Phuket, Patong Beach

lux

New Member
Hey I just spot the thread...

Anyway I stayed at Baan Laimai. It isnt too bad... their spa was good as well. It will be better to get the higher range of accomodation. I think it just an additional 200 baht but the concept is much more nicer. I stayed at their normal rooms and I find it adequate.

Ben, The stretch along patong is the best place to shop because there are so many alleys and nooks and cranny for you to discover. I was there post and pre tsunami and I find the place almost the same. Seafood is good all around I reckon.. we just walk along the stretch and find any 1 we thought was comfortable and plonk ourselves there.

Hope that helps..
 


midas

New Member
hi,

i saw in some online hotel review mention tat Baan Sukhothai is quite noisy coz its located in the nite club area...lots of 'ah kuahs' loitering around. i recommend u tis nice 3star hotel which is 10mins walk away...'Deevana resort' cheap and good. we paid 200bht more and stayed in their Deluxe Spa wing room, got private jacuzzi..
happy.gif


http://www.deevanapatong.com/index.html

u can book tis hotel at sawadee too...but u may want to compare pricing wif tis website too..

http://www.hotels2thailand.com/phuket-hotels/Deevana-Patong-Resort-Spa.asp

i booked thru hotel2thailand last yr, their prices r the lowest.

gd luck..
 

lux

New Member
Frankly there isnt a good shopping centre in patong. Maybe you can go to Phuket town for shopping I reckon. They probably have upmarket stuff like Big C and such...

At patong, the most establish shopping center will be the one in bangla street. Which is the area where ah kuas, night clubs and tiger show are abundant. I am not too sure of the name though however is smaller than say your neighbourhood place i.e. rivervale mall or punggol plaza..etc..

Most recommendable shopping will be the strip along patong beach...
 

alhana

New Member
If you wanna go shopping at shopping centres, might as well make a detour to BKK after your trip to Phuket...that's what we did. Phuket shopping is more along the lines of pasar malam stalls..can bargain and stuff..quite fun.
 

lph

New Member
im gg to phuket next week and wld like to find out the transport. i supposed there wld b lotsa tuktuk n taxi around? how much does it cost to go from karon to patong? i'll b staying at karon area.
n how late will patong be open? heard that its a dead town during the day. whats the operating hrs of the market n cafes over there?
 

midas

New Member
patong is not dead during the day...only the 'ah kuah' street is dead in the day. the rest of the town is like normal JB type shop houses, got kopi shop and eatery and gift shops etc.
 

lph

New Member
wat abt karon area? i'll b staying at the access pool resort. any night activities or shoppin in karon? my fren went a few mths back n paid 500Bh per way for the transport from karon to patong. is it so expensive?
 

midas

New Member
wah 500bht per way...he kena con by the tuk tuk driver liao lah. we took a 'private taxi' only about 1600bht for whole day transport..10am-8pm.
 

midas

New Member
sorry...my whole day transport means a private guided tour where he drove us to phuket town, birdnest shopping, sunset viewing n all the famous beaches etc.
 

marbridegroom

New Member
Any try ATV before? how much?

I am staying near patong beach and would like to check with anyone about their experience on this. Also, how you go there from where you stay?
 

lph

New Member
he ask a few tuk tuk driver n everyone quoted 500Baht...mayb tat is their asking price n need to bargain???
 

dazednconfused

New Member
Heading to Phuket in a few weeks. Booked Deevana -Deluxe Spa Wing Room. The one with the private jacuzzi! Looking forward to it!!
happy.gif
And yes, we booked thru hotels2thailand.com. Thinking of renting a car just for a day while we're there. IS that a good idea???
 

midas

New Member
hi L.S,

we din rent a car there so can't help u on tat one sorry...but i hv a map of phuket town, PM me if u want it.


hi LPH,

yar...in phuket everything need to bargain, otherwise u kena chop until jialat jialat. if its me, i'll pay max. 200bht for the trip. karon is not tat far from phuket (about 15mins), not as if u need to travel 45mins like going to the airport...and pple charge about 600-700bht for tat.
 

babyelaine

New Member
treetops arasia at phuket s gd for honeymoon. or romantic escapade.. oni at 400 bucks per pax w free massage session.. nt a bad deal..
happy.gif
 

lph

New Member
treetops arasia has beautiful rooms too but it's not near to the beach. my fren who went a few mths back said that the beach is not very beautiful.
 

adeletes

New Member
hi all,

need an advise. i will be going in sept what other activities would you suggest? i will be going for diving, snokelling, island hopping... etc will be there for 4 days 3 nights thingy in Banthai resort.

oh yes an question... if we need to get transport from airport to resort (patong beach) what you will suggest? minibus or cab, i will be travelling with my hubby.
 

