Phuket for 3 old people and one curmudgeon-at-heart
July 30, 2019 11:28 AM Subscribe
My dad has got it into his head that he would really like to go to Phuket (Patong area) for about 5 days at the end of October. We will probably be joined by my aunt and uncle. What are some things for 2 old-but-fit-and-active people, 1 old-and-not-very-fit person, and 1 youngish person to do?
Theoretically we are there to "just relax," but in practice, my dad has never just hung out at a beach in his parental life, plus it is the end of rainy season and we will be in the Patong area where beaches are apparently pretty busy (perhaps not that busy in October) and I am pretty sure they will want to do stuff. The question is: what stuff?
- we will not be there on a weekend, so we can't attend the big weekend market
- aunt gets seasick easily, so I'm wary of boat tours. she was OK at one of the floating markets in Bangkok which included a speedier portion in a river, not just moving placidly past stalls, but she can't take, for example, the ferry from Penang to Langkawi
- none of us are into diving, also my aunt can't swim
- aunt and uncle are very fit for their age, but my dad is not. He can stroll along streets OK.
- if the opening wasn't explicit enough, we are not gonna be hitting up clubs, foam parties, or getting drunk on the beach. and yes, I know, probably we shouldn't be in Patong in that case, but the hotel is already booked. You know what, maybe I will TRY getting drunk on the beach for once in my goddamn life. Who knows.
My current ideas (based on what has seemed interesting to aunt, uncle, & dad on previous Bangkok trip) are:
- checking out bazaars and fresh markets (we are staying near Banzaan Market)
- checking out night markets that are open during the weekday (looks like Malin Plaza is open every night, Jungceylon Mall has one??, there might be one at the Royal Paradise?, Karon Temple on Tuesdays & Fridays if we take a taxi?)
- Khao Rang Hill in Phuket Town
- wandering around Phuket Town ??
- Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, which is the purportedly only ethical one where you do not ride, mud bathe, or feed elephants. But this is a big maybe as I'm unsure about animal tourism, or if the relatives would be interested.
Any problems with these ideas? Any other suggestions? Specific markets or bazaars? General tips? I've used the Phuket 101 blog and Phuket.com site to figure stuff out so far, but if there are other blogs you'd recommend, please let me know.
Theoretically we are there to "just relax," but in practice, my dad has never just hung out at a beach in his parental life, plus it is the end of rainy season and we will be in the Patong area where beaches are apparently pretty busy (perhaps not that busy in October) and I am pretty sure they will want to do stuff. The question is: what stuff?
- we will not be there on a weekend, so we can't attend the big weekend market
- aunt gets seasick easily, so I'm wary of boat tours. she was OK at one of the floating markets in Bangkok which included a speedier portion in a river, not just moving placidly past stalls, but she can't take, for example, the ferry from Penang to Langkawi
- none of us are into diving, also my aunt can't swim
- aunt and uncle are very fit for their age, but my dad is not. He can stroll along streets OK.
- if the opening wasn't explicit enough, we are not gonna be hitting up clubs, foam parties, or getting drunk on the beach. and yes, I know, probably we shouldn't be in Patong in that case, but the hotel is already booked. You know what, maybe I will TRY getting drunk on the beach for once in my goddamn life. Who knows.
My current ideas (based on what has seemed interesting to aunt, uncle, & dad on previous Bangkok trip) are:
- checking out bazaars and fresh markets (we are staying near Banzaan Market)
- checking out night markets that are open during the weekday (looks like Malin Plaza is open every night, Jungceylon Mall has one??, there might be one at the Royal Paradise?, Karon Temple on Tuesdays & Fridays if we take a taxi?)
- Khao Rang Hill in Phuket Town
- wandering around Phuket Town ??
- Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, which is the purportedly only ethical one where you do not ride, mud bathe, or feed elephants. But this is a big maybe as I'm unsure about animal tourism, or if the relatives would be interested.
Any problems with these ideas? Any other suggestions? Specific markets or bazaars? General tips? I've used the Phuket 101 blog and Phuket.com site to figure stuff out so far, but if there are other blogs you'd recommend, please let me know.
Phuket actually has a lot of history and culture and is one of the Peranakan cities. Thee is a new Peranakan museum which looks very nice and you may be able to find a well-respected history and food tour. Unfortunately, the tour company I trusted there is gone, but lonely planet may be able to recommend another. Be careful with tours, as most are controlled by a driver’s cartel and really only exist to sell nasty jewellery. But if you can find a good one, it’s great! I spent a full day on Phuket history.
posted by frumiousb at 2:32 PM on July 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by frumiousb at 2:32 PM on July 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
We went years ago, and had a very unpleasant tour by boat (sudden rainstorm and high seas in a two engine power boat), but also a very pleasant boat tour of islands (the James Bond island, I think) and various other islands and their inner lagoons by inflatable canoe, with lunch served on the big two level pontoon boat.
We also did a cooking class that was pretty great.
posted by Ghidorah at 11:14 PM on July 30, 2019
We also did a cooking class that was pretty great.
posted by Ghidorah at 11:14 PM on July 30, 2019
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posted by Alison at 12:07 PM on July 30, 2019 [2 favorites]