As your aircraft approaches Phuket island off Thailand’s south-western flank you observe at least three different shades of the water below. Just as you’re taking in this surreal sight, your partner, grabbing your arm, hisses, “I think we’re diving straight into the sea!” Thankfully, before she starts screaming, the plane lands on the runway barely 200 metres shy of the great blue yonder. After checking into your Patong Beach rental, the two of you do a brief recce of the place and find it chock-a-block with boutiques, eateries, pubs, massage parlours and the ubiquitous tour operators waving their mind-boggling assortments of Phuket experiences, bungee-jumping to scuba-diving. The same evening you decide to catch the much-ballyhooed Simon Cabaret. Now you’ve heard it’s performed by the famed Ladyboys of Thailand so you go in expecting close-shaven drag queens crooning in falsetto. But what voluptuous figures? What delicate faces and dulcet voices? Are these people really transvestites? For ninety minutes you sit spellbound by the choreography, the costumes and the lilting music. Lined up for the next morning is the Phuket city tour. Sharp at ten, a Toyota van picks you up from your hotel and races southwards, forging through thick tropical vegetation ...

Due to its sheltered position, Chalong Bay has evolved into the main boat harbour (and scuba diving centre) on Phuket. Here are some of the wonderful destinations you reach from here in the morning, then be back by the evening to enjoy a sundowner cocktail. Lon Island (or Koh Lon) lies only 20 minutes from Chalong Bay. It is where the majority of the Muslim community of the southern islands live, and is famed for beautiful beaches. Coral Island (or Koh Hae) is another little stunner with three fabulous beaches, crystalline waters and lush, tropical interior. It lies on the threshold of Phang Nga Bay national park, one of the most breathtaking seascapes in the world. The islets of Phi-Phi were one of the worst hit in the terrible tsunami of 2004 and although re-building has been swift, that should be good enough reason to visit this beautiful location and support the local economy. Phi Phi offers wonderful scuba diving and snorkelling and fine white sandy beaches. One of them was used as location for the ultimate paradise-lost film ‘The Beach’. Koh Racha are actually two islands; Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi (meaning ‘big’ and ‘little’). Closest to ...

Food is an integral part of any trip to Thailand. Thai is one of the world’s great cuisines, now exported to most parts of the world. And whilst you may love its aromatic and pungent flavours at your favourite Thai restaurant back home, a trip to Thailand will extend your appreciation even further. Cooking classes have taken off all over Thailand. In Phuket Town one of the most respected cookery courses is run by Pat Tienthong, a native who spent many years in California working as a chef. Although Pat imparts her knowledge on traditional Thai dishes, her classes take place in a modern kitchen in her beautiful Phuket home, and after enjoying your own meal you’ll be able to relax in her lush garden. (Tel. + 66 (0) 76 263 366) for reservations). Just outside of Phuket Town, the Phuket Thai Cookery School digs deeper, offering one to five day courses that include an introduction to Thai ingredients and a market tour. After preparing the dishes, they are eaten by the students on communal tables in front of a beautiful private beach. Perhaps you already know a bit about Thai food and want to give it a go ...

The Big Buddha is the most famous landmark in Koh-Samui, mostly because of the size of the statue which can be seen from many miles away and especially from the air when planes land and take off. The big Buddha is twelve metres high and its bright, shiny gold glints in the sun above shops and restaurants that lie at its base. The Buddha is sitting at the top of a row of wide steps that are decorated with dragons. Constructed in 1972, the Buddha resides in the PhraYai Temple on the island’s northern shore and is popular with visitors and locals alike. When the sun goes down the Buddha is bathed in floodlights and appears to be the island’s great guardian. Thai citizens always visit the Big Buddha first, when visiting the island, and to ensure that their prayers are answered will offer gifts of food or burn sticks of incense. There is a centre for meditation near the Buddha’s base and a market within the temple grounds where Buddhist and Brahmin souvenirs can be bought together with many other items including hats and T-shirts. In the air, is the sweet aroma of cooking from the Thai restaurants that cater ...

The island of Ko-Samui is a perfect blend of Thai hospitality, beautiful Koh Samui holiday villas, ideal climate, fine white sandy beaches and a turquoise sea. If you want to get around on the island there are plenty of ways you can do it. Hiring a taxi is simple though not inexpensive but there are plenty available. The taxis are usually metered which solves the negotiating problem but it is always wise to get a price in advance. Cheaper than taxis and a lot less comfortable but immensely popular are the pickup trucks that are called songthaews. They simply pick up passengers and pile then in the back. It’s a lovely way to travel for relatively short journeys. If possible, it is advisable to avoid motorbike taxis but if you have to take one, make sure that you agree a price before climbing aboard. It is also advisable to always wear shoes and wearing a helmet is compulsory. A safer option and one that is much more fun, is to hire a motorbike yourself. The secret is to hire one with a very low cc as the slower you go the safer you will be. Motorcycle accidents are frequent so taking care and ...

