We all love a good basic beach holiday
Phuket is one of those places you can keep going back to over and over again, even if you end up doing the exact same thing! Beach villas, night markets and the beach seem to have a draw few can resist.
The Klook Team recently went for a retreat and Phuket was an obvious choice. If sun, sea and sunset drinks sound like your kind of holiday, here are some other things we did that you can also look forward to on your next beach holiday!
P.S. Find out how to make your beach holiday even better with a special Sony camera giveaway at the end of the article.
Beach holiday essentials
SIM Card
It’s always useful to stay connected, especially if you’re travelling in a large group! Pick-up your 4G SIM Card when you land from the dtac counter right outside the Arrivals area! The staff onsite will assist with installing the SIM into your mobile device and will make sure you have 4G internet speeds before you leave the shop.
Enjoy unlimited data up to 8 days with 4G speeds up to 3GB. There’s also THB100 call credits included in your card (approximately 30 mins of talk time) in case you need to reach someone urgently!
Car Charter
It’s always a good idea to arrange for an airport transfer for a peace of mind. Be greeted by one of the Klook staff onsite once you exit the airport and hop into your comfortable ride to your hotel.
Pick from standard car or standard van options that can accommodate anywhere from 3 to 10 passengers!
Your beach holiday must haves
1. The #instaworthy photo
Pictures or it didn’t happen! With all that natural light and rattan chairs just waiting to be photographed, it’s the perfect time to stockpile those IG-worthy shots for posting even after your holiday’s over.
It also helps if your hotel comes with nice “props” for you to photograph with – like this swing we found by the poolside!
2. Larger-than-life pool party inflatables
If your villa comes with a pool, it’s almost a crime not to bring along a pool float. It’s slightly baffling how people are willing to put in so much effort to lug these giant swans, flamingos and donuts overseas just for a few photos, but we’re definitely not complaining!
3. The night markets
Like most beach destinations, Phuket too has its fair share of night markets with everything from local food to clothes and even cocktails! Most know the bigger and more popular market at Patong Beach, but if you’re after something a little different, try the Boat Avenue markets at Bangtao Beach.
Home to beer gardens, restaurants and even a supermarket, the markets at Boat Avenue cater to just about everyone. One highlight was a small cocktail stand selling classics like a mojito for just 89 THB!
The easiest way to get to this market is to Klook yourself a private car charter. You can select the 4-hour package for hassle-free pick-up and drop-off good for a groups of 1 to 10 pax!
P.S. Our phones weren’t doing the night market justice, so we used the Sony RX100 VI and were rather happy with the sharp, noise-free pictures!
4. Literally doing nothing
Kick back, relax, and enjoy the fact that you’re away from the humdrum of daily life. Sometimes all we need is a bit of rest to rejuvenate ourselves and there’s no better place to do it than the beach paradise of Phuket.
5. Cheap booze
This is something all party-goers will be happy about! Alcohol is generally cheaper in Phuket and easily accessible. Even at hotels, a cocktail can go for just 240 THB! Not to mention restaurants where you can get a can of Chang beer for just 30 THB. Now did someone mention happy hour?
6. Thai food in general
Everyone loves Thai food!
Be it stuffing your face with copious amounts of pad Thai or drinking Thai milk tea like water, the food in Phuket is a highlight on its own.
Most choose to go to the night markets for their fill, but if you’re after some quality Thai food in the daytime, you can head to Phuket Town honoured by UNESCO as one of the World’s Cities of Gastronomy. Tuck into a medley of Thai and Chino-Portugese food like kamnom jean nam ya (Thai rice noodles with curry) and banana fritters. For the best gastronomic experience, book a Phuket Town food tour on Klook and hit up all of the area’s best food spots in just half a day!
7. Boat parties
Yacht parties are definitely the epitome of every beach holiday!
The highlight of the trip was definitely getting to ride on the new Klook-branded catamaran, available for hire to Racha and Coral Island! This luxurious catamaran can accommodate up to 20 pax and even comes with hotel pick-up, breakfast and snacks on board.
The catamaran is so spacious it can even accommodate a fully-functional kitchen, bedroom and shower!
8. Rare sightings
Not everyone can say they get to meet a hornbill everyday, but you can if you live on Banana Beach in Phuket!
A beach holiday also allows you to get up close and personal with nature, including a variety of animals unique to the island itself. In this case, a family of wild hornbills made Banana Beach their home, much to the delight of all the visitors to the island daily.
We were particularly impressed by the zoom and fast autofocus feature of the Sony RX100 VI that made it possible to capture this hornbill without spooking it! The silent shutter also helped.
9. Local transport
Ask any local and they’ll tell you motorcycles and tuk tuks are the best way of getting around. Some of these motorized bikes even come with loud techno music blasting from their speakers. Others, like this giant open-concept tuk tuk even allows you to cling onto the handrails at the back of the vehicle for added thrill.
This brings a whole new meaning to the term ‘travelling in style’!
P.S. The flip screen function of the Sony RX100 VI makes taking selfies and wefies an easy feat!
10. The beach
Finally, it’s not a beach holiday if there isn’t a beach to begin with and thankfully Phuket has tons of pristine white beaches waiting to be explored. Avoid the overcrowded Patong beach and head to others like Maithon Island and Koh Hey instead where you can sometimes have the entire expanse of white beach to yourself.
Capture your best travel moments with Sony
We wouldn’t have been able to capture all these moments if not for the Sony RX100 VI, which we used to capture almost all of the pictures featured in this article.
Out of all the inbuilt functions, we were most impressed by how quickly the camera could capture moments that would otherwise have been missed with the world’s fastest* Auto Focus. The quality of the photos were also clear, even at maximum zoom and in low light conditions, like at the night market!
*Among fixed lens digital cameras with 1.0 type sensor as of date of press release based on Sony’s research.
Here are some special features of the camera:
High resolution (1 inch sensor) and Broad Zoom Range (24-200mm) packed in pocket-sized body
Pocket-sized portability makes it ideal for holidays. Despite its size, the camera manages to maintain outstanding image quality even when zooming in to subjects far away.
World’s Fastest Auto Focus (0.03 Sec)
Able to capture fast moving subjects on the go so you don’t miss the moment!
Tiltable LCD monitor (Upwards 180°,Downwards 90°)
From selfies to flatlays, this camera is equipped with a flexible LCD monitor so you can review your shots directly from the camera.
Low Light Performance
Capture high-quality images even in low light, thanks to optical image stabilization that .
Touch Focus
Easily set focus on things that matter during travel by simply touching the monitor to position the focus.
Score a chance to win a Sony RX100 VI or RX10 IV of your own by participating in the latest giveaway!
All you need to do is:
- Follow @sonyphinc on Instagram
- Hashtag your worst travel photo with #TravelBetterwithSonyRX and #SonyRX and tell us why you want to take better vacation photos with the Sony RX
- Sign up at the Sony registration page: http://smarturl.it/lq9bx9
The 10 best stories will get to take either the Sony RX100 VI or RX10 IV for the duration of their holiday in December and the top 5 with the biggest improvement in their photos will walk home with a camera of their own and USD1,000 worth of travel vouchers!
Contest ends 25 Nov 2018. Shortlisted contestants will be contacted via the details provided in the registration form.
Good luck!
