Make your escape and grab a bit of peace
If you spend most of your time here in Patong you might get the impression that the beaches of Phuket are crowded. Not true. While Patong fairly buzzes with people and activity, there are many other beaches to which one can escape and discover blissful solitude. You just need wheels. As one moves away from Patong, the beaches get progressively quieter. The southern part of the island, with the possible exception of Kata, is peaceful. In the north, even more so. You’ll find miles of deserted beach at the top of the island, even in peak season. Crowded beach. Quiet beach. The choice is yours.

Cable water-skiing
This is a relatively new sport and requires a bit of nerve. Not like water-skiing, participants are coached to perform spectacular aquatic manoeuvres at a high rate of knots. It’s so much fun that many come back for more. Children absolutely love it. It opens at 9 in the morning and closes at 9pm. Follow the kathu Waterfall road, just before you come to the road that will go to Patong in the center of the island. Why not go during the afternoon and visit the waterfall first. Obviously quite dry until the rain starts around August, but otherwise a lovly place for a stroll in a forest environment.

Horse riding
If you’re itching to get back in the saddle then check out Phuket Riding Club, just past the Chalong traffic circle on the right, heading couth.Instructors available on weekend mornings.

Mini golf
Dino Park, between Karon and Kata, is a great venue for families. The mini golf course is complete with realistic-looking dinosaurs and a “live” volcano spewing steam. There’s also a bar and a restaurant serving some of the best hamburgers around.

Golfing
There are four international standard courses on Phuket. Five, counting Thai Muang, just a short trip off the island. All courses have their own special features and excellent standards of (female) caddying.Blue canyon, Laguna Golf Club, Phuket Country Club, Loch Palm.

Go-karting
Go pedal-to-the-metal on the eastern side of Patong hill at Kathu. Lots of fun and not as dangerous as some people imagine.

Traveling in traditional style
The longtail boat, or reua hang yao, is a ubiquitous sight in Thai seas. Originally based on the design of the Arabic dhow, the boats- as we see them these days- have been built here for the last fifty years, using skills handed down from father to son.
No plans, no drawing, yet the incredible seaworthiness of this vessel makes it indispensable for fishing and taxiing around these islands. The engine, generally big enough to power a large truck, is pivot-balanced to rotate almost 360 degres, affording a reverse manoeuve without having to use a gearbox.
It’s an art in itself to handle one, and most Thai fishermen are big strong chaps due to the exertion needed from the effort needed to keep the boat under control. Most boats can be hired to visit nearby islands and fares can be agreed on after bargaining with the owner. Considering the time and skills that went into building each og these fine craft, sailing in one should be a memorable experience for the visitor.

Elephant trekking
The wild elephant popilation of Phuket was wiped out last century but has been replaced in recent years by an influx of pachyderms brought here for the tourist trade. Since logging was banned in Thailand( officially, at least) about 10 years ago, hundreds of Thai elephants have been out of work and the tourist boom has been a blessing for this work-loving creature. Riding an elephant is an experience not to be missed. These lumbering monsters are incredibly agile for their size and can negotiate slippery slopes that even humans would falter and slip on- all this while carrying three people on their backs.
There are many elephant treks to choose from and most include a lunch package. Some trekking companies do deals where you get to canoe, ride buffaloes and see a monkey training show too.

Take a trip to Fantasea
For anyone a little bored with the nightlife and bars around the island, Phuket Fantasea is definitely the place to try next. This has got to be one of the biggest entertainment complexes in Asia.The drive up to the entrance will leave you in no doubt about what you are going to be offered at Fantasea. It’s all bright lights and big top type cabaret and there are so many staff you can’t possibly get lost.
The evening kicks off with a buffet dinner in the enormous Golden Kinaree Restaurant. Seating up to 4,000 people, this palatial pink and yellow eating house dishes up anything from sushi to fresh green salad. Dinner over, there is plenty of time to take a stroll through Festival Village. This is a purpose-built shopping area decked out with artificial lakes and cave entrances and plenty of glitter. Crafts are for sale from all over Thailand and those in the mood can play games like tombola or skittles. Heaven on earth for children.
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Holiday Inn Resort Phuket, located in Thailand’s renowned tropical island in the sun. Superb white sandy beaches, excellent food, a vibrant nightlife and idyllic tropical scenery, Phuket offers the perfect holiday. The Holiday Inn Resort Phuket lies in a superb location in popular Patong Beach. Standing in its own secluded grounds, just steps away from the beach, close to the action, yet hidden away by careful landscaping. Providing a hidden world where you can relax in comfort and style.

