Phuket

Island Around Phuket

Phi Phi Island:
One of the world's most beautiful tourist destinations, is part of Krabi Province, 1.20 hours by modern ferry or 2.30 hrs by conventional boat from Phuket ports. More for Phi Phi.....

Si-re Islet:
Cut from the main island by the small canal Tha Chin and located 4 km east of Phuket town, Si-re Islet is interesting as the oldest place in Phuket where the "sea-people" or "sea gypsies" have lived. Near the sea gypsy village on the islet, there is a big reclining Buddha on a hill-top from where a good view of Phuket town can be seen.

Coral Island:
Only half and hour off the shore of Chalong pier is the Coral Island, one of the most popular destinations for a one-day tour from Phuket. The island is surrounded by colorful coral reefs providing such aquatic sports as swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving.

Phang-Nga Bay:
Because of its fascinating seascape with numerous weird limestone outcrops and its short distance from Phuket, Phang-Nga Bay is usually visited by tourists of Phuket.

Similan Islands:
This national-park-on-sea off Phang-Nga is one of the world's famous tourist destinations due to its calm and clear sea, most suitable for swimming, diving and fishing.

Other small Islets Around Phuket, such as Ko He, Ko Mai Thon, Ko Dok Mai, Ko Lone, Ko Racha, Ko Kaeo Phitsadan, etc. are enchanting for their fantastic underwater world, good for snorkeling, diving and fishing.

Phuket Nightlife:

Patong:
Patong Nightlife is legendary for its excess. Apart from plethora of restaurants and beer bars there are numerous discos and let-your-hair-down places that you won't find in Munich, London or Starsbourg.On the other hand a lot of people go to Patong at night just to experience the feeling of walking through the bazaar-like streets, contemplating bargains and sorting out the scams from genuine experiences.

Others simply pub; up a bar stool and people watch but everyone seem to go away with a definite impression of the town: be that sort of place. On Soi Bangla, at around midnight, things get wild. Local Kateoys (transsexuals) shake their (often brand new) things in the beer halls off the street. Not for the faint hearted and, in fact, some tourists take photos of other tourists watching the show, it's that amusing. One thing worth mentioning though, is this: by the amount of sob stories we've heard over the years concerning gullible men and guileful women, one can fairly say that Patong, along with Kata/ Karon at night, is not the sort of place to let your guard down in-especially if you're lonely, worse the wear for drink and looking for company. For this reason, amongst others, it's good to know that the Tourist Police are at hand.

Kata/ Karon:
While there are no discos or major clubs around here, you will be able to find some smaller establishments serving drinks and food until later hours. Kata plays host to some great little pubs in "Kata Center".

There are also a mall of open-air bars outside Kata Center in the Crazy Corner, along the road behind Club Med.

Eating Out

Visitors to Phuket should not miss the opportunity to have a taste of Phuket's many kinds of famous seafood which are always fresh and palatable. Prices are also very reasonable. Various seafood dishes are available in town and along famous beaches such as Patong, Kata, Karon, Rawai and Chalong Bay. But if you want to try the local food, mi sapam, misua, khanom chin, ho mok, kang luang and namprik kung siap are recommended.

Shopping

When you are in Phuket, you have no need to go to Bangkok just to buy some quality goods and souvenirs. Because apart from pearls, nielloware, sea-shell ornaments and dried seafood which Phuket is famous for, Phuket also offers large selection of best buys of Thailand.

The shopping areas are mostly on Ratsada Road, Montri Road, Yoawarat Road, Phang-Nga Rd., Thalang Rd. in town, on Thepkrasattri Rd. north of town, and in Patong, Kata and Karon Beaches.

Phuket is a shopper's paradise-the variety of products and prices is amazing-even for the most hardened pavement pounder. The range of goods available falls into one of nine categories: textiles, clothing, bags and leatherwear, jeweler, lacquerware, nielloware, ceramics, furniture and antiques.

