phuket

Climate

Phuket is hot and humid throughout the year. The high season is generally considered to be from November to May. During the summer monsoon season, mornings and afternoons are still sunny and clear, but it tends to rain in the evenings and water clarity goes down. Locals consider May to October the "cool" season, and the weather is quite tolerable, much more so than in the tourism centers around the Gulf coast. It's comparable toFlorida's summer weather in temperature and intensity of rain storms: 25-33 deg C, flying clouds, short and thunderous rainfalls in the afternoons and evenings. Surfing is possible off the western beaches

Watersports

Scuba diving, yachting, jet-skiing and parasailing are the most popular activities on the island. Most dive sites are off nearby islands, but distances are short and there are dozens of dive shops and boats to cater to your needs, mostly based near Chalong Pier.

Phuket might not have the historical sites thatBangkok and Chiang Mai have, but it does have a few. Most visitors spend their time at the beaches and in the bars. The most heavily-hyped attraction is the Phuket Fantasea show at Kamala Beach, a self-proclaimed "cultural theme park", but comparisons toDisneyland are exaggerated at best.

However, Wat Chalong is a beautiful Buddhist temple located on the southern end of the island. There is also the history to be seen in Phuket Town and, of course, the sights and sounds of the Vegetarian Festival (which is not suitable for young children or those who are queasy).

Have some common sense and be ready to learn from watching how the locals drive and you will be quickly making your way happily around. Of course, it helps if you are accostomed to driving on the left side of the road. That in itself could be enough to detract some North American or European drivers.

Driving in Phuket is a little crazy compared to most western nations, but nothing like what you can expect to see in Indonesia or India and congestion is limited to Phuket Town and the main stretches of Patong Beach; still nothing like we see everywhere in Japan.

By car or bike

More than 10,000 people are injured and over 250 killed every year in road accidents in Phuket. Nine out of ten accidents involve motorbikes. Major risk factors are the hilly terrain, careless speeding drivers and driving at night, and drunk-driving.

Renting a car or motorbike to explore the island on your own is a cost-effective way of getting off the beaten track. However, given the atrocious driving habits of most locals and the resulting carnage on Phuket's roads every year, the risks do demand careful consideration.

Motorcycle and scooter rentals start at around 150 baht/day, coming down to 100 baht/day for rentals of a week or more. Phuket police do enforce the crash helmet requirement, and also conduct frequent spot checks at which a driving licence must be produced. Many rental agencies will not require to see your licence. Whether or not you need an international licence or just your licence from your home country is unclear. So long as your licence from home is written in English, you should be fine. The current on-the-spot fine (you pay, you get a receipt and then they let you drive off - speaking from personal experience) for not carrying a licence is 300 baht. You may want to consider whether paying for an international licence is more expensive than just paying a fine or two while you are there.

By taxi

Phuket has two types of taxi - millions (or so it seems) of small songthaew-style minivans (usually bright red, occasionally bright yellow) called Tuk Tuks, and a much smaller number of conventional sedan-style taxis (yellow and red, with a "TAXI-METER" sign on top).

The minivans are universally referred to as tuk-tuks (even though they have four wheels, not three). They have no meter, and their drivers are notoriously mercenary, so always agree a price beforehand and do bargain hard. Short hops around town shouldn't cost more than 40 baht, but good luck getting from Patong toPhuket Town for under 200 baht.

For longer distances the metered taxis are generally a better bet, so do your bit to break the iron grip of the minitaxi mafia and patronize them if you can. You can hail one by telephone on 076-232157.

There are also motorbike taxis. While you should never hop on the back of just anyone's motorbike, motorbike taxi drivers wear bright numbered vests and are usually the cheapest way to go. However, it is important to note that these are slightly more dangerous than a Tuk Tuk, for obvious reasons, and are not comfortable for long trips. However, if you just need to get around town, they are a great way to go.

