Phuket Scuba Diving - Explore The Underwater Life

Have you ever asked yourself about the best travel destination in the world? This question brings lots of answers to someone's mind. But if he or she is aware of the famous Island Phuket, then he won't take a chance to think twice. Every day, lots of people from different parts of the globe make their trip to this famous holiday destination. Now, this island is not only a tourist destination, but also has become a famous Phuket diving spot. You can find people of different age groups trying their luck in adventurous sport activities. Windsurfing, snorkeling, bungee jumping, kayaking are some of the love sports among teens and old age groups.

Certainly, this tourist island is famous for newbie and expert divers. During your trip to Phuket, you can also try your luck in this adventurous sport activity. Most of these divers have one aim that to have a wonderful diving experience in different diving sites in this island. The crystal clear water will drag you like a magnet and you will be happy to feel the outstanding ecosystem. For many travelers, Phuket diving is one of the best favorite pastime. In Phuket, you can get many diving service providers those are PADI license holder. If you have booked your stay in a villa, then you may surely get the opportunity to have a great diving tour.

Phuket villas are best for tourist those have come with their friends and family. As most of these villas offer great diving facilities to attract tourists. Isn't that a great chance to have a wonderful accommodation and also try diving activities? Indeed! This is a great opening for real divers. Within an affordable price, you can have wonderful diving tour and marine activity. For real diving experience Phuket villas are the best choice. One of the best places, where you can get detail information on diving in Phuket is the online arena. With the help of the Internet, you can easily find out diving location in Phuket and other types of marine sport activities.

Basically, in Phuket there are 5 PADI diving zones. You can also get yourself enrolled in 5 diving PADI courses and can become a PADI license holder. If you are not skilled in diving, then can take help from local diving agencies. These agencies will teach you all the forms and styles of scuba diving and will provide you with diving gears. So, there is nothing to worry, as you can easily learn scuba diving within few days and can become an expert. So, pack your luggage and make your trip to Phuket and feel the world of scuba diving.

To know more about Phuket Diving please log on to http://www.phuketthailand-travel.com/padi-scuba-diving-phuket.htm

Is Patong Beach the Place to Go in Phuket, Thailand?

Phuket, the largest island of Thailand, is nearly the size of Singapore and is located in the green waters of the Andaman Sea at around 850 kilometers south of the capital, Bangkok. As Thailand's most popular beach destination, whether the visitor is looking for a quiet place or an active area with plenty of colorful night life, Phuket island has everything someone would want on a holiday.

With beautiful beaches and some of the best resort hotels, the island is ideal to create a delightful ambiance for a truly memorable vacation. Phuket has 2 main seasons, which are the rainy season from May to October and the hot season from November to April. During the rainy season, showers last not more than two to three hours in a day and many sunny days still can be enjoyed.

The most favored beaches are situated in Bang Tao, Kamala, Karon, Kata and Patong. In addition to the beaches and night life of the island, many other activities can be enjoyed such as water sports, visit of temples, treks in the forest or motorcycle rides. Phuket also hosts one of the most famous International soccer 7s tournament in south-east Asia in November.

Bangtao beach is one of the longest beach in Phuket island and a luxury resort area dominated by a Laguna complex, a massive luxury-hotel development with golf course. Swimming is excellent during the dry season, and at the end of the bay is a smaller bay, which is nearly completely enclosed, with some fine corals.

Kamala beach, which is mostly a fishing village, is less crowded even during the summer season. A two kilometers long quiet beach where fishermen can be seen casting their net near their boats, is the only entertainment of the area together with the buffalo herds that come down sometimes to cool off.

Patong beach is the leading tourist district for water sports activities such as snorkeling, parachute flying, windsurfing, jet-skiing and sailing. Patong has the most unbelievable nightlife in all Phuket. Pubs, restaurants, go-go bars and discotheques are dispersed all over a 3,000 meter long beach front. The greatest concentration of night places are in Soi Bangla, where pubs with live music, bars with local entertainers and an important choice of excellent restaurants can be found.

Karon Beach is a lot quieter than Patong and is the second largest tourist beach in Phuket. A long and broad almost unspoiled beach with a very white sand can be enjoyed there. A superb coral reef is extending towards Kata and Bu Island at the southern point. Restaurants, bars and tour companies, but also non-hotel businesses are located at the north end.

