WHEN TO GO? and WHERE TO STAY in PHUKET?
With a tropical climate, the weather in Phuket broadly varies between warm, cool and rainy. It never really gets too cold. The high tourist season is from November to February when it’s cool and dry, after which it remains quite hot until May. Monsoon season begins mid-May and goes on till October.
Here’s a monthly break up of Phuket’s climatic conditions so you can plan when to go:
November to February: This is the coolest season in Phuket after the rains are over. With the best weather, naturally, this is also the busiest time with most tourists planning their trips around this period. The temperature varies around 23°C and 30°C. While December is the coolest month in Phuket, February is the driest. This is the perfect time to spend the day relaxing on one of the gorgeous beaches in Phuket and enjoying water sports in the calm sea,or plan your scuba diving adventure with 0ne of our packages. Whalesharks are on patrol!!!
March to mid-May: These are considered as the hottest months in Phuket just before monsoon hits the island. The temperatures vary in the mid-thirties, with humidity levels steadily on the rise. One of the good reasons to visit Phuket in April is to witness the Songkran Festival, the Thai New Year, when people sprinkle water on each other!
Mid-May to October: Monsoon season in Phuket lasts from May to October. Average temperature during monsoons is 28 °C-29 °C. While the weather is at its humid best, the prices are at an all-time low, making this one of the cheapest seasons to plan a trip. Apart from being cost effective, it’s also a peaceful time to visit because it’s not as crowded as the high season. The wettest months are May, September and October, but it’s rare that the island would get continuous days of heavy rainfall
If you're thinking of making Phuket your next holiday destination, it is important to pick the right part of it for your stay. There are dozens of beaches around the island, but each of the main resort areas has a very different character. If you choose the right one to match your needs and preferences, you should have a fantastic holiday.
Patong Beach: This west-coast resort town is best known for just one street – Bangla Road – which is the densest concentration of bars and clubs anywhere in Phuket and is the island’s primary nightlife destination. This is surrounded by a large number of hotels, ranging from budget guesthouses to small resorts. The picturesque coast road heading north towards Kamala takes advantage of the great sunset views by offering a more luxurious experience, but at the cost of being further from the party. There are also a number of excellent restaurants, countless shops, several cultural attractions and various activities to enjoy in the area.
If you are planning your first time in Karon Beach, it can seem like quite a limited destination. It has a fantastic (and very long) beach, lined with some first-rate hotels, but is that all there is? Well, if you take a look at our guide below, you will find that there is a lot more to see and do here. Away from the beach, Karon has an impressive array of restaurants and even a modest nightlife to enjoy while Wat Karon and its weekly market are major attractions for locals and visitors alike. Karon Beach is a good place whether you are looking for peace and quiet or a little bit of excitement. It is such a big place that it can easily accommodate both sorts of setting without one overwhelming the other. However, it also means that you need to know where to look, which is where our guide to what to do in Karon in one day comes in very handy.
The range of attractions around Kata Beach makes it a pretty good all-rounder as a holiday destination. Its beach is long and lively and is a particular favorite with surfers (from May to November) and student divers (there’s a cool reef to explore between the beach and Pu Island). The nightlife here is fun, but not too raucous. There are several great restaurants to choose from as well as shops, viewpoints and fun activities. It offers fun for all the family, making it a particularly popular destination for young couples travelling with children.
Quiet and tranquil, Nai Harn Beach is amongst the most popular places for locals. This is mostly because, being in a narrow, hill-lined cove, there isn’t much space for too many hotels. The geography does create an excellent harbour, and offers visitors a cool choice of tiny beaches and coves such as Ya Nui and Ao Sane, making Nai Harn especially popular with sailors as well as snorkelers and divers. The area has a steady pace, with some great local restaurants but very few shops or other attractions apart from the splendid panoramas offered at Promthep Cape and Windmill Viewpoint. Nai Harn Beach is therefore the best place for enjoying a relaxing stay in natural surroundings without being totally isolated.
Rawai Beach is at the south-eastern tip of Phuket Island. Historically the very first tourist beach of Phuket, it somehow retained its local touch with the sea gipsy village and the many long-tail boats belonging to local fishermen anchored along its 2.5km length. The departure port for island-hopping to Coral and Racha islands, the atmosphere of Rawai is really tranquil compared to that of Patong. With only a few shops and nightlife options, the resort town nevertheless hosts a few great beachside restaurants. Its proximity with Nai Harn and Chalong also gives visitors good opportunities to discover some of Phuket’s most notable attractions like Promthep Cape and Phuket Big Buddha. The accommodation scene of Rawai features a wide range of hotels and resorts from budget to five-star.
PHIPHI ISLAND : my personal best!!!
Planning your first trip to Phi Phi Islands can be tough. Despite their small size and the fact that only one island of the group of six – Koh Phi Phi Don – offers accommodation choices, there is still a great variety of destinations in Phi Phi to suit different tastes. As said, all these destinations are on a single island, yet could not be more different: from the lively central village to the tranquil yet convenient Long Beach, to the remote and secluded resorts of Phi Phi Don’s southeastern coast to the luxurious and peaceful Laem Thong, there is a right place to stay for everyone.
