Phuket

Day 233 (February 16, 2019) – Phuket, Thailand

Our first stop in Thailand landed us in Phuket (the “h” is silent), one of the main gateways to the Thai islands. Although Phuket is itself an island it’s so large that just trying to figure out which part to stay in is a challenge. So rather than planting ourselves in one spot for a week, we took the opportunity to visit three different parts of the island over nine days. We spent four days in Patong, three days in Kata, and two days in Phuket Town. These places were strikingly different from one another but in a way they each provided a different atmosphere so that anyone can find something to like on Phuket. No matter where we were on the island, we were never far away from the crowds, but at the same time we were also never far away from a pristine tropical beach.

Patong

Patong is insane. We had read that Patong can be a little on the crazy side with its unrestrained nightlife, but it’s hard to believe it until you see it. It’s easy to see how Patong came about as a tourist destination. There is a gorgeous beach with clear water that runs along the coast for miles. No matter where you are in town you’re never far from the beach, but you’re going to have to share it with everyone else who is there for the same thing. There are thousands of umbrellas and chairs set up in the sand. We rented a setup for only a few dollars for the day. The water was refreshing, and the beach was nicer than most we found in Bali.

Patong Beach. It's certainly pretty but it's also packed with people.

The beach is secondary, however, to Patong’s main attraction: the nightlife. It’s unavoidable. Even if you wanted nothing to do with it, just walking to dinner will often take you past all the action. There are bars to cater to every taste. Depending on one’s leanings it can be anything from shocking to liberating. Although it seemed a bit over the top at first, I ultimately ended up enjoying the chaotic atmosphere for the simple fact that regardless of whatever you were into, no one seemed to care or be bothered by it. Everyone was looking for a good time, each in their own way.

Over the top bars and clubs on Bangla Road.

Live music was everywhere. A drink gets you a table inside or you can simply listen from outside on the street.

Bangla Road is the main drag and it feels a bit like a miniature Vegas strip but without the casinos. Lots of people walking down the street with drinks in hand, mesmerized by all the flashing lights, street performers, and blaring music. Each bar also had employees out on the street trying to pull you into their establishment by advertising drink specials, pretty girls, massages, and much more. There were tons of bars with live music, even more with scantily clad go-go dancers, and plenty of Thai women waiting for an interested customer to buy them a drink and hopefully something more later in the night. Nothing is considered shameful and nothing is hidden behind walls or doors. All the bars are open to the air and you can see everything that’s going on before you even step inside.

Bangla Road at night.

One of the countless go-go bars along the strip.

There are gay bars as well. They are similarly not concerned about what anyone thinks of them and do as they please. The best part about them were their cabaret shows. Having no fear, drag queens take to the street to perform choreographed lip-synch routines using parked cars and motorcycles as props. One of the performers would act as traffic cop, telling cars to wait and then directing them through when the routine allowed it.

Drag queens performing in the street. The white car was trying to drive down the road.

Kata

After Patong we went to the much more chilled out Kata Beach area. It was only a 15-minute drive south, but it felt a world away. There were still plenty of people and activity, but the craziness of Patong was left behind. The beach was just as pretty as Patong if not more, so we took two of our days to do nothing but lounge in the sun. When the sun started to set, we made our way over to the north end of the beach to grab a pair of cheap beers and enjoy them in lounge chairs in the shade.

Kata beach. The north end actually got some shade from the trees in the afternoon.

The food ever since we arrived in Thailand had been amazing, but Kata seemed to add an interesting culinary flair by catering to two of the island’s major tourist groups: Chinese and Russians. Most menus where as thick as books because everything was translated into four languages: Thai, English, Chinese, and Russian. Chinese restaurants are never hard to find so it’s no surprise we found them around Kata beach, but we were also able to find a handful of Russian restaurants, which isn’t something you run into every day. We went to one of them for dinner one night and had a meal of borscht, stroganoff, and potatoes while surrounded by Russian speaking patrons and wait staff. It was a fun meal and I feel like we got a small dose of Russian culture in a place we never expected to find it.

Kata Beach looks a lot like the one at Patong, but far fewer people.

Borscht and beer. Not what we expected to find in Thailand.

Phuket Town

Phuket Town was a pleasant surprise. It’s one of the few places on Phuket island that’s not right on a beach, so I was a bit skeptical at first. However, it ended up being a charming town that I would have liked to spend more time in.

Around Phuket Town.

While there weren’t any major attractions to see, the few blocks that made up the downtown area were enjoyable to walk along. The architecture was interesting with lots of vibrantly colored buildings lining all the streets. The city was also still decorated up for Chinese New Year with lanterns hanging across the streets that lit up at night. There was also a night market where for only a few dollars we got an enormous dinner made up of a dozen small bites that we picked up from each of the different stalls. Noodles, fish cakes, spring rolls, spicy papaya salad, and a fried dough dessert were all delicious.

There was a really good Italian pizza place on this street in Phuket Town. 

The only downside to our time in Phuket Town was our accommodation. It was the smallest room we had ever been in. It was almost comical how we had to crawl over one another to get around. The bed took up 90% of the floor space so there was hardly any room for our bags, let alone the contents of them. Despite the room, Phuket Town would have been a nice play to stay for a few more days and plan more of our trip. Great restaurants, a cute downtown area, and not much else to act as a distraction.

A mouth full of fried fish cakes from the night market.