Phuket: Patong Beach - Part 1

Phuket…my love! Uhmmm, where do I even begin guys? This was the literally the trip of a lifetime. I am so grateful I had this amazing opportunity to visit this Southeast Asian country and meet its incredibly kind people. 

If you follow me on social media you would have seen the many things I got up to while I was there. I visited the Phi Phi Island, snorkelled, rode on an elephant and had a mini photo shoot at the James Bond Island to mention a few.

Over the next couple of posts, I will be reliving some of the best moments that I had on this amazing trip. I hope that this inspires you to add Phuket onto your Bucket List and also help you plan the kind of activities you can do when you finally take that adventure-filled vacation.

Hhmmmm...

Planning is important!

I arrived in Phuket in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.  1 AM to be exact. I’m not very meticulous when I plan a trip so I was not prepared for such an early arrival. I had booked my flights months earlier and I honestly only looked at my flight times a day or two before my departure. I know, I know, why am I that guy? Eish! Anyway, because of this, I didn’t plan what I would do until check-in time. I just thought to myself, “I’ll figure it out when I get there.”

Chilling at the Airport.

When I arrived at Phuket International Airport I checked to see my check-in time at the hotel and it said three o’ clock in the afternoon! Three o’ clock?? What was I going to do from 1AM to three o' clock in the afternoon? “Yoh, Matshepo! Why are you this person, Moghel?”, I thought. I took a seat outside the airport, called home and then began to strategize. “If I go to the hotel and just chill by the reception until the morning then maybe they’ll let me in earlier?” I reasoned. So that is what I did. I found a taxi and headed for the hotel.

I was a bit nervous about being in the taxi alone as I didn’t know where I was going and plus, it was late at night. I said a quick prayer and off we went. The drive from the airport to the Patong Beach, which should take about 50 min, took us about 40 min. The driver was doing the MOST on the road. I kept thinking “Yoh, my holiday is going to end before it even begins, mos!”

By the time we got to Patong Beach I had forgotten about the trauma of the drive and was instantly captivated by the vibe of the area. The bright lights, music and general ‘go monate’ vibe got me very excited to be there. I instantly knew from driving into Patong that I was going to love my few days there. Patong literally oozes ‘holiday mode’. I absolutely loved it.

My view from my room.....

I got to the hotel, which was stunning and very comfortable, and they said I could check-in at an extra cost. Well, it was either that or hang around the foyer till three o’ clock, so I took the option to check-in and went straight to bed.

Getting acquainted…

After breakfast, I took a slow walk on the beach and did some 'people watching' – Who else does this?  People watching is observing people and creating stories, of what you think they are saying, in your head? Hahhaa, I can’t be alone, ngeke! Anyway, I met this American guy who showed me around the area a bit and told me about all the places I should visit and things I should do while I was in Phuket. 

Chilling at the beach.

For the first two days of the trip, I was alone because I was waiting for my friends from Cape Town to arrive. During this time, I walked around Patong and really got a sense of the area, its people and its cocktails, YAAAS! I spent time relaxing at the hotel pool, met up with a Thabile for dinner and even went out for drinks with a total stranger. I think this alone time was beneficial because I knew that as soon as my friends arrived, there would be no time to laze around. We had plans to fully experience Phuket and that needed all the energy I had and then some. 

And another round, please...

Reflections…

I look back at those two days of solo travel with so much gratitude. I think I needed that time alone just to recharge and to feel that I am able to make it out there on my own. I was surprised at how much of Patong I was able to learn in those two days and how much I felt at home there. 

Out on the streets.

By the time my friends arrived, I was showing them around like I had been there for a while. I had even made friends with locals and would greet and have conversations with random people on the streets. It felt good to be in a place where people spoke English, well they at least tried. It was also great to be in a place where there was diversity. Having been in Korea for about six months, I realised how much I missed walking down the street and seeing people who look just like me. Uhhhh it felt sooo good!

Dinner with Thabile.

My friends eventually did arrive and it was so lovely to see familiar faces. I had missed them so much and it felt so great to be reunited in this amazing foreign land. Our first day together began with an early commute to their hotel where we were going to be picked up for our first tour to the Phi Phi Island….AND that’s all for today folks, catch the next episode same time, same place hahhahaha!

Note: This past month I decided to take a break from blogging. I felt that I had nothing much to say and really felt uninspired. I needed a break and my only focus was on my upcoming trip. Now that that is over, I feel like I am feeling a whole lot better and I am excited to share many more thoughts and stories with you.