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If you can not cope the heat of the tropics
that well, Phuket Island is an ideal place to go diving
from. You should really plan to go for a dive or learn to
dive in the cristal clear waters of the Andaman Sea while
there. If you are a certified diver, there are many great
Day Trips or Liveaboards awating your fins. And even if
you have never made bubbles before, you will find the very
fun and safe Discover
Scuba Diving (DSD) program designed just for you if
you don't feel ready to go for the Full Open Water Diver
Certification yet.
Despite the fact it is called Phuket Island, it is
only separated from the main land of Thailand by a very narrow canal
of sea water connecting the Andaman Sea on the west to the bay of Pang
Nga on the east. A big bridge (Sarasin Bridge) is making the connection
on the north of the island.
Phuket Island can be divided in different sectors,
each having some particularities to discover. As you come from the main
land on the north, you will be close to the airport, located in the
North West corner. There is not much there as yet. This might change
soon as Phuket is an island in constant change and development. In the
four years I have been there, some entire regions have changed the way
they used to be like. Some huge jungle are became high class villas
and resorts to satisfy the always growing demand of tourism. Some people
that might have been in Phuket some five to ten years ago might not
believe how much it changed in such a short period of time!
Anyway, the west coast is basically the area where
you will find the fine sandy beaches with the coconut trees and all
the dreams of a perfect holiday after a cold and rainy Western season.
As you can see on the map, the coast is full of bays more or less big
with a sandy beach at the back. The great thing about the coast in this
area is that when there is no beach, the coast is very rocky and gives
great sceneries, especially in the southern part with the very well
known Promthep Cape next to Rawai Beach. This is also the place where
you have a chance to take a typical postcard picture at sunset around
19:00 hour pretty much every day of the year.
As you move further east of the island, you will find
the inside part, mostly populated by the Thais and the expats looking
for a quieter lifestyle when already working on the coast in the tourism
industry all day. This part of Phuket is probably the one that sees
the biggest expansion at the moment with apartment buildings rising
just about everywhere. At the moment the mountains are protected against
construction and left untouched, but for how long... Keeping east, we
then find Phuket Town, the administrative and biggest town in Phuket
Island. This is a great place to go out in the night and shop during
the day. Just like anywhere in the world, as soon as you leave the coastal
area, everything becomes cheaper and people are a lot more relaxed too.
The last part is the east coast. This part of
the island does not have much to offer but mangroves and the quiet yellow
waters of the Pang Nga Bay. However, this is also the departure point
for many boats to the well known Phi Phi Islands, Pang Nga Bay , James
Bond Island or the floating village of Koh Pagny, without forgetting
the great Sea Canoe Safaris available.
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