Five nights in Phuket on points: a complete itinerary

Phuket works well as a short points trip because the flying is easy in both directions and two different loyalty programmes give you two different ways in. Singapore Airlines carries you up through Changi; Jetstar brings you home non-stop. Five nights and four full days is enough to see the headline sights, eat properly and still spend a day doing nothing at all.

This itinerary was booked and flown as a couple, travelling twin share, using a mix of KrisFlyer miles and Qantas Points. It is written to be copied.

The flights

The outbound was Melbourne to Singapore in Singapore Airlines Business Class, connecting to Phuket in Business Class as well. The single most useful mechanic here is that the Singapore–Phuket sector adds no extra KrisFlyer miles to an Australia–Singapore Business Class redemption. You pay slightly more in fees and taxes for the onward sector and nothing more in miles.

The return was flown direct from Phuket to Melbourne with Jetstar, using Qantas Points for its Boeing 787-8 Business Class cabin.

Sector Airline and cabin Flying time Points or miles
Melbourne – Singapore Singapore Airlines A350-900, Business 7h 40m 68,500 KrisFlyer miles
Singapore – Phuket Singapore Airlines 737-800 NG, Business 1h 50m Included with the above
Phuket – Melbourne Jetstar 787-8, Business 8h 25m 51,300 Qantas Points

Melbourne is not the only option. Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney price the same in Singapore Airlines Business Class, and departures from Darwin or Perth need fewer miles. Coming home, Jetstar also flies Phuket–Sydney non-stop for the same number of Qantas Points in Business, or 21,500 points in Economy with checked baggage and seat selection included. If a lie-flat bed matters on the return, Qantas flies Bangkok–Sydney in Business for 68,400 Qantas Points, and adding a Phuket–Bangkok hop in Bangkok Airways Economy on the same ticket brings the total to 78,400 points.

You can rebuild the whole trip in one currency if you prefer. Using two simply widens the pool of reward seats and lets you mix cabins. Velocity Points convert to KrisFlyer miles at 1.55:1, and several bank rewards programmes transfer to KrisFlyer at 2:1, so KrisFlyer is reachable from more than one direction.

Melbourne to Singapore

A mid-morning departure means an early start, but the Business Class check-in lane at Melbourne moves quickly even when the Economy queue does not. The SilverKris Business Lounge in Melbourne is showing its age and has seen little change in recent years; for a first Business Class trip it is still a considerable improvement on the food court.

On board the A350-900, Business Class is a lie-flat product with genuine space and a strong sense of privacy. Singapore Airlines' Book the Cook service lets you choose your main in advance, which is worth doing — the standard tray menu is fine, but the pre-order list is better.

Transit at Changi

Three hours is a comfortable connection. Disembarking early from Business Class puts you on the SkyTrain quickly, and Terminal 1 has the densest concentration of shops and food. With a longer layover, Jewel and its Rain Vortex are worth leaving the transit area for.

Departures for Phuket leave from Terminal 2, so the T2 SilverKris Business Lounge is the convenient choice. The newer lounge in Terminal 3 is the better one if your timings allow.

Singapore to Phuket

The short sector is flown by a Boeing 737-800 NG — single aisle, and no seat-back entertainment screens. Over one hour and fifty minutes that matters less than you would expect, particularly as a full hot meal service is still provided.

Where to stay

Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach sits about 20 minutes from the airport on a cliff above the Andaman Sea. Phuket's accommodation runs from hostels to private pool villas; this sits comfortably in the middle, and the location — a patrolled swimming beach, shops, street vendors and massage houses within walking distance — is the reason to choose it.

Booking directly through Accor as an Accor Live Limitless member secured a member rate, complimentary internet and online check-in. The Accor–Qantas partnership means the stay also earned Qantas Points alongside ALL points, which is a rare instance of genuine double dipping on a cash hotel booking.

