I was reluctant to join my friends for this Phuket trip because their intention was mainly for snorkelling and sea sports. Not my cup of tea though I still tagged along eventually. It would be a shame to miss out Patong Beach. The number of people winds surfing, sun tanning and strolling along the beach outline its popularity.

Furthermore, the surrounding islands like Phi Phi Islands are amazingly beautiful. And of course, the fantastic seafood and beer! Just be prepared for the fickle Phuket weather where rain comes and go.

Island hopping in Phuket

Another popular thing to do is island hopping since Phuket is near to some amazing islands

Day tour packages are readily available to bring tourists around a few islands. And even to the nearby Krabi. However, the tour might be cancelled due to rough tides during bad weather as a result. We booked our island hopping trip via a local tour agency. And the pictures which I am sharing here were taken with my friend’s Casio Exilim camera.

The picture below was where the tour boat stopped at a designated snorkelling area. The water is so clear that you are able to see the fishes and corals.

We also passed by the Viking caves. And if I remember correctly, these caves are used primarily for harvesting swallows nests (bird nests).

Finally, the boat stopped at Phi Phi islands like all the other tour boats for lunch. And lunch was nothing to shout about and it was a really crowded place.

Bangla Road in Phuket

We went to Bangla Road for dinner, beer and live music in the evening.

The street is filled with discotheques, bars and many ‘Ladyboys’. It’s also common to get approached by the locals asking to catch their infamous ‘Ping Pong Show’.

It’s not the usual table tennis game, but rather a stripped show where the ‘performer’ uses her private part to perform stunts from smoking a cigarette to opening up bottle caps. It may sound gross to some so do keep an open mind if you decided to catch the show. Still, all the audiences were laughing during the show so I guess it was more fun than anything else.