Wondering why 48 hours in Phuket? Well this review is for people who don’t have time on their side to go backpacking and 48 hours is all it takes to experience Phuket from it’s white sandy beaches to the last dingy little bar beer (yep it is what you read it is).
This trip is as usual for singles, couples or groups of friends. The reason, it involves facing alleged embarrassing moments if family members are with you. Seriously how can someone miss the opportunity to see certain things that have very significant historical beginnings going back to the Vietnam war? probably you get what I mean by now :-)
On a side note, this trip doesn’t have anything to do with seeing more than one white sand beach or getting into a boat and sailing around islands. This is more of things less explored by tourists.
Lets start with day one. Most flights from India land in Phuket between 7:30 AM and 10AM as far as I know. Be ready to part with TBH 1000 for a 7 days visa. It takes usually an hour to reach the Patong town from HKT and the cost usually ranges between TBH 900 to TBH 1400 depending on whether you take a shared cab or your own private cab. Honestly the taxi ride was pretty nauseating for me and had to stop for a cold beer along the way (made friends with a polish couple coz of that and I am quite happy).
Since you have only 48 hours to explore the magic of Phuket, I say as soon as you reach the hotel, make bookings through them for the Extreme Eco trip before heading up for a shower. Of all things why a stupid eco trip you may ask. Well this ain’t an elephant back ride into some bush. You get an ATV to burn some tracks through the forest and beach. The quad bike ride costs TBH 2600 for a 2 hour eco adventure. I am sure this kind of ride can’t get any cheaper than this. Check with the company for the timings. It should be afternoon by now and all the extreme riding should’ve made you hungry. Time to relax in a nice thai restaurant and try some of their fantastic noodle soup dishes and fried ducks, chickens and if you like pork. I always find something addictive at these local shack like shops. Maybe you will too. If you are not hungry, then lets make you ;-) . Very close to the eco trip place is the world famous Phuket bungee jumping spot. If you are up for it, try a fake suicide. Is there anything else that can portray the machoness other than a picture of you jumping off with a nylon cord attached to your back? This whole trip should take you about 5 to 6 hours. It should be turning into early evening by now. Time for some beach.
If you are not planning on any binge drinking sessions, it is actually fun to hire a motorcycle when you are in Phuket. It’s cheaper than hiring tuk tuks and gives more freedom to explore.
Head back to Patong town for a few hours at the beach. The eco tour guys always have a transfer option to drop you off wherever you desire for TBH 800. Go for a dip in the warm blue water to soothe those muscles after a day of adventure. I did that and it definitely helps to calm the nerves after a bungee jump. There are quite a few seafood restaurants on the street that follows the beach. Try some of the fresh lobsters and tiger prawns. They are definitely some of the best and cheapest. Nothing like a couple of batter fried tiger prawn with some thai fried rice along with chilli padi.
Now to explore the other side of Phuket. Yep the "famous" side of it to be precise. Thanon bangala (Bangala road for the Thai challenged) is not more than 20 mins walk from any side of the beach. You will know the street when you see it. The loud music, the pretty thai ladies waving you to come in to their bar and neon lights everywhere. There are I think 4 or 5 streets leading off the main Thanon Bangala. Each one has it’s own theme should I say. Soi crocodile will be the first on the street from beach side. Well this is where you will find all of Phuket’s reality bending, gravity defying (pun intended and you will know what I mean when you see) kathoeys. Grab a beer if you wish and for the non alcoholics, maybe a coke and just chill and observe. It’s quite fascinating I may add to interact with them in a non-amorous way. For beer aficionados, Singa is a must try. It is their cheapest beer and an excellent one too. Now start exploring the other Soi’s. All the go-go bars will have poll dancing girls who would invite you for a drink. Nothing to get offended though, that’s their job. If you are a lonely backpacker or with a group of friends, I would suggest to try the hammering-the-nail game at a bar. It is definitely fun and the winner gets TBH 100. Do tell me if you win. Note that there is more fun to go to bars and have non-amorous fun than what "other" tourists do. It’s definitely a one of a kind experience. I honestly believe one has to have an open mind to experience everything a place has to offer :-) .
One more thing, you will get a lot of offers to watch the famous ping pong shows or one of many Russian caberts . It was quite an interesting experience for me and my buddies including the Polish couple I met along the way. If you like to play snooker or pool, there is a place next to Soi Tiger that’s open till 7 AM in the morning and the games are quite cheap.
Now for day two. Well by now either you have a massive hangover or tired and sleepy. Time to grab some breakfast at a local Thai restaurant and head to the beach for some real R&R. If you are not tired and want to explore more, I would suggest a visit to the thai boxing stadium for some lessons and a match. Be ready for some tremendous pain though. But what’s more fun than getting kicked by a psycho looking midget Thai kick boxer? or picture of a fake head kick at the same psycho? priceless :-) . Explore the town for souvenirs if you wish. There is a mall called Jocelyn in Patong town and I guess that’s one of the places you don’t have to bargain for anything. If you still have enough time, visit a pagoda close by. If you ask a tuk tuk driver, he would be all the more happy to take you there.
I guess it’s time to head back home now. You have plenty of time to reflect on all the wild and wonderful experiences you had in Phuket on the plane.
P.S. This review doesn’t contain tuk tuk ride costs or food costs because they fluctuate too much during tourist season and rainy season. Besides it’s entirely upto you to bargain the prices in the end.
If you plan a trip to Phuket, do buzz me, I might be around there too :-)