The Grand Deluxe room is quiet, with a large bed and a view over the water to the mountains beyond. Breakfast at Elements Cafe is a substantial buffet. Vero, the hotel's Italian restaurant, overlooks the infinity pool and is the right place for sunset. C-Bar has open-air round booths, a daily happy hour from 4pm to 6pm with two-for-one drinks, and Asian tapas from 5pm to 10pm. Wi-Fi was fast enough for streaming and for work.

Day one: Phang Nga Bay

Start with the big day out. A full-day Phang Nga Bay tour with Amazing Canoeing collects you from your hotel at 8am, drives you to Ao Po Pier and has you aboard by about 9.30am. Drinks, morning tea and a buffet lunch are included, along with air-conditioned transfers.

The day runs: canoeing into the sea caves at Panak Island, including a dark cave full of bats; then Hong Island; then lunch on the boat; then James Bond Island, properly Ko Tapu, reached by long boat from the anchored vessel. The boat then anchors off a beach for swimming, and you are back at your hotel by early evening.

Book direct with the operator rather than through an aggregator — the price difference was substantial, well over $70 a head.

For dinner, Shameena is a ten-minute walk from the Pullman and is genuinely good, inexpensive Thai food. It fills up, so book.

Day two: beach and massage

Take the steep path down from the hotel to Naithon Beach. A patrolled swimming beach is not a given in Phuket and this one is worth using. Satay from a street vendor behind the beach makes a sufficient lunch.

Hotel spas in Phuket are priced accordingly. Local massage houses are a fraction of the cost and, if you check the premises first, no less clean. A one-hour traditional Thai massage at a Naithon Beach establishment cost 400 Baht, with fresh loose clothing provided.

Day three: Big Buddha and Old Phuket Town

Old Phuket Town is about 50 minutes' drive away. Rather than taxi each leg, hire a driver for the whole day — nine hours cost 2,700 Baht, which for two or more people is the cheapest and by far the most flexible way to see the island. Payment is cash only, so plan an ATM stop.

En route, stop at the Big Buddha, which stands over 25 metres tall. Old Phuket Town itself is a grid of brightly painted Sino-Portuguese townhouses and is busier than its photographs suggest.

Lunch at Blue Elephant, listed in the Michelin Guide and housed in a Sino-Portuguese palace with extensive grounds, is the centrepiece. The Peranakan set menu covers Phuketian cooking properly, from Andaman fish cakes and steamed crab dumplings to a signature mackerel curry. The on-site shop sells curry pastes, teas and homewares, and will test your luggage allowance.

Day four: do nothing, then eat well

The Pullman's infinity pool has button-service refreshments, which removes the last remaining reason to move. Spend the afternoon on Naithon Beach.

For the final dinner, Toh-Daeng by Baan Ar-Jor Museum Home holds a Bib Gourmand and occupies a renovated Chinese-Colonial mansion on a farm about 20 minutes from the hotel. It is striking at night, seafood-heavy and surprisingly affordable. The Andaman sea crab and the deep-fried seabass with local herbs are the dishes to order.

Practical notes

Frequently asked questions

Does the Singapore–Phuket sector really cost no extra miles? On an Australia–Singapore Business Class KrisFlyer redemption, adding the onward Singapore–Phuket sector in Business costs no additional miles. You pay a small additional amount in fees and taxes.

How many points does the return leg take? Jetstar's Phuket–Melbourne 787-8 Business Class cabin was booked for 51,300 Qantas Points. Jetstar's Phuket–Sydney service prices the same, and Economy on that route is 21,500 points.

Can I do this trip with only one points currency? Yes. Using two programmes mainly buys you more reward seat availability and a choice of cabins, but the itinerary can be rebuilt entirely with either KrisFlyer miles or Qantas Points.

Is four days enough time in Phuket? Four days and five nights covers the island's main sights, one full-day boat tour and time on the beach. If your priority is simply beach time, a week suits better.

What is the best way to get around the island? For a sightseeing day, hire a driver for nine hours or so — it is cheaper than repeated taxis and far more flexible. For short trips, use Grab.

Do Jetstar Economy reward seats include baggage? Yes. Economy reward bookings on that route include checked baggage and seat selection.

This information is general in nature. It does not take your personal circumstances into account.

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