Excursions in Phuket

Tour companies that organize tours come up with the most sophisticated methods to lure customers. Some of them offer free Phuket sightseeing tours. Many excursions can be organized independently; however, it will not always be cheaper and better quality. Bus tours in Phuket are organized mainly to the mainland - to Pattaya, Krabi, Bangkok.

Practical Information: What's Important to Know Before the Excursion

• Don't book tours at the hotel

They will be very expensive. For those tourists who speak English, street vendors selling tours are the best option. For the rest of us, it's more practical to book a sightseeing trip at travel agencies scattered around Phuket or book it on a special website.

• Important

Don't be lazy and book an itinerary with a Russian-speaking guide.

• Cost of excursions

in Phuket depends on the length and distance of the route. Adult and children's tickets also vary in cost. The cheapest excursion to Phuket Zoo will cost 500 THB for an adult and 400 THB for a child. A day trip to Phi Phi Island will cost you THB 1,300 and THB 900 respectively.

• It's worth taking

on any excursion. You should bring a camera, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a swimsuit. When traveling to Khao Lak Island, it's best to bring protective clothing to change into after river rafting.

• Some sights can be explored on your own

without hiring a guide. This way you can save money on such excursions:

• - Wat Chalong temple;
• - Big Buddha temple with the statue of the same name;
• - Phuket Town and Phuket Lookout sites;
• - Phi Phi and Krabi islands, offering only beach vacations and local restaurants.
• Accompanied by a guide

it is better to take a trip to such places:

• - Khao Sok National Park;
• - Khao Lak Island;
• - Similan Islands archipelago.

The Most Popular Excursions

The simplest and most common itineraries start from Patong Beach. Phuket island tour is very popular, with visits to the most famous sights.

The biggest demand of tourists are tours to the islands located off the coast of Phuket - Phi Phi Phi, Coral, Similan Islands, James Bond Island. Some of the islands can be reached by ferry, but some can only be reached by rented boat.

Racha Islands

The Racha Islands archipelago is located 12 kilometers from Phuket.

A trip to two tropical islands near Phuket, Racha Yai and Racha Noi, is a great way to relax on white exotic sand. In addition, tourists can spend their time in one of the following ways during the tour:

• go to one of the ethnic food restaurants on Racha Yai;
• enjoy the pristine nature and uncrowded beaches on Racha Noi;
• Snorkeling for rare species of fish;
• try scuba diving.

Cost: from 2000 THB for adults and children over 12 years old, from 1500 THB for children aged 3 to 12 years old, free for children under three years old.

Duration: half day (departure around 7:00 - 8:00, return around 14:00 - 16:00 depending on the program of the particular travel agency).

James Bond Island

A mini-vacation to the islands where the two James Bond movies were filmed is one of the most popular tourist excursions. The islands of Khao Ping Kan and Tapu are located six kilometers from Phuket, within the province of Pang Nga. In fact, the value to travelers is the sheer cliff on the archipelago, where one of the key scenes of the 1974 movie was filmed. The paradox is that there are hundreds of such natural attractions in the Kingdom of Thailand, but only one is popular.

The following natural and cultural sites complete the tour program:

• Sarasin Love Bridge
• Suwankuha Buddha temple in the monkey cave;
• the picturesque pier Surakul;
• the village on stilts located on the island of Panyee;

Cost: from THB 1500 for adults and children over 12 years old, from THB 1100 for children aged 3 to 12 years old. Free for kids under 3 years old.

Some travel agencies offer a bonus option (including an elephant show and lunch at a local restaurant) for 2200 THB and 1500 THB for adults and children respectively.

Duration: On average, the trip lasts from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Similan Islands

An archipelago of 11 islands located in the Andaman Sea about 100 kilometers from Phuket. They are interesting because while some of them (Koh Miang and Koh Similan, for example) have excellent infrastructure, others remain untouched by humans. But all 11 (Ba Ngu, Similan, Payu, Ha, Hok, Miang, Payan, Payang, Huyong and Tachai, Bon) parts of the archipelago are under the direct protection of the ruler of Thailand and have had National Marine Reserve status since 1998.

The Similan Islands may surprise with the following entertainment:

• diving

Thanks to the luxurious richness of the underwater world;

• snorkeling

because many of the islands are still uninhabited;

• fishing and hunting

for rare species of marine life;

• classic beach relaxation

on exotic white sand;

• exploring never-before-seen flora and fauna

(more than 500 species of deep-sea dwellers, 40 species of birds, 35 species of mammals, 30 species of reptiles, 100 species of plants).

The cost of a one-day sightseeing program is from 3500 THB for an adult and from 2100 THB for a child.

Duration of such an itinerary is from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. There are options for two-day trip to the Similan archipelago, with prices starting from 6000 THB for an adult and 3500 THB for a child, as well as a three-day trip for 7000 THB and 4500 THB respectively. In such a case, travelers stay overnight at a hotel on the Similan island of Koh Miang.

Khao Lak Island

Khao Lak Island is located 60 kilometers from Phuket, on the Andaman coast of Pang Nga province. It is home to a full-fledged resort where some tourists reside for the entire duration of their vacation. On the island there are three national natural parks, so the main purpose of the excursion program is to get acquainted with the unique combination of local flora and fauna. For those who prefer a more active vacation, Khao Lak offers such ways to spend time:

• Dive or snorkel in the crystal clear sea water;
• Ride an elephant;
• Walk through impenetrable mango thickets to a waterfall;
• Float down a turbulent river on a humble bamboo raft.

Cost: from 2500 THB for adult and child over 12 years old, from 1700 THB for child 3 to 12 years old, free for children under three years old.

Duration: from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok National Park, located between Phuket and neighboring Surat Thani province, is Thailand's largest reserve. It covers an area of about 740,000 square kilometers. The drive from Phuket to Khao Sok National Park will take 2.5 hours.

The following natural attractions await visitors to Khao Sok Park:

• The world's oldest tropical jungle;
• One of Thailand's greatest lakes, Lake Cheo Lan;
• Karst caves and old-growth rocks more than 150 million years old;
• Waterfalls flowing into rushing mountain rivers;
• Exotic world of unique flora and fauna.

Cost: A one-day excursion costs from 3000 THB for an adult and 1600 THB for a child; a two-day trip costs from 7000 THB and 3600 THB respectively; a three-day program costs from 9000 THB and 7000 THB for adults and children.

Duration: The one-day tour will take all day. Departure is scheduled around 7:00 am, with campers returning to the hotel after 7:00 pm.

Tours for families with children

The following trips are best for tourists with children:

• Half-day excursion to the huge Splash Jungle Aquapark, with an area of more than 22,000 square kilometers. (cost from 2000 THB for adult and 1100 THB including hotel transfer);
• Elephant riding in one of the national parks, Phuket beaches, or local villages near the resort;
• Visit Nemo's Dolphinarium, where you can watch and even swim with the sea animals (from THB 2000 for adults and THB 1200 for children, including transportation from and to the hotel);
• The world-famous Siam Niramit show is a classic Thai performance with numerous costume and set changes (cost from 1800 THB including hotel transfers);
• Child quests (for example, on Yao Yai Island).

Phuket has a truly rich selection of excursions to suit all tastes. Without traveling far beyond the main resort, you can get a full impression of the exotic nature of the island in particular and the Kingdom of Thailand in general.