Phuket
Information
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When arriving
in Thailand ask for free copies of Thaiways magazine and Thaiways
maps from the information counter at airports or hotels.
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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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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 |
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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.
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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.
Top |
| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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. |
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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.
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| 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.
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| 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 |
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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 |
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