Phuket is cool for a bit but it gets to be too much if you're going for the party scene. There's a ton of Aussies and Brits that go there just to go all out. And the wild @#%# you see there...You'll see what I mean when you get there; I don't want to spoil it for you
I'd suggest doing the party thing for a day or two just for the experience and then going to the more scenic parts. Grab one of those taxi boats and explore the different islands around there. Take a car up to Big Buddha for a great view of the entire area and some cultural experience. Go to the other sides of Phuket where it's more laid back and far from the chaos of Bangla Road.
Koh Phi Phi island is cool too. Enjoy watching drunk Aussies getting into the Muay Thai ring there and damn near killing each other for free drinks
buy mosquito repellant there, otherwise you'll hate life.
If you have food allergies, its no problem since theres food from all over the world in the Phuket area. It's very touristy, which sucks cause it's also 5x the price of other places in Thailand (still cheap for Americans though)
There's a few other Nters who asked about Phuket in here too, so hope these few tips help.
lovehateself
@shotsrangout
Got back from my trip on Friday
Phuket was dope, definitely hire a taxi/driver to drive you around for the day (We paid $30 US for a driver for 4-5 hours) but it’ll depend on the sites you’re trying to see
Also be sure to have in mind where you want to go as the drivers will take you to places where they get kickbacks for bringing tourists to the shops/locations.
We hit Patong/Kata/karon beach, karon viewpoint, big Buddha all in one day. Personally preferred Kata beach (less crowded than Patong
We also did a morning visit to the elephant jungle sanctuary (legit reputable sanctuary)
Please stay away from trekking elephants , it’s not good for their backs
The street food in Phuket was so good, mainly stuck to walking street vendors as opposed to the road carts found basically everywhere but be sure to have some roti (Thai pancake). It’s cheap and so good
We did Phi Phi island for a few days too (ferry was $10 one way )
Phi Phi is definitely a party area, fortunately we stayed at a resort with its own beach (Long Beach).
You can rent a Longtail boat for a few hours to hit the surrounding islands and snorkel in the designated zones in those areas (phi Phi Ley - maya bay, kosomo, and Viking Cave ) for like $20-30 for 4 hours
We intended to hit Krabi too, but ended up staying on Phi Phi for an extra day
We also did a day in Bangkok prior to traveling down to Phuket, hit the various temples and a floating market
Had a layover in Beijing, did a one day tour of the Great wall
Tried adding pics but took too long
I’ll try again tomorrow