Phuket, Thailand Travel Guide

Discover the Luxury of Private Villa Rentals

When most of us travel, our minds normally squander into the typical process of selecting a destination, time, and arrangements. You get an idea or a vision of where you would like to relax or escape. Once it is decided where and when, we go through the process of selecting a hotel or resort property. For a select few, they already know that the most luxurious locales in the world are best appreciated in the solitude and exclusivity of a luxury villa.

Perhaps many don’t realize that those places you’ve seen on TV and in movies - the ones where many say “It must be nice to have a place like that” - perched up on some exotic hillside can be had for a while by even the most frugal travelers. Remember the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” What if I told you that you and your spouse, family, or group could have your own Italian villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea for not much more than you’d pay for a 3 star hotel? Well it is true. Those images you’ve had in your head can be your reality, even if only for a few days. You’ve seen the images; an elegant chalet with twenty foot pillars garnishing the front entrance. The driveway is paved in beautifully aged cobblestones. The house looks like a miniature palace - as white as any marble could ever be - adorns the emerald green hillside on which it is perched. No other building in site. The rear facade looks over the hill to the sea which is as blue as the depths of Fred Astaire’s eyes. There is a large pool here, which at just the right angles seemingly runs directly into that sea. But it is only optical illusion.

Aside from satisfying the need to escape, staying in a villa for your vacation offers several other advantages to a conventional hotel stay.

Expense

If you’re traveling in a small group of 4 to 20 people, the charges associated with your stay may be shared amongst all the travelers, versus getting multiple hotel rooms to accommodate everyone.

Exclusivity

Almost 70% of all the villa rental properties are somewhat isolated from other properties. Enjoy yourselves at your leisure without having to be concerned with hotel management sending someone to knock on your door requesting that you to quiet down.

Room

You will be staying in anything from a cabin up to a small mansion, affording the traveler a vast amount of space to frolic - a feature which most hotels cannot match.

Accommodations

Many of the villas offered feature private pools exclusively for you and your guests only. Guests may have individual rooms and shared living quarters in they all may congregate -kitchens, entertainment, and dining rooms.

So when planning your next vacation, consider the advantages of a villa rental. Your travel agent may be of great assistance to you in locating a property which will fit your needs and desires. Take time to carefully consider those you will be traveling with, as you will be stuck in the same quarters for some time. Many villas will be large enough to provide room to escape from bothersome co-travelers, but you want to make sure that your relationships are stable enough to stand being shacked up together for a few days. There should be transportation for everyone to escape without hindering the ability of others to trek around as well.

About the author
Howard White is a travel and event planner with the Advect Travel Group in Nashville, Tennessee. They’ve assisted groups, leisure, and businesses clients nationwide in planning luxurious escapes and retreats.

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Trisara Phuket Thailand

The Trisara Resort in Phuket is extraordinary in many ways, from the fact that it is such a short drive from the airport, and yet so quiet, peaceful, private, and beautiful.

The ocean view villa we stayed in was exceptionally spacious and private with incredible uninterrupted views over the ocean. It’s the kind of place that makes you dream that this is your own private villa.

The actual accommodation has so many nice touches it would be impossible to include them all, sufficient to say, that everything you would expect from a five star deluxe resort is there in abundance, and much more besides. We could start with the indoor and outdoor showers, the furnishings are a beautiful blend of colours, with lots of dark wood. The bed was large, and very comfortable, with such fantastic fluffy pillows. I always think pillows are the real measure of the quality. It is the little touches like fresh flowers everywhere, even in the bathroom. The built in window seats and couches, the cleverly hidden large plasma TV, all part of the top quality workmanship that has gone into the construction and maintenance.

Outside the villa, it is completely private, with a gate at the entrance, and a large teak sundeck with table and chairs for eating, and four padded teak sunbeds. The infinity pool, is larger than your normal plunge pool, and totally private because of the greenery.

The food quite superb, both Thai and Western style. We were on a breakfast included package, and it was a terrific meal in itself, having got used to buffet breakfasts being the norm, it was a pleasant surprise to have it served up fresh from the kitchen. Be warned however that if you decide to take your included breakfast in your suite, then you would be charged at full rate, which seems a little mean.

At lunch and dinner, you can choose either the Thai or Western option, although it would be fair to say the Thai food was spicy hot and very authentic, not milder for those of us from the West. I personally like that.

You can get most of the food available with room service but it is more expensive, and wine as expected is expensive, because they kind of have a captive audience as there are no nearby restaurants

The overall service, and once again attention to detail are fantastic.

Small final thoughts are, you will never forget the sunset from the pool villa, and the beach is delightfully private with no hawkers, and very comfortable loungers, and naturally the high level of service continues there.

There is not a whole lot to do here except to relax, and unwind, so if that is your thing, there is nowhere better to be.

