Phuket, Thailand Sand between your toes, stunning tropical sunsets,



cold drink in your hand and warm blue inviting seas - this is picture

perfect Phuket. This island is known for its silky soft beaches, superb

oriental hospitality and great value accommodation. You can go diving in

the Andaman Sea, golfing at championship courses or indulge in exciting

eco-adventures in the tropical forest of Phuket. Take an exhilarating

speedboat trip to surrounding islands or a serene cruise around mystical

Phang Nga Bay, or simply enjoy Phuket's vibrant nightlife in Patong

Beach.

Known as the Pearl of the Andaman, Phuket is a large island in the

Indian Ocean. The surrounding waters contain much varied marine life and

the town is known for its quaint Sino-Portuguese architecture. It is a

very attractive island for sightseeing with lovely seashores and forested

hillsides.

Property prices soared, many locals sold up to national and

international hotels and many of the most beautiful beaches are now host to scores

of them, along with restaurants, bars, travel agents, massage parlors

and the usual other suspects.

For the budget traveler, the days of grass huts on the beach are

largely gone and simple seafood feasts have been replaced by KFC, Starbucks

and Pizza Hut. Phuket is an expensive place, with lodging, eating and

transport all far costlier than elsewhere in Thailand. You can minimize

this by eating on the street and drinking less (or diligently chasing

happy hours) but if you really want to spend some time here, you'll need

to adjust your budget. Dishes of pad thai for 100B are not unusual

here.

And you can't avoid the disgraceful public transport here, where the

spineless authorities refuse to crackdown on the tuk tuk mafia, meaning

public buses only run between Phuket town and the beaches, but not

between beaches. This makes interbeach travel very expensive and a good

reason to hire a motorbike or car. Its worth spending a night in historical

Phuket town and then heading to one of the low-key beaches where

budget spots can still be found. Once you're in the water, who really cares

whether they're paying 500B or 50,000B for their bed? Phuket was hit by

the Boxing Day Tsunami, with Kamala, Patong, Bang Tao and Naiyang the

worst hit. Reconstruction in most areas is progressing rapidly.

Greeting Thailand Travel Informations

James Mathieson

Email: info@greetingthailand.com

http://www.greetingthailand.com