Kata/Karon have plenty of clothes/stuff shops to keep you busy. Patong I found in the main shopping malls to be the same price as over here for the genuine stuff. Our resort (Horizon Karon Beach Resort & Spa) had a free bus/truck ride to and from Patong on a regular basis. It wasn't that far and you weren't crowded with tourists like Patong. There are also plenty of places to eat in Kata/Karon.I'm just wondering if anyone could give tips on the following:
- We're staying in Kata beach (about 10kms from Patong). Is there plenty to do here? No doubt we will travel to Patong a bit. Would it be worth to stay a few nights in Patong or just travel there during the day?
We hired one of the 125CC bikes and Mandy sat on the back with the map. Just ride carefully, as not long after we go back Mandy's work colleague died after her fiancée swerved to miss a car and she came off.- Hiring a bike seems like the best way to explore the island. Would be it be fine for me and my girfriend to share one or just get taxis?
Every 3rd shop just about is an Indian or Burmese tailor. You can get some quite good stuff, but I didn't bother as I already had 3 suits.- Is it worth getting a tailored made suit? What options can you get?
We found getting stuff like bread and meat very difficult. We just wanted to make some lunch food for day trips but didn't have a lot of luck. Breakfasts and teas were provided and there were plenty of options for both of these (the hotel had HUGE cooked breakfasts). So we just pigged out on breakfast and morning tea (both provided) and then went out of used the Hotels restaurant.- One of my biggest worries is the food. Is it mostly just fried crap tourist friendly type food? Can you go to supermarkets and just get some oats and yoghurt? I'll probably take half a kilo of protein powder to make sure I'm eating enough and as a backup.
Yep. Your resort will most likely have one on site. If not they can recommend one. There are plenty.- My girlfriend wants to do the resort stuff and get pampered with massages. Are these easy to find?
Yep there are plenty of stalls which sell the tickets and organise it for you. DON'T pay full price, we got massive discounts.- Phi Phi island seems like a must visit location. Are the tours easy to organise? What options for day trips?
- Any other must see/visit things you recommend.
I can't remember how much we spent... but I think we allowed ourselves $50 per day each. We didn't end up spending that, but this ensured we didn't find ourselves eating bread and water at the end of the trip!- I've been checking out the exchange rate and the going rates of most things. It looks like $50 a day AUD should be plenty. I don't drink and don't really go crazy buying meaningless stuff. Does that sound right?