Surat Thani Province is home to several great tourist destinations, including Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, Ko Tao and the stunningly beautiful Ang Thong Marine National Park.

Although to many people the town of Surat Thani is simply a stop off point on the way to one of the area’s beautiful tourist destinations, the town and surrounding area actually has a lot to offer and is worth looking at more closely.

Worth exploring is the tiny village known as Chaiya. In the village you will find Wat Suan Mokkhaphalaram, which is a tranquil forest temple founded by Ajahn Buddhadasa Bhikku, who is perhaps Thailand’s most famous monk. The temple holds monthly meditation retreats, and this is a perfect place to get in touch with your spiritual side and discover a sense of inner peace and harmony.

Also situated in the village is the Chaiya National Museum, which is a good place to discover the area’s interesting history. Another interesting place is the Folklore Museum, which is located around 300 meters from Chaiya, whilst Ban Phumriang is a small handicraft village, which can be found 6 kilometres east of Chaiya.

The stunning Khao Sok National Park features 646 square kilometres of thick rainforest and mountains. With its sparkling waterfalls, mysterious caves and cool lakes, this area has an ancient feel about it. Elephant trekking is a great way to explore, and you can spend the night on a floating lodge if you find yourself reluctant to leave and return to the ‘real’ world straight away.

When it comes to eating, just about anything is possible in this province of plenty. If you love oysters, pay a visit to the Oyster Farms, where you can buy large fresh oysters for a bargain price.

Ao Nang is the closest beach to Krabi Town. This area is mainly occupied by large, upmarket beach resorts. You can hire a sea kayak or long-tail boat and explore the uninhabited island of Ko Hong.

Just 6 kilometres away from Ao Nang is the well loved are much talked about Hat Noppharat Thara, which is a famous 3 kilometer long white sandy beach, perfect for taking it easy and soaking up some rays. Elephant trekking is popular in this area, while the hot springs at Khlong Thom are a good place to ease aching muscles. Whilst there, check out the informative Wat Khlong Thom museum.

Railay is perhaps the prettiest beach in this area. This is a great place for rock climbing, and the sunsets at Hat Rai Leh West are spectacular.

There are some interesting limestone cliffs to explore. Tham Phra Nang is named Princess Cave after a local legend. The cave is hidden in the lagoon of Sa Phra Nang (Holy Princess Pool). Climb the cliff top for spectacular views.

Nearby, Tham Phra Nang Nai (Inner Princess Cave) is a series of illuminated caverns of high beauty. A feature point is the unusual ‘stone waterfall’, which is made of sparkling golden quartz.

Khao Phanom Bencha National Park consists of 50 square kilometres of virgin rainforest and a whole host of pretty waterfalls including Nam Tok Huay To, Nam Tok Huay Sadeh and Nam Tok Khlong Haeng and it is possible to swim in most of the waterfalls. The park is also home to the cave of Tham Khao Pheung, which contains stunning shimmering mineral stalactites and stalagmites.

Another area of natural beauty is the large Than Bok Khorani National Park, where caving is the main activity. Caves of interest here include Tham Hua Kalok, Tham Lawt and Tham Sa Yuan Thong.

Hat Chaweng is the island’s longest and most popular beach. This area is party central and you will find restaurants catering to every taste, large beach bars and theme pubs and clubs. Although not as large as those on Ko Pha-ngan, there are often lively beach parties at Chaweng, especially around the full moon.

Also popular is Hat Lamai, which is famous for the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks and the slightly seedier night life.

Hat Bophut is a quiet and romantic fisherman’s village. This area is relaxed and more traditional than the larger communities, and has a number of very good French-owned cafes and restaurants.

Nearby, Ao Bang Po is a quiet bay perfect for snorkeling, swimming and meditation, whilst Ao Tong Takian is a small cove north of Lamai beach. Also known as Silver Beach, this is a good place for people who crave tranquility.

Bang Rak, is situated just two kilometers east of Bophut. The big attraction in this area is the 19-metre gold tinted statue of Lord Buddha, which overlooks the entire bay. Climb the steps to the top for an excellent view over the island.

Getting to Ko Samui is pretty simple as there is a large airport on the island with regular flights from Bangkok. The flight takes just over an hour, or you can choose to travel by train or air-conditioned bus to Surat Thani and then take the ferry.

Snorkeling First, you don’t need to have or take PADI (diving) license or take expensive diving trips to discover the underwater beauty of Andaman Sea. Snorkeling is a great experience and is recommended to beginners and normal tourists. Near Islands The best places for snorkeling close to Phuket are the Freedom beach, the North and South end of Kata Beach, Phi Phi and Racha islands.

You can reach Freedom beach by long-tail boat which will cost you approximately 200Baht per person (round trip). Racha Island is a diving site for divers but snorkelers are also welcome too and it costs approximately 1050Baht per person with a day trip boat and breakfast and lunch are also included.

Racha Island is also accessible by speed boats from Patong and Rawai beach. Diving Day Trips There are many diving sites around Phuket and it takes between 60 to 90 minutes, but you can take a ferry to Phi Phi and stay overnight, then you can dive from boats out Phi Phi’s harbor for one or more days.

Generally, one day boat dive tours from Phuket leave 7.00am and return late afternoon with at least two or tree dives. The boats depart from Chalong Bay harbor which is located on the east side of Phuket Island, around 30 minutes from Patong beach.

Phuket Diving Destination include The Shark Point (Hin Mu Sang):- This is a beautiful and colorful place. You have the possibility to spot sharks, mainly leopards.

King Cruiser Wreck ;- The king cruiser wreck was a catamaran-hull type of passenger ferry, 85 meters in length and 25 meters in width. She sank a few meters off shark pint.

