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Join Mytour and Hòa Bùi on a 4-day, 3-night budget adventure to Phuket for just 7 million Dong!
Discover a carefree 4-day, 3-night Phuket journey with 7 million Dong
Group: 4 travelers embarking on a 4-day, 3-night itinerary
Currency: 1,000 baht = 640,000 VND at the time of our trip
Expenses: 7 million Dong per person, including round-trip airfare of 3,800,000 VND + 5,000 Thai Baht (3,200,000 VND), totaling 7 million (Including some unnecessary expenses and splurging). By reading this article carefully, you can cut down to around 6 million Dong.
Travelers should pay attention to where the Vietnam – Bangkok flight lands. If it lands at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, you'll need to take a shuttle bus to Don Mueang Airport, then continue to Phuket (if your flight departs from DMK, they'll provide a free shuttle bus). Alternatively, there are flights from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Phuket, but they're not cheap.
Another thing to note is that transferring from BKK to DMK takes about 1 hour, and traffic in Bangkok can be horrendous. So, if you're planning to land at BKK and transfer to DMK, allow at least 5 hours between flights.
And don't do what we did—landing at DMK and instead of waiting for our connecting flight to Phuket, we took a taxi to BKK Airport to grab lunch at the food court (top floor, only 100 baht for a satisfying meal), but ended up spending 1,800 baht for two taxi rides back and forth.
Accommodation
You can book hotels in Phuket on various online booking platforms.
Note: The most lively beach in Phuket is Patong Beach and the liveliest street is BangLa Road.
Certainly, hotels near the mentioned area are not budget-friendly, so we opted for a slightly distant hotel (approximately 1.5 km away) and used scooters for commuting (rented at 150 baht/day). The advantage of staying far from the city center is that food and other services are more affordable.
Initially, we planned to book Royal Beach Residence, 800m from the center, for 3 nights and 2 rooms at 3,366 baht (including airport transfer). However, we ended up choosing ALLYA hotel for its swimming pool, priced at 2,900 baht for 3 nights/2 rooms (without airport transfer).
Speaking of airport transfers, Phuket Airport is quite distant from Patong Beach (about a 1-hour drive), despite some online reviews claiming otherwise, with a round trip cost of 400 baht. In reality, it amounts to 1,600 baht round trip. Thus, we spent 2,900 baht + 1,600 baht for taxi fare, totaling 4,500 baht, higher than staying at Royal Beach.
In summary, hotels in Phuket aren't pricey, around 400 baht per room for 2 people. Hence, it's only 200 baht per person for 3 nights, totaling 600 baht.
For taxis from Phuket, it's best to negotiate with the hotel for pickup, otherwise, it'll cost about 1,600 baht round trip for 4 people, approximately 400 baht per person.
Booking Tours
On your first night in Phuket, explore the city center where numerous tour agencies are located. Drop by, check out prices, negotiate for a good deal, and book on the spot. There are plenty of tour options in Phuket, but the most popular ones include:
3 Island Tour: Khai Island – Phi Phi Island – Maya Beach by Speedboat: The usual price is 2,500 baht, but you can negotiate down to 1,200 baht (we managed to settle for 1,400 baht).
Emphasize to the tour agency that you prefer Speedboat rides, as this allows you ample time to explore and visit Loh Sama Bay, which we consider the most beautiful spot in Phuket.
If you opt for the Big boat, the tour costs only 700 baht – 900 baht. However, we advise against it as it takes nearly 4 hours each way, consuming precious time.
Rafting + Trekking + ATV Tour: This tour is typically sold to Western tourists for 900 baht, but we ended up paying 1,100 baht. So, we realized we were overcharged compared to Westerners. If you're tired of island tours on the first day, this tour offers waterfall swims, jungle treks, elephant rides, and ATV driving. The downside is that you have to take a shuttle to the activity sites.
Raya + Coral or Phang Nga Tour: If you haven't had enough beach time the previous day, opt for this tour. However, consider booking it on a Big boat if you've already done a Speedboat tour. Big boats have a more luxurious feel compared to Speedboats.
Furthermore, consider buying a tour for day 1 instead of committing to day 2 immediately. Gauge your energy levels after day 1 before deciding on day 2's itinerary. During the tour, remember to bring a small backpack for towels and sandwiches to feed the fish. Feeding the fish will be a delightful experience as hundreds of colorful reef fish swarm around you.
Note: Although it's stated on the boat that feeding fish is not allowed, the guides are usually understanding and allow it for entertainment. However, it's absolutely crucial not to litter into the sea, as the locals here have a high environmental consciousness.
In summary, 2 days of tours cost around 2,300 baht. If you're in a group, you can negotiate for an even better deal.
Dining and Entertainment
As the tours cover lunch, you'll only need to worry about dinners for 3 nights, breakfasts for 3 days, and one lunch at the airport.
Breakfast: In Phuket, life mostly starts after dark, so don't expect to find breakfast or coffee vendors at 6:30 AM like in Vietnam. Your best bet is to head to 7Eleven or Family Mart for breakfast and coffee. Bottled water is only 10 baht, and food options, priced at 40 baht, are diverse and often tastier than in Vietnam. Convenient stores are abundant in Thailand, with one every 50 meters, so you won't have trouble finding food.
Dinner: The most delicious and cheapest option is street food. With 100 baht, you can have a satisfying bowl of noodles or rice. However, seafood here doesn't compare to Vietnam. For a fancy dining experience, it's best to stick to Vietnam. If you're tired of street food, consider going to restaurant number 6 for hotpot. While it's often praised, we ended up at restaurant number 5 due to the former being closed. The price is quite reasonable at 200 baht per person for a hotpot with crispy squid, steamed fish with lime, soft drinks, beer, and more.
At night, you can take a leisurely stroll in Phuket, walk along Bangla Road, grab a 30 baht bottle of beer, and enjoy people-watching or street performances. Additionally, there are various shows like Sexy Papong, Big Eyes, Thai Boxing, Fantasea, and Simon. Although we didn't attend any as we've seen similar shows in Pattaya before, we recommend Fantasea for its grandeur similar to Siam Niramit.
Furthermore, we opted for beer along Bangla Road, explored Phuket by scooter, ventured into different dining areas, indulged in Thai massages, and took nighttime strolls by the beach.
In summary: Food expenses: 200 baht x 3 nights = 600 baht + scooter rental 150 baht + beer 100 baht + water 100 baht + Thai massage 150 baht = 1,000 baht.
Conclusion: Flight tickets: 3,500,000 VND.
Hotel: 1,000 baht.
Tour: 2,300 baht
Dining: 1,000 baht
In total, it amounts to 6,300,000 VND, with an additional 700,000 VND for incidental expenses, totaling 7 million VND.
By Hoa Bui
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
TravelMate.comJune 13, 2018
