Phuket Thailand

[TotallyOz]

First, I am posting in this forum as there were some comments in the new site revamp that makes me wonder about combining the forums. To test this, I am going to post my trip here.

Phuket - Island Paradise Phuket

Phuket is an often-mispronounced jewel in South East Asia. By far the most popular island destination in the region, it offers sandy beaches, beautiful Portuguese architecture and a rich history that will delight any seasoned traveler.

The island does have a rainy season and tourists are advised to avoid its charms in September and October when it is soaking wet. For the rest of the year, particularly from November through February, Phuket’s limestone cliffs, tropical forests and powdery beaches make it a place that you don’t want to miss.

The earliest history of the island comes from the Greeks. Claudius Ptolemy wrote of its charms as early as 157 A.D. For most of the past 2,000 years Phuket was used as a stopover for traders who needed to avoid monsoons. When tin was discovered, migrant workers from as far away as Portugal began to arrive and Phuket soon became one of the most influential meeting points for European traders in South East Asia.

When the price of tin collapsed in 1985, the island government began hawking Phuket as a possible tourist destination. Travelers took the bait and its popularity and economy have soared.

There is a diverse group of people living on the island; 35 percent of the people are Muslim ‘ representing a variety of religious and cultural histories. Hence, tolerance of all types of lifestyles has become the trademark of Phuket.

While the nightlife of Phuket is always hopping, there are also a variety of activities to do during the day and as with most of Thailand, there are many wonderful western and traditional restaurants.

Dino Park on Karon beach is one of the sillier tourist attractions. It is a small 18 hole golf course set in the age of the dinosaurs. It even features a dinosaur themed restaurant!

All of the many beaches that encircle the island are wonderful places to snorkel and dive. At nearly any point along the coast you can find places to rent equipment and guides to help you explore the beautiful undersea vistas and the exotic fish that call the waters around Phuket their homes.

Ko Kaeo visitors will not only find a beautiful sandy beach, but also a famous replica of the footprint of BuddhaKo Si-Re also features a wonderful reclining Buddha image.

Cape Phanwa is home to the Phuket Aquarium, the place to go if you want to see the beautiful fish that the region has to offer, without having to go to the effort of diving or snorkeling to find them. The nearby Phuket Butterfly Farm has also been growing in popularity with the tourist trade.

The Phuket Submarine offers people the chance to dive 30 meters under the sea in the comfort of full air conditioning and the Phuket Zoo is the safest way for you to see some of the regions more exotic animals.

Patong Beach is tourist central and you will find a wide array of family friendly activities including go-karts, a haunted house, water skiing and Tarzan’s Water Bunny Jump.

The Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary covers nearly 5,600 acres and has hundreds of different types of local protected animals.

Wat Phra Thong is the most beautiful temple on the island. According to local legend whenever invaders have tried to steal the beautiful Buddha inside, hornets have attacked and driven them away.

The adjoining island of Ko Nakha Noi has the regions only year round pearl farm that is open to the public. If museums are your thing the Thalang Museum has great artifacts documenting local culture.

Of course, once you’ve had your tourist fun and have accumulated enough stories that you can safely tell your friends and neighbors, it will be time to head out at night and take advantage of the hot gay island nightlife.

Like all gay centers in Thailand most gay bars have hosts and waiters that you can pay to play with for a relatively cheap price. There are also a number of gay friendly restaurants, go-go bars and massage parlors to meet virtually any taste you may have.

Most of the gay nightlife of Phuket centers around the Paradise Complex on Patong Beach where the people party until the wee hours of the morning.

Nearly all the go-go bars in town open around 8 p.m. and have their first live shows around 10:30 p.m.

Of course you probably won’t want to spend your entire trip in the Paradise Complex. When you are ready to branch out there are other hot and happening gay places up and down the popular beach.

For reasons best left to their therapists, lots of straight tourists flock into Simon, which features an all drag show with some very busty showgirls.

One of our favorite hotels is Baan Yaan Dee. Its prices are a bit upscale but it is gay owned and operated and the view is amazing. They have 2 pool suites that open right into the 3-story swimming pool. Check out this hotel and all others in the Accommodations section.

No matter where you decide to go, Phuket is guaranteed to offer you a fun experience on your gay vacation.

