Diving In Phuket, Thailand
Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand, located in the Andaman Sea, in southern Thailand. The island is mostly mountainous with a mountain range in the west of the island from the north to the south.
One of the most popular tourist areas on Phuket is Patong Beach on the central western coast, perhaps owing to the easy access to its wide and long beach. Most of Phuket's nightlife and its cheap shopping is located in Patong, and the area has become increasingly developed. Patong means "the forest filled with banana leaves" in Thai.
Other popular beaches are located south of Patong. In a counterclockwise direction these include Karon Beach, Kata Beach, Kata Noi Beach, and around the southern tip of the island, Nai Harn Beach and Bang Tao Beach. These areas are generally much less developed than Patong, and sought out by individuals, families and other groups with a preference for more relaxed and less crowded environs than Patong.
Diving in Phuket and liveaboards in Thailand are considered to be among the top 10 scuba destinations in the world. It boasts of crystal clear water, spectacular reefs and rock formations plus a colourful selection of marine life.
Great places for snorkelling near Phuket include Freedom beach, the north and south end of Kata beach, Phi Phi and Racha Island. You can reach Freedom beach by longtail boat, which costs approximately 200 baht/person (roundtrip). Racha Island is a diving site for divers but snorkelers are welcome too, approximately 1050 baht/person with a daytrip boat and breakfast/lunch included.
Whilst it is possible to rent holiday accomodation, there are also many affordable options for owning your own home on Phuket. For example the West Sands development on Mai Khao beach (north west Phuket) offer villas and apartments that can be bought at a reasonable price either whole or via a fractional ownership scheme, giving divers a real opportunity of affording a home in this diving paradise.
