Phuket Fantasea

Phuket FantaSea is a cultural theme-park packed with loads of activities and entertainment. The theme-park is inspired by Thailand's rich and exotic heritage. However, Phuket FantaSea not only showcases the charm and beauty of Thailand, but also enriches ancient Thai traditions with cutting edge technology and special effects. Not to be missed during your holiday in Phuket, especially if you have kids.

FantaSea, Phuket’s most popular and award-winning nighttime attraction, is a cultural theme park that showcases the beauty of Thailand’s exotic heritage in a stunning 140-acre adventure village.Your evening includes three different events:

Shopping

Stroll through Festival Village, where you’ll find street performers, games, shows, and storefronts reminiscent of Thailand’s architectural history. Each ornate façade holds something new. You'll find quality, locally made products such as silks, handicrafts, jewelry, and unique souvenirs.

Dining

At the Golden Kinnaree Buffet Restaurant, your every need will be attended to by kinnarees—gracious bird-women of myth. With 4,000 seats in a beautiful forest setting, this is the one of the world’s most grandiose restaurants. Indulge in a sumptuous feast of royal Thai dishes and delicacies, prepared by some of Thailand’s finest chefs.

Entertainment

Fantasy of a Kingdom is based on the magic and legends of Thailand and dazzles with Vegas-style grandeur. Created by international experts and local professionals, this audio-visual extravaganza incorporates Thai culture, illusion, acrobatics, pyrotechnics, stunts, and a performance including 30 elephants. All these elements create an unforgettable show that will thrill and delight.

Inclusions :
Admission to theme park
Performance (and dinner, if booked)
Hotel transfers available from Phuket hotels (please select appropriate ticket type if you wish to include transfers from your Phuket hotel--transfers exclude hotels in Phang Nga province)

Available:Daily Duration:Approx. 4 hours Hours of operation:Fri.–Wed.: 5:30 PM–11:30 PMDinner and show times:Recommended arrival time for the buffet dinner and show is 6:30 PM, or 7:30 PM for show only; show begins at 9:00 PM and ends at 10:15 PM

Note:Beverages are not included in ticket price. Roundtrip transportation is available from Phuket hotels; please select appropriate ticket type if you wish to include transfers from your Phuket hotel--transfers exclude hotels in Phang Nga province (see redemption instructions below). Age and height restrictions apply; see terms and conditions.

Similan Island

The Similan Islands are a group of nine islands about 100kms northwest of Phuket. The area has been designated the Similan Marine National Park. The Similans are famed for their spectacular underwater scenery and marine life, and is regarded as one of the top ten dive spots in the world. The islands are completely undeveloped, except for Koh Miang, where the park headquarters, a visitors centre and some accommodation are located. There is also a royal residence on Koh Miang.

The name “Similan” is derived from the Malay sembilan meaning “nine”. Each of the Similan Islands has a number as well as a name. Thais often refer to the islands just by their number, so Koh Miang is Koh Si, meaning “island number four”. From north to south these are as follows:

9. Koh Ba-Ngu
8. Koh Similan
7. Koh Payu
4., 5. & 6. Koh Miang (actually two islands, with Hin Pousar often designated as no.6)
3. Koh Payan
2. Koh Payang
1. Koh Hu Yong

The beaches are pristine and although the scenery above water is not as dramatic as the limestone islands in Phang Nga Bay, the smooth granitic rock formations and scattered boulders, together with the crystal clear sea, make up for it.

The best time to visit the Similans is from November to April. This is when the weather is at its best and the water visibility is clearest. Plenty of dive-boats visit the island on day-trips and liveaboards from Phuket and Khao Lak during this time. June marks the start of the rainy season when the national park effectively closes, though there are still a few dive trips to the area, weather permitting.

Koh Similan and Koh Miang are both excellent for hiking. The Similan islands are very rich in flora and fauna for such a small and remote area. The islands are a combination of several forest types, and the convergence of evergreen forest and coral reef. The bio diversity ranges from whale sharks to rare birds such as the Nicobar Pigeon, as well as 27 species of mammals, 22 species of reptiles, and at least 4 species of amphibians.

The main activity here is scuba diving and snorkelling, although fishing trips and sailing vessels also stop here regularly.
As it takes about 3.5 hours to get to the Similans, most dive trips are by liveaboard. Because there are so many dive sites offering so much variety, you should consider a trip of at least four days to fully explore these islands. However, if you are pressed for time there is a hydrofoil from Phuket, which makes the trip in under 2 hours, allowing you to make two dives before returning.
The Similans offer an incredibly varied underwater landscape. Sloping hard coral reefs and shallow coral gardens on the east side of the islands, which are protected from the strong currents. On the west side is totally different scenery. Huge granite boulders, caverns and swim-throughs make for a faster paced and more challenging experience.

Phi Phi Island

Located in Krabi Province, Phi Phi is 40km from Krabi and Phuket, approximately 1.5 hours by ferry. The worldwide exposure the island gained in the Hollywood film “The Beach” made what was already a famous holiday island even more popular.