The rooms at Holiday Inn Phuket
Step onto the private balcony of any of the resort’s 265 rooms and let the gentle sea breeze embrace and welcome you. Back inside, you’ll find beautifully decorated rooms, designed to incorporate Thailand’s unique island charm.

Twenty-five well appointed suites, including 4 FAMILY SUITES and several KIDSUITES make Holiday Inn Resort Phuket an ideal get away for your next family vacation. Standard rooms are available that provide access for physically disabled guests.

The Penthouse Suite
The penthouse suite at the Holiday Inn Resort Phuket, opening November 2006.
120 m2 Penthouse suite for two persons consisting of One bedroom, lounge and large balcony

KidSuites
A special room within a room. Your children will delight in their own personal space furnished with bunk beds, TV and video, electronic games, toy box and Playstation.

Family Suites
Familysuites consist of one superior king size room connected to a PIRATE themed children’s room, allowing everyone to enjoy their own world, yet still be together.

Deluxe Rooms
These 55 m2 pool and sea-facing rooms are the latest in luxury, with all you need and more! Over-sized king-size beds, great views from a generous balcony, fabulous bathrooms for total indulgence.

Superior Rooms
Contemporary, stylish, the new standard rooms offer natural textures, clean modern lines and rich colour accents. A brand new dimension in contemporary comfort and tropical ease with light wood, large king-size rooms with or traditional Holiday Inn queen beds, in the new contemporary style.

Busakorn Studios
Relax in the understated luxury of the Busakorn Studio rooms. Overlooking a beautifully landscaped pool from a private balcony, the 104 Busakorn Studios are the largest and most luxurious in Patong Beach.

Busakorn Villas
Tranquil and private, Busakorn’s 36 Busakorn Villas rooms are arranged around an inner courtyard with a private swimming pool in the centre. Tropical plants, fountains and sandstone sculptures create an ambiance of harmony and complete relaxation.

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JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa , this multi award-winning resort is a sanctuary for the senses. Enjoy seclusion and tranquility in this vast tropically landscaped paradise which overlooks the Andaman Sea.

JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa is an oasis, commanding 17 kms of Phuket’s untouched, unspoiled Mai Khao Beach, on Phuket, Thailand. The low, sweeping design of the resort with its rock walls, broad reflection ponds, water features and ornate roofing has an imperial presence. It’s like a mythic palace of relaxation.

The resort is set amongst 11 hectares of lush tropical landscaped gardens, complete with lily ponds and areas of natural preserved coastal wetlands, blending perfectly with its local environment; adjacent to the Sirinath Marine National Park and protected sea turtle nesting area.

JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa enjoys close proximity to the airport and is just minutes from the Blue Canyon Country Club which was recently named by Asia Golf Monthly Magazine as the “Best Golf Course in Asia”

Rooms & Suites
All rooms and suites face the ocean or command expansive views of the landscaped tropical gardens and pools. Most rooms have full or partial views of the Andaman Sea. Accommodation is contained in low rise three storey buildings amongst an oasis of coconut palms and lush tropical gardens.
- 265 spacious seafront rooms and suites with balconies and indoor Thai sala with twin massage mats
- Polished wood floors and rich silk fabrics; high-speed Internet and DVD player
- Elegant bathrooms with oversized soaking tub and separate shower
- Mini-bar and safe, satellite TV, 3 phones, hairdryer, robe and slippers, iron and iron board
- Tropical garden resort includes 12 luxurious 1-bedroom suites with magnificent sea view
- Baan Mai Khao royal suite has three 2-bedroom villas, living/dining pavilion, private pool

