"Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination." – Roy M. Goodman

You never know what will happen during your next journey, you never know the future ahead of time. However, if we experience good things, we definitely would like to share with our friends and you guys. And today we have one good experience that we would love to share.

Speaking of "Patong-Phuket", many people might have heard that the cost of living there is pretty high and there is nothing to watch or travel beside the entertainment places that expands all over places. Earlier, I also have the same thought that most of the shops open only for foreigner.

However, today we have a chance to visit Patong, Phuket again and I would like to share our journey experiences to everyone about how do we travel to worth the money we spend. Where do we eat? How do we travel? What are our attractions? And where we are going to stay? I think many people might not know Patong in this aspect.

This time we travel with Bangkok Airways, we choose to fly on Friday night and back on Sunday night as well because we can have more time to travel and convenience to arrange our trip.

First of all we reserve the air ticket in advance from www.bangkokair.com website. We usually check the airlines' promotion each month so we cannot miss out the promotion at our satisfied price.

Another reason I choose to travel with Bangkok Airways is because of their pleasant service and it is convenience for me to travel during the night time as my house is near to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Finally, our journey day has arrived, BKK - HKT.

After check-in at Bangkok Airways counter, we walk straight right to Bangkok Airways lounge, hand our boaring pass to the staff and they will provide us free Wi-Fi Password.

Let's chill out and look for some good seat.

Well! Wait a sec! There is a big size Teddy Bear in the front and it will be kind of weird if we don't take a photo with him Ha ha ha so let's take a photo first. It said that if you happen to come to Bangkok Airways Lounge; it is a must to take a photo with Teddy Bear and eat Steamed Banana and Sticky Rice Wrapped in Banana Leaves. And we are not miss out any of those things (Our photo with Steamed Banana and Sticky Rice Wrapped in Banana Leaves is not that good, so I won't post it in the review Ha ha)

Inside of the Lounge is quite spacious with many nice room corner seats to choose from. There are snack and various kinds of beverage serving. You can leisurely sit and enjoy your time and no need to worry that you will miss the flight, as the staff will announce the flight number for passenger to get ready before hand.

There are also food and snack serving on board as well. I choose Taro Pie for supper; warm Taro Pie like it just newly baked and the Taro tastes precisely awesome.

Through out one hour and 20 minutes from Suvarnabhumi Airport, I take a little nap during that time and it is quite good to relax my eyes for a while.

Once we arrive at Phuket Airport and take out our bags, we go straight to our accommodation. There are 2 choices of transportation to our accommodation.

This time we choose to stay at Patong, Phuket so we choose to take the van from airport to our accommodation, it costs 180 baht for each person or you guys also can choose to take a charter taxi for 800 baht per vehicle.

Tah dah!! Now we reach our two nights accommodation at Patong, Phuket, it is a medium size boutique hotel with 49 guest rooms, Islanda Boutique Hotel.

Speaking of the cost of living and restaurants in Patong are quite expensive, the price is definitely for foreigner. However, If we say that our accommodation price at Islanda Boutique Hotel costs just only hundreds, Do you believe that Patong still has such a cheap price place like this?

Islanda Boutique Hotel has 3 buildings which are A, B and C buildings. Although I arrive very late at night, but there is the hotel staff greeting and sending us to our room. The hotel staff is very friendly, as we arrive very late and they even concern us and ask if we are hungry or not so that they will recommend the restaurant for us.

As for the attractions, the owner of the hotel is very kind, he come to recommend the attractions to us by himself. I think if he has free time, he would even take us to the attraction as he welcomes us just like we are his family. Everyone who stays at the hotel would really feel like this. There is the billiards table covered with the bright red woolen fabric, we hardly see the billiards table in this color, so when we see it, what do we do next? Ei ei.

We then grab the cue to play the billiards LoL. It doesn't matter whether we can play it or not, just have fun is enough Ei ei ei.

Let's continue to see our room. Islanda Boutique Hotel, the accommodation costs just hundreds in Patong. How does the guest room look? Let's watch together.

And this is our accommodation for 2 nights at Islanda Boutique Hotel, and it just costs only hundreds bath.

It is a cement floor room in Family room style which has the door connected to other room. There is a soft bed with clean bedding sets. I guess our room is in the new building as the room is pretty new, moreover, I could even see the charcoal deodorizer placed in the room Ei ei.

There is a safe box provided in the room as well, it is somehow surprised me that I never see the room at this price provided safe box. The facilities in the room such as TV, kettle, water heater, hair dryer and refrigerator with 2 bottles of water free of charge and one indispensable thing is Free Wi-Fi also provided.

