Phuket was a dream. In fact, months later, and I'm still dreaming about it. I talked to a few people who went to Thailand and didn't even explore the islands. PEOPLE. If you're going this far away, you must explore the islands. The hardest part is choosing which islands to explore. Especially if you're like us, and didn't have, you know, a whole month to look around. The good part? You can't really go wrong. I mean, whatever islands you choose, it's going to be gorgeous. The only thing you need to be aware of is WHEN to go. We went late October into early November. We beat the crowds apparently, but the rainy season was just getting over.
First & Foremost....
You'll go to restaurants that have 100-page long menus. Why? Because they are trying to satisfy literally every tourist in the world. I love them for caring about us, but we'd suggest you just eat the freakin curry. Eat chicken curry with rice wherever you go.
Look at this piece of heaven! Pair curry with a bottled Coke, and your tummy couldn't love you more. I personally don't like spicy food (I wish I did). So if you are the same as me, don't say "little spice." Say "no spice." Ha! Even little spice was killing my taste buds. I'm a woos, I admit.
Get a Hotel on the Beach
This isn't necessarily difficult to do in Phuket. Because Thailand is so cheap, we paid about $35/night in a 5-star hotel. You can certainly go cheaper, but in my opinion, it's pretty fun to go all out live a little luxuriously (Can I even call it luxurious if it was only $35/night?). I suppose it depends on what you're trying to accomplish. A few of my friends had a goal to spend as little as possible. That's pretty awesome, too! We stayed at Chanalai Garden Resort. The beach was across the street and it made for a gorgeous view. I'd highly recommend it!
Visit Bamboo Island & hire a freakin Gondola driver man
Bamboo Island is a part of Phi Phi Islands. It was gorgeous. My recommendation? Go early in the morning. There were so many tourists when we went. But it was still ah-mazing. I sorta fell in love with the gondola boats. If you follow me on Instagram, you were more than likely annoyed with all of my posts. But they are just so cute. And they are pretty obligatory for Thailand, don't ya think?
Monkey Island?
One of my biggest to-do's while in Thailand was to go to Monkey Island. When we went, we were told that there were recent monkey attacks and people were getting hurt because they were feeding them. Freaky, ehh? The monkey's will also steal your sunglasses and belongings. Most people walked away wishing they hadn't gone. I was sorta bummed to hear this, but the boat we were on drove past an area with lots of monkey's. We threw food to them and they were jumping from all over the place swimming around to get the food. It was pretty entertaining! (PS, look at that water. Millions of heart eyes!)
Viking Cave
Viking Cave was really incredible to see. The cave was named due to the drawings that were found inside of the cave on the walls that resemble ancient viking ships. Apparently, the cave is no longer open for tourists; however, you can drive by it to look at it. It's north of Pilay Bay on the east coast of Phi Phi Ley.
Pileh Lagoon
This was probably one of the prettiest sights we saw while in Thailand. Photos just don't do it justice. It really was breathtaking. We snorkeled here and I never thought I'd see clearer water than Bahama Blue water. It's indescribable!
Maya Bay
One of the most famous islands in Phi Phi. It's where "The Beach" was filmed, if you've ever seen that! T'was gorgeous indeed.
Rent a Scooter
I was anti-motorcycle before going to Thailand. We rented scooters (for $6/day!!!!) and rode around the island. It was honestly the best decision ever. I was a bit hesitant, but HIGHLY recommend doing this in Phi Phi. I'm not quite sure if I'd feel safe riding around in Chiang Mai or Bangkok, but it wasn't near as bad in Phuket...probably because the majority of the island is one lane each way. Trev and I had the funnest time breezing around and adventuring to different beaches.
Nai Harn Beach
I was lucky enough to have a contact in Phuket that I asked a few questions to. He let me know that a popular beach that's not crazy touristy that many locals go to is Nai Harn Beach. And the sunsets are incredible. Trust me. Rent a scooter. Drive to Nai Harn Beach. Fall in love. Make out on the beach, maybe. Ahhhh. There are also temples around the beach that you can explore. Restaurants and shops are fun to gander around as well.
I was lucky enough to have a contact in Phuket that I asked a few questions to. He let me know that a popular beach that's not crazy touristy that many locals go to is Nai Harn Beach. And the sunsets are incredible. Trust me. Rent a scooter. Drive to Nai Harn Beach. Fall in love. Make out on the beach, maybe. Ahhhh. There are also temples around the beach that you can explore. Restaurants and shops are fun to gander around as well.
We went on a scooter ride up the canyon to see Big Buddha. This was incredible. It's funny because the photos don't even show how large Buddha really is. It overlooks the island & is a MUST. Just be sure you're covered up. Because if you're like me, they make you put modest clothing on. I was oblivious and didn't do my research prior to going. It was a bit embarrassing but I'm grateful for the opportunity to experience the culture!
This was another spot we stopped at while riding our motorcycles. It's a stunning viewpoint (where you can also hold some eagles, too!) Completely free and a must-do while you're there.
