|
Phuket is
Thailand's largest island and lies in the
Andaman Sea, off the country's south-western coast.
The island is connected to the mainland by the Sarasin
Bridge.
The Island's terrain is lush green hills,
coconut groves, rubber plantations and a coastline
dotted with a dozen spectacular beaches.
There are plenty of flights to Phuket from
Bangkok, while Phuket is also an international airport
and has direct air links with Hong Kong, Malaysia,
Singapore, Japan, Taiwan and Europe.
Alternatively there are overnight
bus services from Bangkok as well as bus services
from the neighbouring provinces of Krabi, Phang Nga
and Trang.
Phuket's
weather conditions are dominated by monsoon
winds. It is therefore always warm and humid. There
are two distinct seasons, rainy and dry. The rainy
season lasts from May till October with most unpredictable
weather. The dry season is from November through April,
when the monsoon comes from the Northeast, which brings
consistently sunny weather, cool breezes and low humidity,
with moderate seas.
Year-round temperatures vary between 21-34
ºC. Water temperature range from 26-28 ºC,
which means wetsuits are not necessary to enjoy water
sports.
Promthep
Cape
Promthep
Cape is a very special place at the southernmost
tip of Phuket island. It is a cliff where you can
view the breathtaking panorama of the surrounding
area and the striking sunset.
Naiharn 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 Promthep Cape down to the beach.
But it is not advisable to go for a swim here during
the monsoon season (from May to October).
Kata Beach
Composed
of 2 lovely beaches called Kata Yai (Big
Kata) and Kata Noi (Small Kata). Kata Beach is a thriving
resort, suitable for holiday makers who look for tranquil
surroundings with a bright sun, white sand, a calm
clear sea and a colourful underwater world. Various
kinds of accommodations, restaurants, shops and aqua-sports
facilities are available to tourists of different
tastes.
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 flourish 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 sun-bathing.
Patong Beach
This is Phuket's
central tourist and night time entertainment
district. Patong Beach is widely known among tourists
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 shows.
Kai Island
Ko Kai is
one of the most popular destinations for
a one-day tour from Phuket. The island is surrounded
by colourful coral reefs providing such aquatic sports
as swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving.
You can
engage in these activities all year round
because not only is the weather always warm, but the
island is not much affected by the monsoon, being
located off the east coast. You can also enjoy sun-bathing
and delicious seafood lunches.
Phi
Phi Island
One of the
world's most beautiful tourist destinations,
is part of Krabi province, 1.20 hrs by modern ferry
or 2.30 hrs by conventional boat from Phuket ports.
It is composed of two rocky, tree-covered islets.
One is Phi
Phi Don where several long white powdery
beaches attract visitors here to sunbathe and swim,
and the other is the rocky Phi Phi Le where thousands
of swifts nest inside the Viking Cave. With its emerald
crystal sea, secluded beaches, wooded coiffed mountains,
colourful coral feefs and undersea life, Phi Phi is
a paradise in the Andaman. Visitors to Phuket should
not miss it if the schedule is not too tight.
Phang
Nga Bay
Because of
its fascinating seacape and its short distance
(75 km by road or 3 hrs by boat) from Phuket, Phang
Nga Bay is usually visited by tourists of Phuket.
The bay is attractive for its numerous weird limestone
outcrops and coiffed islets rising from the sea.
This place
became more famous after the James Bond adventure,
"The Man with the Golden Gun", was partly
filmed here.
The
Similan Islands
The National-park-on-sea
off Phang Nga Province, Similan is famous among tourists,
both domestic and foreign, for its uncontaminated
water and abundant marine lives and as a place for
angling and scuba diving. It can be reached in about
10 hrs by boat from Phuket or 4 hrs from Thap Lamu
Port in Phang Nga.
|
