The Islands Thailand beaches Phuket island best beaches in Thailand

Thailand. You’ve probably seen it on pictures or in movies already. The huge limestone cliffs, the gorgeous turquoise sea and the countless islands off the coast reflect the diversity and beauty of Krabi.

KRABI

Classic virgin beaches fringed with towering limestone formations, is an understatement to describe this stunningly beautiful area of Thailand. The Krabi coastline is dotted with rarely visited tropical islands, palm fringed beaches, waterfalls, caves, and strange rock formations.

While Krabi Town is usually only visited for a stopover to continue to Koh Phi Phi or Koh Lanta, the main beach town of Ao Nang attracts many visitors. It’s a real holiday resort in Thailand! There are many restaurants, bars, markets on the streets and of course a lot of great beaches to visit.

Recommended Resort in Krabi:

Phulay Bay, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve***** – (Wheelchair accessible) This is the only resort I know that is located all on the ground floor and therefore wheelchair accessible.

Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and most attractive holiday destination. The island offers everything one’s desires. Beautiful beaches, great viewpoints, temples, nightlife and countless possible excursions, Phuket is quintessentially diverse.

During a holiday in Phuket, you can stay right in the epicentre of the island, around the bays of Patong, Karon or Kata. There you will find the most offers on entertainment, nightlife or restaurants. However, it’s also extremely touristy and lively. On the other hand, it’s a bit quieter in the towns of Rawai or Chalong, if that suits you better. I personally would always choose the quieter option.

Also, Phuket Town has a lot to offer with its old and sometimes very colourful town houses, the weekly Sunday night market and the Khao Rang Hill. Furthermore, you can also use Phuket as a base to visit the surrounding paradise islands such as Koh Yao Yai, Kon Bon, and the famous Koh Phi Phi.

You can’t argue about two things in Phuket, the beaches and nightlife. These are the two main reasons why many people fall in love with Phuket. Speaking of beaches, you might have heard a few names already. Take a walk on the seaside and explore the beaches on your own.

Nightclubs, bars and beach clubs are in Patong, however you can easily find nightlife spots throughout the island. If you want to see something spectacular, Patong is where you should go. It is the heart of Phuket nightlife.

Patong lies on the west side of Phuket. It has many nightlife hotspots for tourists. The hotspots are spread out throughout the districts. You can find them on the beach where there are many beach bars or at the small alleys branching off the major streets.

Recommended Hotels/Resorts:

• InterContinental Phuket Resort***** (Wheelchair Accessible) 8km from Patong
• Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket ***** (Wheelchair Accessible) – 30min drive to Patong
• Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach***** (Wheelchair Accessible)
• Angsana Laguna Phuket***** (Wheelchair Accessible) 16KM from Patong

Patong

1.Bangla RoadBangla Road is the main nightlife destination in Patong and the whole of Phuket! Many people come to Patong at night to experience the vibrant nightlife of Bangla Road. When you come here on a daytime, it looks like an ordinary road with souvenir shops and food vendors. However, when the sun goes down and the beach is no longer the main attraction, this road comes alive. Lights and music start to lit. Bartenders, promoters, girls and ladyboys prepare to be in their position.

2. The street performancesWhile walking on the main street, you will get entertained by street performances like fire-spitting, magic tricks, hip-hop or samba dancing. Many street performances are taking place at the end of Bangla Road, near the beach.Street performers add charms to this place. Bangla Road becomes so lively because of them. You will get the vibrant nightlife atmosphere once you step into Bangla Road street.

3. Drinks are cheapThailand is all about the cheap holiday! Therefore, Thailand is one of the best destinations for all kinds of travellers. Not to mention the drink prices! Beer prices are currently around 50-100 THB ($2.40 – $5,70) and cocktails range between 200-400 THB ($9.50 – $19.00), depending on the venue.

4. Unlimited nightlife hotspotsNo matter what your preferences are, you can most likely find it in Patong. Everything from Go-Go bars, expat bars, Ping Pong shows to nightclubs can easily be found here.

5. Soi’s in Bangla RoadSoi means small street in Thai. You will find many small alleys channelling off from Bangla Road. Some of these Soi’s are famous for a particular kind of bars. The most popular one is Soi Seadragon.Some bars like Butterfly Bar or Sydney Bar offer a more laid-back atmosphere where you can chill and play some board games with ladies like Jenga or Connect Four before heading to the crazy Patong nightlife.

6. Patong Beach ClubsWalk towards the beach and find yourself drowning in the tropical paradise party. There are a few beach clubs on the coastline.A club like Paradise Beach Club offers a beachside environment, where you can party with a lovely Patong beach view. The club has pools, a dance floor and a wide variety of drinks. Paradise Beach Club often holds a special party like the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan. Make sure you book the tickets in advance!However, Patong is not only about the crazy nightlife. A place like Iguana Beach Club might be an excellent choice if you want to spend a night over cocktails and chat with friends.

After Phuket and Koh Chang, Koh Samui is the third largest island in Thailand. It’s located southeast in the Gulf of Thailand and has been a popular holiday destination for decades.

The tropical island shows a great deal of variety and offers a whole range of activities and tours. I love Koh Samui and whilst I was based in Bangkok, I was always happy to go back to Koh Samui, even though I knew the island quite well.

While Koh Samui attracts many tourists and is therefore well developed, you can still discover many quiet places on the island.Koh Samui sight’s are diverse – some of them are very busy and yet others are very quiet.

Recommended Resorts:

• Sareeraya Villas & Suites*****(Wheelchair Accessible)
• The Sea Koh Samui Beachfront Resort & Spa ***** (Wheelchair Accessible)
• Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa***** (Wheelchair Accessible) 

Discover beautiful beaches away from the tourist masses of Chaweng or Lamai. Visit the landmarks of Koh Samui such as the Big Buddha or the Grandmother and Grandfather Rock, see the island from above at the Jungle Club, stroll around the many markets or just relax with a Thai massage. There’s a lot to do on your holidays and it will never be boring on Koh Samui.

1. Koh Samui Tour: The island excursion tour takes you to some of the most beautiful places around the island off the tropical beaches, which I highly recommend. Starting at the Wat Plai Laem with the big laughing Buddha and the Kuan Yin statue with its 18 arms, it continues to Wat Phra Yai, which is famous for its Big Buddha, one of the landmarks of Koh Samui.

Afterwards you will visit the Chaweng Viewpoint with a terrific view at Chaweng and Lamai and then continue to the Grandfather and Grandmother Rock, just south of Lamai.  Hin Ta and Hin Yai, as the rocks are called in Thai, are one of the most visited sights of Koh Samui.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog on Thailand which I have written from local perspective since I lived in Bangkok for 3 years, and not as a tourist that was there for 10 days.

Written by: Joe Cusmano

Many thanks to : https://straynomad.com/