Beautiful travel destinatios for those looking to escape the cold.
Thailand is a traveller's paradise. Gorgeous scenery, extraordinarily friendly and polite people, and the low cost of getting and staying there make it the ideal place to vacation...if you can spend more than a week there.
Your first view of the great beauty of Phuket comes on the flight from Bangkok. From the air, the water is as blue as any you'll ever see, and lush little green islands dot the sea surrounding the main island. The Phuket airport is right up against the coast, so the landing approach brings you right over the beaches...what an amazing sight...and site. It will make you want to put on my swimsuit in the airport and head straight to the shores.
The larger resorts will send a car for you, but taking a taxi is an experience that should not be missed. The whole island can be reached withing about 45 minutes from the airport, so you'll be at your accomodations pretty quickly.
If you go with a larger resort, you'll find they include everything you could ever want. It's possible you could spend your entire time on the resort site and never leave. They'll include water sports, beautiful beaches, a pool, several restaurants, and rooms that would be in line with finer American hotels. However, if you stayed "on campus" you'd miss out on so much of the treasure of Phuket.
The smaller resorts still treat you like you're Mel Gibson or Julia Roberts, but the list of inclusions will be smaller. Of course, you'll pay a lot less for these places, as well.
Once you're settled, spend the first day or so at your particular beach. The travel time from the U.S. is pretty close to a full 24 hour day, including layovers. You should be able to relax, enjoy some great food, especially fresh seafood, and learn a little about the island and Thailand.
When you're up for it, get out and see Patong Beach, Kata Beach, and Phuket town. Patong beach has the nightlife to keep you dancing. You'll find Irish pubs, German pubs, American pubs, all of which have a distinct lack of the ethnic background they're claiming as heritage. I'd recommend a little pampering. You'll find massages (Thai and foot) will cost you about four dollars for an hour. It almost makes it worth moving there! There is also a fantastic new mall just outside of Patong...it's got everything you'd ever need in a very modern and clean design.
Kata Beach is one of the prettiest beaches on the island. It's in a bit of a bay and longboat helmsman await to take you for a ride to see it from the ocean. Take the boats south from Kata to see some great hidden coves and a couple of resorts where world traveling sailboats come to rest for a while.
Phuket Town is the capital of Phuket and boasts the largest population. There is shopping to be had here, great food (that's true across the island, actually), and lots of history. Be sure to see the Buddist temples here. Even if you're of another faith, they're of great interest and the designs can range from simple to extravagant.
You can make Phuket into whatever type of vacation you want. Want a non-stop, nightlife driven trip? You can do it. Want a secluded trip for two? You can do it. Want a surf and sand trip? You can do it. However, I did recommend earlier that you travel for at least two weeks. The trip there and back takes so much time that it's really not worth going if you'll only have 3-5 days there. Just about the time you'll recover from getting there, it will be time to leave. Don't let that scare you, though. If you can stay longer, you'll be hard pressed to find a place that combines that much beauty with so much value.
