Dive Phuket
The Best place to extend your horizons. Magnificent scenery, eye-catching tropical sunsets and warm blue sea awaits you at Asia’s most admired beach destination. Phuket Island provides an unbeatable mixture of perfect silky soft white palm-lined beaches, superb hospitality and great worth accommodation.
Thailand’s largest island, approximately the size of Singapore. Phuket is an Island located 900km south of Bangkok, it is 57 km long and 15 km wide. . Phuket is blessed with wonderful coves and bays, powdery, palm-fringed white beaches, smaller surrounding islands, seafood and sociable people, delightful turn of the century Sino-Portuguese architecture; several sporting and leisure opportunities; a lush tropical landscape – all of which combine to create a delightful ambience for truly ideal destination for a holiday or long term stay.
Phuket Island itself is primarily granite, with low forested mountains and a series of well white sand beaches, mostly on the west coast. Much of the forest has been cleared, first for rubber plantations and then for tourism development. The one remaining significant stand of virgin rainforest – Khao Phra Thaeo Park is worth a visit.
Phuket is at its best: you’ll get long sandy beaches, warm water, and excellent snorkeling and scuba diving. It also boasts some of the best seafood in Thailand. You can dive Phuket for a wide variety of fascinating local adventures too. Discover the sunken treasures of the King Cruiser car ferry wreck, or if you are a keen photographer then you can take underwater photos of the leopard sharks at Shark Point or Koh Phi Phi. Then there’s the chance to dive with manta rays and view whales at Racha Noi South Point. With unbeatable access to all of the best diving in Thailand, its own varied and fascinating underwater worlds, plus its legendary topside attractions of fantastic beaches and thumping nightlife, Phuket is a fabulous choice.
Best time to Dive Phuket
The warmer waters close to Phuket work to make it a good dive site for a great many reasons and people dive in Phuket all year long. November to April probably works to offer the best conditions for diving, with Whale Sharks being sighted throughout this period. The months between May and October can be difficult for diving because this time of the year is tied in with the monsoon period. However, dive sites are not generally closed unless the weather is horrible, so if you want to take a chance and try to miss the height of the traveler season. These months could offer a good dive experience as well.
Getting There
Phuket has a modern International Airport which supports thousands of direct and connecting flights every year. The airport, located in the north of the island, is only a short distance from most of the major resorts and has excellent connecting roads.
Traveling around Asia is quick and easy with major airlines such as Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines flying direct to Phuket. Other low charge carriers also operate from Phuket making short breaks to other parts of Thailand or neighboring countries convenient and inexpensive.
Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur are only about 1 hour away:
- Singapore is 1.5 hours
- Hong Kong is 3.5 hours
- Tokyo is 8 hours
- Sydney is 10 hours
- London is 13 hours and
- Los Angeles 17 hours
Getting Around the Island
Songtaew
These are small pickups built-in with benches along the side of the bed. They operate like buses, picking up and dropping off passengers as they go along, except that they have no fixed route. You need to flag one down and find out if where you want to go is on his way before boarding in the back. The fare for such buses is usually around 30 to 50 Baht.
Tuk Tuk
A whole new fleet of dark red four-wheeled micro-vans has appeared on the streets of Phuket since the tsunami. A 10 minute trip from Patong to Karon will set you back at least $5. As with tuk-tuks elsewhere in Thailand, you must negotiate the price before getting in.
Taxi
Metered taxis were recently introduced to Phuket. However, they are mostly only available at the airport. There are no other places around Phuket where you can readily find cabs, although you can call them. Note that many hotels will often deny that there are taxis on Phuket. The meter starts at 200 Baht (6.52 USD) and goes up according to time and distance.
Car and Motorcycle
There are a number of car rental agencies around city and also you can rent motorcycles from several places around town, and they make a great way to get around town, if you’re able to ride. Note: helmets are required and well advised to rent a car with driver.
Phuket Dive Resources
- View our Scheduled Dive Trips or Suggest a Custom Trip
- See our Payment Modes
- Learn more about Phuket
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Still not convinced? Just Ask!
Check before you go
- Passport expiry date (most countries require at least six months prior to the expiry date)
- Visa requirements
- Travel Insurance (make sure coverage for Scuba Diving is included)
- Medical status (Visit your doctor if you are unsure)
Phuket Weather NOW!
- Conditions for Phuket, TH at 4:00 am ICTCurrent Conditions: Mostly Cloudy, 82 F Forecast: Mon - Scattered Thunderstorms. High: 89 Low: 79 Tue - Scattered Thunderstorms. High: 88 Low: 79 Full Forecast at Yahoo! Weather (provided by The Weather Channel) […]
