Let’s talk Phuket, Thailand 🇹🇭
Before I jump into sharing individual hotel reviews, I wanted to pull everything together in one place. This is what our Phuket trip actually looked like. How we got there, what it cost, where we stayed, what surprised me, and why I’ve fallen completely in love with this part of the world.
Getting to Phuket, Thailand
We flew from Brisbane to Singapore, which was just under 8 hours, then on to Phuket, which was about another 1.5 hours. It’s a long travel day, but very doable, and everything ran smoothly.
Flights
Our flights cost $1425 per person with Singapore Airlines.
I watched prices for months because my original hope was to take the whole family. I rarely spend this much on flights to Asia, so it hurt a little. The prices never dropped, and in the end we couldn’t afford to take everyone, so we pivoted and turned it into a girls trip instead. Sometimes plans change, and honestly, this trip ended up being exactly what we needed.
How long we stayed
We stayed for 10 days. If you’re paying that much to get there, it makes sense to stay as long as you can. Ten days felt like the perfect amount of time to slow down without feeling rushed.
When we went and what the weather was like
We travelled in late November, and it rained for about 70% of the trip.
That said, it was still really lovely. It was humid, but not unbearably hot. Wet, yes, but not in a way that ruined the trip. We still swam, explored, ate incredibly well, and spent a lot of time relaxing.
Locals kept telling us that the amount of rain we experienced was unusual, which I choose to believe. Though part of me suspects they might also have been trying to make us feel better about our slightly soggy holiday.
Where we stayed
We stayed in a mix of budget and luxury accommodation across different parts of Phuket.
- Bandalo Boutique Hotel, Patong: around $100 per night
- The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa (hosted): around $344 per night
- Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort (hosted): around $440 per night
- Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Nai Yang Beach (hosted): around $599 per night
- JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa (hosted): around $440 per night
I’ll be sharing full, detailed hotel reviews separately so this post doesn’t turn into a novel.
Food
Hands down, the best food of my life.
Prices varied, but the quality was incredibly consistent. We ate at tiny local restaurants where meals started at around $7.50, and we also enjoyed resort-style dining when we felt like it. No matter where we ate, the food was fresh, flavourful, and memorable.
Getting around
We used a mix of Grab and a local driver named Tin Hiace, who was absolutely lovely and incredibly reliable. Getting around Phuket, Thailand was easy, affordable, and low stress, and we never felt the need to hire a car.
Money
I took a mix of cash and used my Wise card, and I also withdrew money from ATMs while we were there.
All up, I spent around $2000 over the 10 days on food, transport, activities, and massages. Phuket felt very manageable from a budgeting point of view, especially considering how high-quality everything was.
What we did in Phuket, Thailand
The main purpose of this trip was to celebrate my sister’s 40th birthday, so we weren’t rushing around trying to tick everything off a list.
We explored Old Phuket Town, did one boat trip out to the Phi Phi Islands, and spent a lot of our time swimming, eating, relaxing, and enjoying where we were staying. It was more about being together than doing everything.
Final thoughts on our stay in Phuket, Thailand
I’ve been to Thailand before, but that trip involved long filming days and not much downtime. This time, I really got to be there. To slow down. To notice things. To enjoy it properly.
Even with the rain, I’ve completely fallen in love with Phuket.
More to come 💛
