What I Hated About Phuket (And Why You Should Still Go)

The view above Phuket's Ya Nui Beach.

I have written a lot about our travels to Thailand and our unforgettable experiences in Phuket, including rock climbing Ko Panyi, kayaking Phang Nga Bay’s karsts and hongs, and snorkeling around the Ko Phi Phi islands.  I loved our time in Phuket and we have memories from there that will last us a lifetime.  When I’m old and wrinkly and can barely walk I will be telling anyone who will listen (and anyone who won’t) all about how brave I was rock climbing.  However, I would not be telling the truth if I said I loved every part of our time in Phuket.  There were things about Phuket that I disliked.  Likes and dislikes are varied and unique to different travelers, so I will relay the rest of our experiences and let you decide.

Kayaking Phang Nga Bay’s Karsts and Hongs

My favorite one-handed Thai monkey.

When planning our time in Phuket, I read about exploring Thailand’s karsts in Phang Nga Bay by kayak, which sounded like an adventure right up our alley.  I decided to book with Sea Canoe Thailand, the self-proclaimed original sea kayak tour operator, as recommended by Lonely Planet’s DiscoverThailand. 

Lonely Planet’s Discover Thailand describes Phang Nga Bay as having “[m]ore than 40 humpbacked limestone mountains [that] jut out of this sheltered bay to create a dramatic interplay of land and sea.”  Frommer’s Thailand describes stunning scenery “with limestone karst towers rising from the bay” and says sea kayaks are the perfect way to “explore the many breathtaking caves and chambers that hide beneath the jagged cliffs.” Sea Canoe’s sample itinerary for the Phang Nga Day Trip lists paddling to islands and entering caves and hongs.  That sounded like great fun.  But those descriptions did nothing to prepare me for what we would actually experience.

Snorkeling Thailand’s Ko Phi Phi Islands

Our lunchtime view during our day of snorkeling the Ko Phi Phi Islands with Simba Sea Trips.

No trip to the Phuket, Phang Nga Bay, or Krabi areas in Thailand can truly be complete without a boat ride to the Ko Phi Phi Islands and, if you are a fish and water lover, a day of snorkeling or scuba diving around the Ko Phi Phi Islands.  There are multiple options for traveling to the Ko Phi Phi Islands: ferries from Phuket or Krabi, large tour companies offering huge boats filled with dozens to up to 100 passengers, longtail boats that can be hired to make the trip privately, and, as we chose, smaller tour companies with boats for groups under 20 people. 

Rock Climbing Ko Panyi in Phang Nga Bay

The gorgeous view of Ko Panyi village and Phang Nga Bay which can only be seen by rock climbing.

When we decided to travel to Thailand there was one thing we had to do.  Actually, there was one thing I had to do, and I forced Romeo to do it too (he has a fear of falling, which he has explained is quite different from a fear of heights).  That one thing was rock climbing Ko Panyi (also Koh Panyi, Ko Panyee, and Koh Panyee).  Do you watch The Amazing Race?  One of the challenges during season 19 was rock climbing this huge limestone cliff jutting out of the water, which is part of a small island with a Muslim fishing village built on stilts.  Let’s just ignore the fact that I had never, ever rock climbed in my life, not even one of those indoor courses, and the other fact that I have absolutely no upper body strength.