Getting around Phuket can be easy and fun if you know how and how much to pay for your transport. There are lots of options available from air conditioned taxi's,
tuk-tuks,songthaews
which is the name for the local bus to motorcycles or scooters or longtail boats. We have tried them all except for one and if you read on you will find out why.
Phuket Island is only 48 kilometres in length and 21 kilometres across, which makes it easy to see the whole Island in one day.
To do this we would recommend hiring a
Phuket rental car,
or if you are game and an experienced rider or extremely mad, you may want to
hire a motorcycle.
Finding your way around the Island is easy as long as you have a good map, you can pick free maps up at the airport on arrival or at your hotel.
Once you arrive at your resort or hotel, getting around is quiet easy as most resorts and hotels on the west coast of Phuket are within walking distance to the beach, restaurants, nightlife and shopping areas. Making walking the prefered option. It is not until you decide that you want to go to another area of the Island that you realize that the public transport in Phuket can be at times frustrating and expensive depending on your bartering skills.
If you are staying on the west coast of Phuket and would like to go into Phuket Town for some bargain shopping, the cheapest way to get there would be to catch the local bus which is called a songthaew. These buses only run through the day so it is a cheap way to see parts of the Island.
When shopping in Phuket Town and you want to get from one shopping centre to another shopping centre you will find the micro bus is a cheap way to get there, especially when you are loaded up with bags full of billabong shorts and shirts and other goodies that you have purchased.
Something you should do whist getting around in Phuket, is to have a ride in a tuk-tuk. They are not the cheapest form of transportation in Phuket or the most comfortable, but they are lots of fun.
If it's air-conditioning and comfort that you want you could always catch an
air-conditioned taxi
to get you to where you want to go.
The most enjoyable way of getting around Phuket is to
hire a longtail boat
as some of the most beautiful beaches and coves are only accessible by boat.
Another way of getting around in Phuket is a motorbike taxi, probably not the safest way. Although if you are game they are convenient for really short trips.
