Escape Plan to Phuket August 2019

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Phuket:

Total duration 5D4N
Singapore is 1hr ahead of Phuket.
Flight time is 1hrs 50mins on Silkair from Singapore to Phuket. Return flight is 4hrs 45mins on China Airlines from Taipei to Singapore.

Morning flight on 9th Aug at 120pm and arrival in Phuket in the afternoon at 210pm. Return flight from
Phuket on the 13th Jun at 1145am and arrival in Singapore at 220pm.

Day 1 Arrival into Phuket and check into resort
Day 2 Phuket Aquarium, Upside-Down house and Chaofa Variety night market
Day 3 Dinopark mini-golf, Weekend market and Jungceylon
Day 4 Splash Jungle waterpark and Mai Khao village
Day 5 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was to utilise the National day and Haji super long weekend for a short getaway to somewhere close to home. Since we hadn’t really been to Phuket, we thought it would be a good time to do so.

Budget nature: Comparatively costly

Comparative to other parts of Thailand, I thought it was rather costly to visit Phuket. The flights were obviously expensive since due to the long weekend but we reduced the costs by claiming expiring miles for the flight there and paying for the return on a day after the long weekend. Our transportation could have been cheaper if we booked through Klook or negotiated with the driver more. We spent more than $700 cash than we bought for the 5 days.

Complexity: Easy

It was easy since most of the transportation was taken care of with a chartered driver. It could have been difficult had we been able to get our own car as we realised while in the taxi that it was quite challenging to drive in the chaotic traffic especially in town.

Escape plan to Koh Samui November 2015

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Koh Samui 2015:

Total duration 4D3N
Singapore is 1hr ahead of Koh Samui.
Flight time is 1.5hrs on Silkair codeshare from Singapore to Koh Samui and return flight on Bangkok Airways.

Morning flight on 26th November at 10.25am and arrival in Koh Samui at 11.05am.
Return flight is on the 29th November at 1.30pm and arrival in Singapore at 4:20pm.

Day 1 Arrival at Koh Samui
Day 2 Samui Aquarium and Tiger Zoo and Bophut Fisherman’s Village
Day 3 Big Buddha, Wat Plai Laem, Lamai Viewpoint and Grandparent’s rocks
Day 4 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was to plan as a getaway to celebrate my baby boy’s first birthday. We chose a chill-at-the-resort holiday plan for this trip and one that gives my baby his first experience of swimming in a pool. Koh Samui was chosen because of its short flight time and unlike Phuket which could be a little rowdy, my impression of Koh Samui was that it was a little more high class and therefore, better for a baby. Plus it was off season so prices were lower and more affordable.

Budget nature: Could have been cheaper.

Although the flight tickets were initially cheaper than the usual astronomical rates, I had bought the tickets wrongly online, mistaking the only option as the one that I wanted. In the end the change of the tickets was about $150 additional per person.
Taxis were really expensive comparatively in Koh Samui and if we had gotten ourselves a rental car, that could have saved us some money.
Our total spendings was about 500SGD for the whole trip.

Complexity: Easy with taxis or own car.

The usual mode of travelling was either by taxi or by rented vehicles. Many rented motorcycles for its affordability and portability. We rented a car for a day and found it not too difficult to drive around, just that parking could be a challenge.

Escape Plan to Krabi in December 2013

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Krabi in December 2013:

Total duration 6D5N
Singapore is 1 hr ahead of Krabi, Thailand.
Flight time is 1.5hr direct flight on Tiger airways from Singapore to Krabi.
Friday afternoon flight on 27th Dec and arrival in Krabi at 3pm.

Day 1 Arrival in Ao Nang
Day 2 Phi Phi Island tour and Krabi Town night market
Day 3 Tiger Cave and Railey beach
Day 4 Hong Island tour and Railey beach kayaking
Day 5 Phra Nang Cave, Viewpoint, Tonsai Beach and New Year countdown
Day 6 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was to celebrate New Year over at Krabi. We have never been to Krabi before and this presented a good opportunity to verify the testimonies of beautiful beaches and also visit Phi Phi island.

Budget nature: Expensive during the peak periods. 

I arrived with the impression that the trip was going to cost. It did, on the accommodation especially. However, along the way, we managed to avoid overspending by taking public transportation. Tuk tuk and taxis were a luxury to get around and we did not take a single one during this trip that kept it within budget.

Complexity: DIY

We managed to get to places that we wanted using public transport and it was easy. A lot had to do with asking the hotel reception for help. Getting to the islands could be arranged by oneself but with the compromise of not seeing more for less in a fixed time. Getting onto tours were also pretty hassle free, having the tour arranged pick up and drop off at hotel, recommended for those without too much time.

Escape Plan to Bangkok in April 2013

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Bangkok in April 2013:

Total duration 5D4N
Singapore is 1hr ahead of Bangkok, Thailand.
Flight time is 2hrs 25mins direct flight on Airasia from Singapore to Bangkok.
Friday evening flight on 26th Apr and arrival in Bangkok in the night.

Day 1 Flight
Day 2 Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Chinatown, River cruise
Day 3 -4 Shopping and Massage at Urban Retreat Spa ( return visit as this was a good spa) and Body Tune (massage was strong and good, though we would prefer more privacy since it was in a room full of people)
Day 5 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was triggered by the lack of travel from our 2012 year end trip till date and envisioned that this travel drought would continue till August 2o13 due to work commitments, we took this short break to escape to Bangkok for some R&R and shopping. Returned before Labour Day 1st May 2013 as it was cheaper and allowed for a day rest before going back to work.

Only Day 1 and 2 would be mentioned in detail as the 3 other days were mainly shopping in the many malls of Bangkok.

Budget nature: Easy on the wallet 

With a strong SGD against the baht, everything in Bangkok became cheap and good. 

Complexity: DIY possible for the beginners

This is an easy place to navigate with good transportation structure and English everywhere signs. Touring the city with little planning is possible and should be DIY for maximum costs savings and flexibility.

Escape Plan to Bangkok in July 2012

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Bangkok in July 2012:

Total duration 3D3N
Singapore is 1hr ahead of Bangkok, Thailand.
Flight time is 2hrs 25mins direct flight on Airasia from Singapore to Bangkok.
Thursday evening flight on 12th Jul and arrival in Bangkok in the night.

Day 1 – Flight
Day 2 – Platinum Mall and dinner at Mezzaluna, Lebua hotel.
Day 3 – More Shopping and Massage at Urban Retreat Spa
Day 4 – Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was planned to celebrate wife’s birthday out of Singapore with a shopping trip to boot.

Budget nature: Easy on the wallet 

Airplane tickets are cheap with budget airlines especially when booked 3 months before the actual flight date. Everything else if pretty cheap, a real makan and shopping and massage haven.

Complexity: DIY possible for the beginners

This is an easy place to navigate with good transportation structure and English everywhere signs. Touring the city with little planning is possible and should be DIY for maximum costs savings and flexibility.