The corridor also covered with carpet to protect the sound of the shoes while walking.

The linking way connected between Building A and Building B has a roof to filter the sunlight.

There are also the tables to leisurely sit at the balcony in each floor. I guess this area must provide to be a smoking area as well as I could see the ashtray there.

Let's watch some of the guest rooms at Building A. The room has colorful tone; it looks very bitter sweet ha ha.

On the door also has the trendy design style with crossed two lines and there is the cat-eye for the safety of the guest. The hotel has only one entrance and exit way and the hotel staff will watch over at the counter so other people beside guest cannot go up freely.

Like I said, I did not exaggerate, Islanda Boutique Hotel, the accommodation in Patong has quiet reasonable price of only hundreds baht. And if you ask does the hotel locate near Patong Beach? The answer is No but you could rent the motorcycle and ride just only 5 minutes away to the beach, the rental motorcycle costs just 200-250 baht per day. However, the accommodation price depends on the High Season and Low Season period as well.

Today I try to check the room price on website Booking.com, it costs 600+baht during the holiday period.

Or for those who would like to make the reservation directly at the hotel or have more inquiry, you guys could contact the hotel as well.

Islanda Boutique Hotel

162/98-100 Phangmueng Sai Kor rd., Patong, Kathu, Phuket, Thailand 83150

Tel. 076-322-855

Khun Darm - 087-3339900

http://www.islandaboutiquehotel.com/

Facebook: Islanda Boutique Hotel

Line : fanfoo26

After we already recommended the cheap accommodation in Patong, now we will continue to recommend the attractions, where are we going to travel in our 3 days 2 nights at Patong-Phuket? Of course there will be the answer in this review for all of you.

(As for the cost of One Day Trip we will not include in 1800 baht budget as we have informed above because it will be over the budget if including it so we will just post photos for guidelines to everyone.)

Our first day, we buy one day yachting tour package from Discover Catamaran, the program includes Koh Maiton, Diving at Koh Racha Noi and watch the sun set at Phromthep Cape.

This is our second time in two years that we travel with this tour. I would like to do the separated review for this tour package as there are a lot of photos and this review will pretty long if including the review of this tour package trip.

There are two types of people who travel to the sea, either "escape from the heat" or "escape from the love", I don't know either, however, I escape from the rain Ha ha ha.

And the following attractions are recommended by Islanda Boutique Hotel. The hotel will present the attraction on TV so that we can make a glance of the attraction and decide whether it is worth to go or not?

Once we came back from One Day Trip tour, we go straightly to the mountain right away. It takes just only 10 minutes by car from Islanda Boutique Hotel and then we arrive at Wassa Homemade Bar.

Wassa Homemade Bar is the bar that has a great atmosphere for the guest to chill out and there are various beverages serving as well. Most of the guests are foreigners; this place is not yet known to many Thai people. So, I would recommend this place in this review.

This bar is located in the higher area than Patong, however, it is worth to come up for the superb view.

Especially during the celebrating holiday period like New Year Countdown period, there will be the firework from below and if watching it from here, the view will be more marvelous.

Since we arrive pretty late at night, we intend to come back in the next day to take more photos of this place. Bah!! it is a pity that it's raining by the time we come to the bar. If I have a chance to come to Patong again, I definitely will not miss hanging out at this place. The beautiful bar with the superb atmosphere, suitable for have a seat and chill out, you can watch the wide view of Patong Beach and the sea below.

Please remember the name of the place "Wassa Homemade Bar".

GPS. 7.888378, 98.295089

It's Sunday morning and it is our last day of the trip here at Islanda Boutique Hotel with the adorable corner that we take the photo sharing with everyone.

We still follow the attractions plan that Islanda Boutique Hotel has recommended to us. As we said that we don't have any plan or destination, and we are open minded so we will go along with the new attraction that we have not known and been there before.

Do not miss out to take a photo with Astro boy, Mighty Atom here. This is one of the highlights of Islanda boutique Hotel as well.

Most of the food price in Patong will be sold at foreigner price so you need to know the eating spot. For that, I would recommend "Banzaan market" There are many kinds of food to choose from with the reasonable price. The food price average between 40-60 baht for one food dish and I think it is acceptable for this price range. We do not specify the restaurant, we just walk by and visit the restaurant that we think it looks good. As for the price and the taste will be another story. So if it is good, we will recommend it but the restaurant that we have that day in the afternoon, Uhg! Just forget it. >_<

In the late afternoon we go to eat Dim Sum at the famous restaurant. It is quite difficult to park the car as there are a lot of people that time. The opposite side of Dim Sum restaurant is Liquor Distillery Organization Excise Department, Phuket or The Brewery of Ban Ket Ho. We visit inside to take some photos, the brewery has already stopped operating and the building has been restored with the bright new painting color.