About the author
Peter R. Stewart writes occasionally for for http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com and also finds the other articles on vacation destinations worth reading

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Trisara Hotel Phuket   From USD 742 View Map Phuket Town , Phuket Average User Rating :  Not Yet Rating  (0 From 5.0) The resort’s 42 pool suites and villas, guest facilities and 12 privately owned residential villas sit within 40 acres of gardens that rise gently from the seafront between two private headl… read more

The Secret of Choosing a Nice Hotel in Phuket

Phuket is Thailand’s biggest island. The water itself may not be as breathtaking as Phi Phi or Similan island, but it’s still beautiful. My suggestion is you stay at Phuket and then take a boat to Phi Phi, Similan or other smaller nearby islands for a snorkeling or diving trip.

Phuket Thailand becomes lively during the night — with all the pubs, bars and restaurants opening until midnight or later. You can choose to stay at your Phuket hotel and have romantic dinner there. Or you can choose to take a stroll at Phuket’s popular Patong beach for some night scene. Phuket has dozens of beaches. Each has tens, if not hundreds, of hotels. If you don’t like a crowded beach with hundreds of restaurants and bars, stay away from Patong beach.

Looking to find a nice Phuket Thailand hotel that’s just perfect for your budget? No problem. I’ll recommend some nice hotels for you. Well, if you don’t mind a very huge lagoon next to the beach and a very big resort hotel, then stay at the Laguna Phuket. Actually at the Laguna Phuket, there are five hotels (yes, it’s that BIG — Allamanda, Banyan Tree, Dusit Laguna, Laguna Beach, and Sheraton Grande Laguna). They’re all beautiful and luxurious. So, expect to spend from $100 to over $300 a night, depending on the resort you choose.

And there’s this secluded private hotel that I really –really– love… The Chedi Phuket. For me, the price is just right too. It’s a little over $100. But you’d be glad to pay a lot more than that for a hotel room this cozy. And let me tell you, the private beach right in front of the Chedi is a lot more beautiful than other beaches in Phuket too.

Most foreigners (especially Westerners) I know like to stay at Mom Tri’s Boat House. I don’t know why. I haven’t stayed there, so I can’t tell you. But I just know for a fact they ‘really’ like to stay there. The price is around $70. This Phuket resort hotel is designed by a well-known architect of Thailand. So 70 bucks a night is a steal.

Now if you’re willing to stay off Phuket island, then I suggest you stay at the Racha on Racha island. It’s only 20 minutes away from Phuket. It’s a private and totally gorgeous resort island. The beach is white, sandy and just beautiful. The resort itself is beyond explanation. Plus, the price is just a few bucks over $100.

About the author
http://www.tuk-tuk.net is Thailand travel directory with information about Thailand hotels and Bangkok hotels and more when you’re planning on your Thailand vacation.

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Scuba Diving In Phuket, The Pearl Of The Andaman Sea

Phuket is the southern province of Thailand. The word ‘Phuket’, derived from Malay word ‘bukit’, means hill or mountain. Phuket is a beautiful island and it seems like a mountain or hill for a distant view. Being the largest island in Thailand, Phuket is blessed with several beaches. Beaches of Phuket are really amazing and that is why it attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. The coastal areas of the western Phuket have several sandy beaches while on the southern Phuket there are muddy beaches. Patong beach is the most popular beach among tourists. Some other beaches in Phuket include Nai Harn beach, Karon beach, Bang Tao beach and Kata beach. Southern Phuket has some coral islands which are suitable for scuba diving. Similian Islands and Phi Phi islands are remarkable coral islands in southern Phuket.

Scuba diving, diving using underwater apparatus for breathing, is really suitable for viewing underwater spectacles like floras, faunas, beautiful fishes, coral reefs, especially in coral islands. ‘SCUBA’ is the short form of Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Scuba diving is getting popular among people all over the world for recreational diving. It is simpler and safer for low depth diving and help you remain in underwater for longer periods.

Scuba diving is the main attraction of tourists in Phuket. It is in the top 10 scuba diving destinations in the world. There are many agencies which provide scuba diving gears for tourists. There are many websites related to Phuket which provides details about Scuba diving in Phuket, wonderful scenery, facilities and other aspects. There are many travelling agencies which provide scuba diving packages specifically for tourists in Phuket. Day trips as well as night trips to diving areas are also included in the packages.

There are many skilled scuba divers and certified trainers in Phuket who can help naive divers to get accustomed with scuba diving. There are some institutes which run courses on diving. These courses are devised for different skill levels. Standards of the training are world class. So even if you don’t know diving, you can come here and learn it and enjoy scuba diving in blue Andaman Sea.

You can enjoy the beauty of clear blue Andaman Sea by scuba diving in Phuket. There are dive boats which will take you to the diving destinations. Coral reefs in Phuket are some of the best spectacular reefs in the world. Over 200 species of hard corals are there vying their trade to build an amazing underwater ecological kingdom. Some of the exotic fish varieties that are seen in Phuket are dolphins, whale shark, manta rays, pelagic and numerous reef fishes and some of the turtle varieties that enchant the Phuket are Olive Ridleys, Hawksbill, Green Turtles and Leather Back.

