PHUKET ISLAND
Holiday pleasure on the tropical island
Phuket is an island with a tropical climate, with an area of 550 square meters, located in the southern part of Thailand extending to Malaysia towards the Andaman Sea.
When I hear the phrase vacation on the tropical island, the first thing that comes to my mind is Phuket Island, famous for its sea in Thailand. You can easily reach Phuket Island with an hour’s flight from Thailand’s capital, Bangkok. This place is not less than the Maldives, Seycheller and Mauritius islands visually and its advantages are much more in terms of activity. Other islands do not have as many night entertainment alternatives as Phuket; As the island is very large, it also offers freedom of movement. In addition to diving opportunities in many parts of the island, playgrounds are also ideal for family travelers.
Right time…
From the beginning of May to the end of September, the best season in Phuket is the period between the end of October and the end of April. However, especially the Monsoon rains are an interesting natural event that must be experienced in tropical Phuket; sometimes it rains for 10 minutes, sometimes it takes up to 1 hour. For this reason, it is nice to be visited in the period from May to the end of October.
Since Phuket is in the tropical climate zone, it would be beneficial to bring comfortable flip-flops, plenty of t-shirts, shorts or comfortable thin fabric trousers no matter what season you go. Do not go to the island with closed or high heels and elegant evening dresses; you can never wear it! If you are going between May and October, don’t forget to have an umbrella with you.
The first name of Phuket Island is Manikram which means “crystal mountain” in Tamil language. This tropical island, where approximately 350,000 people live, has the most beautiful coasts of world sea tourism. At the same time, with an area of almost 80% mountainous, Phuket offers a distinct visual feast among the greenery with its winding and ramped roads. After arriving at Phuket International Airport, which is located in the north of the island, it is useful to be prepared for the best welcome of the tropical climate. After the customs and luggage procedures are completed, you can immediately adapt to the environment of the island with the warm welcome of the taxi drivers when you first go out.
Phuket is a different island with truly magnificent bays; Although the capital city is Phuket Town, the busy street where the heart of the city beats every hour of the day and the area where Patong beach is the center of Phuket nightlife is considered the center. Patong is located on the western part of the island overlooking the Andaman Sea. Bangla Road is also located on Patong beach, where there are “go-go” bars that are closed to traffic in the evenings and are Thailand’s most important night bars. Favorite bays for those who want a more quiet holiday away from the noise of nightlife: Karon Beach, Naithon Beach, Kalim Beach and Kata Beach.
Dinners are a different pleasure in Phuket because Phuket is an island where you can find all kinds of seafood together. Savoy Restaurant is both a large chain and offers the opportunity to eat a wide variety of seafood on the beach with views of the Andaman Sea. It is a restaurant where you can find all kinds of seafood you are looking for, from starfish to lobster, crab in the sea even a few hours before any size of shrimp. Of course, there is not only seafood on the island. Napoli Restaurant, located on Thaweewong Road, is a place that makes Italian dishes that you can hardly find. Its owner, Toni, is an amazing cook who came to Phuket from Italy 20 years ago and got married here. You can eat pizza, pasta and even homemade tiramisu. For those who are overwhelmed by the hot weather, Phuket Jungceylon shopping center located at the end of Bangla Road can offer you the opportunity to cool off with its air-conditioned environment. Thailand’s currency is Baht. Although the exchange rates are very variable, Turkish Lira is equivalent to approximately 20 Baht.
If you are going with children
For those traveling to Phuket Island with children, I recommend you to visit Dino Park, which is located in Karon Beach and has a small golf course, where you can travel to the past. Dinosaurs will be of great interest to your children while wandering in Dino Park in a natural environment with greenery. This park has cafe-restaurant alternatives that can be enjoyed not only by children but also by adults. The entrance fee for adults is approximately 12 TL and for children it is 9 TL.
www.dinopark.com
For diving enthusiasts
While some hotels in Phuket have a private beach in a separate bay, beaches are in common use, especially on beaches such as Patong Beach. You can rent sunbeds and umbrellas for approximately 5 TL (100 Baht) per person to enjoy the sea on these beaches. In fact, that magnificent sea, white coral sands you see on websites are located in Phi Phi Island and Khai Island, which are part of Phuket.