Phuket has its own International airport and can be reached directly from overseas or from Bangkok with a 70 minutes flight.

Michel Gerard is a Travel author located in Asia. Visit the GuestHouse Phuket website to book your accommodation online and grab your *free* ebook: "Stories of Authentic Eco-adventure Destinations for Travellers in Thailand" http://www.guesthousephuket.com/ebook.html

How Safe is Phuket For Travel?

Phuket is one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations, and yet visitor numbers are well down on previous year. The beaches and streets in Phuket are quiet and businesses are beginning to feel the strain. Thailand's political problems have been well documented by the media, so much so that the country is portrayed as being in complete anarchy. Although the problems have been centered in Bangkok, they have impacted Phuket. But what's the reality of the situation? Should tourists be wary of traveling to Phuket?

The short answer is "no". For a bit of perspective, Thailand has had numerous problems over the years, from coups to bombings. However, it was only the tsunami that really affected tourism in the long run. Thailand's internal problems usually create a few short-term ripples and the media writes of chaos in the streets, but for people living in Thailand, they will tell you that life goes on as usual.

In Phuket, tourism is way down. Hotels are nowhere near full and people on the island are saying that the effect on the industry will be worse in the long term than the tsunami. It's such a dire situation, but it's also completely unnecessary. Travel advisory warnings also don't help.

If you were to visit Phuket right now you'd see a peaceful island. There are no more dangers than normal and everything is safe. There's no fighting in the streets and tourists aren't being victimized or attacked. In fact, there's probably never been a better time to visit Phuket because the island is less crowded than usual.

The beaches are still there and the popular sites are waiting for visitors to trickle in. Of course, travelers should still exercise the same caution they would when visiting Phuket any time of the year. Traveling alone on a motorcycle at night isn't a good idea and care should be taken when out and about. But don't let the news reports put you off a trip to Phuket.

It's a sad state of affairs, but hotel-booking websites have been reporting a huge decline in bookings. The same is true of airlines, who are now throwing out offers left, right and center to entice people to visit Thailand. There are bargains to be snapped up at the moment.

So if Phuket is safe for tourists, then what about Bangkok, where most of the trouble has been? There have been protests and airport closures and all sorts. However, unless you had a plane to catch during that time, if you were in Bangkok, you wouldn't have noticed much out of the ordinary other than when you turned on the news. Everything carried on as usual. It always does.

After the most recent coup, the tanks and soldiers became a tourist attraction. The resultant protests were mostly jovial affairs with picnics and concerts. Some media reports were speculating that Thailand was about to become a bloodbath, similar to revolutions of the past, but such events didn't materialize.

Forums, blogs and phone lines have been inundated with people asking if Phuket is still safe for travel. It is safe, and it likely will be for a long time to come.

Check our Phuket Vogue for the latest information about Phuket parties, Phuket girls and restaurants.

Phuket Island - Popular Travel Destination in Thailand

Phuket has grown into one of the premier holiday destinations in South East Asia and is one of the busiest travel destinations of Thailand. It has replaced Bali as the most popular holiday island in the region.

What makes Phuket island such a great travel destination?

Phuket is first of all an inexpensive holiday destination. Phuket hotels, resorts and guesthouses can be found in all price categories and ratings and prices are considerably cheaper then what one would encounter in Europe or America.

Dining in restaurants or buying drinks in bars or clubs on Phuket is also less expensive then what most tourists are used to paying back in their home countries.

Phuket Beaches

The palm tree lined beaches of Phuket Island are of course world famous due to its crystal white sand and clear water of the Andaman Sea. Some of the nicest and most popular beaches found on Phuket Island are the beaches at Patong, Kamala, Karon, Kata and Nai Harn.

Phuket Nightlife

The Phuket nightlife is another reason why many tourists visit Phuket each year on holiday. Many tourists seem to keep coming back each year for especially the nightlife and bars of Phuket.

Most Phuket island nightlife venues can be found in Patong beach along the well known Soi Bangla. A number of large clubs are located along Bangla road in Patong including the very popular Tiger disco and the new Seduction Disco.

You can also find along Bangla road and the many small streets leading into Soi Bangla hundreds of beer bars. Each beer bar has a number of beautiful Thai ladies working for them who there to please the clients.