midas

New Member
hi adeline,

u shld hv asked for the option to book airport transfer when u book ur hotel. otherwise, u'll be subjected to harassment of private taxis and tuk tuk drivers and depending on ur bargaining skills u may or may not end up paying more for transport. oh ya, from airport to patong beach better take a car coz need to drive over a hill...tuk tuk may not hv enuf horse power for tat (i've seen them climbing the slopes like snails).

as for activities...u can try snorkelling tours like phi phi island tours (book the speedboat one, ex a bit but u get to drop off at the shores of private islands), elephant rides, phuket fantesea etc. can book at one of the local agency.
 

beetlebug

New Member
Went to Andaman Beach Resort. Private beach but only about 200m. Quite disappointing. The rooms are ok but the resort is not very new...a bit run down. Food is only so-so. The pool is quite big and the beach is a few steps away from the Villa so those are the only plus points.
 

lux

New Member
Anyone who is going to Phuket for a holiday soon? I got a complimentary voucher for a night stay at Central Resort at Karon Beach or Kata Beach valid till the end of the year, 21st Dec' 06. All they need is a 14 day advance reservation and you are ready to go.

Letting go at $30. Anyone interested please email me at [email protected]
 

deannen

New Member
Hey guys

im gg Phuket this Friday by Tigerairways...
hw to get from airport to Patong area hotel har?
sound quite 'scary' dat we be harassed by those cabbies..when i was in BKK, i rem paying not more than 300baht from airport to MBK.
But i also heard dat the drivers in Phuket dun on their meter (not like BKK) so ve to bargain on a fixed price..
anyone ve any idea hw much is reasonable to pay?
thks =)
 

dazednconfused

New Member
Hello...
In Phuket now.
HOT! HOT! HOT! Slather that sunscreen lotion!
To get to our hotel(Deevana in Patong Beach) form the airport, we took a mini bus service (a van, lah) for 150Baht per pax. Very reasonable. They brought us straight to the hotel. There were other tourists in the van heading to other hotels of course. Today, we're exploring Phuket Town. Going shopping at the malls where there's air conditioning.
happy.gif
Oh... Right outside the hotel, there's a very decent spa (Oriental Thai Massage) that offers aromatheraphy massage for only 400Baht/hr. A fraction of what the hotel spa charges. And it's a nice place. Tastefully furnished. Not sleazy at all. Going back again tomorrow!!
 

deannen

New Member
Hi guys

im back from Phuket =) fantsatic place with lotsa nice pple with warm smiles =) Just ve to share this with u guys...
Like L.S. we took the mini bus from Phuket airport to my hotel (Burasari)for 150baht/pax..abt 45 mins ride...look out for those wearing yellow top guys.
The resort im staying there is the best dat i ve ever stayed in for a beach resort..all thanks to the various threads on this resort...
weather's hot!! u get tanned very easily so beware if u r by the beach tanning..by half an hour, u can look like a red lobster liao =)
i had my massage/ mani/ pedi all by the beach..
nothing much to shop though unless u like those fake billabongs etc etc. All the shops sell almost the same thing.
wanted to take a day trip to Phi Phi Island but decided not too as they are charging 1200baht for the trip by speedboat..insisted that we tour the other islands (3 islands in total when we only wanted Phi Phi island - Maya bay=)..but we had a gd time @ our resort..we booked 2 months in adv thus the price was much cheaper & we got the deluxe suite with private pool access..so once u r out on ur sundeck..the pool is just 2 steps down..super duper romantic =)
chatted with a few guys there who went thru the tsunami & lost their family..so sad =( but they are coping well...a place with rich culture & super friendly pple with extraordinary svc...thumbs up!
 

bailey

New Member
Below is a review from Tripadvisor.com abt Deevana Resort.

"We stayed at this resort on 23 Dec, 26-28 Dec 05 when we were doing a liveaboard diving trip.

Location
The biggest drawback with this resort is it’s location - which is really quite far away from any beaches, Patong area, Phuket town and lacks other dining alternatives. The resort’s surrounding area is not appealing – consisting of unused plots of land, padi fields and resembles the countryside. However, my wife and I liked waking up to chirping birds in the morning and watching buffalos graze in the nearby fields.

Nearby Place of interest
Every Tuesday and Friday (4.30pm to 10pm), there is a local open-air market on the compounds of a Buddhist temple nearby. It is a 15-20 mins walk (turn right after the main gate) along the main road outside the resort. This road will lead to a small town (which you passed by from the airport). Turn right at the first traffic light and you will see the entrance or at least smell the BBQ. At this colourful market, you will get all sorts of local food and fare – this is where the locals come and we were lucky to chance upon it.

