My first trip with Shengyi, also the first double date trip for me & my #annoyingbff.
We needed to escape from the hustle and bustle, & the beach is definitely the place to visit.
Hence, Phuket.
I chose to stay in Karon instead of the famous Patong area, which is quieter and less busy.
Definitely a better place to offer me the much required break.
#1 Where did I stay?
I stayed at the built around nature, Hotel IKON Phuket.
Address: 2, 400 Patak Rd, Karon, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83100, Thailand
Phone: +66 76 396 901
IKON Phuket’s minimalist interior design is surely an Instagram-favorite.
Stayed in the IKON Ocean Premier room.
Not just cosy, I instantly fell in love with the clean & contemporary design.
The word wall strips, and marble wallpaper, made an intriguing backdrop for an Instagram photo.
Breakfast at Ikon, beside the pool.
I had a pleasant 2 nights stay at IKON PHUKET.
Had a good sleep for that two nights, credit to the comfortable bed & great pillows. Our stay at Ikon was perfected with the friendly and super-helpful concierges. They were all fluent in English, and helped us to arranged most of our itinerary & transportation. I will definitely be back if I ever visit Phuket again.
Thank you, for the amazing stay!
#2 What to eat?
Mama Jin
Address: 485 Patak Rd, Tambon Karon, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Chang Wat Phuket 83100, Thailand
Phone: +66 81 893 9043
It’s just 10 minutes walking distance from IKON Phuket.
They serves rather decent Thai food, with reasonable pricing.
One thing though, everything it’s a little too sweet for my liking.
However, you can always pre-alert them that you don’t want it to be too sweet.
Kaab Gluay Restaurant, Patong.
Address: Patong, Kathu District, Phuket 83150, Thailand (opens until 2am)
Phone: +66 81 787 7830
Our fav. dine spot during our 3 days trip.
It’s a little bit further, took us about 30mins to get there with a taxi as it’s further down at Patong. We went as it was strongly recommended by a lot of bloggers, and everyone said it’s worth it to go slightly further for this hidden gem.
Well, we have no regrets. This is not the typical touristy restaurant along the Patong road, they served exclusively authentic Thai food, with affordable pricing.
We ordered Green Curry Chicken, Tom Yum Goong, Phad Thai, Stir-fried Kale with Roast Pork, Salted Egg Yolk Squid and my fav. Fried Egg stuffed with Minced Pork. All of it was extremely satisfying (I am serious,none was bad), and we love how inexpensive it is. Together with some beers & coconut drinks, the bill was less than 1,000 baht for the 4 of us.
Café Bookhemian Gastrobar
Address: 61, Thalang Road, Tambon Talat Yai, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Phuket, 83000, 83000, Thailand
Phone: +66 98 090 0657
Cafe hopping is a must in Phuket.
Among all, this is one of the #MustGo in Phuket.
It is the combinations of bookstore, coffee shop, and photo gallery all in one place.
Most importantly, this bohemian styled cafe is extremely Insta-worthy.
Probably because it’s located in the Phuket old town, a wave of nostalgia washed over me the moment I entered the cafe. The space is filled with quintessential nostalgia pieces, red mail boxes, old school bicycle, photo frames and the famous traditional book shelves, indeed an opportune location for photography.
Apong Mae Sunee
Saw this at one of the street in Phuket old town. Decided to give it a try because I saw many queuing up for it, I thought it must be good. I literally spent 20mins queueing for it.
Love it at the first bite, it’s something like Malaysia street food, Apom Balik. But Sunee, was less sweet (w/o nuts & sugar fillings), crispier & thinner. Yums.
TORRY’s ice cream
Address: Soi Rommani, Tambon Talat Yai, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Chang Wat Phuket 83000, Thailand
Phone: +66 76 510 888
Everyone is raving about how heavenly it is. Torry serves more than 60 types of premium ice cream, all homemade with no artificial colouring. They say, “you have not been to Phuket if you didn’t try Torry’s ice cream, as it is the one & only ice cream that uses Phuket ingredients.
I told myself…. I MUSTTTTTT TRY.