Hing Daeng, Richelieu Rock etc are some of the diving sites in Phuket. There are live boards which provide food and accommodation as well as diving. Scuba diving in Phuket is becoming really a money spinner for the local enterprises as more tourists’ visits. Local population are really friendly to the tourists. There are guides who can lead you to joyful scuba diving trips. Safety measures are taken for ensuring the safety of the tourists while diving. When it is not raining and if the sea is calm one can explore the underwater with pleasure and enjoy the beauty and return with mind full of extraordinary scenes.

Except during rainy season spanning from month of May to October scuba diving is possible without glitch in Phuket. Holiday season in December is the period which more western tourists like to come and splash in the blue waters. The water temperature is normally of 26-29 degrees. In March- April it can plunge to 10 degrees temporarily due to thermo clines. Visibility in water of Phuket in dry season is around 40 metres. While the visibility range changes according to the rain during rainy season. Scuba diving in Phuket is an experience of a life time which you can cherish.

Next time when you plan holidays consider Phuket. It is sure that Phuket will be an ideal destination for you. Facilities for advanced booking with travel agencies are available. Come and enjoy the beaches and the coral reefs in Phuket.

strong>About the author
MyAsianVilla.com is a vacation site for real time rentals of luxurious vacation villas in Phuket and Ko Samui, Thailand. Plan your dream vacation in Thailand, faster and easier than ever through with My Asian Villas - Luxury villa rentals in Phuket

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A guide to Phuket’s best beaches

Located midway along the west coast, Phuket’s number one and most visited beach is Patong; a behemoth in terms of tourist numbers and reputation. The beach is quite nice here, although the whole package of shops, restaurants and bars is what gives this beach its great appeal. Patong Beach travel resource online Just north and south of Patong are Kamala and Karon beaches respectively; both of which are a little less brash and easier on the eye. Karon is the busier of the two and is known for its collection of upmarket hotels and resorts.

Not far to the south of Karon is Kata Beach, perhaps Phuket’s all-round best beach. Kata has better sands than that of Patong and Karon, has fewer shops and bars and has a great feel to it, with shaded seating areas and some great shopping. As with the previous beaches, Kata is very appealing to the water sports enthusiast and is the island’s most popular surfing beach. Unlike Patong and Karon, Kata also has some resorts and one or two bars directly on the beach adding to its appeal.

Kata Noi Beach is just over a headland to the south of Kata and is one of the most attractive and peaceful of beaches on Phuket. It has lovely, golden sands and great bathing and is surrounded on all sides by dense jungle. There’s only one main resort here - Kata Thani - and a handful of shops, cafés and bars. Kata Noi is just a short taxi ride from the main Kata Beach and reachable on foot.

Nai Harn Beach is farther south again and very much like Kata Noi for peacefulness and exclusivity. Nai Harn is mostly frequented by locals and the high season weekends will see it thronged with happy Phuket residents. Like Kata Noi, Nai Harn is fed by a no-through road making it much more peaceful and less polluted than most other beaches on the island. There are also some very exclusive hotels here such as the Le Meridian.

At the very bottom of the island is Rawai Beach, an interesting retreat best known for its seafood restaurants and laid back feel. Rawai is very popular with the ex-pat community although the beach itself isn’t that much to look at. Friendship Beach, about three kilometres northeast of Rawai, is the only one worth visiting on the east coast.

There are also several other beaches of interest continuing north of Kamala Beach, including Laem Sing, Surin, Bang Tao and Nai Yang. Of these, Laem Sing, next to Kamala, is by far the prettiest but least accessible. An arduous climb down a set of steep steps is the only access from the road high above, unless you have a boat. Once down there, the cute little bay of Laem Sing will not disappoint, with its soft sands and crystal clear waters.

Surin Beach is just a few minutes by bike or car from Laem Sing and is as far north as most visitors tend to get. Surin is somewhat of an upmarket option flanked as it is by million dollar villas. The seafood restaurants on the beach here are very good and the surf is also appealing. Bang Tao is just over a headland to the north and is Phuket’s longest beach at eight kilometres. Tourist Phuket info online Needless to say this beach is great for a stroll and its tree-lined shelter offers an excellent opportunity for a picnic.

Nai Yang Beach is the only other main beach north of here and is the first beach coming from the airport. An affordable option, Nai Yang is becoming more and more popular with returning visitors who want something different and who can’t be bothered to traipse all the way to the more popular southern Phuket beaches. A word of warning though: don’t come to Nai Yang expecting a party!

About the author
Every year Andy Burrows extensively explores Phuket and the surrounding area. The British globetrotter has become an expert on this stunning tourist hot spot.

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