Textiles are probably the best bargain in Phuket:the coarse weave and soft texture of Thai silk means that it is ideal for dyeing.

Sarongs are especially bright and very cheap. Mostly hardware stores sell mawn khwaan, a triangular pillow useful on the beach and at home. It's certainly a unique souvenir to take or post back home, and many do.

Clothing comes in a variety of categories and fabrics, from fake Levis to silk suits, all pretty good bargains, too. Street markets in Patong, Phuket Town and elsewhere are most interesting at night.

Bags and leatherwear are the real bargain, but here we come to the crux of shopping in Phuket: haggling. Most stall holders expect to be bargained down - don't be embarrasses, always smile and enjoy the transaction.

Jewelry comes in all forms. For jewelry involving gems of value, local, licensed, authored dealers are strongly recommended.

Lacquerware is very popular-designs in gold and black particularly so. Small bowls and boxes.

Nielloware is very attractive black-and-silver jewellery-a hugh bargain in Phuket.

Ceramics can be found fashioned from rough pettery-originally used as water jars for passing travellers-or highly glazed Celadon (a pale blue-green).

Furniture and antiques are best bought in out-of-town "warehouses". Again, you have to bargain.

Most good shop owners are knowledgeable about their wares: always ask questions, be interested and remember at all times, smile :-)


WARNING!
If a taxi driver invites you to take you a gems of jewelry shop you can be sure that he's working on commission. And who ends up paying for this commission? You, of course. Sometime this can be up to 30% of the cost of the item!


VAT:
Shoppers should note that VAT tax on goods bought in Thailand is redeemable at the airport on departure. Make sure you fill out the right forms at the place of purchase and-of course-keep your receipts. The reclaiming process takes time, so make sure to arrive well before your flight departure.

Activities off the Islands

Yacht Chartering
There are many ways to see Phuket's surrounding islands and the Andaman Sea but this is surely the most serene. Day charters and more are available.

Sailing in the water surrounding Phuket Island, even far south as Langkawi in Malaysia or north into the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar, is a dream for many visitors to Thailand.

Sea Canoe
These have got to be the most stimulating, interesting, educational tours going. The caves were formed from gradual water erosion through the center of the island, thus creating an inner sanctum of animals and plant life that has barely been touched for thousands of years. To visit this wonderland, canoes are dispatched from "motorboats" and the visitors, accompanied by a guide, is paddled in. Hornbills, macaque monkeys, bats-they're all there to see on these truly memorable tours.

Diving
What could be more enticing than a clear aquamarine sea and the prospect of viewing and artist's palette of colorful sea life? Weather you are scuba diving or snorkeling in shallower waters, you're right there-part of the teeming underwater life surrounding you.

Fishing Charter
Gamefishing is very popular off the shore of Phuket. There are a number of sport fish living in the surrounding sea. However, please consider the catch-and-release method of fishing when it comes to a species like sailfish. By practicing this method of fishing you are not only ensuring the life of the fish but of the fishing industry well. By all means enjoy the thrill of the sport and the beauty of the big fish, but let them go and pass on the thrills to your fellow fishermen. Besides what evidence would there be then to dispute your stories of "the one that got away"?

Activities on the Islands

Crowded Beach-Quiet BeachIf you spend most of your time here in Patong Beach you might get the impression that the beaches of Phuket are crowded. Not true. While Patong fairly buzzes with people and activity, there are many other beaches to which one can escape and discover blissful solitude.

You just need wheels. As one moves away from Patong, the beaches get progressively quieter. South of the island, with the possible exception of Kata, is peaceful. North, even more so. You'll find miles of deserted beach at the top of the island, even in peakseason. Crowded beach-Quiet beach. The choice is yours.

Sunset
You haven't seen Thailand if you've never witnessed a West Coast sunset. The most spectacular one is at Phrom Thep ( at the South end of the island) although this can be a crowded experience. The viewpoint on the hill behind Kata Noi is quieter and indeed, any elevated point on the West Coast affords a seat for Phuket's greatest free show. Try to arrive at your viewing point at around half-six.


