An introduction to Phuket
Phuket Island's Sports Facilities
| Diving |
| O ne of the major assets of Phuket as a flourishing vacation resort
is its abundance of diving destinations both in its vicinity and off islands several hours away, all offering a fantastic
underwater world. |
From Phuket, all sorts of diving tours are organized lasting from half a day to 2 weeks. The nearest
are sites off the west coast. There are good close-up photo opportunities with dives up to 35 meters. |
Much more popular are trips to islands lying to the south and east of Phuket
about 30 minutes to 2 hours away by motor boat, including Coral Island (Ko He) which offers a dive all year round; Ko Racha,
which has dives up to 30 m.; Shark Point, a favourite sleeping spot of leopard sharks and stingrays; Ko Dok Mai which offers
a series of cave dives; and Ko Phi Phi where you can see white-tip sharks, stingrays and moray eels besides colourful reef
fishes. |
| Truly world-class diving sites are located farther a field, including Ko Samilan, Ko Surin, Ko Tarutao
and Burma Banks. Tours to these diving sites are organized by some agencies in Phuket regularly during the dry season. Burma
Banks, being the farthest and newest, is in the best condition as a diving site. |
There are no less than 10 dive schools in Phuket, all staffed with qualified instructors
who are members of PADI or NAUI, and provided with all sorts of modern equipment. |
 |
| Game Fishing |
| A n important sports event took place in Phuket early
in 1991. That was the 13th. Asian Game Fishing Tournament . It took place from 21st. to 24th. February , with Chalong Bay
(near the southern end of Phuket) as its base. |
The event pointed to the fact that Phuket is fast becoming a top game fishing destination in Southeast
Asia. Indeed, the list of fighting fish species available in the Andaman Sea around Phuket is as long as one to be found in
a game fisherman's handbook. |
The available fishing grounds in the Phuket area extend far beyond the nearby waters. In
fact, annual game fishing contests have been held in Krabi since 1982. Krabi is a province about 75 km. to the east of Phuket
and Phi Phi is a part of it. To the northwest of Phuket, the Similan Islands offer the sport fisherman an almost untapped
potential. Phuket's own west coast is a good fishing ground and is a starting point for fishing tours. |
| Several companies have sprung up in Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi in the last few
years, offering boats and equipment for hire, including professional flying-deck boats. |
 |
 |
| Riding |
Golfing |
| To satisfy the needs of foreign tourists, especially
those from Europe who enjoy horseback riding, riding clubs have been set up in Phuket. Instructors are available for beginners.
And those accomplished riders can walk their horses to admire the natural beauty, or seek adventure by riding at a canter
through the forests, along the beaches or over the hills. |
Thailand has rapidly become an important golfing destination of
Asia, boasting well over 100 golf courses scattered throughout the country.
The rapid booming of golfing facilities in Thailand has been attributed to several factors: the healthy economic development
with a high GNP growth rate for several years successively; the favourable weather conditions throughout the year with hardly
any long-lasting rain even in the rainy season; and the comparatively low green fees and caddy fees.
Some of Thailand's best golf courses are in Phuket.
|
 |
 |
| Sailing |
| The Andaman Sea around Phuket is emerging as the newest addition
to the foremost yachting regions of the world. An annual event, the King's Cup Regatta, first held in Phuket in 1987 as a
60th. birthday tribute to His Majesty King Blumibol Adulyadej, who is a gold medal sailor himself, has taken place in Phuket
with great success each time. |
The regatta has attracted more and more yachting enthusiasts from neighbouring countries
every year and is now one of the prime yacht-racing fixtures in Asia. In 1991, it was joined by several world-class participants
in the Europe 92 Round-the- World Rally who had arrived just in time for the event. |
The rapid development of sailing activities in and around Phuket has been due to several
factors: the natural beauty of the area, the warm climate throughout the year; and the availability of equipment and facilities
for the sport in Phuket. |
 |
| Canoeing |
| I t has long been known that some islands in Phang-nga Bay and the
sea off Krabi, such as Ko Thalu, Ko Hong and Ko Phanak, contain caves accessible through small openings which are immersed
in seawater at high tide but which are just a few feet above water when the tide is at its lowest. |
Until a few years ago, nobody had dared to go inside these undersea caverns for fear of
unseen dangers. Then, finally, attempts were made by some adventurous people. To their pleasant surprise, they found that
there is another big and amazing world inside worth exploring. |
To help tourists find out these secrets of nature, polyester canoes have been imported
by some tour companies and used as vehicles to pass through the narrow entrances conveniently. And undersea cave exploration
tours have been organized regularly. |
| When making such a tour, the canoe is always paddled by a professional assigned by the tour agency.
As a sport, you can also paddle it yourself, not to get into a cave, but to get a close look at the rocks and plants of the
islet. |
 |
| Adventure Seekers |
| F or adventure-seeking tourists, Phuket provides different
kinds of exciting activities. Trekking through the natural environment with a wealth of tropical flora and fauna is
a great adventure. Elephant trekking is another form of enjoyment for visitors to the island. An even more challenging
activity is rock climbing in the limestone mountains where the adventures can experience world class climbing opportunities.
And to sea lovers, sea-walking is recommended. They can view the colourful underwater lives closely by walking under
the sea. |
Elephant Trekking |
|
|
