Ride/Road - Easy to find main hwy 4 toward Phuket
out of Thai Muang. Shoulder narrow at some points.
At about mile 20 (kilometer 32) there is an intersection
with Hwy 402 and Hwy 4. There is a town, Takuapa
Thuang (something like that). After the intersection we
took Hwy 402. The road gets much busier and is very
developed with towns, shops and restaurants.
Traffic was moderate to busy. I put on my safety vest
for the first time. Richard always wears his.
We crossed a long bridge over the sea to enter Phuket
island. Shoulder is wide. Once on the island there are
two lanes designated for two wheel vehicles such as
scooters and bicycles.
Hills - Ride started undulated as we left Thai Muang.
No big hills, but a few good ups and downs..
Phuket Town is a busy, modern, moderately sized city
with some interesting Chinese architecture in the
historical downtown area.
Traffic is hectic, crowded and the one-way streets
make cycling challenging. It is very tempting to go
against traffic just to get where you want to go.
There are plenty of nice, elegant and varied food
options in the center of town and at the beaches. The
large, open market in the center of town on Ranong Rd
has many food stall, fresh fruit and vegetables. Plenty
of internet cafés, travel agencies for excursions, tourist
shops, three supermarkets, Tops Market in the town
center at the Ocean Shopping Mall another Tops
Market at the big indoor mall about 4 kilometers out of
town on the road toward Patong Beach and a Lotus
Supermarket about one kilometer from the mall.
Slept - Imperial Hotel
Cost - 750 b ($20.27) Standard double
Amenities - Nice hotel. Receptionist speaks fluent
English and is very helpful. Room with double beds, en
suite bath with hot shower, a/c, T/V with lots of English
channels. Able to receive free WIFI from the restaurant
below.
Location - 51 Phuket Road. On the main road (hwy
402) that enters the city from the north. In the heart of
Phuket Town.
Accommodations is town - There are hundreds of
places to stay in Phuket Town and many more on the
beaches.
Side -Trip Phuket Town to Phi Phi Island
From Phuket Town we took the ferry to Phi Phi Island
where we spent a few days basking in the sun.
Accommodations on Phi Phi Island's Ton Sai town are
expensive and quality is sub-standard. Hotels and
guest houses on the other beaches on the island are
less expensive and accessible by long tail boat.
On Phi Phi Island we booked a bus to Surat Thani and
an overnight train ticket back to Bangkok. The bus
took us from Krabi (where we spent the night) to Surat
Thani to catch the second class sleeper train to
Bangkok. We got two lower sleeper bunks across
from one another. The lower bunks are more
convenient and comfortable. Sleeper bunks located in
the center of the car are quieter as the slamming door
is further away. We paid 100 b ($2.70) extra for each
bike to go on the bus and another .50 extra for each
bikes to be on the train.
| Day 13 Thai Muang to Phuket Town, Thailand Kilometers 69 | Miles 44 |
| Cycle Touring Routes > Thailand > Bangkok to Phuket > Day |