Airport transfers

Limousine (blue) taxis from the airport are expensive, costing 500-600 baht to Patong Beach or Phuket Town

Metered (yellow) taxis (available outside the car park gates) cost 300+ baht

Minibus services (basically door-to-door share taxis) charge 100-200 baht per seat. One realworld example is from airport to Chalong to 6 persons was 1100 baht and there was not possibility to lower it easily.

Airport shuttle bus service (6:30-20:30, every 30 minutes) toPhuket Town bus station costs 52 baht; local buses run from there to all the major beaches until around 18:00

Flights

There are very frequent flights to/from Bangkok

By boat

Ferry services connect fromRassada Port inPhuket Town to Ko Phi Phi and on to Krabi on the mainland twice a day, taking 90 minutes and costing 350/650 baht one-way/return, for each leg. It's usually a pleasant ride, but can be rather bumpy when it's windy.

There are also boats to Ko Racha (2 hours), the Similan Islands (9+ hours) and other islands in the high season only. Boats and yachts can be chartered at Chalong Pier, the Boot Lagoon and the Yacht Haven.

It's possible to visit Phuket by cruise ship. For cruises from Singapore, try Star Cruises

By train

The nearest train station is about 3 hours away, at Surat Thani.

By bus

Buses to mainland destinations including Bangkok, Chumphon, Hat Yai, Krabi, Phang Nga, Ranong, Satun, Sungai Kolok and Surat Thani use the BKS terminal off Thanon Phang Nga in Phuket Town.

The most reliable buses fromBangkok are those from the Southern (Sai Tai Mai) Bus Terminal. The dodgy Khao San Road operations (which have a bad reputation for theft, and often turn out to include a "surprise" transfer to a minibus at Surat Thani) are best avoided.

as well as direct flights to many other airports in the region, including Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and direct charters to Europe and Australia in the high season.

Domestic

Several domestic discount airlines fly here, including Air Asia and Nok Air - tickets from Bangkok can cost under 1000 baht one-way if booked well in advance, or around 2000 baht (including taxes) if bought on the day.

Bangkok Airways has a monopoly on direct flights between Phuket and U-Tapao (Pattaya / Sattahip) and Ko Samui.

Destination Air Shuttle offers direct seaplane transfers (some of which operate seasonally) between Phuket and Ko Lanta, Ko Phi Phi, Krabi, Ranong, Trang, the Similan Islands, and other popular Andaman coast destinations.

International

AirAsia has a direct flights from/to Kuala Lumpur.

Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia Airways provide very affordable tickets from/toSingapore. Other low cost direct connections include Hong Kong, Macao, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

Airport

Thecompact Phuket International Airport (IATA: HKT) (ICAO: VTSP) is located in the north of the island, and isThailand's second largest hub. International departure tax is 500 baht (700 baht after 1/1/07), payable in cash (there are several ATMs at the airport). Departure tax for domestic flights is included in the ticket.

Animal sanctuary

Visit the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project by the beautiful Bang Pae waterfall. They have a visitor centre manned by Western volunteers and English speaking Thai staff who will talk to you about the project. Talks are free, but please support the project by buying a souvenir, sponsoring a gibbon or giving a donation. Don't have your photo taken with a captive gibbon in Phuket or on the beaches.

Elephant riding

This is a good way to support the remaining domesticated elephants of Thailand and their mahout, is fairly cheap, and can be an interesting new experience. The elephants are well trained, and you can tip the mahout by giving the money to the elephant who will hand it to the mahout with its trunk.

The major beaches from north to south are:

Bang Tao - long, very quiet beach

Surin Beach - an up-and-coming destination

Laem Singh Beach - small bay with stunning views, betweenKamala Beach andSurin Beach

Kamala Beach - a quieter beach to the north of Patong

Patong Beach - the largest beach resort, known for its nightlife

Karon Beach - a quieter beach to the south of Patong

Kata Yai Beach - busy, clean tourist beach with good surf

Kata Noi Beach - quieter sister of Kata Yai

Ao Chalong - home to Phuket's most popular yacht anchorage

Rawai Beach - set off point for lots of local islands, popular with locals for eating on the beach