Phuket 2 - The Island

Phuket is about 800 kilometres south of Bangkok, a little over an hour by plane. With an area of 540 square kilometres it is home to many Thai people and there are lots of other beautiful beaches and sights.

Just south of Patong are the beaches of Karon and Kata, a little less crowded and a bit cleaner than Patong and popular with tourists with many cheap resorts.

To the north of Patong are some of the more exclusive resorts and the more isolated beaches of Kammala and Surin.

There is lots of green on Phuket and plenty of decent sized mountains. On top of one of them at the southern end of the island is the Big Buddha which sits about 45 metres high.

 

The view from the top was a bit hazy but still spectacular

The largest of Phuket's 29 wats is Wat Chalong. It was built in the early 19th century.

The wat is part of a complex that contains many beautiful buildings.

 

There are also some fine sculptures and murals.

Ultimately, you come to Phuket to let the hours drift away, recharge the batteries and enjoy the beautiful warm weather and water and the fantastic food. Just don't be in a hurry...

Phuket 1 - Patong

The largest and one of the most popular tourist islands of Thailand is Phuket, in the southern part of the country on the Andaman Coast. A week's holiday during the Songkran festivities at the bustling Patong Beach was a great way to unwind after 13 weeks straight of school.

Patong is quite a nice beach and the water is pretty clean. It is a hive of activity, lined with deck chairs, food and drink vendors and jet skiing and para sailing operators.

You go down to the beach, pick your spot, pay for your chairs for the day and get waited upon.

Phuket is located on the western coast of Thailand and is a stop for the cruise ships such as this one anchored in the bay.

The photos that follow show some more shots of Patong Beach.

Patong was very crowded for the Songkran holiday, combined with the Australian school holidays. There was lots of traffic and people and Australian accents.

 

Patong also has a couple of huge shopping malls to escape the heat for an hour or so and grab a coffee. Here I am at "Jungceylon" complete with Pirate Ship.

The hotel pool was also a good place - especially to get away from the crowds and the noise!

Of course there is nothing like watching the sun go down while sitting on the beach. Both the locals and the tourists enjoy this.