Anemone Reef: – This dive site id found less than a mile north of shark point and it is a single submerged rock covered in sea anemones.

Tacha Island: – This Island offers easy diving with clear water and a good variety of tropical marine life, suitable for beginners and snorkelers.

Phi Phi Island (Hin Bida):- A big variety of tropical fish and leopard sharks and turtles are spotted easily.

Live Aboard The diving sites west of Phuket are only accessible live aboard and are one of the world’s best diving sites. These sites include, Similan Islands, Richelieu Rock, Koh Surin, Burma Banks and Mergui Archipelago.

So town is set to be a bit livelier from the 3^rd to the 7^th of March, as homesick sailors from USS Patriot, USS Rushmore and USS Cleveland enjoy ‘morale, welfare and recreation’ (MWR). What exactly this means is not clear, but apparently many sailors take the opportunity to go on diving trips and catch up on sleep.

Now maybe times have changed, but I’m sure that’s not the traditional image of sailors on shore leave I’ve been brought up with, and I have no doubt you will find at least of few of them enjoying the less-wholesome delights of Phuket.

Apparently, and unbeknown to me, Phuket and Thailand as a whole have been experience a bit of a slump in visitor numbers recently.

The latest air passenger numbers tell a different story, however. Even the recent difficulties with Cambodia and the notorious ‘sit-in’ don’t seem to have put them off.

Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, which is the main gateway to Phuket, has seen a rise of almost 30 per cent on last year’s peak season passenger figures.

In total, the amount of happy sun seekers on their way to Phuket’s sunny shores between Christmas Day and January 5^th were no less than 1,668,863 this year. Pretty amazing for just 10 days.

Apparently the biggest resorts in Phuket are already reporting a better month this February than last month, and while I’m pleased that our local business are thriving, I can’t help feeling a bit like a kid with a new toy when I hear about figures like these.

Can’t these people find their own piece of paradise and leave mine alone?

The period between October and May is probably the most ideal time for enjoying some mind-boggling underwater experiences here. However, quality diving options are available year-round. The Andaman Sea’s best hidden treasures can be found below the waters’ surface where underwater life explodes, creating a virtual spectacle of corals and corals.

The clear and clean waters attract huge shoals of brightly coloured exotic fish, whale sharks and manta rays along with many other fascinating pelagic species. The rich marine life and varied underwater landscapes combined with clear visibility offer a delightful experience for both marine naturalists and underwater photographers.

The available playgrounds vary incredibly and offer extensive diving opportunities. There’s the option to begin with a laid-back dive taking you through vast coral gardens, or go for a swim exploring some of the many grottos and caves. You could also discover a ship-wreck or perhaps join a multi-level diving trip, taking participants along a granite sheer wall with different marine life species to be seen in every cranny and nook.

A number of professionally operated dive centres on Phuket provide three main services in addition to gear sales and hire, certified PADI training courses, diving daytrips as well as live aboard diving tours that last several days.

Several of the greatest tour schedules, make Thailand’s largest island one of the globe’s first-class holiday destinations. The Andaman Sea’s unparalleled splendour is waiting for you to explore it! Some of the most favourite tours include: elephant trekking & white water rafting, Phi Phi Islands speedboat tours, Phuket Island and City tours, Phuket safaris, kayaking daytrips to Phang Nga Bay and the Phuket Fantasea Show.

 Phuket offers unforgettable kayak trips 

Positioned within less than 75 miles northwest of Phuket and about 31 miles west of Khao Lak, these gorgeous islands not have a pier and there’s no airport. Several rangers live on the Similan Islands to protect the colourful reefs. The camping site, bungalows and restaurant were established by the government.
 
Travelling to the Similan Islands can best be arranged via one of the region’s tour agencies or through a diving operator. There are numerous available, but you should make sure that the companies are insured, certified by TAT, and actually are familiar with the islands.

While there are numerous businesses on Phuket advertising direct tours, it is extremely rare. Nearly all tour agencies transfer travellers 62 miles via minivan to local Taplamu pier on Khao Lak, then onwards. It is recommended to contact operators on Khao Lak for all your travel essentials – they are less expensive and much more familiar with local conditions. Guide to Thai Islands

Providing the Similan Islands’ principal gateway, Thap Lamu Port is a deep water pier as well as the nearest point off land. The voyage by speedboat takes about 70 minutes. It takes about three to five hours for larger vessels to reach the islands, so most of these boats leave at night.

Tourists can go live-aboard diving and there are also many dive sites, daytrip options, dive shops as well as available scuba dive courses. From Phuket visitors can navigate to Khao Lak onboard live-aboard boats or to the gorgeous Similan and Phi Phi Islands and Richelieu Rock.

Phuket and the Phi Phi archipelago, which provide world-class diving playgrounds, feature crystal clear waters, breathtakingly beautiful rock formations and an ecosystem that is vital and housing plenty of marine life. The water’s temperature is also pleasurable having average temperatures of 82 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, there are numerous and varied of soft and stony corals surrounded by tropical brightly coloured fish along with other fascinating creatures of the ocean. Online Phuket diving resource

For those visitors who would like to spot large animals there are the Manta Ray and Whale Sharks whose sighting are pretty usual. In addition, there are also several other idyllic islands, which are positioned within a short distance from Phuket and accessible by live-aboard as well as day boats as well as live-aboard cruises.

Besides this popular holiday destination’s excellent water treasures, there is much more on offer such as a selection of world-famous beaches, booming nightlife, gourmet restaurants, first-class hotels and resorts, plenty of shops and many other tourist facilities.