Phuket Shopping

Going shopping in Phuket in the past was not one of the most interesting activities for tourists due to the lack of a good variety of shops and products. Most of the shops sold the same tailor made clothing, bootleg movies and software and fake designer clothing.

Over the last few years however, a number of large shopping malls have opened on Phuket housing well known international retailers, unique local boutiques as well as international restaurant outlets such as Outback steakhouse and Burger King.

If you are going to visit Phuket for a holiday then please make sure to visit the brand new Phuket Junkceylon mall in Patong or the Central Carnival Mall along the Phuket by-pass road.

James is currently living on Phuket and is working on a number of projects. If you are looking for a great Phuket hotel then do consider staying at Club Bamboo Resort. Read more about Samui in his Samui Guide.

Phuket Villa Rental - How To Find Picturesque Rentals

Going to Phuket in Thailand for a grand vacation is a sure worthwhile way to spend the holidays or a break from work or from school. Going to the beautiful and very refreshing beaches of the area would surely help significantly reduce if not totally eliminate any stress and weariness you may feel physically, mentally and emotionally. Your getaway would be made more enjoyable and more relaxing if you would be able to secure a Phuket villa rental. Doing so has been known as one of the simple means for any vacationer to truly enjoy hanging out in the province.

For sure, you are excited about your stay in any of the villa rentals around the area. You would find that any Phuket villa rental available is cozy and is totally offering comfortable and luxurious living conditions. Thus, it would be helpful if you are totally informed about the factors and services you could expect from any good villa rental. Most of the rentals in Phuket are offering standard services and amenities. Thus, you could always be sure you would get the best around.

Location and ownership

The first basic and attractive characteristic of a Phuket villa rental is its exquisite and strategic location. Property developers and owners know that villas made and operated for tourists and vacationers should be located in the beach and seaside sites. Proximity to seashores and beaches would enable you more to enjoy the scene and the sites in the area.

Luxury villas in Phuket are almost always privately owned. Because of this, you could be sure the villas would be able to offer and provide you with the best and most attractive deals possible. Price tags are normally quite expensive but if you would be resourceful and strategic enough, you would be certainly be able to secure significant discounts. Doing a comparison shopping for villa rentals would also enable you to find the Phuket villa rental offering the best, most reasonable and most affordable packages.

Amenities and services

Usually, villa rentals in the area are offering two or more bedrooms so that you and your family, friends or officemates would surely fit in the accommodation. The villas have comfortable and really useful amenities, making you feel more at home while you spend your vacation in the beautiful Thai province. Common accommodation amenities like dining areas, pools and Jacuzzi as well as basic vacation services like relaxation therapies and massage are offered to vacationers at good prices.

What are you waiting for? It is about time you contact your travel agent for a Phuket villa rental. Make your break a memorable and exquisite one for you to enjoy. For sure, by the time you go back to work, you would truly be refreshed.

Find the lovely vacation rentals in Florence Italy by visiting http://www.vacationhomerentalsguide.com, a popular vacation home website shows where to find quaint St. John villa rentals.

Phuket Remains One of the World's Great Destinations

In recent times, the tropical Island destination of Phuket has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. From refusing to let vacationers return to their homeland, arresting tourists on trivial charges and even a decrease in housing popularity but with all this in mind, Phuket still remains a wonderful tropical holiday destination.

Phuket's weather allows year round beach going activities with two distinct seasons. The first is known as the high season, based on the large number of tourists that flock to the Island during this time, and the other is called Summer Season with a self descriptive title.

During the high season, Phuket beaches enjoy a magical, tranquil environment. With the slight wind and weather approaching the Island from the North East, the famous West Coast beaches receive little or no waves, making crystal clear waters on bright white sands, almost too good to be true.

As the seasons change, the weather then comes from the opposite direction. This brings rougher conditions with sometimes-large waves suitable for experienced swimmers and even surfers. This time of year is still warm, in fact Phuket has a year round tropical climate and the temperature always hovers around the 30 degree Celsius mark.

The Summer Season is also known as the rainy season, however, this makes it sound like a time where it doesn't stop raining, but this couldn't be further from the truth. During this time, it does rain but some days reek glorious sunshine and high temperatures, just perfect for the beach. Visitors will get wet but just about everything that Phuket has is just as enjoyable at this time of year.

