Diving Phuket Thailand About Patong Beach

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PATONG TOWN PHUKET

Patong is the main holiday resort on Phuket Island, much noted for it's night-life, which is more on the 'risqué' side of life than the other resorts of the island.

Patong is the upfront, in your face, all drinking all dancing, southern Thailand answer to the fleshpots of Bangkok and Pattaya, only on a smaller scale.

There are hundreds of bars and massage parlours mostly concentrated around the main streets - Bangla Road and Rathu-Thid Road. They service every conceivable need, from the sometimes outrageous Heterosexual but Lady Boy filled Bangla Road with all its scantily clad prostitutes cruising the street, sitting on bar stools or dancing for business on the bar tops to Gays & Lesbians bars on Rathu-Thid Road.

All this should in noway stop the normal sun seeking holiday making couples from enjoying a holiday in Patong, as there is a lot more to the resort than prostitution. Here you will find some of the finest hotels and restaurants in the whole of Thailand, catering to all tastes in a style that brings people back year after year, The prices are usually lower here than other Phuket holiday resorts.

WARNING

Phuket and Patong especialy has a Devil may care attitude that can get the better of some and HIV/AIDS and all other sexually transmitted diseases are rife here as in all Thai holiday areas. Possibly life saving action should be taken when out and about, drinking in the bars and nightclubs of Phuket. If you do find yourself in the company of a Thai working girl/boy the use of Condoms is MANDANDATORY.

You have only yourself to blame for your failure to protect yourself.

Patong Beach

The beach, which is a crescent shaped 3.5 kilometres long stretch of white sand, fringed by palm trees, restaurants, hotels and even a McDonald's, is populated by hundreds of sunbeds, parasols, quickly char-grilling bodies and hawkers selling everything from cheap T- shirts and silk scarves to long-tail boat trips and para-sailing. It is a hive of activity and noise from the jet skis that line a lot of the shoreline-make sure you only swim in the marked off areas as accident do happen, more than occasionally.

I guess this could sound like heaven or hell depending on what your thing is, so I won't comment one way or the other and let you decide for yourself.

If you want a little peace and quiet try at either end of the beach as there are less shady palm trees and even less shady hawkers.

GETTING THERE: All Patong roads lead to the beach.

WHAT'S THERE FOR THE DIVER AND SNORKELLER: Reefs: None. Although you can hire a long tail boat to Paradise beach reef.

RETAIL DIVE EQUIPMENT SALES: Patong has the biggest concentration of retail dive equipment shops on the island and if you're looking to buy, this is the place to do it. Take a friendly divemaster or scuba instructor with you to get the best discounts (we can supply one.)

NAI TRANG BEACH

A little outside Patong proper, you'll find this long white sandy beach that has all the ingredients of a desert island beach- palm trees and sand. Yes you can rent a sun bed and parasol, buy some food and a drink or two, but it's all in a much quieter more relaxing way than Patong beach, which can be seen in all its glory as you savour the view and sounds of relative silence.

Care should be taken in the very shallow water here as the seabed is very rocky and it is easy to trip and turn an ankle or scrape bare skin.

WHAT'S THERE FOR THE DIVER AND SNORKELLER: Reefs: None

PARADISE BEACH

This is one of the few privately owned beaches of Phuket with free access to everyone, and I can attest to the no so easy terrain to and from the beach, but if you want to be 'far from the madding crowd' here is the place you're looking for.

The beach is quite small and set in a rock amphitheatre surrounded by a forest of palm trees above and to the sides with a beautiful soft white sandy beach.

The owners have built an unimposing café and other facilities on the beach, the food is good and the beer is cold. Perfect I hear you saying, 'but here's the Rub, ' There is no made road to this paradise, this solitude must be paid for, not financially but physically.

GETTING THERE: Take a Tuk Tuk or taxi or if on a motorbike rental head south to the very end of Patong beach road (Thanon Taweewong) until you can go no further along the hilly and windy road (Nai Trang Beach.) Now the fun starts. Look for the gate opposite the drinks vendors at Nai Trang. If it's open you can ask the driver to take you to the beach or ride your motorbike, if not, follow the signs as you walk through the cooling forest and down the very steep hill to the beach.

I've had the pleasure of riding my motorbike to this beach, down the hill was no problem, but the bike gave out on the way back and I can tell you, it's a long hard push to the top of the hill in full sun.

WHAT'S THERE FOR THE DIVER AND SNORKELLER: Reefs: Yes. Small rock and boulder dive with hard corals in a maximum depth of 15 metres and visibility at 10/15 metres. Currents are easy to moderate. Lots of fishing by local Thais has left fish stocks low and lead weight covered rocks. Good for a snorkel (rent gear at the café) or a try dive and sometimes used for divemaster training with access by long-tail boat from Patong beach.