July 4th, 2009 by vanalli

One of the amazing natural island with exquisite beauty located in the south of Thailand is Phuket, it is a top class tourist spot for million of tourists world over. It has organized the Phuket hotels industry to accommodate all kinds of tourists whether they are rich celebrities or just common folk with limited budget.

When you are planning to go to Phuket, you do not have to worry about your stay, because this wonderful place has abundant Phuket hotels available for different category of people. Plenty of hotels and resorts have been constructed in recent years to meet the demands of the huge flock of nature loving tourists from across the world.

Phuket literally means a hill or something concerning hills in their local language and terms. The island has a magnificent view of hills from all sides and this peculiar beauty attracts visitors from all over the world from all walks of life. You can select Phuket hotels of your choice from the variety of accommodations available

The best and the cheapest Phuket hotels can be found in the town area, you might find one for less than 500 baht, but it will not be a place to boast about. Decent accommodation could be available in areas like Ranong Road and Phang Road. When traveling with family you could use the services of an agent like Agoda or Hotel Travel who can get the best deal for you at a decent rate. These agents are able to offer variety of options to the traveler and one can choose the one that suits the best. The advantage is that you will be able to get the best rates and variety of options at one place instead of having to look around.

Most cheap Phuket hotels are situated in the popular area like Patong, Kata and Karon near the beach side. You can walk down the roads to select one resort or a guesthouse as per your requirement. This will enable you to enjoy the fantastic beaches as well as the enchanting city life of Phuket including the exciting night life there.

Quieter area such as Nai Yang, where you can also find the famous Indigo Pearl resort or Cape Panwa housing, the Sri Panwa resort will have options for the people willing to spend lavishly for the accommodation.

July 4th, 2009 by vanalli

Phuket is a fascinating island to explore. The place is famous for many attractions. It has a rich culture, a beautiful coastline, natural sights, outdoor sports activities, shopping and romantic nightlife. Today, it has become one of the world’s most famous tourism destinations. People from all across the globe have a trip to Phuket for all these beautiful reasons. If anyone is planning to visit here, they can book cheap Phuket hotels and resorts from online booking. You can go for both cheap and expensive Phuket hotels. No one will find the accommodation to be beyond their reach.

Phuket has over 450 hotels, resorts, apartments, villas & bungalows. If you check the accommodation listings prior to making your decision, it will help you to select the ideal one for their stay. This fun island provides an unbeatable mixture of perfect silky soft white palm-lined beaches, superb generosity and great value accommodation.

The most important thing one has to consider is about cheap Phuket hotels and resorts. If you are having a very small budget, then a cheap option might be a $10 guesthouse. People can negotiate guesthouses in Phuket, especially in Phuket town. There, you can afford to get a low budget room.

There are many guesthouses on Ranong Road and Phang-nga Road in Phuket Town. You can also find some in Patong areas. These guesthouses come with nominal trappings, but they are normally hygienic and absolutely lovely, if you desire to lead an economical life. These places are not generally available to book through the main online booking agents. You can find the cheapest Phuket hotels and resorts in Patong, Kata and Karon.

Patong is a remarkable place. There are plenty of hotels and resorts in Patong. You can choose Patong for vigorous nightlife scene. The beach is not so beautiful, but there are plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants. Kata and Karon are alike. The beaches are also improved.

If you are keen to book a room in Phuket hotel and resort with a little more style, then you have a number of options. There are several upmarket hotels in Patong, including the Burasari resort. In Kata, there is the Hilton Phuket Arcadia. Staying here will reflect your luxurious living style. They are for the rich and affluent class people, who do not bother for money while considering their fun and entertainment. In places, such as Mai Khao, Nai Yang and Cape Panwa, hotels and resorts come in higher range. Indigo Pearl and Sri Panwa are special resorts.

So, choose Phuket resorts and hotels, which not only fit your pocket, but match your requirement perfectly.

June 30th, 2009 by vanalli

Papa Crab Guest House in Phuket is built in Modern Boutique Style and is 50 yards away from Kamala Beach & Village Center. At stylish fish-pond on entrance, the friendly and helpful staff you will find welcoming you. The reception is exclusively designed with open and calm space. Beach, bars and many restaurants are at 100 meters, just one minute of walk from Papa Crab.

Papa Crab guest house is one of standalone cozy building near the beach and is landscaped with many beautiful and natural tropical plants. A very attractive feature is a wooden bridge walk way over the fish pond at the entrance. The Phuket sea is easily visible from the entrance of guesthouse.

