One Month Cheap Trip in Thailand

After few days in Thailand we totally realised that Singapore is very expensive specially for the tourist. For the residents the daily expenses is okay because they are use to it and their wages are based on the quality of life they have there.

Don Muang International Airport.

We arrived at Don Muang International Airport for a overnight stopover, the airport is not good for overnight stay, there is no place to sleep for free, they have just benches that are not comfortable to lay down. There are some shops that are open 24 hours, there is also a connected hotel but is not satisfying for a short stay. We had an stopover here because we booked the cheapest ticket available online.

Arrived in Phuket

We didn't see much in Phuket International Airport because we go straight to the arrival area. The airport is busy and most of the passengers are western tourist. In there are lot of people offering a transfer to the hotel, there are bus, van, and taxi. As of the moment they don't have formal form of public transportation like train or bus station to go to the city. So we grab this 180 Baht transfer by van going to our hotel because this is the safest and the most affordable. They drop us in front of our hotel and we are satisfied with the service. We stay in Patong Beach, Patong is the central of Phuket you'll see more foreigners than locals in this part of Phuket.

Accommodation

Because we are two, we always stay in a hotel room instead of a guest house. This way we save some money and at the same time we are comfortable and our luggage are safe. Hotel room in Phuket is better, cleaner and 75 cheaper than hotel room in Singapore, Most of those hotels gave us free daily bottled water, free coffee and they clean the room everyday. There are hotels that are in the beach front, and some have swimming pool that makes them very expensive. The hotels that we got are ranging from 14 to 19 US Dollar per day, we also stay in a hotel with swimming pool and garden for that price, and most those we stay for at least 5 days. Each of those hotels have different qualities that we like. Some hotels are nice because there are cheap restaurant around, because the bed is very comfortable, because the view is amazing, because it's near to the beach and one thing for sure because the locals are friendly.

Things to See in Phuket

Phuket town has nothing special, it is just like an ordinary asian town with market, plaza, shopping mall etc. Aside from the Town, Patong and Bang Tao, I have never been to any other part but most of Phuket are beaches. Patong Beach is the most visited part, Patong is not a residential area in here you're going to see so many guest houses, hotels, massages shop, restaurant, specialty shops, bars and night clubs and shopping Mall. Tourists here are like locals because because you'll see more of them everywhere in Patong. Bangla Road is like the Khao San Road in Phuket, this is the red light district and is very crowded and wild at night with different attractions, service and unexpected things to see in there. If you are planning to go to Phuket then I suggest you to stay near to Bangla Road or near to the Beach in Patong. BangTao beach is another part of Phuket it is 20 minutes drive from Patong. BangTao is design more on Family trip. There are no cheap guest houses, mostly are hotels and luxury villas, there are lakes just before you reach the public beach and a bit far from the residential area. They have a free shuttle bus in the beach complex. There are local restaurant that caters basically for the locals but foreigners are welcome and expect the food to be very cheap.

Food in Phuket

They have KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Company and Starbucks but not much. The shop here if not a massage, or store for sure it is a restaurant. There are some other cuisines but mostly are international with a lot of Thai food in the menu. Phad Thai, Fried Rice, Fried Noodles, Soup are most of the time my meal. There times that we are lazy to go out then we stock some instant noodles, instant porridge and then we just add some boiling water from the hotel room kettle. Seven Eleven are everywhere and they even have ready to eat microwaved food that are cheap and makes you full. The prices of the food vary depending on the locations, it is ranging from 65 Baht to 120 Baht for 1 Phad Thai or Pride rice, In some other places like those in residential area we can eat 45 Baht for a Phad Thai and a soft drink for 10 Baht.

Things to do

Aside from partying, swimming there are also a lot of activities can do within the beach, but all of those are cost a prices which I think is affordable because there are lots of choices in almost the same services. Trekking and exploring the forest and mountain part and seeing the monkeys in Phuket are another interesting thing to do. Patong Beach also have boat service that will bring you the the very popular Phiphi Beach, James Bond Beach and other island nearby. Because we stay there for 1 month and as much as I can I tried to be thrifty and at the same time not to get bored. I made a silly video for my self "rejection therapy" just for me to overcome my shyness.

