Phuket - Thailand

Phuket town: This compact provincial town serves mainly as an accommodation and shopping center. Splendid colonial-style residence built by late 19th-centurey tin and rubber barons and shop houses from the same period provide a distinctive character. Phuket's most developed beach is 15 kilometers west of the town. Cabin and bungalow complexes, hotels, bars, nightclubs, discotheques, shops and restaurants front the crescent by. Windsurfing, snorkeling, sailing, sunbathing and swimming dominate the major activities.

In and around Phuket

Karon Beach & Kata Beach: Karon and Kata situated at the south of Patong beach, both are long and peaceful beaches and eminently suitable for swimming, sunbathing and other seaside activities.

Pillar Monument: This monument stands in the south of the town at the area called Saphan Hin, the end of Phuket road. It was constructed in 1969 as a memorial to Mr. Miles, who devised the use of a dredger in mining operations in 1909.

Orchid Garden: Located on Thepkasattri Road about 3 kilometers from the town, it offers cultural performances demonstrating the Thai way of life with folk dances, Thai boxing, the unique aspects of Phuket and the South, a handicraft center, an orchid farm, and an elephant show.

Surin Beach: The hillsides beach with groves of large pine trees is about 24 kilometers northwest of the town. Drive along Route No. 402, turn left at the Heroine Statues, and proceed on for 12 kilometers. There is a golf course to the right. Surin beach is not recommended for swimming because of its steepness and heavy seas and winds during the monsoon season.

Kamala Beach: Located 26 kilometers from the town, turn left at the Heroine Statues past Surin and Laem Sing, this beach is 2 kilometers long, quite and not crowded. Perfect location for peace loving travelers.

Phi Phi Island: (Mu Ko Phi Phi), an archipelago of six islands located at an equal distance of 40 kilometers from both Krabi and Phuket consists of Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Le as the major islands. The superb scenery of the islands includes high hills with jutting cliffs surrounded by marvelous beaches and emerald sea, hiding underneath a bank of coral reefs and colorful marine life which are unrivalled in this whole wide area.

Phang-Nga (James Bond Island): Phang-Nga is also known as James Bond Island, a land of tin mines and beautiful scenery, nestles among soaring mountains which rise up around the town. Phang-Nga is located 788 kilometers from Bangkok and covers as area of 4,170 square kilometers, most of which is mangrove and evergreen forest. the area is bordered to the west by the Andaman Sea and consists of plenty of spectacular island.

Surat Thani: The name literally means" City of Good People" and is the former seat of the Srivijaya Empire. It is the largest province of the South, covering an area of 12,891 square kilometers and bordered by the gulf of Thailand to the north and the east. Surat Thani is located 644 kilometers from Bangkok. The topography includes a high plateaus and forested mountains to the west, and low basins in the centre and along the eastern coast. There are tremendous number of islands along the coast.

Krabi: One of the most attractive destination in Southern Thailand is located 814 kms. from Bangkok. Krabi occupies an area of 4,708 square kilometers. To the west, it borders on the Andaman Sea where countless natural attraction abound, including white sandy beaches, fascinating coral reefs, numerous large and small islands, verdant forest with caves and waterfalls.