The guest house building is set amongst small but lush beautiful natural tropical gardens, set in beachfront location with relaxing and soothing style. The building features standard double rooms.
There are 10 comfortable and clean rooms, beach views, and gardens. The room types are available according to two seasons. Air conditioners, Free Wi Fi, Room Safe, TV, Refrigerator are provided with every room.

The high season is from November to March and the low season is from April to October. The room facilities include Air Conditioning, Cable TV, Free WiFi Internet, Fully Furnished, Refrigerator, Safety Deposit Box, Guesthouse Facilities, Airport Transfer, Car & Motorbike Rentals, Free Internet, Laundry Service, Maid Service, Motor Bike Parking, Taxi Service, and Tour & Travel Desk, with 24 hour in house service. The rooms are modern minimalistic Japan and Thai style. Comfort is considered in micro details with romantic red Chinese lantern in rooms, super white toweling and face clothes, scatter cushions on bed, and candles in glass jars. The floor is tiled with white and wood walls, and en suite bathrooms.

The breakfast lounge is decorated with dark wood style at situated atop roof. In open lobby there is an admirable Norwegian restaurant with great tastes and comfortable sofas to relax. The services of Qualified Surf Instructor for surfboard hire, lessons and trips, are also available.

Kamala is basically not as busy and bustling as the rest of Phuket. For a more private vacation and peaceful environment, it is an ideal place preferred by families, couples and singles. The white sandy beach is wonderful and provides a dream vacation, without any care. Visitors can snack on banana pan-cakes, go for walks along the beach, and to the nearby cafes. Seafood restaurants, cafes, internet cafes and booked boat trips to the nearby islands, are all available here.

For a good room, delicious food, clean beach, dive options and live bars, Papa Crab Guest house is an ideal place to stay.

June 29th, 2009 by vanalli

There are innumerable times, when you might have decided to visit Phuket. However, you kept wondering about the right time to visit this island. It all gets decided, depending upon what you are searching for. There are several times when you choose to visit Phuket and end up with sitting by yourself in a secluded beach, or in the middle of water fight battling with the local people or celebrating the yearly torture fest.

During Songkran, the Thai New Year, you would find it quite wonderful to visit Phuket. Songkran is the most intense water fight, which was originally a gesture of pouring water over each other. This tradition is celebrated all over the land of Thailand and Phuket people just love it.

Here, you should not go out on April 13 to 15, if you are not looking forward to get wet, especially on April 15 when Songkran is at its peak. All around the island, people are loaded with hose pipes, buckets and water guns. There are some cases when they position themselves in the backs of pickup trucks with water filled barrels. The wildest place in the island is Patong, where the event continues till night. One has to see it in real to believe. Everyone takes part including the locals, young, old, men, women and even the foreigners too.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival is another attraction, which you might find interesting. In the beginning, delightful people are seen walking around the streets. Though their cheeks are pierced with many interesting things like spears, knives ands needles, they seem to have no pain. This is a festival, which takes place in October, shouldn’t be missed.

Most local restaurants strike out the meat items and go for vegetarian meal during this festival. If you have a map, you can visit the different Chinese temples to find out why they are interesting. You can make Saphan Hin your final destination where the festival is at its climax and people line up the streets and throw firecrackers into the road, as the possession singing the song continues their walk through the Phuket town.

If you are a fan of Chinese food, February is the time to visit Phuket, when Chinese New Year takes place. It’s worth seeing, though not as bright and flashy as in Bangkok.

Patong is the best place to enjoy New Year’s Eve and almost all go to the beach at midnight to watch wonderful firecrackers display. Street sellers sell various firecrackers, which are shot and leave the observers amazed.

June 24th, 2009 by vanalli

Looking closer into the news scene in Phuket one can easily conclude it has nothing to do with the size of its island. There’s everything ranging from shootings, muggings, robberies and a lot happens in this island of a million people. There is uncovered news every minute of the day waiting for its turn for media attention. There is a little problem with the English language press which has trouble keeping up with the local news but selecting several reliable sources in the Phuket news scene solves it.

The Phuket Gazette can easily be named as one of the most reliable news weekly. Chris Husted used to be the managing director of this weekly and with no second thoughts the present day team though it does a decent job is inferior to the olden days. This weekly gets out on every Saturday.