Prices in Phuket & Bangkok

Room/night      =   14USD  and up

Dormitory/night =   5USD and up

Food                =   1USD and up, it depends

Taxi                  =   by Meter

TukTuk             =   Negotiable

Motor               =   Negotiable

Bus                  = 30USD

Airport to Hotel =  5USD

Best Places to See in Singapore

Singapore is not like cities in Europe with amazing old buildings and churches, It also not like Southeast Asian countries with a lot of amazing mosques and temples. Singapore does not even have mountains or falls or nightlife like Amsterdam. So why people come here,  Most of the interesting things in Singapore are modern and are luxury to experience just like Dubai.

Marina Bay Sands

It's a luxury hotel with an amazing infinity pool on the roof that looks like a ship with a nice view of the city. Very expensive hotel. Downstair is a luxury shopping mall with all kinds of affordable to the expensive stuff. It has a casino, museums, water parks and the usual things we see in the Shopping Mall. Marina Bay Sands is easy to find as it is the center of Singapore and is connected to the underground train.

Gardens by the Bay is located just behind the Marina Bay Sands, It's not an ordinary park with just trees and places to rest, there are lots of attractions and activities that you're going to see and experience here. The gardens are open until 2:00am and the light shows is a must to see.

Marina Bay

In front of the Marina Bay Sands is the Marina Bay facing the skyscrapers of Singapore. Together with Merlions, Singapore Flyer and Esplanades there are also a lot of al fresco restaurants, hotels, and shops that are amazing to see especially with lights on at night.

Boat Quay Singapore

Marina Boat Quay is a lane of restaurants of different cuisines in the riverbank of Singapore Bridge just behind the Fullerton Hotel, Raffles Place Centre and New Bridge, The view from the Boat Quay Inn terrace is amazing, the same if you stay a bit in the base of the New Bridge. There are boats along the river that cruise all the way to the Marina Bay.

Raffles Place Centre

This is the business capital, the center of the skyscrapers of Singapore, This is basically you're going to see the office workers. Hawker's food store here is reliable as most of the professional office workers eat here. The place is very near to Marina Bay, Boat Quay, and China Town. Aside from the underground train, it is also connected by an underground shopping mall going to Marina Bay Sands. Don't mistake this as Raffles City, Raffles City is another place in Singapore where Raffles and Fairmont Hotel are located.

China Town

Every country has its own version of China Town, I can say this is the cleanest Chinatown I've ever seen. If you love to walk, then China Town is a 15 minutes walk from the business center and New Bridge in Boat Quay. Basically, Chinatown is good for outdoor shopping and eating. There are so many hawkers food court and shopping mall in the area and is also connected by underground train.

Little India

I have never been totally in this part of Singapore, but my fellow traveler in the guesthouse show me a picture when he went there during the Diwali Festival, He was amazed in the lanterns and colorful street decorations, people in their traditional dress and the street performer. It is also connected by an underground train and underground passage.

Orchard Road

This road has a lot of huge shopping mall and hotels, This is like the high street of Singapore, People comes here to show their fashion and style and of course to shop. Noticeably that during Saturdays and Sundays the place is full of Kabayans it's simply because one of the Mall there has mostly Filipino products and services. This is my favorite part of Singapore because I love new things, electronics, and people. The place is also connected by underground train and the mall is connected by the underground passage.

Sentosa Island

Sentosa Island can be reached by going to Vivo Shopping Mall. Vevo is a regular shopping Mall that is connected by a Tram going to Sentosa Island. Sentosa Island is an island in Singapore design for relaxation and entertainment. There are so many hotels, restaurants and attractions to see and experience. The beaches are also located on this Island. Cable car, Universal Studios, iFly skydive, forest are some of the attractions I did experience.

Geylang

This place is a residential area with a lot of hawkers food, shops and if I am not mistaken this is already the red light district. I see some establishments here where there are some ladies on stage. This place is for everybody, the poor and rich meets here. In this place, you'll think that people don't cook at home because the hawker's food center are always full.

Botanic Garden

I've been here just a few hours because of the rain, that is why I didn't see all the things but they have a restaurant inside, a lot of big trees and plants that I saw for the first time, there is the lake with a lot of big fish, there is some pay per entry places inside, And I see there a rooster that is roaming around.

Most of the places of interest in Singapore can be reached using their numerous Rail, Train system. Some places are also connected by underground passage and Mall which are good during the rains or when it's very hot outside.

There is so much more to see in Singapore especially if you have a lot of money.




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