Nine days around Phuket

Hi everyone,

I’m arriving in Phuket on March 1st until the 10th. We’ll have about 9 days there with two kids, aged 10 and 7.

We’d like to visit a few islands... Any ideas? We’ve looked at Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Similan Islands, Phang Nga Bay...

Based on your experiences, what could be a good mini-itinerary?

We’d like to do some diving or snorkelling, a bit of sightseeing (viewpoints, etc.), and some beach time...

Thanks everyone

Hi! Koh Phi Phi is great for diving—plus, I remember you can spot sharks right from the beach. On the other hand, the island’s small and super touristy, so you’ll see it all pretty quickly. Don’t forget to factor in the boat travel time. As for Phuket Island, there’s Patong Beach, but unless I’m mistaken, there’s nothing to visit in Phuket’s main town. So with a 9-day trip, you might end up spending all your time at the beach. If you get tired of the beach, you could visit Bangkok and Ayutthaya, but it’s still a long way from Phuket.

Phuket Town is worth a visit. There’s a really beautiful old town with its traditional houses. For excursions: you’ll find all the options on-site, so you can choose what suits you. Otherwise, you can stay on 2 or 3 islands max, given the length of your trip. Koh Phi Phi and Koh Yao Noi are the closest and very different, for example.

Hi there, You can combine a few nights in **Khao Lak**, located a 2-hour drive north of Phuket, with a few nights on **Phuket Island**. From Khao Lak, it’ll be easier to explore the **Similan Islands** in a day—those are the ones right in front of Khao Lak. Even better, the **Surin Islands**! From Phuket, you can visit the **Phi Phi Islands**, **Phang Nga Bay**, and other excursions with a French-speaking guide at asievacances.com (click on ‘Excursions’ then ‘Phuket’). For your hotel in Phuket, I’d recommend staying in the northern part of the island (like Bang Tao, for example) because there’s quite a bit of traffic when heading to the central-southern beaches (Patong, Kata, Karon…). Alternatively, you could start in Phuket, take a ferry to Phi Phi, spend a few nights there, then go from Phi Phi to Koh Lanta (and stay a few nights), followed by Koh Lanta to Krabi. Finally, return to Phuket at the end of your trip. Normally, I book through: aonangtravel. Have a great trip and make the most of it! 🙂. Pierre

Hi there,

We spent 3-4 days on Ko Lanta, which really deserves several days on its own, especially to explore the small nearby islands. For a day trip, it might be too short.

Ko Phi Phi is very touristy and quite small. We didn’t like it much, but it’s possible to do a day trip there that includes a snorkeling stop at Ko Kai.

Phang Nga Bay was a must for us. We visited Khai Nai Island (a small island with a bar/restaurant, swimming, and water activities), Ko Yao Yai, Ko Hong, and Phanak Island.

All these destinations are accessible from Phuket via agencies offering organized tours.