Thanks a bunch for the input! If you don't mind continuing the discussion...
Originally Posted by
2lovelife
Phuket is still a great place to come and vacation. The food is good and it's relatively safe.
Any simple rules of thumb for food? We'd like to get off the tourist track. Surely the locals who run all the shops, etc. must eat somewhere. We don't mind if we're charged the tourist rate, as long as the quality is the same. Any way to spot the real deal from the chaff?
Originally Posted by
2lovelife
Surin has a small bay, which means it could be very crowded during your visit. Karon beach is appx 4km, so even while it's busier and has more people, the beach has a lot more space.
This was my takeaway as well. What are your thoughts on Bang Tao? The DT is right at the north end of Surin and it looks to be a very easy walk to Bang Tao, which appears quite large and by some accounts is less crowded. Some people online have presented it as an optional alternative to Surin. We don't mind doing quite a bit of walking - on city trips we often do 10+ miles/day.
Originally Posted by
2lovelife
Going anywhere but the beach in Karon means a greater amount of travel/walking just because the grounds are so vast, it takes 15 minutes of walking to get to the next block and off the property.
This doesn't sound enjoyable. While we're going to a tourist destination, we still like to feel like we're somewhere different. So getting off the resort grounds and seeing what there is to see is definitely a focus.
Originally Posted by
2lovelife
Surin has a little bit of nightlife (or so I've heard), and so does Karon. Any real late partying would require a taxi to/from Patong either way.
This is fine. I think we'll probably want to stay as far away from that as possible. Low-key nightlife is more our speed.
Originally Posted by
2lovelife
If I was to choose, I would stay at Surin, unless the small & crowded beach will put you off. The points that you've booked is just such a great value.
Sounds like we are in agreement then.
Originally Posted by
2lovelife
Remember to be careful about the rough/dangerous rip tides at both of those beaches (even with strong swimmers, during the rough seasons).
How are they during peak season? My understanding was that it was quite bad during the summer but calmer around the holidays. Having lived for 20 years on the Atlantic coast of Florida, I'm definitely used to rip tides...and know not to go anywhere near them.
A couple more things for anyone who might be reading:
Thoughts on what day destinations might be worth seeing? We'd probably plan to do a day trip or two, or maybe one somewhere off the island and another somewhere on the island. I know this has been beaten to death but so much information is old, and things seem to change so rapidly, that contemporary accounts are always appreciated.
Are the local buses workable as a means of transit? My understanding is that the routing is a bit odd if you're trying to get to any specific destination, but we might also be interested in just riding around. We often find local buses to be a great, cheap sightseeing method.
Thanks a ton!