Facilities & Services
-  Twice daily housekeeping service, including evening turndown service
- 24 hour room service
- Safe deposit boxes
- Baby-sitting service
- Children’s Pavilion with indoor/outdoor recreation areas
- Business Center
- Mandara Spa
- Beauty Salon
- Gift shop
- Fitness Center
- Wellness Sala
- 3 Swimming Pools
- Ginja Cook Cooking School
- High-speed internet access in rooms
- Wireless internet in some public areas
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Phuket Island has a long  recorded history, and remains dating back to AD 1025 indicate the island”s  present day name derives in meaning from the Thamil manikram, or crystal  mountain. For most of history, however,it was known as Junk Ceylon,which,with  variations,is the name found on old maps. The name is thought to have its roots  in Ptolemy”s Geographic, written by the Alexandrian geographer in the third  Century AD He mentioned that in making a trip from suwannapum to Malay Peninsula  it was necessary to pass the cape of Jong Si Lang.

Phuket was a way station on the route between India and China where seafarers stopped to shelter.  The island appears to have been part of Shivite empire (call in Thai the Tam  Porn Ling) that established itself on the Malay Peninsula during the first  millennium AD Later, as Muang Takua-Talang, it was part of Srivichai and Siri  Tahm empire. Governed as the eleventh in a constellation of twelve cities,  Phuket”s emblem,by which it was known to others in those largely preliterate  times, was the dog.

During the sukothai Period Phuket was associated with  Takua Pah in what is now Phang-nga Province, another area with vast tin  reserves. The Dutch established a trading post during the Ayuthaya Period in the  16th Cent. The island”s northern and western parts were given over to the tin  trade, a concession in the hands of foreigners.

After Ayuthaya was sacked  by the Burmese in 1767 there was a short interregnum in Thailand, ended by King  Taksin, who drive out the Burmese and reunified the country. The Burmese,  however, were anxious to return to the offensive. They outfitted a fleet to raid  the southern provinces, and carry off the populations to slavery in Burma. This  led to Phuket”s most memorable historic event. A passing sea captain, Francis  Light, sent word that the Burmese were en route to attack. Forces in Phuket were  assembled led by the two heroines, Kunying Jan, wife of Phuket”s recently  deceased governor, and her sister Mook. After a month”s siege the Burmese were  forced to depart on 13 March, 1785.Kunying Jan and her sister were credited with  the successful defense.

In recognition King Rama I bestowed upon Kunying  Jan the honorific Thao Thep Kasarti, a title of nobility usually reserved for  royalty, by which she is known today. Her sister become Thao Sri  Suntorn.During the Nineteenth Century Chinese immigrants arrived in such  numbers to work the tin mines that ethnic character of the island”s interior  became predominantly Chinese, while the coastal settlements remained populated  chiefly by Muslim fishermen.

In Rama 5”s reign, Phuket became the  administrative center of a grape of tin mining provinces called Monton Phuket,  and in 1993, with the change in government from absolute monarchy to a  parliamentary system, the island was established as a province by itself.

Top Beach & Locate in Phuket island

Lam Promthep (The Promthep Cape) , The Sun set at Lam Promthep in the weather conditions  were clear subsequent to it had rained for a week. We strong-willed to go away  to glimpse the sun set at Lam Promthep; nevertheless I can”t retain information  the most recent time I went there. Does not matter! The past is our experience.  The future is the next. The present time is the most excellent and we have to  become conscious it.

You should become conscious this information previous to you makes your mind up to go there. Foremost of all, you have to test out your car”s capability. Do you recognize, there is traffic-jam on the highway to the cape, you have to drive surpass a small amount of high slopes, while there is traffic-jam. You can see in your mind”s eye that, if your car is not capable to ascend up the hill, it would be going down the hill. I obtained such experience 4-5 years ago. Don”t be anxious! If your car backs down the slope, you be supposed to pick the large stone from the highway side to building block its wheels.

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