A well-established community backs every beach in Phuket. The main beaches of Patong, Karon, Kata and Surin, all have differing communities but all enjoy fine restaurants, great nightlife, wonderful shopping and an easy-going attitude.

Patong, in particular, is known for its nightlife along the busy Bangla Road area. Bars, clubs and restaurants line this street and at night it's blocked off from traffic and is a wonder to walk up and down and enjoy the sights.

One of the benefits of travelling to Thailand is its inexpensive shopping. Phuket is no different, however the up-market shopping malls are now cropping up all over the Island and prices are not what they used to be. Brand names such as Central Festival, Jungceylon, Tesco Lotus and a recently opened centre along the bypass road which claims to be a budget market, all offer international brand names in fashion, sports and just about anything that you would want to take home.

The waters and Islands surrounding Phuket are also easily accessible with a large variety of boating tours available. The jutting limestone Islands and caves, known as hongs in Thailand, are particularly beautiful with some caves accessible by either swimming or kayaking inside.

Right now, with the world in economic trouble, tourist numbers are down in Phuket. As a resident, this can be a nice time, however, the benefits to those that do chose to vacation now are unlimited. Bargains can be had all over the Island with vendors very willing to offer their goods or services at very reduced prices.

For those fortunate enough to be in a position to reside in topical paradise, the property market in Phuket is also in the same position. With a greatly reduced market, many property projects are now offering their properties at hugely reduced prices. Just about anything is available in terms of property and bargains from as little as 1.5 million baht (US$44,000) can be found, mind you, the other end of the spectrum is also here with luxury beachside properties in the million dollars range.

With all of this in mind and the bargains that are now available in Phuket there is no reason for anyone to stay away. Treat the locals with respect, enjoy the sunshine and hunt out a bargain, what better way is there to enjoy some time away from home.

For more information on Phuket and the lifestyle there go to http://www.phuketrader.com/

Beaches of Phuket

Phuket is a tropical Thai holiday island and is one of the premier travel destinations in the world. The beaches of Phuket are well known for their white sandy beaches lined with gracious palm and coconut trees.

Most tourists staying on Phuket during their holiday unfortunately only visit the beach located closest to their hotel. It is a shame as there are so many beautiful beaches which the tourists could visit. The best way to see all the beautiful beaches is by renting a motorbike or jeep and by simply driving up and down the coast line as travelers will encounter countless beautiful and deserted beaches.

Some of the nicest beaches of Phuket are those mentioned below.

Bang Tao

The beautiful Bang Tao beach is located next to the upscale Phuket Laguna complex where a number of excellent 5 star hotels are located.

Kamala

Kamala beach is one of the most popular beaches and is located only a few minutes drive from Patong beach. Travelers looking for a beach area which offers a peaceful surrounding should consider booking a hotel or resort in the beach resort area of Kamala.

Karon

The most popular after Patong beach is Karon beach and is located just south of Patong. Karon has a long beach and numerous resorts line this beach. Tourists visitingwith children often prefer the somewhat laidback atmosphere that Karon beach has to offer.

Patong

Patong beach is the busiest of all the beaches of Phuket. The vast majority of entertainment and business venues are located in Patong beach. If travelers are looking for a beach resort area where they can party until the early hours of the morning then Patong beach is the ideal choice for them.

Surin

One of the most upscale Phuket beach areas is the area around Surin beach. If tourists do visit Surin beach then they should definitely try the excellent and inexpensive seafood which is served at the Surin beach side restaurants.

George is currently living on Phuket and is working on a number of projects. If you are looking for a great Phuket hotel then do consider staying at Club Bamboo Resort. Read more about Koh Samui in his Samui guide.

The History of Phuket

Phuket History

The first records in Phuket history originate in the beginning of the 11th century. As far as historians have been able to trace, the first inhabitants of what is now known as Phuket were the sea gypsy's and the Negrito's.

Phuket Negritos

The Negritos are considered by historians to be the indigenous inhabitants of South East Asia. The Negritos include tribes from the Malay Peninsula, Andaman tribes, Pilipino tribes and the Semang tribes. The Negritos were small people and were pygmy sized. They are in fact considered to be among the smallest races when looking at population size. Genetic expert consider the DNA of the Negritos to be among the purest of any human race.

