I’d always wanted to go to Phuket but hubby always said NO because we’d been to Thailand already. Let’s face it we’d only been to Bangkok but he’d rather go to other countries instead. He felt that having been to 1 city of a country was enough. Move on to other countries.
To be honest, I also didn’t know why I wanted to go to Phuket. I don’t enjoy the beach. I only love shopping so my friends always dissuaded me because it’s better to shop in Bangkok. So what lured me to Phuket finally? Free accomodation! It’s either Phuket or Chiang Mai. Since most of the budget airlines fly to Phuket airport, we chose the latter. The best part was, Jetstar had 1-for-1 promotion and there were seats available during the National Day weekends. Without further ado, I booked the tickets for our family including my PIL.
Busu and his family went to Phuket not long ago and they told us it’s easy to find halal food. There were a lot of Muslims there compared to Bangkok. They even stayed in a hotel with halal centralized kitchen so foods were never a problem. They also suggested to go to Phi Phi Island because the beach is nicer and swimmable, unlike James Bond Island. We kept that in mind and started to plan our itineraries.
Phuket was a beautiful place to visit. I didn’t know why it took me so long to discover it. The Thais were always polite and friendly and true enough, there were a number of Muslims. Even the traffic was not as congested as Bangkok. There were several beaches in Phuket but Karon beach took my breath away. The beach was very clean and the view of the horizon was stunning.
I googled for a Muslim driver in Phuket and found a guy called Ibrahim (Po Him) who was recommended by many in Trip Advisor. I called him up for arrangements and he introduced us to his contact, Wan, who drove a van because there were 4 adults and 2 children. Both of them really lived up to expectation.
Wan was kind, honest and respectful, and the transport he provided was very clean and comfortable. He brought us to different halal restaurants as required and cheap places to shop.
We also booked our island hopping trip to Phi Phi Island through Po Him. The tour guide was funny, friendly and informative, and the lunch provided in the package was halal. What more can one asked for.
Overall, I enjoyed my trip to Phuket. Not only this trip made me do things that I never thought I will, I am now fond of playing with sands on the beach and enjoy the waves splashing hard at me. I really looked forward to more beach holidays. I hope the 3-days itineraries posts are insightful. I just wished I had stayed longer and went for more island hopping.
Do share your views and post any questions you have in the comments box and I will have them answered in an instant! 🙂
Later,
Teana
Day 1 – Island hopping to Phi Phi Island
Day 3 – Manicure & pedicure | Premium Outlet Phuket | Madunan T-shirt Factory
Assalamualaikum
Do you still have the Phuket muslim driver contacts? or website perhaps?
best regards,
Rylla
Wa’alaikumussalam…
Yes I still have the contact number. His name is Ibrahim a.k.a Po Him and his contact number is +66 899742099. Alternatively, you can also message Wan Alee in FB. Po Him introduced him to us. 🙂
Have an enjoyable trip! Remember to buy those t-shirts at the factory instead. Haha…
Later,
Teana Putri