Phuket, which is a really beautiful island for diving enthusiasts, has diving schools almost everywhere and diving can be done almost everywhere on the island. Those who want to snorkel should prefer Phi Phi Island and Khai Island, which are about an hour away from Phuket with daily boat trips. Do not be surprised if you walk in the white powder-like coral dunes on these islands, like in the Maldives and other tropical islands, and the beautiful phosphorescent fish you watch in cartoons during snorkeling, Lost Fish Nemo and Crazy Dori, and a sympathetic water turtle passes by you.
Phi Phi Island and Phuket Islands cruise
You will think that Maya Bay is the most beautiful place you have seen in the world, where you will reach the harbor with a half-hour journey from the hotels and a 1-hour boat ride from there. It is a wonderful bay surrounded by high hills up to the narrow mouth opening to the ocean, where Leonardo di Caprio’s movie The Beach was shot. In Phi Phi Ley, the southern part of Phi Phi Island, be prepared to snorkel after Maya Bay and watch the corals.
Afterwards, the Viking cave, which is also located in Phi Phi Ley, will allow you to see the accommodation of open sea pirates. Later, you can have lunch on Long Beach on Phi Phi Don Island, after a swimming break, you can take a speedboat to Monkey Beach on this island and feed the monkeys living in the wild. I advise you to be particularly careful when feeding the monkeys; because although they see dozens of people every day, they are all monkeys in the wildlife. Finally, Koh Khai Island is a magnificent island where you can see tropical beauties. In particular, children of families with small children will be able to feed hundreds of bright phosphorescent fish they see underwater, while adults will be able to swim and snorkel the life of colorful fish that pass between their legs. There are many boatmen and local agencies doing this tour on the island, prices are around 1500 Baht for a full day tour; that is, you can participate by paying 75 TL.
James Bond Island,
trip to caves and islands
You can reach the north of Phuket Island with a bus ride of about 1 hour and connect to the mainland with a bridge and come to the Phang Nga region. The Thai style long tail boat you will ride here takes you to the caves on a mystical journey through the Mangro trees, the only tree species in the world that can grow in salt water. Thousands of rocks you will see on the way to the ocean during this journey.
The shape of the elevation will be enough to surprise you. Some elevations will look like a crowded elephant family, others a poodle. After this mystical journey in a desolate environment, you can ride canoes and see the stalactites on Koh Hong Island by visiting different caves in the regions where the water falls. Here, the stalactites are located in 2 lakes called Living Room and Honeymoon Room. After the canoe trip, you can go to Khao Tapoo Island, where the movie “The Man With the Golden Gun” starring Roger Moore from the James Bond movie series was shot in 1974. After the photo break, you will go to Panyee Island, where you will ask if there is a sound of prayer in a Buddhist country. This is a Muslim village and surrounded by makeshift houses built at the foot of a hill in the middle of the sea. The different colors of the roofs of the houses provide a great photo opportunity as you approach the island. This excursion program can be found in various parts of the island for up to 1500 Baht, ie 75 TL; but there are those who sell the same trip for 2.000 Baht, I definitely recommend you to bargain.
Wildlife sightseeing in Phuket
On this excursion, you can explore Phuket’s natural habitats. Waterfall, forest walks, forest safari with elephants, natural bamboo rafts and a trip to the river in the forest, watching turtles, snakes show, discovering how resin comes out of trees; In summary, it is a complete Phuket natural life tour. It is one of the most expensive tours sold. You can find between 2000 Baht and 2500 Baht on the island; tour, full day and lunch. During the tour, you first go to the breeding farm where the turtles are located and witness the life of the turtles. Afterwards, we set out for the elephant safari. When you get on your elephant, you will be enchanted by the beauty of nature, the sounds of animals and the clean air while you are sailing slowly among the tall trees. It will also make you feel what a noble animal the elephant is. Local guides provide practical information on how to obtain resin from rubber trees in the forest. Afterwards, you watch a snake show with cobra snakes. Then, in the tsunami disaster, you come to the area where a ship that has entered the land for 3 kilometers from the sea stops, you will be amazed at how the tsunami dragged the ship there. After the lunch break, you will have a beautiful trekking walk, natural environment and a visit to the waterfall. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the tour is to go on a safari on a primitive bamboo raft. You feel as if you have never lived in a city while walking on the river with a bamboo raft. An experience that must be lived.