Phuket Fantasea
Hollywood glamour and eastern mystique comes to Phuket nightly at this magical extravaganza.

The biggest buffet in Asia.PaintballStalk through jungle, acting out your fave Sly Stallone scenes. Test your shooting skills. Tackle a climbing wall. Your type of afternoon? It's all there at the Paint Ball and Shooting Range near Chalong

Bungy Jumping
The jungle Bungy Jump, in Kathu, is a real test of guts. Fight the internal struggle that every jumper experiences when standing 54 meters above the ground. Part of your screams: "No, idiot! Don't jump!" Another part yells back: " I must do this!" It's well worth the rush in the end and most people people manage to throw themselves off, only to claim: "Who, me? I wasn't scared at all." Look for the crane peeking out over the palm tops in Kathu.

Elephant Trekking
The wild elephant population of Phuket was wiped out last century but has been replaced in recent years by an influx of pachyderms brought here for the tourist trade. Since logging was banned in Thailand (officially, at least) about 10 years ago, hundreds of Thai elephants have been out of work and the tourist boom has been a blessing for this work-loving creature. Riding an elephant is an experience not to be missed. These lumbering monsters are incredibly agile for their size and can negotiate slippery slopes that even humans would falter and slip on: all this while carrying three people on their backs! Taking an elephant ride helps keep these peaceful animals out of the cities, where destitute owners are forced to take their beasts in search for food and money. There are many elephant treks to choose from in the hills above Kata, Patong, Chalong and dotted around the island.

Golfing
There are four international standard courses on Phuket. Five, counting Thai Muang, just a short trip off the island. All courses have their own special features and excellent standards of (female) caddying.

Spa
The revitalization of body and mind is the objective at a growing number of luxurious spas and health resorts in Thailand. Situated in major city hotels and idyllic beachside locations, these spas provide every facility to promote health, control weight, or simply to recover from the stress of the modern work and lifestyles. In such and environment, the visitor will be pampered, yet experience a regime of exercise and diet control designed for each individual. A variety of massage and beauty treatments will also help to return the travelers home in better shape, physically and mentally.

Attractions of Phuket

The numerous places of attraction in Phuket can be conveniently grouped into the following routes: Intown, Northern Route, western Route and Southern Route.

Old Building in the Sino-Portugese style mixed with modern constructions from the unique identity of the town of Phuket.

Khao Rang, a low hill near the town center, is an excellent place to view the beautiful scene of the town, especially on a full-moon night.

Saphan Hin Mining Monument was built in 1969 to commemorate the first metal ore-dredger used in Thailand, introduced by Australian Captain Thomas Miles in 1909. Saphan Hin is frequency visited by townpeople and students from a nearby college.

Phuket Butterfly Garden and Aquarium where there are plenty of butterflies of different species, colorful sea lives and rare insects and reptiles.

Phuket Orchid Garden & Thai Village where visitors will be charmed by elephants at work, handicraft shops and workshops, demonstrations of tin mining and rubber manufacture, cultural shows and an exhibition of exotic varieties of orchids.

Phuket Zoo is an ideal place for animal lovers. It featured varieties of animals including rare ones like ostriches, camels and emus. Also crocodile wrestling, elephant and monkey shows.

Wat Chalong
Phuket's most beautiful and renowned monastery. It enshrines the gilt statues of monkhero Luang Pho Cham and his assiatant Luang Pho Chuang, both much revered by local people because of their roles in quelling the miner rebellion in 1876.

Marine Biological Research Center or Phuket Aquarium Tourists interested in marine lives are recommended to go to the Phuket Aquarium situated on the secluded Phanwa Cape, 10 km from town on Sakdidet Road.

Chalong Bay
Located on the south coast of the island, Chalong Bay is in the mining area and is too muddy to swim in. However, a fine view of the coconut palm groves and delicious food in the good restaurants on the shore attract hundreds of visitors to the place daily.

