What To and Not To Do When Traveling to Phuket

During the first week of October, China grants its citizens a seven days of paid vacation to celebrate national day.  Many people (including ourselves) decided to take advantage of this break by taking a much-needed vacation.  Our trip was to Phuket, Thailand.  

Thailand is a beautiful, amusing country.  I found the food, the beaches, and the people to be extraordinary.   There are some things you need to know before booking your trip to Thailand.  So my dear readers, I give you my do’s and don’t s of traveling to Thailand.

DO visit Phuket.  There is so much to do in the city, and the beaches are beautiful.

DON’T pronounce the Ph like an F.  It sounds vulgar and is incorrect.  The name of the town is pronounced POO-ket.

DO visit Phuket during the dry season.  We made the mistake of visiting Thailand during the rainy season.  I kid you not; it rained EVERY DAY we were there.  We weren’t able to swim in the sea because the current was too strong.  In spite of the weather we did have fun.  We did pack ponchos and umbrellas so we were able to participate in many other activities.

Most guests were rocking the ponchos for the majority of their vacation.

Fortunately, our hotel had these lovely hammock beds that allowed us to enjoy mother nature while staying dry.  I could've read on these beds for hours.  

DON’T be afraid to take Malaysian Airlines to Phuket.  Much to my Mother’s chagrin, we took Malaysian Airlines and arrived safely.  However, make sure you arrive EARLY to check in.  We got bumped from two planes even though we had seat assignments and arrived at the airport two and a half hours before our flight.  After our delays, everything about Malaysian Airlines was great.

During every bi-weekly phone call for a month my mother asked me if we were traveling Malaysian Airlines.  They are safe.

We weren't happy to spend another 5 hours in the Kuala Lumpur airport, but at least Malaysian Airlines let us relax in their first class lounge.

DO eat the local food.  Thai food is amazing!  I had no idea spicy food could ever taste so delicious. 

Tom Yum Gung is an AMAZING spicy and sour seafood soup.  I HIGHLY recommend trying it.

My waitress made sure I had some watermelon on the side to cool the burn.

I never thought I would enjoy Khao Niaw Mamuang, a desert made of mango, sticky rice, and coconut cream.   Now it is one of my favorite deserts. 

DON’T expect to be the only creature that enjoys the food.   Little birds joined us for breakfast every day. 

These little birdies enjoyed my omelet while I was reading. 

DO something stupid, like get a henna tattoo just to say you got a tattoo in Thailand.  As soon as I saw the henna tattoo hut, I knew I needed to try on a tattoo for fun. 

I decided I needed a little ankle ink during our trip.  

I can see how people get addicted to tattoos.  I felt a little rebellious for two weeks.

DON’T do something stupid, like get a henna tattoo on your face a la Mike Tyson or get a real tattoo just to say you got a tattoo in Thailand.  The henna took a good two weeks to wash off, and real tattoos are permanent.

DO ride an elephant.  We had a great time on our Siam Safari.  I highly recommend it for anyone who is an elephant fan.

We had a slow but scenic trek through the Thai jungle. 

DON’T get in a fight with a local.  Didn’t happen to us, but you never know.

DO see a local Muay Thai fight.  No trip to Phucket is complete without seeing Muay Thai fighting.  Before this trip I had always wanted to see a live boxing match.  Bangala Boxing Stadium did not disappoint !

I have to admit I was a little creeped out to see six year old kids boxing.

Girls can fight too!

As the night progressed, the caliber of fighters increased.  We had a great time watching fighters duke it out on the mats.  

DON’T pass up a chance to see fire dancers.

Thai fire dancers put on a show a few times per week at our hotel.

The dancer greeted us at the end of the show. 

DO visit a ladyboy cabaret.  The Simon Cabaret was one of the best shows I have ever seen.  Their lip-syncing, sequined costumed production elicited a level of glee I had not felt since watching The Love Boat as a child.  The dancing was cheesy, and the seats were extraordinarily comfortable.  They even provided a complimentary bottle of water for each guest.

DON’T take pictures inside the Ladyboy Cabaret, or expect to take a picture with a ladyboy without paying.

I was so excited to finally be able to take a picture of the performers!  They were so eager to have guests pose with them after the show.

I didn't realize they wanted to get paid for the picture...oh well.

DO visit a night market to witness the spectacle.  We didn’t buy anything at the market because we can buy locally in Shanghai, however the colors were magnificent.

Night markets are great places to pick up faux souvenirs.

DON’T forget to take time to take it all in.  Phuket is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.   Even though there is so much to explore on the island, make sure to plan a lazy day to take in the beauty of Thailand.

So when can we go back?