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Phuket
Activities and Top Things to do guide
Activities
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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Diving
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.
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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