Day 1: Pattaya to Phuket

We started our adventure from Pattaya and took a hotel car to Phuket. We had a total of 4 people and 5 large bags. We needed to be sure to handle the bags so we used the Hotel car service. The rate from them was 3500 Baht for airport in large van. After about 45 minutes on the road I had a sudden, “oh Shit” moment. I forgot my medicine in the refrigerator of the hotel. I was given some medicine that will control my Thyroid when I was in LA a few weeks back and the doctor in Beverly Hills I went to needed me on this for 2 weeks and then another blood test to determine the right dose. We called the hotel and as we didn’t have time to turn around and go back, I had them send the medicine to me via another car. This costs 2000 baht and it arrived shortly after we were checked into the airport and the boys had a few smokes outside.

We debated as to whether or not to go from the airport close to Pattaya or go from Bangkok. It was decided that we would do the Bangkok airport as I would be able to get my points with them and they offered Business class seats. The roundtrip from Pattaya for coach was 7250 baht and the roundtrip from Bangkok for business was 8250 baht. We choose this, as we usually never get extra surcharges for heavy luggage if you are flying in their business class seats. The boyfriend and I both have Frequent Flyer cards with Thai Air and we linked them to our respective accounts. The other two friends that went with us had never flown before and they were excited to try the first time. Both of them wanted to sit near the window and they did. One of them never took his eye off the window and as soon as we landed he called his family to tell them he was flying above the clouds. I think he would have been happy to turn around and do it again. It did remind me of my first trip ever when I was 16 and went from USA to London. I loved the plane ride and would do it again many times and rarely got bored of it in my early years.

We had wanted to stay at the Baan Yin Dee but they were fully booked for the nights we wanted. They did have the ability to switch us from 3 different rooms over the course of the trip but that was just not something I wanted to do so I booked at the Holiday Inn instead. The Holiday Inn is located not too far from the gay area and is an easy walk to the main epicenter of gay culture here. There are also lots of little shops and stands along the way to keep you mind occupied along the walk.

The Holiday Inn costs around 5k per night per room and that included breakfast for all of us. I am part of their highest level of priority points as I stay when the hotel chain hotels over 125 nights a year. When we checked in they wanted to upgrade us to a private area of the hotel with nice bungalows or studios but that area did not have Internet in the rooms and that was just not acceptable to me. So, we took rooms in the main part of the hotel. The rooms were excellent with nice comfortable beds and a very nice shower. All have been recently renovated and are clean and modern. The shower has a window in it so you can open a hidden door to see the shower from the outside room to the inside of the showers. This was great for me to watch the boyfriend shower but not so wonderful when he tried to watch me. The rainfall water shower is excellent and I have really enjoyed using it each day.

The first night we ate at the Ban Rim Pa restaurant. It is one of my favorites in Phuket and it on the hill overlooking the bay and simply beautiful it is a bit pricy but I wanted the guys to see the view as the sunset. We decided on a fixed menu that was seafood based and came with 4 or more appetizers and 6 main courses. The rate per person was 1600 baht. The guys ordered about 3 Coronas each and I got some watermelon juice and coconut juice. The total bill at the end of the night was slightly over 9k baht and service was included in that price. If you go here, I suggest you call and make a reservation as they are often booked and will take walkins when available but to be assured a table, call in advance. If you want a great view and your table sticking out off the cliffs, ask for one of the front tables that are gazebo like over the rocks. There are several of them and they have a wonderful view of all around the area and a great view of Patong beach.

Baan Rim Pa

233 Kalm Beach Road

Phone – 076-340789

We took a baht bus to the Paradise area. This is the gay area of Patong Beach. Most baht buses and taxis take you in the city for 200 baht. That was his rate and that is what we paid.

We got to the Paradise area around 8:30 but there were no boys in ANY of the go-go bars. The place was a ghost town. They all open at 8 but they say the boys don’t usually come until 9:30 or 10. We sate at My Way bar on the outside and had some drinks to watch the passerby’s. It was very slow. The four drinks cost us 530 baht. That was 2 sodas and 2 whiskey and cokes. We went into Mama Sans bar as they did have go-go boys on stage. While the outside of the place is decorated beautifully, the inside still has the worst smell of any bar I have been to. It is musky and smells like moths. We all took a whiff and sat down and ordered drinks. The boys on the stag were NOT anything like we had imagined and not one of them was attractive to me. They may have been cute to someone but I was not able to find one. After the drinks came, I told the boys they had 3 minutes to drink before they guzzled them down. Down they went and out we went. The four drinks were 600 baht and it was totally worth it to get out of there fast.