Transportation
The resort has shuttle bus services to Laguna Beach which is free with 3 departures/return daily, Patong Beach (400 Baht per person for a return trip, 3 trips a day) and Phuket Town (350 Baht per person for a return trip, 3 trips a day). If you miss the transfer back at the specified times, you have to return using local taxis. I did not fing the cost, frequency and timings of these shuttles ideal. We did not use any of these but through a local contact, we hired a car with driver for a full day (11am to 9pm) for 1,100 Baht. We went shopping at Phuket Town and Patong and had dinner at Chalong Bay.

Rooms
Rooms are new, clean and tastefully decorated. Fixtures are new, the aircon worked very well. The furniture is made of solid wood. Some rooms do not have bathtubs or balconies though. All rooms come with fridge. For families, there are bigger suites that are very nice indeed. As the resort is relatively new, there could be a few problems here and there. In our room, the shower spray did not work very well and plunger on the basin was missing.

Facilities
There is a smallish gym in a separate standalone hut and a pool but we did not use this.

Spa
We did not try the spa either as there are much cheaper and more options available in Patong.

Service
Cannot flaw the Thai people for their friendliness and service level. They were all very helpful and served with a smile so long as they understand what you are requesting. Some could understand English better than other. When we were there, the resort was well occupied and the reception tends to be the busiest. You just need to remind the staff about your request if they get busy.

We were upgraded to a suite after we told the front desk that we needed a bathtub and balcony to wash and dry our diving gear.

While checking out, we overheard a customer complaining about not having hot water for shower 2 days in room 205 and not being able to get any food from the restaurant at 9.30pm.

Food
Food at the resort’s restaurant was only average. For dinner, the green curry chicken was bland but the steam river prawns and Tom Yam soup were tasty. The wine (2 glasses of house red) is expensive. For the same price (1500 Baht) at Chalong Bay the next night, we had steamed whole grouper, steamed prawns, BBQ squid, Thai salad, vege dish, Tom Yam Kung and a bottle of red.

Airport Transfers
The resort’s relatively new Mercedes mini-vans with leather seats were very comfortable for the 15 min ride to the airport.

Internal water features
The resort built a moat around its premises and there is a large central pond where the restaurant is located. The water tends to be still and on warm days, there is really a stench. Don’t really have a problem with mosquitos there but I am not as sensitive to bugs as others may be.

Conclusion
Stay here for the nice rooms, peace and quiet. Provided the resort continue to offer the unbeatable on-line promotions and you have a cost effective transportation alternatives"
 

midas

New Member
hi beetle,

i've personally stayed at Deevana b4...the patong beach is only 10mins walk away. not tat far lah..the fella tat wrote the review must be fat and lazy to walk. i din see any padi fields in tat area...is he talking about the same resort? 15mins ride to the airport? must be a mistake...from airport to patong beach needs 45mins. must be a different Deevana bah.

maybe L.S. can gv some comments? u juz came back from phuket rite? how's Deevana?
 

bailey

New Member
Hi midas,
my prev trip to phuket, i was staying @ karon area. my next coming up trip will decide to stick ard patong.
thanks for ur recommendation for deevana. hope can get a good deal soon from 1 of the many reservation website.
 

bailey

New Member
hi L.S & Deannen,
may i know is there a counter @ the airport arrv hall to book for this mini-van service to patong?

my flight will arrv @ 8pm. do u hv any ideas is there still any service from the mini-van?

Thanks!
 

midas

New Member
hi beetle,

no problem, PM me if u need a patong map.
patong is definitely more happening than karon area
happy.gif
 

deannen

New Member
Hi bettle bailey

there are counters along your exit way but i am not sure of their pricing though.
I booked thru one of the guys in yellow top. U can see a whole bunch of them when u r outside (abt 150baht per pax) u will ve to share with a couple of others & they will drop u off one by one - but all along the Patong stretch so no worries.
However if u r travelling in a group of 4 then u can get the cab (it is a toyota camry) they dun ve those proper cabs there,,abt 500baht..also from those yellow top guys..more worthwhile=)
Hope this helps =)
 

dazednconfused

New Member
Hello...
About Deevana Resort and Spa in Patong Beach...

We had a pleasant stay there. The beach is a 10min walk away. There is a free hotel shuttle that will take you there at certain times of the day. Have to check with the hotel on the timings. We booked a Deluxe Room at the Spa Wing. Lovely. The private outdoor jacuzzi was a very nice touch. The shower area in the bathroom is huge! No worries about space. The breakfast buffet was adequate. Nothing fantastic, but it was definitely sufficient.

bettle bailey,
There is a large counter right where the exit doors are at o your hotel. Transport in Phuket is costly. Much more so than in Bangkok. There are no metre taxis. Only private flat-fare taxis. Our trip to the airport from Patong cost us 480Baht. We were driven to the airport in a Honda Civic. I hope I have helped in some way!
 

kurera

New Member
Hi Ladies

You mean the transportation to patong beach is by flat-fare rate izit? I prefer meters one like BKK.