Unfortunately, it then became my biggest regrets, because it was close on Monday when I visit. T.T
So, IF you plan to visit TORY, please note that it’s close on M O N D A Y!
**if you wonder, here’s a photo of Tory’s ice cream I found on their FB’s page** ||
House café
Address: Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand.
Since Torry was closed, we wander along the streets & found this cafe that’s run by an air steward, who speaks Thai, English and Chinese. This was our last stop before we left Phuket. We had a cup of coffee, a slice of brownies, little conversation with the owners, and a few photos in this little spot. Good times.
#3 What to do?
Kata Noi
Upon checked in, we asked the concierge which beach is less touristy & less crowded.
They suggested, Kata Noi, one of the most beautiful beaches in Phuket; which is only 15 minutes away from IKON Phuket.
Well, there’s still unavoidable crowd in Kata Noi, but because the beach was huge; it wasn’t too hard to settle down in a quieter spot to enjoy a more private atmosphere. Kata Noi is famous for its’ beautiful scenery, hence there’s really not much to do at Kata Noi, perfect reason for us to do nothing, but rest.
We took a slow walk along the sandy bay, then sat down to wait for the sunset.
Sun started to set around 6pm, it was absolutely breathtaking.
Holding hands & dancing with you in the sunset is like a dream came true.
I want to do this with you, forever.
The multicolour sky, is stunningly beautiful.
Banana Beach
This is the highlight of the trip, it was specially arranged by IKON Phuket.
Banana Beach trip package as below:
8:30 hrs.
Hotel pick up by mini van, then driver will take you to Chalong pier.
10:00 hrs.
Depart from Chalong by speed boat. It takes around 15 mins to Banana Beach toward to snorkeling point.
10:20 hrs.
Arrive at Coral Island for snorkeling, swimming and relaxation from the boat.
(Please note these programs are subject to change according to the weather and sea conditions.)
11:00 hrs.
Arrive at Banana Beach for snorkeling, swimming and relaxation on the white-sandy beach.
13:00 hrs.
Lunch overlooking the water from Hornbill Restaurant.
Drinking water and seasonal fruits are provided as part of the set menu.
14:00 hrs.
Spend your time relaxing with sea-sport activities or leisure on the beach.
(Clear kayaks / snorkeling equipment / beach chairs are provided)
16:30 hrs.
Depart from Banana Beach to Chalong pier.
16:45 hrs.
Arrive at Chalong pier and transfer back to hotel by mini van air-con.
17:30 hrs.
Arrive at your hotel.
Full day trip inclusive of transportation, lunch, snorkelling & sea activities for only 2300 baht is definitely a steal!
Snorkeling, that turns into a random yacht diving.
The crystal clear sea water made Banana Beach a legit swimming beach.
I literally stayed in the sea for hours. It’s the best therapy ever.
Oh, not forgetting the photo worthy clear kayaking. It’s FOC too.
Patong
The most happening spot in Phuket, featuring the unending night life filled with beer bars, go-go bars, nightclubs, massage parlors and cabarets all along the neon-lit Bangla Road. It’s a bustling city, very.
For me, I personally did not enjoy Patong. Worse, when you have people thrusting poster of naked women into your face, dragging you, & forcefully invite you to watch pingpong show. I just cannot. But, I understand that Patong is famous for a reason, & why some people love it here. Well, I just happen to not to be the right target audience, that’s why I felt bad about it.
Holding my man tight.
Still, if you are going to Phuket, you should give Patong a go.
It still a part of the Phuket’s experiences you should have.
China Town
Our fav. spot, because every corner of China Town is insta-worthy, that even sitting on the floor for a photo would be nice. Also, all the hipster cafes (e.g. Torry’s ice cream) are mostly here. It’s rather similar to the old town in Penang, Melaka or even Ipoh back here in our home country.
That’s pretty much what I’ve done in the short 3D2N in Phuket.
I had a really good time with these people who’s so close to my heart.
I guess, in life it’s not solely where you go or what you do that matters, but it’s who you travel with. ❤
If you’re planning to visit Phuket, I hope this will help. :D
Cheers.