| For sports lovers and adventure-seeking
tourists, Phuket provides facilities for many kinds
of exciting activities. Some interesting ones are as
follows.
Trekking
& Elephant Back Trekking
Several adventure tour companies offer you a challenge
to explore the rain forest in the interior of Phuket Island
as well as the national parks and jungles in the nearby
provinces, e.g. Phang-nga
and Krabi.
An even more challenging activity is rock climbing
in the limestone mountains where the adventurers can experience
world class climbing opportunities.
Canoeing
Some islands in Phang-nga
Bay and the sea off Krabi, contain caves accessible
through small openings which are immersed in sea water
at high tide but which are just a few feet above water
when the tide is at the lowest. The world inside these
undersea caverns is wonderful. The water is calm and clear,
the sand is white and powdery, and the mangroves grow
better than elsewhere.
To help tourists find out these secrets of nature, inflatable
canoes are offered by some tour companies to explore these
undersea caves which cannot be reached by long-tail boats.
When making such a tour, the canoe is always paddled by
a professional assigned by the tour agency. As a sport,
you can also paddle it yourself, not to get into a cave,
but to get a close look at the rocks and plants of the
islet.
Diving
One of the major assets of Phuket as a flourishing
vacation resort is its abundance of diving destinations,
all offering a fantastic underwater world of tropical
fishes and coral formations, so exotic and colourful.
From Phuket, all sorts of diving tours are organized
lasting from half a day to two weeks. The nearest are
sites off the west coast where you can explore soft
and hard coral reefs, with a large variety of tropical
marine life.
Much more popular are trips to islands lying to the
south and east of Phuket, including Coral Island (Ko
He) with its very beautiful natural scenery; Ko Racha,
with dives of up to 30 metres; Shark Point, a favourite
sleeping spot of leopard sharks and stingrays; Ko Dok
Mai offering an impressive wall dive and a series of
cave dives; and Ko Phi Phi where you can see white-tip
sharks, stingrays and moral eels.
Truly world-class diving sites are located farther away,
including Ko
Similan, Ko
Surin, Ko Tarutao and Burma Banks. All the first three
island groups are marine national parks which offer magnificent
coral gardens. Many big diving companies offer extended
three to seven-day trips on live-aboard dive boats to
these destinations.
Phuket, with its surrounding Andaman Sea, boasts a large
number of dive companies, the majority of which are located
at Patong, Kata and Karon beaches. Others can be found
in Phuket town and Chalong Bay.
Apart from day trips, all dive companies also offer the
introductory course and the full range of PADI courses
for learners. They are staffed with qualified instructors
who are members of PADI or NAUI, and provided with all
sorts of modern equipment which are also available for
hire.
The best diving months are December to May when the weather
is good and the sea is very clear.
Golfing
Thailand has rapidly become an important golfing destination
of Asia, boasting well over 100 golf courses scattered
throughout the country. Many of them are newly opened
with lush surroundings and superbly equipped clubhouses.
The rapid booming of golfing facilities in Thailand has
been attributed to several factors including the favourable
weather conditions throughout the year and the comparatively
low green fees and caddy fees.
Phuket and the neighbouring provinces of Phang-nga and
Krabi boast a number of world-class golf courses. Some
were designed by well-known international architects and
golfers. The courses are set amidst lush mountains and
some overlooking the crystal Andaman. Accommodations are
also provided in some courses.
There are four challenging 18-hole golf courses in Phuket
-- Banyan Tree Club at Bangthao Beach, Blue Canyon Country
Club in Thalang District, Phuket Country Club and Loch
Palm in Kathu District. All the courses, built on former
tin-mine sites, have their own natural beauty and also
offer a pleasant walk for non-golfers.
Sailing
The Andaman Sea around Phuket has become the newest addition
to the foremost yachting regions of the world. An annual
event, the King's Cup Regatta, first held in Phuket in
1987 as a 60th birthday tribute to His Majesty King Bhumibol
Adulyadej, who is a gold medal sailor himself, has taken
place in Phuket with great success each time and is now
one of the prime yacht-racing fixtures in Asia.
The rapid development of sailing activities in and around
Phuket has been due to the natural beauty of the area,
the warm climate throughout the year, the readiness of
equipment and facilities for the sport, and countless
other attractions in Phuket for the sailors.
Yacht charter companies can be found at Chalong Bay, Patong
Beach and in Phuket town. All of them offer both bareboat
and crewed charters. Day trips usually include boat, crew,
lunch, soft drinks and snorkelling gear.
Gamefishing
Phuket is a top gamefishing destination in Southeast Asia.
Indeed, the list of fighting fish species available in
the Andaman Sea around Phuket is as long as one to be
found in a game fisherman's handbook. They include Marlin,
Sailfish, Tuna, Giant Trevally, King Mackerel, Wahoo,
Cobia, Barracuda, Rainbow Runner, Dolphin Fish, Queen
Fish and African Pompano.
The available fishing grounds in the Phuket area extend
far beyond the nearby waters, to Krabi, a province about
75 km to the east of Phuket, the two Phi Phi Islands and
the Similan Islands. To meet the needs of the ever increasing
game fishers, more and more charter companies have sprung
up in Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi in the last few years,
offering boats and equipment for hire, including professional
flying-deck boats.
Surfing
This sport is popularly played on Kata beach which is
peaceful and has very nice waves. Besides Kata, surfing
is possible at most of Phuket's beaches, including Surin,
Kamala, Karon and Naihan beaches. Anyway, a greater number
of shops selling and renting boards can be found at Kata.
The ideal surfing period is from May till November though
surfing trips are mostly organized during October and
November.
A surfing competition is held annually on Kata beach around
September or October when the wave and weather conditions
are perfect. Though it's not a grand tournament, there
are contestants and spectators coming to join this joyful
event from all parts of the world.
Horse
Riding
To satisfy the needs of foreign tourists, especially those
from Europe who enjoy horseback riding, riding clubs have
been set up in Phuket. Instructors are available for beginners.
And those accomplished riders can walk their horses to
admire the natural beauty, or seek adventure by riding
at a canter through the forests, along the beaches or
over the hills.
| Phuket International
Horse Club |
| |
Phuket International Horse Club is
a place where riders of all levels will enjoy riding
along a stretch of the beautiful beach. Don't hesitate
to get one of your greatest experience on the island.
More
details |
| For your personal safety and protection
by law, please use the services of travel agencies holding a TAT license
only. |
|
