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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.
The motor yacht M.V.
Salinee is based in Phuket and offers luxury charters to many destinations
in Phang Na and the Andaman sea. Cruise itineraries are flexible and can
be customized to suit experienced divers.
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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