On the Soi directly to the right of paradise is a pool hall I fell in love with when I brought a boy here a few years back. It is well done and airs conditioning inside with 4 pool tables downstairs and more upstairs. They have a clean place and the boys rack the balls for you and drinks were plentiful. We were there for about 2 hours total and all had drinks and the cost of the night was under 700 baht. I think it is called Pluto.

On the same Soi as the Pool hall I love are:

Best of Faith Massage

Heaven Bar

Spy Boys

Black and White Bar Boys

Paradise Inn

Flying Handbag Bar

Aquarius

Angel- now for sale and a great inside.

That Soi is also full of gay businesses. Mostly beer bars and host bars. I wandered up and down the Soi but did not find anything I liked. We headed back to the hotel early after stopping by James Dean for a drink. We knew we had to get up early to do a full day boat adventure so we went back to the room and showered and were asleep by midnight. At least the boyfriend and I were asleep by midnight. The other two guys have their own room and I told them if they went out to be sure to be back in time to get up by 7Am to eat and wait for the van to pick us up. I didn’t ask them where they went or even if they went out as they were up and showered and ready to go by 7.

Day 2

We book an adventure with Island Hoppers. It was a full day of going from one Island to the next and lots of swimming, relaxing, snorkeling, etc. I have been on this same tour 4 other times and enjoyed it so I wanted the guys to experience it as well. The cost was 3250 baht per person and that included an early morning pickup and delivery.

The van took us to the Island Hoppers office where we tried on our fins to make sure they were the right size and then we boarded another van to go to the boat. Having been a few times I knew the best seats were in the front so the boys and I go on and went straight there. It is a bit bumpier up there but not too bad.

Our day included trips to Yao Yai Island, Baboo Island, Hin Klang, Momkey Beach, Phi Phi Don Island, Phi Phi Lae Island, Pileh Cove, Viking Cave, and Maya Bay. We had lunch buffet style on a private restaurant owned by the company we used for the charter. The cost was 3250 per person and included pick up from hotel and return to hotel. The group was Island Hoppers and the guides we had were great and their English was excellent.

We were able to go snorkeling and see some pretty coral and great schools of fish, feed the monkeys on Monkey Island bananas from the boat, swim on the same beach as Leonardo DeCaprio made the movie Beach, swim in some of the most clear and beautiful water I have seen and feed schools of fish with bread right in our hands, as well as enjoying may relaxing time on different beaches covering each other in sand, splashing in the water and just having a fabulous time. It was so great to see the guys out of their element in Pattaya and able to hand loose and enjoy themselves.

Island Hopprs 29/12 Moo 1 Thepprathan Road, T. Rassanda, A. Muang Phuket 83000

Phone: 66-76-252-606-8

Baan Yin Dee is an excellent hotel and restaurant. I tried to book their pool suites for us but neither was available for the week. They had no accommodation for us to book while we were in Phuket. I love the hotel and wanted to eat there. The food is excellent and not cheap but the view is stunning and the food atmosphere is amazing.

http://www.baanyindee.com

Day 3

We wanted to relax from the trip yesterday as I was sunburned from top to bottom and was in a bit of pain. We did use sunscreen but I guess I didn’t keep it on as much as I should have and therefore was a quiet uncomfortable and just needed to sleep in today.

We got up around 11:00 AM today and that was nice. The boyfriend and I are in one room and his 2 friends are in a separate room. When we got up, we called down to ask them if they were up for lunch.

Lunch was at the gay bar area, Paradise. We ate at Newspaper Restaurant. It is right on the Soi with My Way and Tangmo. It was very clean and pleasant. We were the only customers. The food was excellent. It tasted good and it was nice portions. The average cost for a plate was 220 baht. We had 5 different plates and several drinks. The bill was 1700 baht and while good, it was expensive. We were told the owner of that restaurant is the same owner as Tangmo and 5 other businesses on that Soi.

We then went to the Cobra Show as the boys really wanted to see it. I have seen one before in Chiang Mai and this one was very similar. The guys loved seeing all the snakes, etc and we had our picture taken with a few of them. The show cost 400 baht a person. They had a drink and food bar outside if anyone wanted drinks. We were able to see the show and walk around and look at several other snakes and animals. The show was fun to see if you have never been to one.

