quiescential: Phuket on a Budget

Air Asia -- a budget airlines based in Malaysia.

Phuket is like the Hawaii of Asia, as it is a destination of many budget airlines in the region. So as a logical following, we, poor college students and novice travelers, ventured on a 4 day, 4 night tourist-backpacking adventure to Thailand.

Helmet hair B-)

I know what you're thinking. While backpacking and tourism don't usually go together, that's basically what we did in our limited time. And I'd continue doing that even if we had had the money to do things in a luxurious manner. We struck a balance between the fun of "backpacking" and the odds and ends of tourism. That is, we budget hotel hopped through the help of Agoda, took public transportation, hired taxis, rented a motorbike, hitched a ride, went on an expensive daytrip tour, and ate at restaurants both on Trip Advisor and random ones we would pass by.

Granted we did all that in probably one of the most tourist-driven places in Asia but as novice travelers, I'll take that for now. The next logical steps, after all, are backpacking through China, extreme sports in South America, and cycling through Europe--items a little further down on my bucket list. I never imagined I'd be into traveling, but I guess Hong Kong has really opened me to the need for a cultural expansion of my own narrow world. In my view, travel had been for people who had money but I learned that people can carve their own definition of travel...

I'm inclined to believe that when you travel on a tight budget, you're forced to leave your comfort zone and be open-minded and open-hearted to people of different culture, habit, and taste. Yes, it's a big pain finding the best deals and it's hard to find a balance between planning things out and doing things spur-of-the-moment. But your experiences become uniquely immersed in the flavor of that place. Because, really, the core of a country consists of its people who don't live in the laps of luxury or run the fancy hotels. That's why it's so rewarding to see a country as a volunteer for the less privileged or as a long-term student who befriends local peers. I never had a clear view of why I've been doing things the way I have... I guess I'm starting to see why:

Public buses in Phuket

Deep down, I don't think people value "global experiences" because of the things they get to see but because of the things you allow yourself to feel through the people you interact with--people so intrinsically different from yourself, yet, in origin, the same.

I'm not saying that we immersed ourselves fully in Thai culture. I think, in Phuket, it's somewhat impossible to stray away from tourism completely. Plus the trip was intended to be a vacation, not a soul-searching journey. Still, one of the more telling experiences we had regarding Thai people was when Hieu and I tried to catch the public bus to Phuket Town from Karon Beach. We waited at a roadside cafe while we watched for the bus but since the bus only came around every 30 minutes, we were cutting it close with a flight in just under two and a half hours. And an hour and a half of public transport to get to the airport. After a some time we saw the bus speed by and we chased it down but it didn't stop (maybe it didn't see us or didn't care to stop, I have no idea). We ran but to no avail. It was gaining distance at a hopeless rate. Then a lady on a motorbike stopped and motioned that we could hitch ride with her. Skeptical, I asked if there was a charge but I don't know if she understood. Too skeptical, I looked hopelessly at the bus but she persisted and seemed like she genuinely wanted to help. So Hieu and I looked at each other and decided to take the chance. Then the three of us on a motorbike sped off and chased after the bus down Patak Road. Eventually we were able to flag down the public bus after maybe about a kilometer (there are no bus stops besides the bus terminals in Phuket). After dismounting, I wanted to thank her somehow but the only thing I was able to give her was a "thank you so much" before she sped off, waving off anything we might've given her as thanks. My conclusion? In Phuket, in spite of every one trying to make a living with their 'massage' parlors and 'taxi' businesses, there exists a very large proportion of very kind and friendly people. I doubt we would have been able to experience that if we were hiring taxis all the time.

And the places we visited are listed below. Over the course of time, I will have individual blogs about select experiences (*).

Phuket International Airport

Pensiri House, Nga Yang Beach

Rotcharin Seafood Restaurant, Nga Yang Beach

Silver Resortel, Patong Beach

Patong Beach

No. 6 Restaurant, Patong Beach

John Gray's Sea Canoe Daytrip - Hong by Starlight, Phang Nga Bay *

The Sweet Restaurant, Patong Beach

Public bus terminals, Phuket Town

The Old Phuket, Karon Beach

Karon Beach

Oasis (Scooter Rental), Karon Beach *

Kata Noi Beach

The Best Friend Restaurant, Karon Beach *

Phuket Big Buddha *

Sunset View Point Restaurant, near Phuket Big Buddha

4 days wasn't nearly enough to do everything we wanted but it was a fun adventure. Novice travellers ought to start somewhere, after all. Not sure if we'll return here but we'll definitely be back in Thailand one day to backpack in less touristy locations. :)

Overall, for one of my first times exploring a place outside of Hong Kong without any guides or people to follow, the trip was amazing. Many other people in this world have travelled to countless countries while I can still count how many I've visited on one hand. Do I feel deprived in any way? No. Just blessed that I've been able to experience life in the way that I have. On my terms. With life pulling more than a few serendipitous strings along the way.