Unfortunately, parts of Phi Phi suffered a lot of damage due to the tsunami and while recovery is well under way, it will take a little more time before many of the businesses and visitors return.
The name Phi Phi actually refers to two islands, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh. There are six islands in the Phi Phi island group; Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh, Biddah Nok, Biddah Nai, Yung and Pai. These form a total area of about 35 square kilometres. In 1983, they were incorporated into Had Noppharat Thara - Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park.

Phi Phi Don:
All the development is restricted to Phi Phi Don, the centre of which is Ao Ton Sai (Ton Sai bay), which is where the ferry pier is located. Only a couple of hundred yards on the other side of the narrow isthmus is Ao Loh Da Lam (Loh Da Lam bay), a beautiful and peaceful bay. For a really quiet beach there is Hat Yao (Long beach), a south-facing beach near the southern tip of the island.
There are no cars or motorbikes on the island, and the main area around Ton Sai is quite compact making it easy to get around by foot. Trips to more distant beaches can be made by longtail boat. Most resorts have arrangements to transfer their guests from the ferry pier.

Phi Phi Leh:
Phi Phi Ley is quite spectacular. The main beach, Hat Maya, was the location used in the film “The Beach”. Even more impressive, Ao Pileh is very nearly enclosed by the limestone walls of the island's cliffs, so that the small bay appears almost to be an inland sea. You can't stay on Phi Phi Ley but the island is easily reached by longtail boat or speedboat from Phi Phi Don. Boats can be chartered from Ton Sai beach.

Spend delightful days exploring the many bays and coves of Phi Phi or the deserted beaches of neighbouring, uninhabited islands. Perhaps trek through lush coconut groves or take a traditional Thai long-tailed speed boat to the main village. Don't come to Phi Phi for the nightlife - come to Phi Phi for complete relaxation in a beautiful and natural environment, idyllic lazy days and romantic nights.

Islands Boat Tours Phuket

Phuket Island itself has beautiful beaches and a huge range of activities and entertainment, however, what really makes Phuket a special holiday destination is the fact that it is the gateway to the islands in the Andaman Sea and Phang Nga Bay. Many of the idyllic picture-postcard scenes are taken on these small islands. Most of these are uninhabited and you have to take a tour or charter a boat to get there.

For the best experience, take an overnight cruise which allows you to enjoy the most enchanting parts of the day; early morning and sunset. Charter boats are available with captain, crew, and meals including fresh local seafood.

Climate

Phuket enjoys great popularity as a travel destination. Most beaches are on the west coast, with Phuket Town to the south-east and the airport in the north.
Phuket nestles in balmy Andaman Sea waters on Thailand’s Indian Ocean coastline 862 kilometres south of Bangkok.
Phuket formerly derives its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoyed a rich and colourful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign trader’s ship logs.

Phuket is hot and humid throughout the year. The high season is generally considered to be from November to May. During the summer monsoon season, mornings and afternoons are still sunny and clear, but it tends to rain in the evenings and water clarity goes down. Locals consider May to October the "cool" season, and the weather is quite tolerable, much more so than in the tourism centers around the Gulf coast. It's comparable to Florida's summer weather in temperature and intensity of rain storms: 25-33 deg C, flying clouds, short and thunderous rainfalls in the afternoons and evenings. Surfing is possible off the western beaches.

Geograophy

Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand, located in the Andaman Sea off southern Thailand. The island is mostly mountainous with a mountain range in the west of the island from the north to the south. The mountains of Phuket form the southern end of the Phuket mountain range, which ranges for 440 km from the Kra Isthmus. The highest elevation of the island is Mai Thao Sip Song (Twelve Canes), at 529 m above sea level. It is estimated that Phuket has a total area of approximately 570 square kilometers (including the provinces other islands). The main island’s total length, from north to south, is about at 50 kilometers and approximately 20 kilometers wide.

Forest, rubber and palm oil plantations cover 60% of the island. The western coast has several sandy beaches, while on the east coast beaches are more often muddy. Near the southernmost point is Laem Promthep (Brahma's Cape), which is a popular sunset viewing point. In the mountainous north of the island is the Khao Phra Thaeo Non-hunting Area, protecting more than 20 km² of rainforest. The three highest peaks of this reserve are the Khao Prathiu (384 m), Khao Bang Pae (388 m) and Khao Phara (422 m). The Sirinat National Park on the northwestern coast was established in 1981 and protects an area of 90 km² (68 km² marine area), including the Nai Yang beach where sea turtles lay their eggs.

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 Rawai. To the north of Patong are Kamala Beach, Surin 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. There are many islands to the southeast, including Bon Island, just a short boat trip away. There are several coral islands to the south of Phuket, the Similan Islands lie to the north west, and Phi Phi Islands to the south east. Islanders engage in a lively tourist trade, catering to snorkellers and scuba divers.