Rawai Beach
The first beach that brought fame to Phuket Island. The coconut-fringed route from the Chalong Intersection to Rawai is one of the most beautiful roads in Phuket. It is a good beach area where sea-people reside and where several restaurants provide different styles of delicious foods, especially seafood.

Laem Ka Beach
Next to Rawai beach on the East is Laem Ka Beach, an excellent swimming area frequently visited by local people. It is lovely and quiet.

Phromthep Cape
Sometimes called Laem Phra Chao or God's Cape, Phromthep is a very special place at the southernmost tip of the island. It is a cliff where you can view the breathtaking panorama of its nice surroundings and the striking sunset.

Naihan Beach
Naiharn is a place for those who love peace and quiet. Its most picturesque landscape can be seen on the way from the north of Phromthep Cape down to the beach.

Karon Beach
Just across a low hill to the north of Kata, the long white beach of Karon stretches magnificently with pines and palms standing tall over the rolling sand-dunes providing a unique scene. It is flourishing side by side with Kata Beach, but is more placid. The sea water here is clean and the sand is powdery. It is one of the best places for swimming, diving and sunbathing. You can come from Kata to Karon easily by road or by a path along the coast.

Kata Beach
Composed of 2 lovely beaches called Kata Yai and Kata noi, Kata Beach is s thriving resort, suitable for holiday makers who look for tranquil surroundings with a bright sun, white sand, a calm clear sea and a colorful underwater world.

Kata is located only 6 km from the Chalong Intersection. The way leading to the beach can overlook the elegant scene of Chalong Bay on the southern coast of the island. Except those who like to stay in the busy area, Kata Beach has never disappointed any visitors. Various kinds of accommodations, restaurants, shops and aqua-sports facilities are available to tourists of different tastes.

Patong Beach
Widely known among Thais and foreigners because of two important factors. One is its natural beauty- the white sandy beach, plentiful sunshine, clear turquoise sea, fantastic underwater life and soft breezes. The other factor is the availability of a wide range of man-made facilities. Here you have a big choice of accommodations from luxury hotels to palm cottages, a host of restaurants and shops, all kinds of aqua-sports equipment and numerous places of night entertainment, including enchanting transvestite cabaret shows. Vacationers who love nature and modern comforts would find Patong an ideal place.

Phuket Simon Cabaret is an entertainment center in Patong offering a transvestite cabaret extravaganza on a grand stage complete with modern hi-tech light and sound equipment. Kathu Cascade. A small cascade 4 km from the Kathu Administrative Office, it is a pleasant place for picnicking.

Mai-Ngao and Karon Noi Beaches
Situated across the hill to the south of Patong are Mai-ngao and Karon Noi Beaches which are beautiful and still undisturbed.

Mai Khao Beach or Airport Beach
The longest beach of Phuket, extending 9 km from the northern end of the island to Nai Yang Beach on the west coast. It is here from October to February that giant sea turtles lumber ashore to lay eggs.

Naiyang Beach
An ideal place for swimming and snorkeling. It is also a good place to see turtles laying eggs in winter and to watch the release of turtles at the Songkran Festival in April.

Surin Beach
The best place to see the golden sunset of Phuket, where a nine-hole golf course is located, but one should not have a swim here because of the strong tide and waves and the steep beach slope.

Kamala Beach
Just 6 km north of Patong, Kamala Beach is the only major beach in Phuket that does not have extensive hotel development and thus retains all its Thai village charm.

Wat Phra Thong
For people in Thalang, Wat Phra Thong is the most important Buddhist monastery, enshrining a most revered Buddha image called " phra Thong", meaning the Gold Buddha.

Khao Pra Thaeo Wildlife Park
It is the only perfectly preserved rain forest abundant in flora and fauna in Phuket where people can encamp and experience outdoor life all year round.
Thalang Butterfly Farm features many species of butterflies from around the world, tropical flowers, insects, reptiles and breeding rooms showing the life cycle of butterflies.

Stay in Phuket? See hotel listing, here.....