The weather in Ko-Samui is slightly different to the weather in Phuket as Phuket is situated in the Andaman Sea and Koh-Samui lies in the Gulf of Thailand. The three months of British winter are the best three months to spend a holiday in Ko-Samui. THE DRY SEASON: December to March The Koh-Samui dry season is from December through to early March and during December, an average of 98mm of rain falls. In January the average rainfall is only a maximum of 38mm and in February, the average rainfall in Ko-Samui is 8mm. There is often a cooling breeze although the maximum average temperature is only about 31 Celsius. At night, the average minimum temperature is a balmy 23 Celsius. The amount of sunlight during December, January and February is the maximum for Ko-Samui, and the temperature of the sea is a fantastic 27 Celsius. THE HOT SEASON: April to August The hot season for Ko-Samui is not very much hotter than the dry season. The hot season starts in mid March and continues on until August. The maximum average temperature during the hot season is 33 Celsius and the average minimum temperature is 25 Celsius. In April the average rainfall is ...

Phuket is a large island and transport is definitely necessary for getting around - you couldn't walk from one end to the other. There are various means of transport you can take - some safer than others - if you decide not to rent a car or jeep to get from and to your Phuket holiday villa. MOTORCYCLE TAXIS Probably the cheapest mode of transport for getting around the island is the motorcycle taxi. As you walk down the streets, taxi riders often call out offering their services. If you do decide to go by motorcycle taxi, it is advisable to get the fare for a journey confirmed in advance. It is also important to choose a motorcycle taxi driver who is licensed and is wearing a green vest with a number printed on it. Most important of all: wear shoes and wear a helmet. TUK TUKS ON PHUKET The Tuk Tuks in Phuket are larger than the Tuk Tuks in Bangkok and have four wheels. They can take up to eight very slim passengers but they are expensive to use. It is important to get the fee confirmed in advance as even short journeys can seem extortionate. It is also equally ...

Here are some excellent shops you should check-out during your holiday in Phuket, Kata Beach. The main shopping street in Kata offers imitation goods and souvenirs for tourists... but a few shops will delight you. NO NAME SHOP The shop has no name but you can find it 100 meters from the T-junction with the beach on your right hand of the main street. In this shop you will find very special goods like silk cushion covers, wooden games and creations made by used motorcycle parts. SHOE SHOPS AND SUPERMARKETS On both sides of the T-junction you will find two shoe shops with a lot of different shoes like high heels, beachwear and sneakers. In this area are also two supermarkets. ADIDAS The southern shopping area of Kata is the area from Kata Beach Resort to Mom Tri’s Boathouse Wine & Grill. An Adidas shop at the opposite of the Kata Beach Resort offers very low prices. OPTICIANS AND NEWSPAPERS In the southern shopping area you will also find several opticians who offer brands like Polaroid and Versace for a very low price. The shop Pop Mart offers up to date international newspapers. Photo Credit: Rene Ehrhardt | Holiday Velvet has many Phuket holiday rentals ...

Looking for an idyllic, 3 miles of fine white sand beach with crystal clear sea? That would be Phuket's Karon Beach. Located 45 minutes away from Phuket International Airport, it has bars, restaurants and shopping centers. The southern end has a fine coral reef stretching around the small headland into Kata Yai and Pu Island. Karon is nicely spread out and has a charming village feel to it. Here is a 5 minute video of the beach and the village behind it. Photo Credit: almost marvelous | Holiday Velvet has many Phuket vacation rentals and Karon Beach Villas.

The weather in Phuket has two different seasons, the dry season and the rainy season with transitional periods in between. These wet and dry seasons are created by the tropical monsoon. For the whole year the average temperature is between 24 and 34 degrees. The water temperatures range from 26 until 28 degrees. THE DRY SEASON: December to March The dry season starts in December and ends in March. In this period there is a cool breezes from the northeast. This is the high season for tourism in Phuket. The dry season is when the climate in Phuket is at its best. TRANSITIONAL PERIODS: April & November The transitional periods takes about a month and in this period the weather is very variable and hard to predict. These transitional months are April and November. April is the hottest month of the year. November is cooler and quite wet. THE RAINY SEASON: June to October The rainy season starts in June and ends in October. This season is the southwest monsoon period. The strong winds brings Phuket warm air from the Indian Ocean and a lot of rain. This is the low season for tourism in Phuket. The average rainfall in Phuket is ...