Day 0.5- Phuket Town

I know this update took forever, but here goes:

Departed for Thailand on an early flight at 8am in the morning and reached before noon. Coming out of the gates of Phuket International Airport, we were greeted by the prepaid SIM booth. Really, it cannot be any more strategically located than it already is. You should have seen the crowd gathering around the booth. Thailand is really one of the countries with the most affordable telcom rates to ensure that you're connected even on the go. All of us eventually bought the TrueMove 7 days unlimited data plan- which costs only 300B (~12SGD). The service is quite impressive too where the staff will set up the phone for you, all ready for use!

Just like how you get swamped by drivers when you get out of the JB customs, it is the same when you step out of Phuket International Airport. But we managed to snag up quite a good deal at one of the booth. Getting a bus ride to Phuket Town for lunch and then a  return ferry ticket to Phi Phi Island for 1000B (~40SGD). Quite reasonable and save us the hassle of trying to figure out how to get around bit by bit.

Our bus to Phuket Town. Definitely thankful for the aircon and comfort in the hot sun.

A trip is not complete without a visit to its capital. So, here we are at Phuket Town for a short afternoon before embarking on our Phi Phi adventures. Phuket Town is a vastly modernised place with shopping malls stocked with numerous international brands. You probably will feel right at home except for the unrestricted shopping and the presences of overhead cables. If you ever see any store selling waffles, grab them! Too yummy. Cheap yet satisfying snack for a hot afternoon.

After spending much time walking around, camwhore-ing and absorbing the rustic vibes of Phuket town, we eventually settle down in a nice quaint cafe nearby. Unlike cafes in Singapore with ample staffs, this cafe only has 1 staff. I'm guessing they don't usually handle big groups like us. Our drinks took longer than usual but the taste made up for it. Thumbs up. Not the cheapest thing though, at about 4-5SGD each.

By late afternoon, we were finally making our way to the ferry point, via a PICKUP. Such a refreshing way to travel, it's quite unlikely to happen in Singapore. The 3 girls took the cabin seats while the rest of us bask under the glorious sun with the wind in our face (literally). 

And I unfortunately did not take any photos of the ferry because we were busy trying to keep our balance on it and then settling down into seats which were very much like cinema seats. About 10 seats on each side which makes getting out to take pictures quite a tedious process. Also by this time, the motion sickness is pretty much getting to me. *nauseous*  

 

Some googled images to make sense to what I'm saying. And it's true that the upper deck is filled with caucasians in their swimwear and some conveniently in their lingerie. 

Views from the ferry were so astonishing already. Seeing it for real for the next 5 days was even more amazing.

Koh Phi Phi, here we go.