First time in Phuket, recommendations please

[turtlezhu]

Well, seems not only your friends but some people here have reading comprehension problem as well. You tell that you need a quiet beach away from crowds and they stick you with a mall from 5 min walking from Patong.... sigh.

Anyway, I did find and book my place. Surin beach. New hotel, opened 4 month ago. With Expedia voucher and discount comes like $110/night. Bur considering that I meant US $80 in the original posting, should be not that bad.

What hotel is that please update us after your stay. And hope you have a great holiday.

 

[invisible999]

But generally I don't like Phuket as its quite expensive.

Is the same situation with Krabi?

What I see right now based on lodging, services, food prices - Bali/Jogja is 2x and more cheaper.

Well, never been in Thailand and just wanted to cross it off the list.

There will be ppl who will tell you how much cheaper they able to book the same hotel as yours.

"The dogs bark, but the caravan goes on" (C).

So, just enjoy.

Thanks. If anybody have taken rafting/kayaking activities there and you liked it - would you please share the experience, where did you book it and how much did it cost?

What hotel is that please update us after your stay. And hope you have a great holiday.

This is the hotel. Here it is on map.

Considering that there are just 20 reviews on Booking.com - it just opened.

 

[turtlezhu]

Is the same situation with Krabi?

What I see right now based on lodging, services, food prices - Bali/Jogja is 2x and more cheaper.

Well, never been in Thailand and just wanted to cross it off the list.



"The dogs bark, but the caravan goes on" (C).



Thanks. If anybody have taken rafting/kayaking activities there and you liked it - would you please share the experience, where did you book it and how much did it cost?


This is the hotel. Here it is on map.

Considering that there are just 20 reviews on Booking.com - it just opened.

nice hotel looks good. enjoy the sea breeze in the evening. chill to a bottle of champagne.

 

[invisible999]

nice hotel looks good. enjoy the sea breeze in the evening. chill to a bottle of champagne.

Regarding the last - I don't drink. Probably will enjoy iced thai tea.

Is anybody familiar with the aria Surin/Kamala? Would you recommend a places to eat (preferable street food) and have massage to ease back and neck pain?

 

[turtlezhu]

Regarding the last - I don't drink. Probably will enjoy iced thai tea.

Is anybody familiar with the aria Surin/Kamala? Would you recommend a places to eat (preferable street food) and have massage to ease back and neck pain?

thai iced tea and have a dip in the pool during sunset would be nice too after a long day activity.

 

[gohjlb]

we have more ppl tats why we booked the van for 700b lol ...
at least no need to wait for others ...
would straight away go to your hotel no need stop here n there
later ppl inside the van talk very loud, u sure gg ...
more privacy also ...
if u 4 pax, 180*4 = 720 b ... is more expensive than own driver 700b

yeah true .

 

[loveaddict]

Would recommend you to stay near junceylon mall ...
junceylon mall is the biggest shopping mall in phuket ...
there r many restaurants and fast food there

restaurant for example, fried rice is at least 150b ...
fast food, macdonald is 8sgd for fillet o fish ala carte, or 11sgd for a meal
the price is not cheap over there

unlike bangkok, there is super limited number of taxi ...
doubt they would go by meter is very common thee ...
normally the tuk tuk there would ask for 200b for going to place nearby, such as within 10min ... if you r staying at a hotel which is far from shopping mall, perhaps abt 20min drive, maybe they would ask for 400b ...

airport to junceylon shopping area is abt 75min ...
we book our own driver. he drove a van, picked us from airport ... abt 700b for us ..

we also booked day tour, 5hrs is abt 1200b ...
can bring u to temple, big buddha, bee farm, cashew nut factory, etc

where did you book the driver from?

 

[dede1217]

where did you book the driver from?

We engaged his service.
https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Show...our_Service_Day_Tours-Phuket_Town_Phuket.html
He charges us 700b for 3 pax from airport to hotel near junycelon mall. He would ask his guy to fetch us. So far twice last year, he uses aa pax van to fetch us. His driver is always on time.

So only us inside the van, no others.
Which is very good for us as there is privacy.

 

[invisible999]

We engaged his service.
https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Show...our_Service_Day_Tours-Phuket_Town_Phuket.html

How much time does it take for him to reply?

Send a request via website, no reply.

 

[dede1217]

How much time does it take for him to reply?

Send a request via website, no reply.

we whatsapp him .. took 1 or 2 days to reply .

 

[santa74]

Is the same situation with Krabi?

What I see right now based on lodging, services, food prices - Bali/Jogja is 2x and more cheaper.

Well, never been in Thailand and just wanted to cross it off the list.



"The dogs bark, but the caravan goes on" (C).



Thanks. If anybody have taken rafting/kayaking activities there and you liked it - would you please share the experience, where did you book it and how much did it cost?


This is the hotel. Here it is on map.

Considering that there are just 20 reviews on Booking.com - it just opened.

Bro, when will you planning to go there? Please let us know about the hotel after you came back as me and my wife also plan to go Phuket in end March for the first time. Thanks in advance.

 

[invisible999]

Bro, when will you planning to go there? Please let us know about the hotel after you came back as me and my wife also plan to go Phuket in end March for the first time. Thanks in advance.

Will be there on 19th of Feb. The hotel opened just a week ago.

 

[thespinsterella]

Regarding the last - I don't drink. Probably will enjoy iced thai tea.