Dim Sum restaurant that we have that day is "Ket Ho Dim Sum" at GPS.7.903815, 98.352310

How to get there: The restaurant is located in Ban Ket Ho area; there are 2 ways to go there from Mueang district

1. From Central Department Store intersection, take the road to Krathu district or Patong Beach, and go straight along the way. The restaurant will be on the right hand side and it is approximately 3 kilometers away form Central Department Store.

2. From Lotus Department Store intersection, take the road to Krathu district or Patong Beach, turn left at the first intersection and then go straight approximately 1.5 kilometers, the restaurant will be on the left side.

Ket Ho Dim Sum is one of Phuket's popular restaurants. The highlight of this restaurant is that they will steam Dim Sum fresh, you can choose Dim Sum from the refrigerator and the staff will steam them fresh for us.

Each bamboo crates of Dim Sum costs 18 baht. There is also Khanom Jeen Nam Ya (Thai Rice Noodles with Thai Fish Curry) with various vegetables, it costs 25 baht per dish and other juice drinks cost 15-20 baht per glass.

Let's take a look at Fresh Steamed Dim Sum on our table.

Our next stop is souvenir shop. Every time when we head back from traveling, we usually face the questions asking for the souvenirs Ha ha ha. Therefore, we take a visit to Lanta Souvenir shop, it is just only 5 minutes away from our accommodation. The shop is one of Phuket's biggest whole sale souvenir shops located in Patong area, however, the shop still don't have the signboard now.

Lanta Souvenir shop, one of Phuket's biggest wholesale souvenir shops.

We survey the price and it is not expensive like we thought. It is in the average price ranges from ten to hundred, the souvenirs are from small size product like key chain to bigger size product like home decoration. The cosmetics which extracts from natural herbs are also sell well.

The shop has two floors. There are a lot of clothes on the second floor. I feel a little surprised why nobody check-in this place in Facebook or this place still not known to many people? Therefore, today I will leave the GPS location number for you guys to get more information.

GPS. 7.88603,98.29652

And our last place to visit is Paradise Beach, Patong, Phuket.

Paradise Beach is the small beach next to Tri Trang Beach and located at the south of Patong Beach, Phuket province.

The beach is a white sand beach with the abundant ecosystem as there are not many tourists visiting here. I would say that this beach is quiet new and a few people know about it.

We travel to Paradise Beach, Patong by motorcycle, we ride up through the hills on asphalt concrete road, it takes approximately 15-20 minutes ride and we arrive at this private beach. Since this beach is the private beach so there will be an entrance fee for 100 baht per person with one day free of canvas bed to lie down and chill out on the beach.

If compare with the spectacular scenery, I think it is worth to visit here. It is pity that we go there during rainy season so the sky is dull and white. The beach will be more spectacular during the shining day. ^^

And this is the entire attraction route to the eating and visiting places recommended from Islanda Boutique Hotel. When comparing with Thailand's map, you can clearly see that Paradise Beach, Patong is only a tiny area which stretches out from Phuket Islands. When I see Thailand map, I feel a little stunned that I have been standing in this tiny area of Thailand's map.

We choose night flight back to Bangkok and as the same this time we fly with Bangkok Airways, therefore, we have a chance to sit at Bangkok Airways Lounge, Phuket Airport. We take a brake and view the photos that we took from this trip while eating free snack and bakery inside the Lounge before boarding and journey back to Suvarnabhumi Airport safe and sound.

We try to roughly calculate the total expense of the trip. For those who travel to Patong, Phuket and stay at the accommodation which costs only hundreds like us, the expense for 3 days 2 nights trip each person will definitely not exceed 1800 baht (exclude the air ticket price). ^^

(Round trip van costs 180*2 = 360 / The accommodation costs 600 baht / Motorcycle rental costs 200 baht / meals, each meal costs 100 baht, 5 meals will be 500 baht / The entrance fee of Paradise Beach is 100 baht. That will be 1760 baht all together)

If you love to take a journey and do the travel, you guys need to plan the trip well, I believe everyone could do that too.

Story & Photo: RinSa YoyoLive

Photography: BiO-Sarawut

See you guys again in our next review.
Thank you everyone for following and reading the review.

RinSa YoyoLive