If it's flat rate..will it be better to book a private taxi for full day? Ummm....

Anybody got recommendation of any good restaurants at Patong? Will be staying at Banyan Tree which is not very near patong..so which exact ocation (near shopping place) should I be alighting?
 

dazednconfused

New Member
CAT,
Yes, we couldn't find meter taxis in Phuket. Not one. You may wish to look into booking a taxi for a full day. We didn't do that as we didn't see the need to. Our vacation in Phuket was a relaxing one... Long afternoons lazing on the beach, spa treatments, etc. Don't worry about food. Plenty of food outlets in Phuket. Plenty. I hope you enjoy your trip there!
 

alina

New Member
Hi gals!

Anyone just came back from Phuket? I'm intending to travel in early Oct but concerned abt the rainy skies. Any comments?
Thanks!
 

jmkoek

New Member
holiday INN phuket is the best in location and their new wing , the busakorn is simply gorgeous. no need for a tuk -tuk at all, everything can be found there even watson's, in Oct it's the most rainy season but i have been there regularly in total abt 10 times to phuket... the rain comes and goes, only thing is you may not be able to take the speed boat tours to go island hop as it's not reccomended, however if you want to just relax, the pools at holiay in is fine, the rain often comes for like 10-30mins and stops, you would like to also check out loi krathong festival during october
the beautiful beeach is lit up with floating krathongs and air ballons. very romantic. if you believ you can also set a float your own offering of krathong.
 

bailey

New Member
thanks everyone for their help and comments.
our flight is departing in abt 15mins time.
q a rushed decision to go to phuket despite the political situation in their country now.

hope i can provide u guys with more pics and recommendations after our trip.
 

adeletes

New Member
hi all,

the suitation in phuket is clam, as we just arrived singapore from phuket yesterday morning. in fact at least both my hubby and i didnt feel any form of political tension from the local ppl even in the phuket town itself and outside phuket (Phang Nga). except maybe you will see the flags for the loyals (yellow), and the thai state flag is placed everywhere you go, and thats all!
 

sanmigu

New Member
Hi anyone just came back from phuket? Other than Deevana Resort any other recommendation? Would prefer is have swimming pool within the resort....Tx
 

midas

New Member
hi sanmigu,

Deevana has 3 pools within the resort...if u stay in the Deluxe spa wing room, u will hv the private jacuzzi at ur balcony n direct access to the pool
happy.gif


u may view my phuket pics here:

midas400.multiply.com/photos
 

bailey

New Member
hi sanmigu,
most of the resorts will hv their own swimming pool.it actually depends on wat other requirements or pull factors u hv. e.g.
-location
-price
-facilities
-surrounding ammentities
-decor and comfyiness of the room

so i think b4 we can start to recommend u wat we know...its better if u tell us more abt wat u want.
 

bailey

New Member
our trip to phuket is pretty dampening. i guess tis is expected during the rainy and low-peak season.

thanks to L.S & Deannen, we rem to keep our eyes wide open to look out for the min-van taxi service counter on our way out from the arrival hall.

it's 150bt per pax to patong beach area and send u right up to ur respective hotel.
but for those travellers who are in groups of more than 3pax or for those are in a rush for time, should juz Q up for a taxi instead.

we waited abt 10mins for the mini van taxi to be filled up with abt 6 more other passengers before starting our journey.since patong is a more popular choice so i guess this should be the normal waiting time. but for beaches, im not sure how long hv to wait.

NOTE : pls keep an eye on ur luggage after the mini-van driver has store ur bags behind the van. cos the door is still open and its possible that anyone who walks past is able to grab a piecce of the luggage.

then halfway on the journey,the mini-van stopped in front of a travel agency which told us some incomprehensible excuse using their thai-style english and made everyone to alight and visit their shop b4 we can continue with our journey.

no wonder we felt kinda strange when the van drove off from the airport without asking each of us abt our destination hotel to drop us.

of cos we din pay for any day trips or tours with that agency. its already 9pm, and we are already dying to get our hotel room and slump onto the comfy bed or grab a bite of the thai food.
 

sanmigu

New Member
Hi Bailey, midas and adeline...thanks for ur info. Is the mini van that u gals mentioning able to send ppl to Kata Beach as well? Tx
 

bailey

New Member
hi san,
if i'm not wrong the mini-van will send pple to the diff beaches but charges will differ. so i'm not sure how much it costs to go to kata.
 



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