Is anybody familiar with the aria Surin/Kamala? Would you recommend a places to eat (preferable street food) and have massage to ease back and neck pain?

Kamala has pasar malam but I'm not sure on which days. There's street food and we taobao some and ate at the hotel.

There's a pakistani shop by the beach that sells shiok pakistani food but of course ppl go Phuket to eat Thai food and not Pakistani food.

So far, the nicest Thai food I had were at Nai Harn and Patong.
If you can ride, I suggest you rent a scooter so you can ride to Patong/Nai Harn etc to get nice food.

There's nothing much to do in Kamala anyway.

 

[invisible999]

So far, the nicest Thai food I had were at Nai Harn and Patong.
If you can ride, I suggest you rent a scooter so you can ride to Patong/Nai Harn etc to get nice food.

Rented a car. So tasty (does not mean expensive) food place recommendations are welcome.

 

[thespinsterella]

Rented a car. So tasty (does not mean expensive) food place recommendations are welcome.

Saveena Muslim Food - 220/3 Phrabarami Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket, Thailand - Must try their steamed lime fish. Super nice. Their thai fried chicken was good too.

For Nai Harn, there are several shops near Two Villas Office @ Saiyuan-Kata Road that serve delicious but cheap food. I can't remember their names though. :-/

 

[invisible999]

Bro, when will you planning to go there? Please let us know about the hotel after you came back as me and my wife also plan to go Phuket in end March for the first time. Thanks in advance.

What hotel is that please update us after your stay. And hope you have a great holiday.

See my summary thread in this forum. I obviously won't return back for the reasons outlined. I stayed at the third floor on a corner unit.

I would recommend to stay there if:

- during check-in you with receptions go thru with all items in the list they give you and either return everything you do not need or not going to use and/or make sure that the quantity matches the list. If teaspoon will get missing except them to charge you 250THB for that. So, you got an idea.

- ask them to get a room AWAY from ends of the buildings because there is still construction going on on the lobby floor and if you plan to stay in room, they start drilling after 8:30AM

- avoid staying on the first floor in the right side of the building (if you face the building from the road) - it overlooks restaurant and is always noisy.

- you do not mind large number of Russians staying there. Mostly of them are families, not gangsta looking types with cross hanging from gold chain - these are at Patong.

- you need to have a car or expect to pay large amount of money to get around. Drive to Kamala (next place, 5min) is 400THB ($8) one way.

- if you plan to open your doors to enjoy the sound of waves, you will have to close it soon due to the noise from traffic (mostly motorcycles) and some morons shooting fireworks from beach. Fireworks are not the same level you get at Patong, but still loud 'boom' in the 11:30PM when you are in your bed trying to sleep or just outside swimming in the infinity pool - not a great idea, if you ask me.


But the view from rooms and from the balcony are just great - you need to be there to see it. So if you stay at the 3rd or 4th floor in the middle of the building, it would be the best.

 

[invisible999]

Saveena Muslim Food - 220/3 Phrabarami Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket, Thailand - Must try their steamed lime fish. Super nice. Their thai fried chicken was good too.

For Nai Harn, there are several shops near Two Villas Office @ Saiyuan-Kata Road that serve delicious but cheap food. I can't remember their names though. :-/

Ended up to have the best Pad Thai I've tested - in front of the mosque in Surin, there are several (three, actually) street food vendors. One of them is a lovely lady which prepares prepares pad thai in front of you and it is 50THB ($2). As I said - the best I've tried.

 

[travellover]

I aiming Sri Panwa if hubby agree to go Phuket for upcoming next trip. Any1 stay there before can share your review?

 

[invisible999]

See my summary thread in this forum. I obviously won't return back for the reasons outlined.

Seems we were not alone at this hotel where staff is running scams trying to extort money, see other guy's review:

"At checkout they wanted me to pay 1200 bat for 'lost' beach towel which was not there at all. I have refused and they have let me go."

http://www.booking.com/hotel/th/surin-beach-resort-surin-beach.en-gb.html

So, one word - AVOID staying there.

 

[santa74]

See my summary thread in this forum. I obviously won't return back for the reasons outlined. I stayed at the third floor on a corner unit.

I would recommend to stay there if:

- during check-in you with receptions go thru with all items in the list they give you and either return everything you do not need or not going to use and/or make sure that the quantity matches the list. If teaspoon will get missing except them to charge you 250THB for that. So, you got an idea.

- ask them to get a room AWAY from ends of the buildings because there is still construction going on on the lobby floor and if you plan to stay in room, they start drilling after 8:30AM

- avoid staying on the first floor in the right side of the building (if you face the building from the road) - it overlooks restaurant and is always noisy.

- you do not mind large number of Russians staying there. Mostly of them are families, not gangsta looking types with cross hanging from gold chain - these are at Patong.

- you need to have a car or expect to pay large amount of money to get around. Drive to Kamala (next place, 5min) is 400THB ($8) one way.

- if you plan to open your doors to enjoy the sound of waves, you will have to close it soon due to the noise from traffic (mostly motorcycles) and some morons shooting fireworks from beach. Fireworks are not the same level you get at Patong, but still loud 'boom' in the 11:30PM when you are in your bed trying to sleep or just outside swimming in the infinity pool - not a great idea, if you ask me.


But the view from rooms and from the balcony are just great - you need to be there to see it. So if you stay at the 3rd or 4th floor in the middle of the building, it would be the best.

Thank you for sharing your experience about the hotel with us