Phuket province is a host of islands with tropical rainforests, Thai culture, and stunning beaches. These islands have become very popular tourist destinations when traveling around Thailand. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Cities that become overly populated with tourists become expert at both showcasing exotic experiences and learning how to swindle the newbies. It is sometimes easy to find what you are looking for but this does not mean that it will be what you expect.
Not What You Expect
Most travelers love to bring home knick-knacks, clothing, and pictures of their journey to show to friends and keep memories fresh. If you are shopping in Phuket, you will find plenty of branded merchandise at extremely low prices. What you will find out later is that all these products were made as cheaply as possible and will not last long if put under pressure. You will also notice that there is not a lot of variety in what each vendor is selling. The reality is that all these vendors get their merchandise from the same cheap supplier. This means that you are likely not getting anything of quality. This doesn’t stop most people from buying things as they just want keepsakes.
Phuket has been a tourist area for so long there are more foreigners on the islands than locals. The food reflects this in the fact that you are more likely to find foreign cuisine than Thai cuisine. Of course this does not mean you cannot find good Thai food; you will just have to take some time to locate a Thai establishment first. It could be considered a plus since you can try a different culture’s food everyday.
Competition Lowers Prices
The enormous amount of people traveling in and out of Phuket requires a large amount of accommodations. Competition keeps prices low and service is known to be excellent everywhere. Not every hotel offers the same amenities and some will deceive customers about how local their property is to events around them. You are more likely to find what you are looking for if you book your quarters in person. Popular locations may be booked up but there is always a Phuket private rental property available somewhere.
The main island of Phuket is larger than what most people expect. You can’t really walk everywhere that you want to unless you pick a very central location to stay in. Fortunately, it is very easy to rent a moped or find other forms of public transportation. Tuktuks are vehicles that are powered by a motorized bike in the front and pull passengers around town in the back cab. While it is easy to find a driver, it is not so easy to find a good price. Tuktuk drivers are known to raise their prices as much as possible and rip travelers off.
While it can be a fun experience to ride in a tuktuk, it is less expensive to find a taxi driver. In Phuket, almost anyone can write taxi on a board, place it in the window of his or her vehicle, and earn money. The sheer number of taxi drivers keeps prices low and you can talk to each driver to find a trustworthy one. Once you choose a driver and bargain a good price, keep that driver for your whole stay and things will move smoothly.