This weekly has everything a news paper has got to offer ranging from the local news covering the lifestyle, cultural events happening around the island to the sports and other news from around the island. The editorial surely has lower standards comparatively but is still worth a read. There are several columnists contributing to this paper who cover topics ranging from the real estate to the current technology. One can rely on this weekly to get fine updates on the local news.

For people who would like more sugar coated news with glossiness attached to it, Phuket Post is the weekly to watch out for. It has got all that news which attracts the news thirsty people who would like to have a lighter view of things and the weekly keeps out all the heavy hard hitting stuff. It has been up to date with the island news primarily the expat scene. There have been few glitches in the running of this weekly recently which comes out once in every two weeks.

Phuket wan is a website that provides news at a fast pace and is often a decent read. It updates its news regularly on its website (www.phucketwan.com). There has been no publication of news on paper by this particular news service yet. It often tends to be the interesting one from the lot and has seldom disappointed its readers.

One will definitely stop searching for more sources of news in the island after getting to know about all these. The Phuket gazette has its own website (www.phuketgazette.com) and the Phuket Post it has its own website too (www.phucket-post.com). The later is inferior to the former in terms of readability. The strongest website among all these is the Phucket Wan’s, though given enough time the other two will surely catch up with it.

Go ahead and grab your copy of Phuket Post and the Phuket gazette which are readily available in various outlets around the island.

June 23rd, 2009 by vanalli

The island of Phuket has always been one of the reasons that attracted throngs of tourists to Thailand. With its breathtaking beaches and beautiful sunsets, Phuket travel is the best holiday anybody can ask for. While traveling to the island, having a little information about the hotels and other important tourist spots comes very handy. It is always good to be an informed tourist to avoid overpaying.

The people of Phuket generally talk very little English, but their language is easily comprehensible. If the need arises for you to ask for directions in this island, you should try and find a young local to do the needful, as others might end up confusing you.

The local currency in Phuket is the Thai Baht, which can be easily exchanged at the several money changers in Phuket. Before you change your money, try and find out the prevailing exchange rate to ensure that you get a fair deal. There are also ATM facilities available at a lot of places around the island. You may also use your credit card in order to draw money from the local ATMs.

Phuket Travel will not exactly come very cheap. The taxis here are over priced and so are the local Tuk-tuks. However, there are motorcycle taxis, which are comparatively more economical and the best bet for short distance travel. If traveling during the day, you can make use of the local buses, which charge between 10 and 15 Baht per person.

Shopping in Phuket can be a fun-filled experience provided you know how to bargain. The locals here tend to fool the tourists by quoting higher prices. A little exhibition of the art of haggling can save you a lot of money. The street shopping in this island makes Phuket travel a memorable experience.

Making calls to your home town will burn a big hole in your pocket, if you do it from your own SIM card. In order to save money, you can buy new SIM cards from the innumerable 7-Eleven branches all over Phuket. These SIM cards come as cheap as 200 Baht. In case you run out of credit on these cards, you can use credit cards for getting them charged.

In order to enjoy the sun-kissed beaches of Phuket and have the most amazing holiday of your life, all you need to do is get a little information about the beautiful island and set off for a Phuket travel.

June 20th, 2009 by vanalli

Have you been to Phuket? If yes, then you must have been to Patong too as it is the most visited place in the town. All the frequent travelers from around the world love to spend their time on the exotic beaches of Patong. It wasn’t long ago that Patong was just a mere village and nothing else. However, today it has evolved as the most enjoyable part of the island. All the ultra hi-tech facilities that a human needs are available at Patong. The restaurants, tourist resorts and the shopping complexes in Patong are as good as those in any of the most modernized European or American metropolitans.

Patong is a very busy place in the island of Phuket and this can be noticed easily by anyone who visits this place. Groups of tourists can be seen everywhere on every nook and corner. And along with the travelers, one can notice roadside vendors who try to sell stuff to these tourists for prices that are as cheap as dirt.

Walking alongside the roads of Patong, one can easily be attracted to various kinds of stuff that are sold ranging from DVDs to cool T-Shirts and a variety of toys. These vendors try to sell this stuff at any cost, but In case you aren’t interested in roadside stuff, just keep walking.

One has to be really careful when buying stuff from roadside vendors, as the prices they tell are always much higher than the actual prices of the products they sell. So one must be aware about this fact and try to bargain before buying anything or else you will end up paying more for the stuff that it deserves.

The beach at Patong is considered to the best place of the area. You can notice people from all over the world enjoying here. Also there is no restriction of swimming.

