Phuket (Thailand)

Advantages: Couldn't ask for a better holiday
Disadvantages: Brothels, strip bars, prostitutes

...saying that I stayed in Phuket in October 2003 before the tsunami hit. So, it may not be the tropical paradise that it was when I was there. However, I'm sure much of the information below will still be of great use to those planning to go to this region. Me and my best friend Nathan had worked in an orphanage for a month (see previous review), then had travelled to Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos for the month following and we were ...
...shop (there is one in Phuket Town Centre) and buy yourself a snorkel and mask. I can't tell you hours of fun we had with these. Once we had bought them we went snorkelling every day. The water is very clear and there are lots of crabs and fish in the gloriously warm water. DANGER! One day we went down to the beach to do a couple of hours of snorkelling, however, it was really, really windy and all the bottom of the sea bed was churned up and you ... Read review

Advantages: The surround sights are spectacular
Disadvantages: Rather touristy and more expensive

...7 nights staying at the Phuket Arcadia Beach & Spa Resort, Karon Beach, Phuket Island. Located off the West Coast of the Thai mainland in the Andaman Sea. This was to be the beach bumming, working on my tan part of the trip. Well it didn’t exactly work out like this! We got hit with the start of the rainy season – though l was lead to believe the beginning of June shouldn’t be too bad for rain it wasn’t the case! From being ...
...flew down from Bangkok to Phuket with Thai Airways – this flight was booked as part of our trip so l don’t know how much flight would actually cost. Thai Airways were ok. Nothing special. On the flight down (which took around 1.5hrs) we were served a box with a chicken roll thing and a glass of fruit juice. Not even a cup of tea was offered! On the way back to Bangkok for the return leg of our journey l did get a cuppa! Our hotel provided ... Read review

Advantages: Stunning scenery, beautiful people, cheap prices and safe.
Disadvantages: Long flight

...saw a return flight to Phuket from Frankfurt for 350 pounds with Royal Thai Airways. Thailand had always been on our wish list but the flight prices had always been slightly too high. So why so cheap now? Well the basic answer is because May, when we planned to go, is the start of the rainy season, and therefore also the tourist low season. So smitten with the idea of seeing Thailand for the first time we decided to risk the weather and went ahead ...
...and costs of living in Phuket by searching the Internet. I have to say that I have rarely been so impressed as I was by the numerous web sites offering information on Phuket, some of which are updated daily and run by locals living there. Anyone planning to visit would be well advised to check out: www.go-siam.com www.phuket.com At first we were pleasantly surprised to see that most accommodation is actually half priced as from the 1st May. This ... Read review

Advantages: Peace and lovely people
Disadvantages: The seedy image that comes with it - but isnt the true face of Thailand (honest!)

I am writing to you about my experience of Thailand - not necessarily a fantastically informative travel account more the sprirtual journey I took. In order for me to do this I need to give you an idea of the type of person I was BEFORE I went, the nightmare we had getting there and just what happened to change my memory of this holiday to the rose tinted version I have stored for good in the dingy little room that is my memory. Thailand was, for ...
...cosy when I think about it - you know the place that you want to re-visit because you felt so happy or content and everything takes on that silvery dreamy quality that accompanies the experience (which has probably been contorted from the actual reality!). Ok. To start with I was 18 and a complete lunatic. I would try anything, couldn't sit still, laughed far too much and too loud to be allowed in libraries and was the bouyant little urchin that ... Read review

Advantages: It's got everything imaginable
Disadvantages: Not enough time to fit everything in

...Bangkok for 4 nights, and Phuket for 10. October is the end of the rainy season, so we had a bargain with the price, and as for the actual weather there, it was great. Yes we did have the occasional downpour, but they never lasted too long, and they certainly didn’t spoil our time there. The temperature was in the mid to high 80’s everyday, but it was very humid. (Thank goodness for air-con!). We booked our holiday with Thomas Cook Signature ...
...a four star hotel in Phuket – The Kata Thani Hotel and Beach Resort. Both hotels were on a bed and breakfast basis. Our hotel in Phuket was truly amazing: A large, low-rise complex, that had everything you could imagine. Firstly it had a magnificent beachfront setting, which was lovely in the evenings, just watching the sun go down from our balcony was heaven. The beach itself was very clean, tidy and private, with sun loungers available. ... Read review