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Even if you have never been to Thailand you have certainly heard about Phuket!
Phuket is often called “The Pearl of the Andaman Sea” and it is no secret why – the biggest Thai island and a tourist mecca with warm tropical ocean, amazing beaches, world-class diving, stunning scenery, restaurants and nightlife. Phuket is also well-known as a central hub to the Andaman Region of Thailand. It is surrounded by some spectacular islands such as Phi Phi and the Similans, which are very popular among tourists and divers as well.
Diving in Phuket – a Year-Round Paradise
One of the main advantages of Phuket is that you can come here all year round and enjoy the sun and warm waters of the ocean. The weather is hot and humid in Phuket throughout the year with the temperature staying between 21-34 ˚C/69-93F. The water temperature ranges between 26-28˚C/78-82F. The best period for a visit, is considered from November to February, which is also known as the “cool” season, but in fact, is the most pleasant and with a minimum amount of rain.
Too much to see, too little time
Not only beaches and the ocean are the main attractions of Phuket, there are lots of interesting sights and different activities for everyone.
One of the most popular excursions in Phuket is the Siam Elephant Safari. This excursion gives you a chance to get close with these magnificent creatures and learn more about their lives and the conservation projects the country runs to protect them and their environment. The tour features an elephant ride through the countryside.
Those who want to explore the culture and traditions of the island can visit the Old Town Phuket, which features Sino-Portuguese-style buildings built nearly 100 years ago. The island also has many temples with the most famous one – Wat Chalong, which houses a pagoda that contains Buddha’s relics. Phuket is also famous for its festivals. The city hosts a great variety of them, some of the most popular ones include Phuket Old Town Festival, Phuket Vegetarian Festival, Sapan Hin and Local Food Fair.
Try some local foods in one of the many restaurants in Phuket. A Thai cuisine is world-famous, but remember that it can be very spicy!
If you want to explore nightlife of Phuket, go to Patong, known as Phuket’s center of nightlife. It offers a countless number of restaurants, both Thai and Western, and a variety of clubs and pubs.
You can also check out some of the islands surrounding Phuket. There are dozens of small islands, but among the most popular are the Similans and Phi Phi, well-known as great diving destinations.
Phuket – the Thai Mecca for divers
Phuket has ideal conditions for a diving. The Similan Islands and Phi Phi islands, the Surin and Rac+ ha island groups are rated as world-class diving destinations.
Scuba diving in Phuket is well-developed. You can easily find a lot of dive centers and diving schools. If you have a certificate, you can choose among a variety of day trips offered by local dive centers. All popular dive centers and dive sites around Phuket can be found on Divebooker.com You can check local offers and book the diving trip of your dreams on our state-of-the-art booking engine.
The waters off Phuket are full of marine life, you can discover a great variety of hard corals and some exotic fish. Among most common species are barracuda, jacks, moray eels, nudibranch, sea urchins, seahorses, sharks, rays and turtles.
If you planning to dive in Phuket, you should definitely consider the following dive sites:
- The Phi Phi Islands, offer a variety of great dive sites for all levels of experience. Divers can explore caves, reefs, corals and an abundance of a marine life.
- The Similan Islands offer over 20 dive sites with reefs, lush corals, impressive sea fans and a variety of marine life, including manta rays and even whale sharks.
- Shark Point is a popular dive site that is a part of the Marine Sanctuary, also famous for leopard sharks.
- King Cruiser is one of the popular wrecks off Phuket. Penetration is not allowed, but you can expect to see rainbow runners, trevallies, barracudas, mackerels, and tunas.
- Anemone Reef is a very popular dive site among divers. The name of the site comes from the numerous amazing anemones that you can explore here as well as diverse marine life, including lots of lionfish, clownfish, turtles, reef and leopard sharks, several species of moray eels, and various species of nudibranchs.
Scuba diving in Phuket is an experience of a life time! And divers return here again and again because there are too many great dive sites to be explored.
| Sea Bees Diving Phuket | Andy’s Scuba Diving |
| Scuba Cat Diving | Blue Label Diving |
| Infinity Ocean Diving | Aussie Divers Phuket |
How to get to Phuket
Most tourists arrive to Phuket via the international airport. It is the second largest airport in Thailand with many flights from Bangkok and international destinations. You can also get here by bus from Bangkok, or a combination of train and bus. In Phuket you can take a taxi, rent a car or a motorcycle, as well as use public transportation.
No matter how you get to Phuket, you will enjoy it!
To discover Thailand on a liveaboard diving trip check Thailand Liveaboards