The restaurants of the area are also very good. One can find restaurants offering food of various kinds of cuisines and thus people can enjoy whatever kind of food they like. The standard of food is not same everywhere. Also a few restaurants are overly priced and thus tourists have to be careful before ordering food.

The nightlife of Patong is something that people love. The scene of the area in the night is something that makes everyone says “WOW!!” There are clubs for every person. For those, who like to drink while enjoying, there are a number of good places scattered all around. Also the music lovers can swing their bodies to the best music in these clubs.

June 13th, 2009 by vanalli

Transport is one of the major concerns for the lesser number in the flow of tourists in and around Phuket. Cost is one of the major factor affecting tourism at Phuket, The available modes of transport in Phuket are very less in compared with any famous tourist spots, places like Bangkok have many options such as sky trains, buses and mini taxies which are reasonably priced.

The problem arises as soon as you keep your feet out of the airport; u may find it tough to choose a taxi to your hotel among the drivers who try to grab the customers in to their cars. You may be asked to pay more amount than the actual amount for a meter taxi, a fare of 600 baht may be billed from Phuket to Patong instead of its actual fare 400bhat, but you can negotiate with a little effort, and not getting into bargaining.

Once you enter the island you would definitely love it and would like to see around. This can be done by hiring a bike for 200 baht a day, for which you have to make sure that you carry your driving license with you. You need to wear a helmet always for your safety and to avoid any kind of problem with police. It would be easier for you to roam around if you also carry a road map of Phuket with you.
Are you not interested in riding a motorcycle, or hiring a car?

Then you can depend upon public transport too, songhtaew and buses travel around the hot spots of the island covering almost all the corners, normal fare would be around 20 baht. These are accessible throughout the day but not in night times, you are going to defend yourself during nights. Though there are metered taxis, you can find them only around airport and one can not expect a good taxi service over there.

Alternative way of transport is Tuk-tuks, and this is merely a choice. You may be overcharged and you will have to confer the charge. Be safe, because the tuk-tuk drivers may some times be very arrogant and don’t get into any kind of fighting with them for refusal of full payment or any thing as such. Short distances can be travelled comfortably by Motorcycle taxies, who will be sitting around wearing bright colored vests which is motorcycle-taxi drivers uniform.

Make sure of the fare before you hire one. Your hotel management will make arrangements for your transport by charging you a little amount, if it’s quiet a good one. You can find way back to the airport on a Airport bus (details of routes here -www.airportbusphuket.com) for a fare of 100 baht, which picks up passengers throughout the day.

June 10th, 2009 by vanalli

Phuket has innumerable eco tours which always attracts foreigners because of Phuket’s  beauty and deep hidden natural beauty. It has so many places to see, visit and experience for people that you can never forget. You can visit Phi Phi island which is one of the gorgeous islands of Thailand. A large number of movies have been stages in this island and a significant number of travelers constantly visit this island. You should also visit Maya Bay which is a permanent location for the Hollywood film ‘The Beach’.

Another unforgettable activity is a Similan Island stopover. It only takes 90 minutes to arrive at the Similans where you can find majestic rock formations and lush green deep verdant jungle with marine life.

The diving and snorkeling at this nine-island archipelago is legendary and all this is augmented by the fact that there’s absolutely no hurry to leave. You’re here for the night so let the sounds, sensations and the atmosphere of these magical islands sink in and work its magic.

Our Number Three tour comprises good food, fantastic seascape and leisurely cruising; surely the hottest recipe going for a great day out. There are several ways to visit the majesty of Phang Nga Bay but this, cruising in a genuine Chinese junk, is the most laid back and idyllic way.

Visit a sea gypsy village perched above the water on stilts at the top of the bay, check out the ‘Man with the Golden Gun’s’ lair at James Bond Island and take in some of the most impressive rock formations in the world. All this and a delicious Thai buffet, too. Superb.

It’s hot, it’s wild, it’s the ultimate in a family evening out – it’s Phuket FantaSea. Set in 140 acres of seaside opulence, FantaSea has so many attractions going that it’s impossible to list them here but let’s start with one of Asia’s biggest buffets. Able to seat 4,000 diners, FantaSea’s buffet bursts with flavour and if that’s not enough there are several other nook and crannies throughout the theme park where you can snack and dine. As for the show, think Las Vegas meets Thailand where fact, fiction and fantasy intertwine and frolic for 80 dazzling minutes.

Never seen a flying elephant? You can at FantaSea. This is a real full-blooded extravaganza that will leave your head spinning. Unforgettable.

