Phuket Honeymoon on a budget

Going on a honeymoon? Congratulations! I a certain you will have a fabulous time! We have to admit, honeymoons can get costly in Phuket, especially if you are coming in the high season. Living in Phuket for over 20 years, I am here to give you my tips on how to get the most romantic honeymoon in Phuket without breaking the bank.

1) Pick local independent hotels

Why? They are cheaper and many offer equivalent/superior quality compared to international brands. Take a search in online travel agents website (e.g. Expedia, Agoda, Booking.com, whatever!). Look for local brand hotels with exceptionally great reviews. When it comes to reviews, look for both high quality and quantity. 100 4 star reviews is more trustworthy than 1 5 star review. Whatever hotel you come across, I am 70% positive that you will get better value for your money compared to an internation chain hotel with equivalent facilities/amenities/services. If you want our advice on affordable luxury hotels, click here.

2) Tell the hotel ahead of time that you are coming for a honeymoon!

Most hotels usually treat honeymooners better than they do with regular guests. Painful truth for us regular guests but it is what it is. All you have to do is tell them! You will be surprised how many couples fail to do this. If you are lucky, you may get complimentary chocolates, flowers or even a free room upgrade! So go try it. You will not regret it!

3) Rent a car

Taxi fares are ridiculous in Phuket. Equivalent to that most expensive cities in the world like Manhattan, London, and Singapore. So please stay away from Phuket taxi’s if you can. You can easily be charged over $10 for a 10 minute drive. Some may even take you on a merry-go-round and charge you 10 times the regular fare. Rent a car is a much more cost effective way of getting around.

4) Go local

Avoid tourist traps which will likely charge you inflated prices. Do a little research on best local places in Phuket that you can visit. It would help if you know local people who you may get advice from. Another good place to do your research is online expat forums. The forums are in English and many of the members are probably living in Phuket long enough to know a thing or two.

5) Come during the shoulder season

The reason that I do not advise people to come to Phuket during the low season is because the rain is terrible. You can expect it to pour non-stop the moment you arrive until the moment you leave. That alone is not worth it for the trip, especially for your honeymoon. Come during the shoulder season. These are times that weather are much better and many hotels that could not fill up are still using low season rates. Great opportunity! I’ll make it easy for you, the shoulder season is: August-beginning of November (although August is still a little risky considering that it could still rain a lot). Therefore if you can come during this time, you are getting the best of both worlds!

So I hope you learn a thing or two about getting the most bang for your buck for your honeymoon. Before you go, please be sure to check out our lovely honeymoon hotel deals here.

Where To Stay In Phuket? Best Resort Near Patong.

The gorgeous tropical island of Phuket is one of the world’s best-known beach holiday destinations, especially the most popular of the west-coast towns – Patong. Naturally, this means that there is many a Phuket resort near Patong, as well as plenty of small hotels to choose from. So how do you pick the right one for you?

The first and, arguably, most important question to ask is whether you want to stay in a resort or a hotel, or even a guesthouse, serviced apartment or hostel. All of these are available in and around the city, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

What’s the Difference?

What exactly separates a resort from a hotel? Aren’t they the same thing? Well, not exactly. A hotel is just a building with rooms to rent on a nightly basis and, if you’re lucky, maybe an on-site restaurant. A resort is generally a hotel within grounds which belong to that hotel and which often contain other associated facilities, ranging from an large swimming pool to a wider variety of restaurants, on-site spas and sometimes even a private beach.

The difference is in the experience each offers. While a hotel in town offers convenience for accessing nearby restaurants and attractions, a Phuket resort near Patong offers an ‘all in one’ holiday package, with everything you need immediately available. Additionally, resorts tend to be more relaxing as the grounds act as insulation between you and the hubbub of the outside world.

Life’s a Beach

Phuket is undoubtedly best known for its beaches. It has well over 30 of them, so this is hardly surprising. Certainly, Patong has some good restaurants, great nightlife, a wide choice of shops and even many interesting attractions, but the beach is still the star of the show. The problem is that, with the beach road in the way, there are only a couple of hotels in Patong which you could really say are “on the beach”. In the vast majority of cases, you will have to carry your stuff over at least one quite busy road to get to the sand.

The advantage of a place like Thavorn Beach Village and Spa – an excellent Phuket resort near Patong – is that the resorts grounds include a private beach. You only need to walk past one of the largest swimming pools in Asia and a couple of first-class restaurants to get there. You don’t need to contend with beach vendors or the concern that some stranger is going to pinch your spot (or worse, your stuff) while you’re taking a dip in the sea. The resort is also in a prime location, being only a short ride away from all that Patong has to offer, making it private and convenient at the same time.