Our Phuket honeymoon from Pakistan: the beaches, the boats and what it really cost

When we started planning our honeymoon, the Maldives felt out of reach on our budget and Europe meant a long visa wait. Phuket turned out to be the sweet spot — proper turquoise-water, postcard-island romance at a price two newlyweds from Pakistan could actually afford. Here is how our week went.

Getting there

There is no direct flight, so we flew into Bangkok first, spent two nights there, then took a quick 1.5-hour hop to Phuket. Booking both legs together kept the connection smooth. Our combined flights came to around PKR 175,000 each in the shoulder season; I watched fares for a few weeks on flight search before booking.

Choosing a beach

We deliberately skipped the party energy of Patong and based ourselves near Kata, which is calmer and made for couples. Our room with a pool and partial sea view cost about THB 2,800 a night (≈ PKR 22,000) — a splurge by our standards, but it was our honeymoon and worth every rupee. Watching the sunset from the beach with nothing to do was the whole point.

The island tour we'll never forget

The highlight was a Phi Phi Islands speedboat tour. Cruising past those towering limestone cliffs and snorkelling in water so clear you could count the fish — it did not feel real. The full-day tour with lunch and gear was around THB 1,800 each (≈ PKR 14,500). We also did a half-day to see James Bond Island with sea-canoeing through the caves, which was gentler and just as memorable.

Halal dinners by the sea

I had worried about food, but Phuket has a real Muslim community and we ate well. We found halal Thai and seafood places with the green certification logo, and one candle-lit grilled-prawn dinner by the water became our favourite night of the trip — around THB 900 (≈ PKR 7,200) for the two of us. When a place was unmarked we simply asked, and stuck to seafood when unsure.

What it cost us

My honeymoon tips

• Pick a quiet beach like Kata over busy Patong if you want romance, not noise.
• Do at least one island tour in the dry season — it is the memory you will keep.
• Book a room with a pool and sea view; it elevates the whole trip.
• Save halal restaurants on your phone before you go.
• Combine two Bangkok days with the beach so the long flight feels worth it.

Phuket gave us the honeymoon we dreamed of without the price tag we feared. If you are newly married and choosing a destination from Pakistan, I cannot recommend it enough — start with your hotel on a quiet beach and build the romance from there.