The next stop was the Shooting Range. We each wanted to try some shooting with pistols and shotguns. The pistols were 900 baht for 10 bullets and the rifles were 700 baht for 10 bullets. Each of us did both the rifle and the pistol. I was the lucky winner of the rifle contest with 94% shooting skill. The boyfriend kicked ass with the pistol and blew me and the other guys away with his percentages. All in all this is a very expensive thing to do but it really a treat for the Thai guys who always see these on TV but never had a chance to hold one and shoot.

Next we went Bungee Jumping. We chose the Jungle Bungy Jump under New Zealand Management. They charge 2,000 bath for the jump and that includes a shirt. They will take a DVD of the jump for another 500 baht. So, total per person was 2500 baht. This company was professional and well organized and I did feel safe there and did not think there would be any issue. I took a lot of photos myself so we didn’t pay them to do that for us.

Jungle Bungy Jump – 076-321351

At night, we ate back in the Paradise area. We choose a place called 888888 ATM. It was clean and nicely decorated. The food was simply horrible. They over salted everything and the wait time was over 40 minutes. I ordered a hamburger and it was eatable but no where close to the wonderful Niddy’s hamburger I once got in Pattaya. The boys got Thai food and 2 got Spaghetti. They said the Thai food was OK but the Spaghetti was over salted and tasted bad. We each had one drink and the cost for the 4 of us was 800 baht. I hope that this was just a bad night for these guys but watching them trying to cook a hamburger was enjoyable. They had 3 cooks and 4 waiters and we were the ONLY customers. They had a large debate about the burger and finally they decided to salt it. I wish they had just asked me about it.

We went over the Soi for drinks at a local beer bar. This one was directly adjacent to Tangmo. We sat outside of it as one of the guys recognized a boy who had worked at Crazy Dragon and has moved back to Phuket. The drinks at the bar were 100 baht each. Not quite as cheap as most beer bars I go to but this seems the norm here.

Phuket is much more expensive in every area then Pattaya or Chiang Mai.

We went toe the Simon Cabaret and sat 3rd row. The seats were great and the guys loved the show. They have all had Katoy girlfriends before so they really got a kick out of some of these beautiful women. The show as fun and enjoyable. The tickets were 600 baht each and that did not include transportation. For other 80 baht each, they would have picked us up and delivered us to the hotel.

Day 4

Rock-climbing day. We were up early and had the free buffet at the Holiday Inn. The buffet is great with a wide variety of choices for everyone. They have Thai dishes, Japanese dishes, some Arab flare and of course all the Western like food. Today was the first day I had seen the guys drink coffee. They normally just drink juice but I guess they stayed up late night and were tired and thought the coffee would give them a boost. We had to meet the driver at the front of the lobby by 7:30AM. We were there and off for the day. I decided to sit this day out as my sunburn was still wrenching from pain.

The boys said they had a blast. The boyfriend had gone with me to Chiang Mai on a rock-climbing trip and he was a bit more experienced than his friends but they all came back laughing and tired and said it was a very good day! The rock climbing was 2500 baht per person and that included pickup and delivery from hotel.

I decided to stay in the hotel all day today and get work done. I ordered up some food for lunch and spent the day catching up on e-mails and other stuff.

The boys returned so excited they were able to do the rock-climbing and I am glad they had a blast.

The night was spent in the Paradise gay area again. In this area there are several bars and go-go venues.

On the right:

Newspaper – which we ate at and reviewed above.

Dempseys

Connect Room and Food – Seemed to be a busy place and the food was good!

James Dean Restaurant – renovations going on one side but the other one open.

Time

Orchid Lounge

My Way

On the left:

Maprang Bar

James Dean and Friends

Kar Door Host and Karaoke

Thais Best Boys

Spartacus

Tangmo

Kiss

BB Boys

Corner Bakery

Around the corner to the left is the Mama San bar I mentioned above.

By far the best bar we went to was My Way. It was full of cute guys and enjoyable. It is not as much fun as when I was here in high season but it was still enjoyable.

Tango is a blast. A lot of cute boy and friendly staff.

Dempseys has some very cute waiters and staff.

BB Boys caught my attention each night as they had a flow of hot studs walking into the place but I was never able to find them 20 minutes later when I would get there.