Chasing summer.
There's no such thing as too much Vitamin Sea.

I found myself itching for the beach again so I spontaneously booked a trip to Phuket for a short getaway. I have always read about Phuket/Krabi from some travel blogs. I decided that it's finally time to tick it off my bucketlist.

How I got there?
I got my roundtrip ticket from Air Asia for PHP15,658. I booked this flight three weeks before the trip which makes the fare higher. If you will plan early, you'll probably get cheaper rates.
Air Asia flights have a layover in Kuala Lumpur. My one-way flight from Manila to Phuket took me around 9 hours. But, of course, this will still depend on how long your lay-over will be.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Phuket
My ETA to Phuket International Airport was around 9:05PM. I thought it was a bit late so I booked an airport service from Klook in advance (PHP1,100). I am so glad I did this because my flight arrived later than expected. There was a flight delay from Kuala Lumpur and it was already 11PM when we landed.

The Klook driver arrived on time and dropped me off at my hostel in Patong which is an hour car ride from the airport. I stayed at a bunk bed in a 4-person mixed dorm room in Paradise Beach Backpackers Hostel (TBH290).
It is a pretty decent hostel and the staff is very accommodating. The beach front area near the hostel is a party beach. It may get loud especially during Fridays and weekends. If you are looking for a quiet place, this may not be a good hostel for you.
When I arrived, I noticed that there was a fullmoon beach party going on near the beach front. I thought of just joining the event instead of going to Bangla alone late at night.
I had a nice time at the party. Met some new friends and decided to call it a day after some hours of partying. When I woke up the next morning, I walked around the beach front and found this spot near the hostel. Beautiful start for another beautiful day!
Day 2 - Phuket to Phi Phi Don (Aonang, Krabi)
At around 8AM, I was picked up by the van service going to Rassada Pier. I booked this days before my trip because I want less hassle on the transfers. I availed the van service and ferry deal from Phuketferry.com. It is a good site and you have options to choose different rates and travel schedules. I bought mine at 30USD (roundtrip ferry and van transfer included).
The ferry trip took 2 hours but it wasn't boring. The ferry has a view deck so you can get some sun and do some sight-seeing along the way.
I arrived at Phi-Phi Don around lunch and walked to my hostel from Ton Sai Pier. I booked a bunk bed in another dorm-style room in a hostel called Ibiza House Phi Phi (THB900).
Ibiza House is just the typical hostels I've been before but it has the coolest beach party around Phi Phi and guests have free access! It's a plus point for me because I really love cool parties. Yay!
Ibiza House is also near the beach front. For this day, I just decided to beach bum and then join the beach party from afternoon until night. Party all the way! Told you, I love parties!
Day 3 - Phi Phi Island Tour
Island hopping was third day's agenda and Mr Chet did not disappoint. I availed a tour from Mr Chet Longtail Boat Trip for THB1300. It is a half-day tour around Phi Phi Ley and Phi Phi Don. The rate includes all the snorkeling gears and lunch. Mr Chet is also very accommodating and friendly. He even has his own GoPro and took pictures for us. I would say the tour is worth every penny!
The rock formation of the islands in Phi Phi somehow reminds me of Palawan.
The best part of this tour for me is the snorkeling. The world underwater is really breathtaking!
After the tour, I went back to the hostel and rested for a while. When I got all the energy I needed, I put on my workout clothes and jogged from Ibiza to Phi Phi's viewpoint area.
Entrance is at TBH30. From here, you can see the whole island. There is also a store at the top where you can get some refreshments.
I explored some Thai delicacies (which are really awesome and delicious, by the way) at dinner. Then, my hostelmates and I pubcrawled around the different bars along the beachfront.
Day 4 - Phi Phi Don to Phuket
I woke up the next day with an awful headache from the partying the night before. I checked out at Ibiza and took the 9AM ferry back to Phuket. I opted to just rest on the ferry to recuperate for my Phuket Town tour.
I arrived at Phuket Town before lunch. After devouring a big plate of Pad Thai, I am then ready to start exploring the town. Basically, I just followed this DIY walking tour (https://www.phuket101.net/phuket-town-guide/).
One of best parts of walking around is spotting the various street paintings.
The main attraction of Phuket's Old Town are the Sino-Portuguese houses and architecture that are still preserved up until now.
After walking around town, I took a taxi (THB600) to the airport for my evening flight to KL.
Day 5 - Flight back to Manila
My flight back to Manila from KL arrived early morning the next day. Back to reality but I would say Phuket and Phi Phi was a blast!!

Summary of Expenses
Here is a summary of some of my expenses during the trip
Food is not included because I didn't keep a track of it. Food is layf!