Phuket, So Much to Say
Phuket is one of those paradise destinations folks hope to visit one day, or even better yet, move to and work from, or live out a major portion of their retirement in.
With nearly 16 full days there, we had plenty of time to soak in the sun and island vibe and adventure offshore to some of the famous islands and crystal waters surrounding Phuket. While I can definitely see the appeal, I also got a bit anxious with so much time in one place while there is still so much of the world to explore. I know, I have issues. 🤷♂️
Phuket was also bittersweet, because my parents were departing at the end of our time there to head home and visit with family along their way. After nearly 8 full months of travel together, it was really hard to process them being gone and us being a unit of just 5. 😢 More on that in another blog.
Back to Phuket:
We had some initial misadventures in an Airbnb we thought was a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo on the beach. Turned out to be 3 separate hotel rooms with no indoor common area, kitchen, etc. on a bay you couldn’t swim in. While the rooms were nice and the views stunning, eating out every meal and no place to gather indoors really wasn’t going to work for us for 2+ weeks. So, after 6 days we decided to eat the cost of that rental, which was incredibly low at $100/night - should have realized it was too good to be true - and booked another Airbnb in a different area of Rawai/Southern Phuket. The new home turned out to be exactly what we needed and at $140/night didn’t completely break the bank.
First place: Really lovely for a short holiday.
Second Place: MUCH more space
Ben’s friend Zac also joined us for 10 days and added a great dynamic to our group. He brought some fun art projects (including a tie dye kit) and new games for us all to play and turned out to be a great cook! He was also a bit of a daredevil and after safely renting two different bikes (at the same time) during his stay, he pushed his luck on the last day and broke his collar bone before leaving. Ben, the kids, and I were all out diving, so my parents helped get him sorted with the hospital and rental company (AND still found time to host a dinner for 11 people that night). Thankfully, Zac is OK and made it safely back to Kentucky.
A true highlight of our time was diving with the kids and making great new friends with Jon and Lisa, the owners of the scuba company, and Marc one of the other instructors. All three kids got their Junior Open Water Certification and LOVED learning from Jon and Marc. We even had them all over for dinner (the same day Zac broke his collar bone) and then went out a second night with Jon and Lisa for an amazing beachside dinner.
Other excursions we enjoyed include Hong by Starlight with John Gray Sea Canoe - a must do! And a snorkel tour of the Phi Phi Islands, including Marina Bay and James Bond Island. Other than that, we enjoyed the beaches, sights, and amazing food around Patong, Karon, Nai Harn, Rawai, and old Phuket.
