By Timothy Brown
You’ve decide you want to rent a property in Phuket – so now what?
Phuket Beach
Finding decent rental property in Phuket requires a bit of planning and organisation, there are many traps that an unwary traveller might fall into, especially if you’re not used to Asian logic, in this article we will try and steer you clear of as many of these as possible.
You need to consider where in Phuket you want to go, the island is a similar size to Singapore but with an infrastructure that’s vastly different. If you want beaches then rent near a beach, if you want nightlife then rent near a town, if you want peace and tranquillity then rent “in the sticks”. You can of course have more than one activity in one place, and we will look at all of these options which are very well covered, whatever your preference in Phuket you will have plenty to choose from. You can of course hire a car or motorbike, this would be the first “trap” to avoid, renting cars and motorbikes will expose you to some very interesting driving techniques, red lights for example are often seen as ‘advisory’, indicators are for decoration only, of course you can drive on the wrong side of the road the locals all do, and most importantly and bump or accident you might have will 100% be your fault, we suggest you stay close to whatever it is you are seeking and should you wish to travel around use taxi’s or limousines (which are just newer taxis).
Phuket-Beaches-Kamala
OK so where to start looking? Let’s consider what Phuket is most famous for and that’s undeniably its miles and miles of glorious sandy beaches, the best beaches are on the West coast, you have the glorious blue of the Andaman Sea lapping against pure white sand, where every evening you can watch magnificent sunsets from the many beach front cafes and bars, or from your own piece of empty sand. So let’s look at the beaches from the busiest: Patong, Karon, Kata and Kamala, which are all backed by vibrant towns with abundant restaurants and nightlife still going into the wee small hours, to the more ‘family’ friendly beaches of Nai Yang, Nai Thon, Bang Tao, Surin and Rawai which provide restaurants, beach side bars and cafes, but by midnight are all closed up, to the near deserted beaches of Mai Khao and Layan, where you can walk for miles and see hardly a sole, and where after dark your only companions will be the moon and stars.
OK now you’ve selected your beach what about after dark? The heart of nightlife in Phuket is the “Ibiza” of Asia which of course is Patong, not for the faint hearted this is nightlife to the extreme, dozens of bars and clubs can be found open from dawn till, well dawn. In Patong sleep is for the weak, drinking and partying is where it’s at, another tip for the unwary visitors, avoid the beach late at night there are some less than friendly types only too willing to relieve you of a few valuables. If Patong is a bit hard-core then Kamala, Karon and Kata, which still have many bars, will welcome you with open arms, albeit in a slightly more gentile way. For those who prefer a nice meal and a decent beverage then this can be found by choosing Surin, Bang Tao or Rawai in the South where fabulous food is on offer in a wide variety of restaurants and beach clubs, here your evening stroll will not be punctuated by a raucous stag party just the ever present cicadas. For those of you looking for solitude then the magnificent 10k of Mai Khao beach or the Northern expanse of Layan beach is where you want to be, with just a handful of places to stay, and backing onto National Parks, these beaches offer peace and tranquillity even in the height of the tourist season.
To find your ideal rental we suggest you do your searching on-line, there are a wide range of properties available. Good luck with your searching …..
Discover more about Timothy Brown at https://www.propertythailand.co.th.
If you would like to submit a guest post on food, wine or travel to Where and What in the World, I would be happy to feature your travel experience , drink, special wine tasting, or family or simply delicious recipe. If you go to submission tab, you will see how to submit, as well as have the opportunity of telling me if you would like to would like to be a regular contributor. When uploading a file for submission, you are also able to upload jpgs. Please feel free to put a last paragraph about you and a link to your profile. No html please. You can also include a head shot.
