 Phuket
Activities and Top Things to do guide
At sea, on land, or even above it, Phuket's remarkable range
of sports, tours, diversions and adventures guarantee a fun-packed
holiday for all.
In the water or out, the Andaman Sea and Phangnga Bay offer
an unrivalled selection of watersports, including deep-sea
fishing that would give Hemingway a thrill, and snorkelling
and Scuba diving that would take Cousteau's breath away.
There is also sea-canoeing into spectacular hollow island
escarpments and enchanting yachting experiences that have
not only made these waters world famous, but also helped make
Phuket one of Asia's premier yachting destinations, with yachts
from every continent represented in the bays and marinas of
the island.
On shore, Phuket's thrills and adventures are just as numerous.
Gallop gracefully across the sand on a horse from one of Phuket's
several riding stables, or take a trek into the island's jungles
aboard an elephant. Hike through the primordial forest of
Khao Phra Tieow, or mountain bike along the winding hill roads.
Play 18, 36 or 72 holes of golf at any of
the four world-class golf clubs, or putt a little easier
at the Mini-golf park in Kata. Take a leap of faith at the
island's Bungy Jump centre or - if speed is your thing - roar
around Phuket's Go-Kart track.
In fact, with so much to do on and around Phuket, booking
a longer stay may be advisable - just to give yourself time
to fit it all in.
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Snorkelling
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This can be enjoyed in sheltered bays all around Phuket.
It is particularly enjoyable at easily accessible reefs
at Patong, Karon and Kata beaches.
Snorkelling equipment, fins, mask and snorkel, can
be rented on a daily basis from shops all over the island.
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Canoeing
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This form of eco-tourism is available in several forms,
as popular one-day tours, or more extended tours involving
overnight camping on island beachs, and occurs principally
in the neighbouring Phangnga Bay and Krabi, where mangrove
swamps and island grottoes are accessible only by canoe.
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Bungee Jump
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Take the plunge, or catapult, and view life from a
completely different angle, with insurance! There is
only one Bungee jump/Catapult in Phuket on the Kathu
to Town road.
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Phuket diving sites number among the very best to be found.
In fact, the readers of the top diving magazine voted Phuket
diving among the top ten in the world. Diving Phuket's warm
clear blue waters is best from mid-October to May, when the
calm seas and rain free days make Phuket diving off Ko Kaew
Noi, Ko Rajali Yai, Shark Point a truly unique experience.
Phi Phi Island diving is also one of the highlights for any
serious dive itinerary, Phi Phi Island diving takes the diver
to one of the most famous diving sites in the world, and facilities
for Phi Phi Island diving are among the best for such a site.
Diving Khao Lak will introduce the diver to many new varieties
of fish and coral. Khao Lak diving is a relatively unspoiled
diving site offering much natural scenery and diving Khao
Lak means entering into one of Thailand's premier marine national
parks.
Scuba companies diving Phuket offer full training courses
and equipment hire, so that experienced and amateur divers
can experience diving Phuket waters without needing to worry
about bringing more than their underwater cameras.
Scuba Diving
Expeditions regularly leave Phuket for dives around
neighbouring islands, and further afield, most particularly
around the enduringly popular Phi Phi Islands in neighbouring
Krabi province, some 2 hours east of Phuket, and the Similan
Islands, some 110 km northwest of Phuket, and the Raya Islands,
1-3 hours due south of Phuket, depending on the type of boat.
Diving equipment : Several dive shops concentrated
in the Patong, Kata and Chalong areas have Asian and European
expatriate(s) (speaking English and several other languages)
and bi-lingual Thai dive instructors who offer inexpensive
beginner's courses. All diving equipment is available for
hire.
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Phuket 's West Coast
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Phuket's western shore is dotted with a dozen
pristine white sandy beaches, including Surin, Patong
and Nai Yang beaches, which abound with aquamarine life.
Listed among the top 10 Scuba diving destinations in
the world, the beaches on the west coast of Phuket offer
some supreme Scuba diving with the depths from about
30 to 45 meters. Good close-up photographs can be taken.
Also, regular diving cruises and private trips can be
arranged to other highly regarded diving areas such
as the Similan Island.
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Similan Island
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The nine granite islands of the Similans National
Marine Park, lay only fifty miles northwest of Phuket.
Remarkable visibility of up to 120 feet, gives divers
a rare opportunity to view vast panoramas of giant fan
and soft coral spread throughout the 25 dive sites in
the park. The granite cliffs of some of the islands
descend over 150 feet into the clear waters, and the
waters around the Similan Islands are home to literally
hundreds of colourful and unusual fish and other species
of marine life.
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Surin Archipelago
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Thirty miles from Thailand's mainland and forming
a natural marine border with Myanmar, is another
of Thailand's national marine parks. The Surin archipelago's
1100 square miles contains only five islands, of which
only two bare much plant life. These are Koh Nua and
Koh Koli Tai, and they are joined by a shallow channel
that can be walked across at low tide. Both islands
have small, pleasant beaches and some interesting caves
to explore. Of the Surin Archipelagos dive sites, Richelieu
Rock is certainly the most interesting, as it is often
visited place for Whale Sharks.
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Phi Phi Island
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The Phi Phi islands is one of the most popular
diving areas in Thailand, and is also popular with non-diving
tourists. For this reason, it is often considered
too busy by serious divers who prefer quieter dive sites.
However, there is a very good reason why Phi Phi is
so popular, and that is that few other places offers
quite the diversity of dive sites and marine life.
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Shark Point
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1.5 hours east of Phuket, a small rock pokes just
above the surface of the water. This unassuming
rock is the natural marker for a national marine sanctuary
and one of the most wonderful dive experiences available
in the area. Shark Point's underwater limestone escarpment
is alive with a staggering range of tropical marine
life and is coated in a startling collage of soft corals
and sea fans. Several dives need to be taken to truly
experience the vast array of wonders Shark Point presents.
The coral tapestry descends 75 feet to the seabed, where
the harmless leopard sharks come to play and rest.
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