Phuket

One week after Singapore trip, I went to Phuket. Many people said that Phuket has beautiful beach. I always wonder, because I am Indonesian, my country has a lot of beautiful beach. For now, the most beautiful beach is still Peucang island, Ujung Kulon. Indonesia is still the best for me.

First day, 5th June 2010
My trip to Phuket is with my 2 other friend, Nenek and Uky, my collage friend. We arrive at Phuket ai 14.30. May – Oct is low season in Phuket, and I now know the reason. The weather is very bad!! When we arrived, it was raining. We took a taxi from air port to Ramez Hotel at Nanai road near Patong beach. It cost 450 Bath, include 100 Bath fro airport tax. At the night we buy Simon cabaret show for @600 Bath. The show was great. So many beautiful women (actually man) make a great show for us. At the end of the show they will stand out side and if we want to take a photograph with them, we have to pay 40 Bath for each person.

Second day, 6th June 2010

Raining day, all day was full of rain. We decided to rent a car because the rain. Nenek made a deal 450Bath for 8hour with Ms Ting, who provide the rent car. While we take a breakfast in front of our hotel, the car rent arrived. It was a tuk tuk.



Tuk tuk is a traditional transportation in Thailand. It is like opelet in Jakarta. We surprised, but I and Uky can accept the tuk tuk for today because when made a deal, Neneq didn't ask about the car type.We thought that it is nice to use the traditional car while we in the new county. But Nenek looked not so happy with the tuk tuk. I have try to tell her that we are okay for the tuk tuk but she still say No for tuk tuk.Tuk tuk looked so cute for me. After had a long conversation with the tuk tuk driver and Ms Ting in the phone, Nenek come to us and said that the car changed with the same price. What a surprise, what a good lobby. We have mini van and we went to Phuket city, Phuket old town, Chalong temple, and Naka Market.

Accident come
We decided to give additional tip for the driver 100 Bath, so totally we pay 550 Bath to the driver, and He got very angry to us. Why??? He said we must pay 1000 Bath! What?!! The driver told us that Miss Ting said 1000 Bath, but Miss Ting deal to Nenek 450 Bath. I didn’t know what happened between Miss Thing, tuk tuk driver, mini van driver and Nenek, because the deal is by phone with Nenek. Is Nenek was being tricked by them? I didn’t know. After a long conversation with the mini van driver, the tuk tuk driver come. They three spoke to miss Thing and try to finish this foolish thing. The final deal is: we have to pay 700Bath, and Miss Thing has to pay 300 Bath to the driver. Totally the driver still got 1000 Bath. What a foolish thing I thought. Just because change the tuk tuk to mini van we have to pay 350 Bath more and have to fight in front of the hotel. Not a worthed situation because for 8 hours we are not spent our time long in the car, we spent more time for shopping. Moral of this story: do not make a deal by phone.

Third day, 7 June 2010
It's time for Phi phi island trip. We took the trip with speed boat, because they guarantee that we can go to the Maya bay, which is the place of the movie “The Beach”. The cost for each person is 1100 Bath. We all seat at the front with the Malaysia group. This is my firs time use speed boat and I can say that it is crazy! For all my rest life that was my first time feel queasy on the sea! Moral of this story : do not seat at the front when using speed boat, because when I tried to seat back side, it was so normal and no queasy.



The sad things, the weather is not good! The wave is so scary so we can not get into the Maya bay. they promised that will be have snorkeling 2 times, but because the weather not support, we only get once. That’s why today is the low season for Phuket.

Moral of this story: do not visit Phuket at low season, because it is really has a bad bad weather to has a trip.

At the night we went to Patong beach…and get the sun set there.

Fourth day, 8 June 2010 the last day
Nothing happened because our flight is at 07.55 o’clock. We use the same taxi driver to pick us up to the air port. It cost 550 Bath, it's more expensive but it's okay because if we took the taxi from hotel the price is 650 bath.

Cost for Phuket trip is around 4800 bath = Rp 1.400.000. Cost for flight ticket Rp 570.000. Total cost for this trip is around Rp 1.970.000.

Sayonara Phuket, I have a nice trip even that some accident and rainy day.

Singapore

That’s my first time travel to abroad and I did it alone. My friend, Susy, was already there and she would pick me up at the Changi air port. My trip was started from 29th May – 01st June 2010. I will write many things that made me exited as long as my travel in Singapore.

First day, 29th May 2010
My impressed is when I arrived in Changi airport and saw the toilet. There is a wash hand for kid. Out side the toilet there is a free drinking water for people. What a big air port, and it looked so nice. The immigration looked so crowded. There were so many people come to Singapore.

From terminal 1, we take the sky train to the MRT station. In Singapore the usual transportation is MRT. We can use the Ezlink card to pay the MRT and bus. For a new card it cost 5 SGD, and you can reload with the minimum value is 10 SGD. This is it, my journey was started.

This following condition is not allowed while you are using the MRT
1. Eat/drink: fine 500 SGD
2. Smoking: fine 1000 SGD
3. Flammable liquid or gas: fine 5000 SGD
Since you come into station or in the train you are not allowed to do the 3 things above.

While in Singapore, I lived in Anita’s apartment, Susy’s friend who works in Singapore. The first day I arrived, we went to Johor Bahru by Bus 950. Johor Bahru is a city of Malaysia which is near by Singapore. We just come into the mall near the check point immigration. The price/cost in JB is same with Singapore, we just only change the SGD to Ringgit. In Singapore, for 1 menu of food is around 3.5-5 SGD, in JB is same, 3.5-5 Ringgit. The mineral water (bottle) in Singapore is 1.5 SGD, in JB is same, 1.5 Ringgit. What a funny!! The value is same just change SGD to Ringgit. Even for the train ticket is like that. So the conclusion is Malaysia is cheaper than in Singapore.



Second day, 30th May 2010

In the morning we went to the Church and go to the Orchad road. We had lunch at chicken rice Hainanese Delicacy, only 4 SGD for a delicious lunch. Susy bought a boot for only 10 SGD! Nice. Orchad is so crowded, make me sick. I can not enjoy while in Charles & Keith counter and we decided to go to the City Hall. I went to the Cathedral St Andrew. What a big church. While wait for Susy and Tintin, Me and Nita take some photographs. I almost lost my Dendy’s bags with all my money and passport. Thanks God that nobody take the bag while I left it far away from me.



From there, we go to the Merlion statue, the symbol of Singapore and go to the Bugis street. What a short time because the night is already 21.00 o’clock. We must go home because Nita have to work tomorrow.

Third day, 31 May 2010

Because today is Monday, Tintin and Anita have to work, so only me, Susy and Dendy. We went to the Chinese Garden, Botanical Garden and Sentosa Island. No need to buy a ticket if you go to the Chinese Garden and Botanical Garden. You must use the sky train to go to Sentosa Island. It’s cost 3 SGD and 10 SGD for Song of the sea show. That day was not a good day. It was raining almost for all the day.





Forth day, 01 June 2010 – the last day
Shopping day, it’s time for china town, and Charles&Keith. It was really a short time for shopping. My flight is at 21.40, so we have to arrive in Anita apartment at 17.00 at least because it would take 1.5 hour to Changi air port.

And I finished my travel in Singapore. Total cost for my trip is 210 SGD, around Rp 1.400.000. My flight ticket Rp 300.000. Total cost : Rp 1.700.000 for 4 days in Singapore.

I hope it is not too expensive for my backpacker style :D