Reflections on a Family Trip to Phuket (Part 1)

Reflections on a Family Trip to Phuket (Part 1)

In recent years, Phuket has clearly become, in the eyes of many Chinese travelers, a destination that is more convenient than Hainan, more cost-effective, and still full of exotic appeal. Compared with flights to the South Pacific or trips to the Maldives, the sea and the overall feeling may fall just a little short, but you do not have to endure a long journey, which makes it much easier on both your energy and your wallet.

There are already plenty of introductions and travel guides about Phuket, but most of the time, everyone has their own point of view, and every argument seems to make sense from a certain angle. Since people have different positions and perspectives, the advice they give naturally varies as well. In the end, the only real way to judge the pros and cons is to experience it for yourself.

Overall, though, as long as language is not too much of a barrier—and honestly, a little English plus Chinese may already be enough—the trend of joining package tours will probably continue to decline, while independent travel becomes more and more common. Phuket is different from Bangkok. It does not have that many attractions that are especially suited to being herded through by tour groups every day, though I am sure travel agencies can still dig some up. It is a place better suited to leisure and relaxation, rather than waking up at dawn and rushing around from stop to stop with a group.

When to go

Seasonally, it is enough to avoid the rainy season from May to October. But from December to March, during Christmas, New Year, and especially the Chinese New Year holiday, this already not-so-spacious island gets packed with visitors, and prices for food, accommodation, transportation, and pretty much everything else rise sharply. So if possible, April or November would be better choices: the weather is just right, the island has only just gotten ready to welcome visitors, and the massive tourist crowds have not yet arrived.

The last time I came to Phuket was during Chinese New Year. Plane tickets were basically close to 3,000 RMB each even on a budget airline. Immigration took 2 to 3 hours of queuing. Hotels and shopping malls were covered with banners celebrating the Spring Festival, and Chinese-speaking salespeople were everywhere. There was always this strange feeling that I had not really left China at all. The beaches and malls were packed with people, and I could not help thinking: if I just wanted to squeeze through crowds, would it not be even more intense back home?

This time, since we were traveling with both elderly family members and children, we chose China Eastern with a transfer in Nanjing. Tickets were only 400 to 600 RMB per person before tax, or just a little over 1,000 RMB including tax. That alone made the price difference between low season and peak season obvious. There were not many people on the plane either, and for most of the trip each person could stretch out across an entire row and sleep. We paid economy-class prices and got something close to business-class treatment. Hotel prices are similar in that they also rise dramatically around peak season.

But the biggest difference was still immigration speed. We did not apply for visas in advance and instead used the visa-on-arrival process. Since hardly anyone was in line, the whole process took only twenty to thirty minutes. During peak season, that would be almost unimaginable. If you absolutely must come during Chinese New Year, you should definitely get your visa in advance. Otherwise, with visa on arrival, who knows how many extra hours you might spend in line.

Tips

1. Visa on arrival is free of charge now (I heard it used to cost 2,000 baht per person). You need a white-background passport photo sized 4cm by 6cm. If you have to take the photo on site, it costs more than 300 baht per person.

2. You need to fill out the arrival and departure card on the plane in advance. The flight attendants will hand them out to each passenger. If you are not sure how to fill it in, you can look up a sample online beforehand or ask a flight attendant for help. One part of the departure card will be returned to you at immigration, and you must keep it safe, otherwise leaving the country later may become troublesome.

3. In an age when no one can live without the internet, it is a good idea to rent a portable Wi-Fi device in advance or buy a local SIM card—both are inexpensive. It is also best to activate international roaming on your phone. Calls cost around 2 RMB per minute, which is a little expensive, but when you really need to contact someone, it can be crucial. To call China, you need to add the international country code first, so numbers in your contact list usually cannot just be dialed directly.

4. It is best to print out your hotel confirmation, return ticket, and similar documents in case they are checked. Also carry a certain amount of cash with you in case you need to show proof.

Where to stay and how to get around

This is very much a matter of personal preference. But one fairly safe choice is to stay in Patong. The beach there is beautiful, the atmosphere lively, and transportation convenient, making it the best option for first-time visitors to Phuket. It is also very close to neighboring Karon Beach, so the two can almost be thought of as the same area. This is all on the west side of the island.

On the east side, Rawai Beach and Promthep Cape at the southern tip of the island also have great scenery and beaches, though transportation is a bit less convenient. Phuket Town, on the other hand, is more of a residential and commercial area. It is not ideal for a vacation stay, but it is still nice to visit and stroll around from time to time.

Since we were driving ourselves, we did not have to worry too much about transportation, so we chose to stay in the more remote Panwa Beach area. The beach here is much less commercially developed than the places mentioned above, there are fewer people, meals are more expensive, and getting around is less convenient. If you do not have a car, you have to rely on taxis for every trip in and out. But it also has the fewest tourists, which makes it ideal for a relaxed family vacation.

There is basically no public transportation. To get around, you either take taxis or rent your own vehicle and drive. Three-wheeled motorbikes and private cars may both be available as taxis, and fares are usually negotiated on the spot. If possible, look up the distance and typical price in advance so you have some sense of what is reasonable.

For navigation abroad, Google Maps is practically essential. Because of internet restrictions, it is usually not easy to download in China, so if you can get it beforehand, all the better.

On a previous trip, just the two of us rented a scooter and happily rode all over Phuket. But this time, since we were traveling with a larger group, we sensibly rented a bigger car from Hertz. In China, Hertz partners with CAR Inc., so you can book either through the CAR Inc. app or directly on the Hertz website. Hertz also offers various discount codes year-round, such as Gold member discounts and Visa card discounts. Before renting, it is worth carefully checking CDP discount codes, since they can save you quite a bit of money—at least 10 percent.

The Hertz website also provides a translated copy of your driver’s license. You can process this online and print it out, and if you are renting from them, that should be sufficient. One thing you do need to get used to is that Phuket uses right-hand-drive cars and drives on the left side of the road, so it takes a little adjustment.

This time we rented a Toyota Fortuner. It was spacious, performed well, and is not sold in the Chinese market. It feels like something between a Highlander and a Prado. Parking, however, was a bit troublesome. If you are not traveling with a full car of people, choosing something a little smaller would probably be more convenient.

As for scooters, places selling fuel are everywhere. You can even buy small bottles of gasoline from roadside stalls for just a few baht and refuel that way.