Karon Beach



Karon Beach - The second largest of Phuket’s principal tourist beaches. Large resort complexes line the road back of the beach, but the strand itself, long and broad, has no development. The sand is very white and squeaks audibly when walked on. The southern point has a fine coral reef stretching toward Kata and Poo Island. Restaurants, bars, tour companies and other Non-hotel businesses are at the north end, near the traffic circle, and at the south, on the little road connecting the back road with the beach road, The narrow road between Kata and Karon has a number of small businesses as well as the Dino Park Mini Golf facility. Karon is the most up-scale of Phuket’s beaches. Regular daytime bus service to and from Phuket Town.

The smallest of Phuket’s three main tourist beaches, Kata beah has uique structure in appearance and style from Karon or Patong. The beach itself is broad and curving, and structures bordering it are low-rise. The waters are perfect for swimming, and at the north end is a coral reef with many varied corals and fishes, which stretches out toward Koh Poo. Is about 1/2 km off shore. Facilities, for every price range, including hotels, bungalows, tour companies, restaurants, bars and clubs are located mostly by the shore.. Regular bus service is running to and from Phuket Town during daytime.


Patong Beach

Patong Beach is simply where Phuket’s action is! It’s by far the most frequented destination on Phuket and has just about everything a tourist could desire – it is therefore Phuket’s most developed beach! Located 15 kilometres to the west of Phuket town, this 3-kilometer-long white sand beach is jam packed with hotels, restaurants, bars (go-go and other types), discos and shops sitting alongside dive shops, travel agents and the outlets that cater for the windsurfing, snorkeling, sailing and parasailing that goes on around the beach. Despite the often frenetic activity, the water remains reasonably clean and suitable for swimming – there are actually separate ‘lanes’ for swimmers and those involved in water sports… This is a good thing – I would hate to see the consequences if they weren’t separated! Patong is particularly famous for its nightlife, which some say might rival that of Pattaya. Given that, Patong may not be as family friendly as the other beaches in the area. It is though a good place to start your exploration of the surrounding areas and a variety of tours are available that include Kayaking in Phang Nga, half-day snorkeling trips to islands off Phuket, sightseeing tours around the rest of island, and fishing trips into the open sea. Patong is also a good place to arrange your ‘liveaboard’ diving trips (October to May).


How to get there: Songtaew regularly leave Phuket Town for Patong Beach (20 Baht) as do buses from Thawiwong Road (15 Baht).


Phuket FantaSea



Costing 3,500 million Baht, Phuket FantaSea is certainly one of Phuket’s most interesting theme parks and has quickly become a tourist destination in its own right. Promising to be the ‘ultimate in nighttime entertainment on Phuket’, Phuket FantaSea is a ‘Las Vegas-style’ show ‘inspired by Thailand’s rich and exotic heritage’. A curious combination of high-technology, pyrotechnics, and tales of times gone by, the 140-acre site houses a number of attractions exploring Thailand’s myths, legends and history. Visitors are treated to battle reenactments, magicians who make elephants fly and disappear, ‘big show’ song and dance numbers, and aerial ballet. The Palace of the Elephants, 3000-seat theatre is of particular interest.

Turing Thai history and culture into a show of such a grand scale was an ambitious project that could have easily turned into historical ‘kitsch’. However, they have done well in making the whole thing credible. The site also offers handicrafts and shopping alongside a number of first rate restaurants. If you are in Phuket, it is well worth spending an evening here.

Details: Admission with dinner – 1,900 Baht (1,700 Baht for children); without dinner – 1,500 Baht (same for children). A 'Gold Seat' upgrade is 250 Baht, whatever your age, and a round pickup service from hotels in the area is 300 Baht.

How to get there: Phuket FantaSea is on Kamala Beach and easily accessible by songtaew, taxi, and tuk-tuk.

Contact:
Phuket FantaSea
99 M3 Kamala Beach
Kathu Phuket 83150
Tel: (076) 385-000
Fax: (076) 385-333

Reservations:
Tel: (076) 385-111
Fax: (076) 385-222
E- mail: marketing@phuket-fantasea.com / info@phuket-fantasea.com
Website: http://www.phuket-fantasea.com/


Promthep Cape


Promthep Cape is a simple rocky hill with no immediate interest. However, this is the most southerly point on the island at it is sunsets and views of Phuket’s southern coast you are here for! A flight of steps leads to the top of Promthep Cape and from there you have an excellent view of the “half-moon” bay housing Nai Harn Beach. The site also has a lighthouse with an observation level. From the observation level, the views are even better! This is the ultimate spot to watch the sun setting over the water. The colours the sunsets produce are extremely rich and seem to permeate the air around you! If you have time, try to make a sunset – it’s well worth the effort.

Details: A visit to Promthep Cape is often combined with a trip to Wat Chalong and Rawai Beach, which are on the way from Phuket town. There is no admission fee to the lighthouse, but again donations are suggested.

How to get there: If you are coming from Wat Chalong, travel along the coast road to Chalong junction and then on to Rawai Beach. From there, a drive south will take you to Promthep Cape. As there are potentially a number of stops on this trip, it might be more convenient to move from one site to the next by taxi. Alternatively, take one of the many tours available from Phuket town and the hotels/guesthouses in the area.

Vegetarian Festival (Phuket)


October is a month when many Thais (especially the ethnic Chinese) eat only vegetarian food. However, its Phuket where all the action happens, and if you thought this would be some sort of sedate congregation of tree-hugging types, think again! The original tradition of refraining from eating meat, drinking alcoholic drinks, engaging in sex, quarreling, and telling lies or killing had its origins in China. However, these days visitors witness those apparently possessed by the gods sticking all manner of sharp objects in their tongues, their cheeks anywhere really! Not for the faint hearted I assure you!



Donald Duck Bay


A very recognisable and much photographed part of the islands, “Donald Duck Bay” is located on“Similan Island 8”. The bay is a very popular stopping point for visitors out on day trips. It is not the most exciting dive site in the area, but at night molluscs, gastropods and other crustaceans come out to make night diving quite fascinating. The marine life features a variety of breeds of crab alongside octopus and large schools of a variety of types of fish. The site also features turtles which are very commonly seen at the site.


Jet Skis on Phuket


There are five Phuket beaches where you can legally use a Jet Ski – Karon, Patong, Kata, Kamala and Bangtao beaches. You have to be a bit careful when renting a Jet Ski on Phuket. You should only rent from licensed Jet Ski operators and their licenses should be available for inspection. You could be fined for renting from a vendor without a license. Anyone operating a Jet Ski in Phuket is also supposed to hold a ‘Second Class Helmsmen of Power Driven Sea-going Vessels’ certificate. If you have not got one (which we can assume most people do not!) there is seldom a problem. However, if you have an accident it is more serious. Operating a Jet Ski without such a certificate means if you have an accident you could pay a fine of 10,000 Baht! If you are worried about this, just go on a Jet Ski as a passenger. Phuket law dictates that if you travel on a Jet Ski even as a passenger you must wear a life jacket that has a whistle – not a bad idea anyway really! In addition, according to the law, you should not go further than 500 metres away form the coastline – again, pretty much commonsense. Likewise, if sea conditions are such that a red flag is raised to people stop swimming, you are not allowed to use Jet Skis… again, a very practical law which most people should be happy to follow.

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