Hit the green with the greats. If Tiger Woods says Blue Canyon is, “One of the best I have ever played on” then who are we to argue against? With 720 acres of lush greenery and the mountains of Phang Nga Bay as a backdrop as you tee off at one of the two award-winning 18-hole courses, Blue Canyon at once impresses with its easy rapport with Mother Nature.

Built around, not over Mother Nature’s contours, the courses are sumptuous yet challenging. Take the family – there are great facilities, including a top-rate spa, a large swimming pool, shopping and fine dining.

The best of both worlds; Phang Nga Bay is rated tops in the ‘Wow’ factor by day but just imagine exploring it by nigh Head off after lunch to discover the unforgettable sights of this scenic wonderland.

Dine on board your ‘mother ship’ and as the sun goes down paddle silently into the ‘hongs’ or caves of this magic domain and discover just what Mother Nature gets up to by night. Access to these hongs is only possible at certain levels of the tide so put yourself into the experienced hands of John ‘Caveman’ Gray and take it all in.

The watery arteries of lush Phang Nga Province, just north of Phuket, are gush down from the mountains from June to November each year and this is when you can experience the thrill of your life by whitewater rafting down them.

Everyone knows that elephants are gentle creatures and what better way to get to know them better than by gently riding through the jungle on the back of one? You’ll be amazed just how dainty a powerful pachyderm can be!

What’s better than learning fascinating facts? Learning fascinating facts while having loads of adventurous fun, that’s what. Zoom through the jungle, along beaches, through mud puddles while learning about the flora and fauna of Phuket. Experienced guides stop at key locations and point out unusual and interesting facets of wildlife on Phuket. The great thing about this tour is that although it’s top-drawer adventure, it’s very well thought out and absolutely safe as houses so take the kids along and discover more in a few hours than in days of reading about the jungle

Rafting down Mountain Rivers, elephant trekking through the leafy jungle, observing wildlife in its natural habitat and witnessing the spectacle of Phang Nga Province’s Ratchaprapha Dam; you can do all this on the Khao Sok Safari Overnight tour. ‘Base Camp’ is made up of tailor-made luxury tents and from here you can venture forth to see wildlife unique to this area – the largest tract of tropical rainforest in southern Thailand. You will never forget the majestic Ratchaprapha Dam with its Cliffside walls rising vertically out of indigo-blue water and its teeming wildlife.

Phang Nga Bay is another world by night. Its silent serenity can leave a lasting impression on you and the sense of timelessness in this beautiful place is tangible. This cruise brings out the romantic in you: watch the sun sinking behind Phuket into the Andaman as you sip a glass of wine and watch the amazing scenery float by. Enjoy a Thai buffet while drifting in the velvet darkness listening to the night’s million sounds all around you. Stretch out on the cushions strewn out on deck and count the stars above.

June 1st, 2009 by vanalli

What’s getting better day by day in the beautiful Phuket? The answer for this is the Night life. It is growing every day and becoming one of the best spots around to enjoy a night. Plenty of places here are setting up to become the best night spots.

In places like Kata, Karon and Patong the night life is more Westernized than in the Phuket town. You would be pleased to find live music scene and local bands compete among themselves to grab your attention. One can not spend the night life in phuket lonely, the real spirit lies in forming of friends into groups, choose a right pub, saying cheers and sipping a brand old bottle of whiskey and dancing in the dim light till the late night.

Coming to the music you can not find rocks or rap over there, the local bands play Thai indie tracks with a rare playback of Western collection at some times, it is live and lovely music. After the band guys now its turn for the DJ to rock and now everyone tap their feet to the music as all are at wedge of drowning due to drinks.

If you choose to party at the weekends it would be good if you turn out a bit earlier to choose the place for your fun or else all the pubs will be crowded heavily and you cant find a place of your choice and Timberhut is one of the well-liked pub by a large number of people.

Band team at Timberhut is its added advantage as you can find much polished music is being played by them compared to others. Students and foreigners do generally find their hang outs at KorTorMor club, which is even bigger pub on the island.

If you like to chill out in a less crowded and well organized place then Oasis would suit you better, things here are cool and music is normalized, homely when compared to KorTorMor and Timberhut. Premier jazz club is yet another air bar hidden beneath a soi, expats do visit this frequently live bands are not present all the nights. CDs are on heat when bands are not here.

Besides all these there are numerous go-go bars, brothels and beer bars which will attract you for sure. Want even more? Beer served by Thai bar girls should ride your way towards Patong which is at a very small distance from Phuket.