Phuket VS Pattaya
I'll start with the backstory. We rested with my wife last year in April in Pattaya. And after arriving from Thailand, for a long time they were tormented by the agony of choosing where to send their feet on their next vacation. We went through many countries, but decided to opt for the island of Phuket. I wanted a clear sea and white sand on the beach, and at the same time to compare island life with the mainland. Clapping hands, we bought a tour for the second half of April from the Biblio-Globe. So to speak, we ventured to go to the rainy season to warm up and sunbathe))) There are no complaints about the tour operator at all, like last time. Everything is clearly on time and without any hitches. Honor and praise to them - keep the brand. We flew from Moscow Transaero - 9.5 hours and we are on the island. They met us as usual with orchids, backpacks and local SIM cards))) The second time, but everything is also nice.
And then our journey around the island began, which lasted about 2 hours???!! ! I didn’t understand what paths we were taken, but it looked like the bus driver had a meter turned on, like in a Moscow taxi for visitors)))) Actually, it’s a 40-minute drive to the hotel. Back, by the way, we arrived in 50 minutes)). So, we arrived at the Poppa Palace Hotel (literally translated as "Father's Palace") at 14:00, like to check in, but the hotel administration, represented by smiling and wildly cute Thais, walked past us 10 times asking us to wait 5 minutes, because . the number is not ready yet. So an hour passed....21 hours from the moment of our nomination from home in Russia to the Thai "Father's Palace". Boiling slowly from the heat and fatigue, we decided to take the room by storm and... just approached at the moment when the cleaning was finally completed. Oh Gods, it happened!!! ! Finally! ! By the way, cleaning and preparation of rooms according to the rules of the hotel is carried out from 12 to 14 hours.
Now about the room itself: make sure that everything in the room is in good order, including the presence of rain umbrellas, because at the entrance you are charged 100 American rubles and it’s not a fact that they will return the same amount at the exit if some kind of breakdown or shortage is found. Everything seemed to work for us at first glance and the umbrella was present)))). As it turned out later, the split-system (conder) worked inadequately. God forbid, it gave out 25 degrees when set to a minimum, but in the next room (there were 2 rooms paired) it blew without turning off all 10 days at a minimum... brrrrr. Most likely there was some kind of glitch in the electrics, tk. everything electrical in it worked without an input card)) In general, if you come across a room in the 3rd building with numbers 32202 and 32201, you know what is wrong with them. Everything else is of quite normal quality and the furniture and the safe did not fall apart during our presence))
I liked the view from the hotel to the courtyard for its silence and solitude. To the right one could see the pool and the second building from the balcony. The only thing that appeared a couple of times a claim during the stay in the room, so it's cleaning. Thais are already extremely slow people, but here we are talking about laziness at least. Initially, we left 20 baht each, but after noticing after a couple of days that cleaning comes down to making the bed and changing the water (they didn’t even sweep the floor from the sand from the sea, which, no matter how you shake your feet, one horseradish will turn out in the room) finished with the money. The quality of cleaning has not changed accordingly. Even making allowances for the end of the season and tired poor little Thais, on whose shoulders lay the super task of sweeping the floor and wiping the table in the room, well, the hand does not rise to give more than 2 points for cleaning out of 10.1 point for water change and 1 for towels.
But the hotel surprised me with breakfast. Either our mood was blissful at the end, or the stars were so arranged in the sky, but for the entire rest of the holiday I was not tired of the buffet. And even now, I remember the marvelous yogurt that I cracked in the morning on both cheeks))) In fact, the variety of dishes impressed me. I will not describe anything, just know that in the "Father's Palace" you will definitely not stay hungry in the morning))
Now a few words about the location - everything is nearby. Here in two words and kept within)). Tuk-tuks were never used - there was no need and that's it. To exchange offices and seven-eleven 2 minutes at a leisurely pace, to the sea 5 minutes, to the central store Big C and Jung Ceylon 7 minutes. Where to go?!
The beach and sea in Patong turned out to be clean and pleasant to spend time after 3 pm until the evening. Haven't been to the beach before. burn - just spit. There was already an experience in Pattaya, when we went to Sammet Island for a day...
The weather pleased us and in the "rainy season" as I wrote earlier, we managed to warm up and swim all the time under the hot sun of friendly Tai. At night, almost every night, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, but the clouds did not reach us due to the geographical position of the island. On the mainland at that time it was already raining in full, but we have not a drop! So I concluded that if you fly to Pattaya, then in the first half of April you have time before the rains, and you can safely rest in Phuket in the second. And the sun in the "rainy season" is much cheaper).
Excursions took 2 and did not lose. I'll explain why. Excursions can only be taken to the islands, because. all the rest is a pathetic semblance of those excursions that can be visited in Pattaya. All excursions that are not islands take place on the mainland - go 150 km or more, but no impressions. How do I know - I talked with people who rode them with their children, having also visited Pattaya before. The only thing you can pay attention to is quad rafting, where there is a little bit of everything - river rafting, quadrics, gibon flight and elephant riding. Plus, we went to the Similan Islands for one day. I really liked the Similans. My wife had one quirk - ride a turtle in the sea))) on a real....on a big sea))) So the dream came true - they saw, touched the turtle)))) both are happy))) Snorkeling on the islands is quite pleasant , there is something to see. Of course, the fish are not like in the Red Sea, but enough. A swimming mask is provided free of charge at the beginning of the tour. I am generally silent about photographs from viewing platforms - the beauty is indescribable. Bounty in one word)). The only disadvantage of traveling is that they managed to burn out even through clothes. My wife had a tunic, I had a Thai T-shirt and it didn't matter how the shrimp arrived. While swimming, take care of your back - smear at least 50 with a protective cream. We have spent the last 2 days at the hotel during the day, although before the tour we regularly sunbathed for 6 days on the beach).
Prices in Phuket are about 2-5 times higher than in Pattaya. For all. Clothing selection is minimal. The islanders explain this by the fact that EVERYTHING is brought from the mainland. Well, except for the seafood. Therefore, if the goal is to go shopping, then even in Patong there is nowhere to go and the prices are serious.
We didn’t go to clubs, so I can’t say anything about entertainment establishments. We are not party-goers, and the age of the 4th decade does not contribute to this. I will only say about Bangla Road - the street of debauchery as it is called. If you compare it with Pattaya Walking Street, it's like comparing the earth and the sky. The land, of course, will be Bangla Road in this case. Why? Yes, because in addition to the annoying Thais with advertising sex shows go-go-am, you can only see the tourists themselves shrugging off the same offers)))) If someone decides to go to a bar for a similar show where admission is free, you must buy the first cocktail , and it is from 500 to 800 baht, then at regular prices (100-400 baht) is at your discretion. In general, the pleasure is doubtful.
It seems to have written about everything. The exchanger with the best exchange rate from the hotel, go out onto the road and to the left to the intersection of 250 meters. There is a blue exchange and not reaching it a green box, also a normal rate. Excursions were taken from Alexei, which is next to the hotel. Kvadrorafting cost 2200. Nikolai has the cheapest tours on the street parallel to Bangla. There are two more Russian restaurants "At Oksana's" and "At Yury's". We did not reach him, but the same ticket costs 1600 per person. It makes sense to look for those who will go to rest after us.
Now that's all for sure. If there are any questions - ask. Have a good rest everyone).
