PHUKET it is... (1)

I had dreamt to visit phuket since long time ago. Once i asked my sist to go there and she refused by saying that the place is for honeymoon couples.

I have never buried anything i have dreamt for. till one day, my sist told me that she was going to engage with her boyfriend in singapore. Then i said to myself, this is the time. I checked the airfare from singapore-phuket-singapore. It is quite expensive i guess since the timing was less than a month. I asked mom if she wanted to join me. She was excited to join then she asked her sister in law-my father youngest sister, to also join.

There, the 3 of us, agreed to have vacation in phuket for 3 nights only. There are 3 options from singapore to phuket, non full service airline, the result from me searching here and there. There are air asia, tiger airways and jetstar airways/valuair. I chose tiger at that time for the cheaper price and the morning schedule.

Sunday morning, we left the hotel in orchard, by bus which takes around 40 - 50 minutes. We stopped at terminal 2, did the check in - no baggage to be placed,only cabin then had our breakfast in mc donald.

The schedule was on time, flight was not that full, i asleept as always during the flight. It took less than 2 hours. Flight was smooth. We arrived safely. Runway in phuket is not that long. Airport was not that big. No queue in the immigration. Some immigration officers speak malays.

We got out from the airport, many trasportation booth offering taxi, minivan and bus. I have googled before, so that i chose minivan which cost 150 baht per person from airport to patong beach, the hotel we stayed.

Later when we arrived in the queue for minivan, it was full. We were asked to wait,  no minivan came for almost 30 minutes. I got angry with the travel staff and asked for refund. He told me that the minivan needs 10 person to be operated and at that time only 4 persons, 6 more needed. What an annoying practise! They told us that the minivan was available and waiting for us where it was a lie!

Refund was then given. We then walked finding a taxi. Then there was what so called as illegal taxi-black taxi-whatever you call it. A middle aged man offering 550 baht only. I took the chance hoping he would not do any bad things to us.

It was a sedan, not that luxury but was ok. The driver, mr. Thawatchai (+66 81 9580587) is a nice person. He talked with not so understandable english but that was fine since the journey is long enough, 40-50 minutes i reckoned.

Yes he stopped at one travel agent during the journey saying it was his place of work where there a young woman approached us pursuing us to buy tour packages. I know this kind of practise. I just refused it in a nice way.

He also offered us for picking up from hotel to airport at the same price and gave us his name card. I said i would later call him if i needed it.

Patong is situated in a hilly area. The road is where we have to go through a mountain road and the diamond-the beach lies behind it. Nice view from above. 

The taxi then stopped in front of ibis hotel, the place we stayed for 3 nights.