaches in Phuket and they’re all different from each other so choosing where to stay can be a tough decision. After a lot of research I chose Kamala as our home base. I had read that it was a calm, quiet area with a beautiful beach. I wasn’t looking to be in the party scene of the island so this was a perfect fit! Our stay at Kamala Beach Resort was absolutely amazing! The property was beautiful and we could walk right out onto the beach and it wasn’t crowded.
Day 1
After 27 hours of traveling we finally made it to our hotel around noon and headed straight to the beach! Kamala Beach was perfect to walk out too and there were only a few people there so it felt like we had it all to ourselves. We found our lounge chairs and proceeded to order all the coconuts, smoothies, and cocktails from the service station at the beach. We ate an early dinner at the hotel then went to bed to rest up for tomorrow’s adventure!
Day 2
Today was a day trip out to the Phi Phi Islands and it was the absolute highlight of the trip. We did the Phi Phi Islands X-Large tour through Siam Adventure World and it was AMAZING! They picked us up from our hotel at 6 am and then we departed by 7 am out to the islands. Our first stop was Pileh Lagoon where we got to swim in the crystal clear water. This lagoon was very salty so it was effortless to float! Then we went to Monkey Beach and saw the cute little monkeys swimming and climbing the rocks. Afterwards, we hiked up to the Phi Phi viewpoint for one of the most incredible views I’ve ever seen. Everything was so lush and vibrant that I felt like I was in a postcard. There were a few snorkel stops throughout the trip and we ended at Bamboo Island where lunch was provided. Afterwards, we were able to swim and explore the island before heading back to the pier. They provided transportation back to our hotel and we arrived at 3:30 pm. This was an all day tour so we were tired and spent the rest of the day back at the beach and turned in for another early night.
Day 3
We purchased a tour of the James Bond Islands from the hotel since we didn’t have anything planned for today and the price was good ($50). Overall, the tour was alright but I wouldn’t do it again. It was a complete tourist trap and I’d advise you to skip it unless you’re really dying to see it. We spent the first half of the day kayaking through various caves which were really amazing to see, but there was a local in each kayak rowing for you and ours was not very pleasant. He was very pushy and it made the whole experience a little uncomfortable. Additionally, everyone kept mentioning to pay your kayak person a tip and they mentioned this throughout the ride. Honestly, it just wasn’t enjoyable for me and I really wanted off the kayak since it was obvious they were making comments about us. The tour provided lunch on the boat and then we headed to James Bond Island. The island was small and very crowded so I snapped a few pictures and made my way back to the boat to head home. I think this tour could have been better depending on the tour company you choose. We had purchased and invested more money ($120) into the Phi Phi Islands tour since it was something we really wanted to see and we only went on this tour since it was cheap. You definitely get what you pay for so just be aware when booking tours since there are cheaper ones out there, but the more expensive ones really are worth it.
Day 4
Today we decided to explore Phuket and hired a private driver for 5 hours through Phuket Best Tours. Phuket is very big and the roads aren’t well developed which means it can take a hour just to go 10 miles so the private driver route is definitely the way to go to avoid too many taxi fares. We told our driver the sights we wanted to see and they suggested some along the way for us to stop at. Also, they provided water for us which was a great touch since it was so dang hot outside! Our list included Big Buddha, Wat Chalong Temple, and Old Town Phuket for shopping. Afterwards, we headed to the airport to catch our plane to Bangkok!
I had the best time in Phuket, but if I would do it again I would definitely spend more time here and stay at a hotel on the islands. Also, I’d make my way to Krabi since I’ve heard the beaches are beautiful here!
