La-gon Phuket... till the next Sawasdee!

We had great family getaway to Phuket as planned between 28 Feb to 3 March 2010. It was not only the first holiday for Aliyah, but for the rest of us, it was a good getaway after the last one we had in Langkawi in March 2008.

I managed to play around under the sun at Patong Beach to get my body tanned as I was hoping for (thanks to Banana Boat tanning oil with Aloe Vera and carrot extract). To tell you the truth, I felt that our vacation this time around was really a short one. Perhaps the reason for me feeling so is because it was an enjoyable and memorable experience.

We landed in Phuket International Airport around 9.45 am on the first day and rented a car so that it would be easier for us to move around the island. At THB1100 per day, Toyota Vios seemed to be a good choice. The only drawback on this option was that it worked on manual transmission instead of automatic. But I took up the challenge as opting for the next available automatic transmission vehicle would cost me at least THB2500 per day.

It worked well in the beginning. Little did I know that the journey to Patong Beach, as well from one beach to another, would be hilly with winding roads (just like Batu Ferringhi in Penang). Plus, our hotel was located on the slope of a hill.

After checking in, we went out for sight seeing only to be caught in a traffic jam due to flood at one of Patong's important junction. We had to take an alternative route to our hotel, which took almost an hour. Tai-tai and the kids were so tired at the end of the day and we ordered room service dinner from the Malaysian restaurant located at the hotel lobby.

The second day was spent on Patong Beach. We arrived in the morning around 10 am and left around 2 pm. We had sandwiches, bananas and mangoes for beach snacks and later ice-cream to cool off the heat. After going up and down Patong Beach, we went back to the hotel and had the same dinner arrangement as the previous day. The only difference was on the food selection.

We spent the third day driving from one beach to another on south-west part of the Island, mostly for capturing the moments and beautiful landscapes on Tai-tai's DSLR camera. We found out that Surin Beach was much more beautiful than Patong Beach, and decided that it should be on the priority list for our next trip to Phuket. Our activities later during the day was restricted to souvenir shopping (at Jungceylon Shopping Mall), seafood hunting (for lunch) and foot massage (for relaxation).

The fourth and final day was spent for last minute shopping at Patong Beach. We left the hotel at 2 pm to catch our flight at 6.10 pm.

I am planning to visit Phuket again perhaps in another two or three years' time, and I'm glad that Tai-tai gave her concurrence on this. But one thing for sure, the next getaway destination for us could either be Bandung, Bali or Hong Kong, I hope.