Tour Booking in Phuket: A Quick Guide
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Jas Huang provides some essential tips for booking tours in Phuket to ensure you have the best holiday possible
This is a guest post from Jas Huang, who writes the Through The Lenses travel photography blog
I read Lonely Planet travel forum on a regular basis, and often see first timers to Thailand ask questions such as how and where to find the best tour packages. Here are some tips for you, and they serve as a guideline based on your personal preference.
1. Do your research online
I do extensive research online while planning my vacation especially for places I've never been before. A couple of sites I found useful for travelers to Phuket are Phuket.com and Phuket.net. You can find almost everything you need to know for your trip, from top 10 things to do to the most popular tours. If you still have questions or feel uncertain about something, leave a message on the Lonely Planet discussion board. Sometimes, you'll get your question answered in a matter of minutes.
2. Shop around before booking the tour
My husband and I went to Phuket for the first time about 4 years ago. We were looking for some tour information at the airport. A travel agent approached us with a brouchure about Phuket FantaSea show, one of top five things to do in Phuket. As first timers, we were completely intrigued and sold by the idea of riding giant elephants and touching crouching tigers. We bought two tickets to the show, which includes airport transfer to/from hotel, buffet dinner and show. Later on we found out that some fellow travelers actually paid less than what we did. There wasn't really much room for us to bargain with that travel agent because we had nothing to compare it to. So shop around before the booking.
3. Stay away from Tuk-Tuk drivers
If you're staying at popular beaches like Patong Beach, most likely you will be approached by aggressive Tuk-Tuk (Taxi) drivers who basically offer to take you to five or six attractions in one day for as little as 500 Baht. Sounds tempting, doesn't it? I believe you get what you pay for. When the price is that low, it makes you wonder if it's a scam. I read many personal experience online where innocent tourists being scammed into buying worthless jewellery. Such an unpleasant experience will definitely ruin your vacation forever. Plus, visiting so many attractions in one day cannot be very enjoyable. Personally, I like to take my time enjoy everything I encouter, and take mental note of the memorable moments.
4. Book from the resort travel agent? Not really
After having been to Phuket twice, my conclusion about the travel agents at the resort is that they do not have much room to bargain with you. You probably think that you may get more discount off the tours since you're a guest there. Well, that's not the case. Tour booking is not their main source of business. Their daily operation depends on the hotel bookings, and that's where they make the most profit. So I generally do not book from them, but I do get information from them. They're usually very helpful in terms of providing accurate information about popular tours.
5. Find a trustworthy travel agent
Now, the million dollar question. Where do I find the trustworthy travel agent? There's no lack of travel agents in Phuket. A lot of them have a brochure stand on the side of the street. I prefer the ones that actually have a store location. One thing about booking from street travel agents is that you pay everything up front in cash, and in turn, you get a receipt with your name and tour information on it. I always feel a little skeptical about businesses with stands. They could disappear tomorrow, and you've got nothing on them. So I take precautions when it comes to choosing a travel agent. Why risk your vacation budget on something that could have been avoided? And in case something does go wrong, you know where to get help. I also try to strike a conversation with the agent, asking questions such as how long he's been in business, and whether he's had any personal experience with any tours. Through the conversation, you can get a feel of the person. I'm sure you prefer to deal with people that you feel comfortable with.
6. How to bargain with the travel agents
My husband says that I have good bargaining skills. I think it comes with practice. Before going to the bargaining table, you have to know what the bottom line is for you. After all, you are the one who is paying for the tour. Find your own comfort range and go with the lowest numbers first. What's the worst that can happen? A No from the other side, then try again. You also need to come up with a few reasonable grounds in terms of why you deserve a lower price. If you book more than one tour with the same travel agent, you definitely deserve a break. You will be surprised how much you can save from booking all your tours with the same travel agent. He/she is for sure more generous if you get more than one package. If none of that works, try walking away. Trust me, bluffing works EVERY single time.
That's it. These are my tips on tour booking in Phuket. Hope you all find them helpful, and enjoy the tours as much as your own bargaining experience.
Read more about Phuket on Jas Huang's Through The Lenses travel photography blog
Other Travelhappy posts of interest:
- Custom Made Tours of Tokyo
- Slum Tours In India
- Phuket Airport Real Time Flight Arrival And Departure Times
- HotelReservations.com Review
- Thanks To My Guest Bloggers on Travelhappy