Junk Ceylon

Junk Ceylon was the first name of Phuket in its history. Historians have found the original name of Phuket on the maps of Portuguese sea merchant maps. There was an earlier mention of Junk Ceylon in a book written in the year of 157 AD. The book was written by a well known Greek philosopher. Cladius Ptolemy.

The Greek philosopher mentioned that if one was to travel to the Malaysian peninsula, one would have to pass a cape which he called the Junk Ceylon. The Junk Ceylon was given a location between the latitudes of 6 N and 8 N which would be the position of present day Phuket. It seems that the Junk Ceylon was visited by sea merchant from various countries as the bay of Junk Ceylon offered a superb protection against the forces of nature and gave the merchants an opportunity to rest and restock.

Recent Phuket History

Phuket become later known as Thalang after the city which still exists in the northern region of Phuket. An important part of Phuket history was during the 15th century when Phuket obtained the reputation as a leading tin mining producer. Due to the local mining industry, Phuket become somewhat of a trading hub.

Due to the large volume of European merchants and traders that were calling port in Thalang, the Thai King during that period decided that Phuket should be administered by a European. Between the period of 1681 and 1685, Thalang was administered by a French missionary named Renee Charbonneau.

Burmese Invasion

Another important event in Phuket history was in 1785 when enemy troops from neighboring Burma attempted to invade and rule Phuket. Two Phuket ladies decided to stand up and defend the Island in the name of the King of Thailand. The former governor's widow, Chan, and her loyal sister Muk organized a defense which lasted nearly a month.

The Burmese troops were left with no supplies after they had been unable to get past the defence for over a month. The aggresors had no other option but to withdraw as their suplies had run. The king of Thailand heard of the heroic actions of the two sisters and bestowed upon them the noble titles of Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Si Sunthon. Even in present day Phuket, the two sisters have not been forgotten and are in fact still honored and respected. In 1966 the two sisters were honored by their very own statue which stands at the Tha Ruea Intersection.

Read another article on Phuket history in the Phuket guide: all-phuket.com/phuket_history.html

James is currently living on Phuket and is working on a number of projects. If you are looking for a great Phuket hotel then do consider staying at Club Bamboo Resort. Read more about Samui in his Samui Guide.

Do You Really Know About Phuket Girls?

One of the most interesting parts of life in Phuket is watching the large number of tourists who flock to the island in search of girls. There are, of course, lots of girls in Phuket, but outsiders often come with a distorted view of what it's really like on the island. You may have heard stories about how easy Phuket girls are and how Phuket is like paradise on earth. Well, yes, it may be to some people, but there is more to Phuket girls than a stereotype.

It's amazing how often people seem to forget that the term "Phuket girls" is not simply a reference to bar girls. To bring everyone up to speed, a bar girl is a lady working in a bar, usually selling drinks, dancing or mingling with the punters. These girls will more often than not be there to pick up clients who will pay for sex.

So that's what a bar girl is, but on an island with a population of something like one million people, there are more than just bar girls. It may seem unfathomable to some people, but there are, in fact, girls on the island who don't work in bars and who have never even considered working in bars.

You can meet these girls easily enough. You can even ask them to go on a date with you if you have half an ounce of personality about you. Being connected is definitely one of the easiest ways to meet people in Phuket. Social butterflies expand their circles daily, so it pays to put yourself out there and meet people.

But what if you're only on the island for a few weeks? How are you going to meet the Phuket girl of your dreams and have a whirlwind romance? Well, you're reading this, so you're evidently able to use the Internet and are also fairly nifty with a search engine.

There are lots of websites that make it easy to meet Phuket girls. And no, they are not all websites offering Thai brides and whatever else in a package deal that usually ends up with you buying a house somewhere in Northern Thailand. Most people seem fairly adept at using Facebook and MySpace. These resources are your friends for meeting people in Thailand.

There are dedicated networks for Phuket on both of these websites, so you can connect with people without having to do more than click your mouse a few times. Though you may not be keen on meeting people through the Internet, it's really no big deal in Thailand and most people end up doing it at some point.

Another website, although this one won't be to everyone's liking, is ThailandFriends.com. This website is more like a dating site and it can at times feel a little overcrowded with foreign males searching for Thai pretties to try and seduce, but you can meet some decent folk through this website and there are regular get-togethers that you can also be a part of.

You can get all kinds of information and pics about Phuket girls over at the Phuket Vogue website.