Going to Phuket with kids
 

Where would you go in Phuket with young kids?
Any other better island destinations within an hour of kuala lumpur/Singapore with young kids - bit of beach but looking for other activities

Phuket is a perfectly fine destination with kids. It has more to do than, say, Langkawi. Weather in December should be very good. Prices will be high, but you are avoiding the very highest prices by not being there at Xmas/NY. I wouldn't stay at Patong beach, but Kata is nice. Or you might want to be at one one the resorts in the self-contained resort community that includes the JW Marriott (or the condos next door, which have kitchens).

Take a look at Le Meridian, which has its own 'private' beach area and pools. Also, Katathani at Kata Noi beach is lovely.

Phuket is a fabulous destination to travel with kids. I have taken my two boys there many times.

What accommodation budget do you have? What ages are the kids and how many in your travel party? Do you require "absolute" beachfront, or is that not a priority. What time of year?

I have plenty of recommendations that I could make but it would be better if I knew a little more about your particular situation.

I have been to phuket twice with my children, and they loved it.
They loved the shopping for bargains, the pool at the hotel and the day trips that we did.
We stayed at the Novotel, and found it perfect for children.
They have a great buffet breakfast, and are reasonably priced. But what I really liked about this hotel was its location which was off the main strip in Patong. It is up on a hill, and so while you are close to the action, you can then remove your self from the hustle.

Hi Shane,

Any chance you could let me know of places to stay in Phuket, we have a group of people heading over for a birthday bash for 7 nights, we are looking for night life, surf and also there will be three kids going 6months 3yrs and 4yrs. I know no where will accept the baby but if you know of resorts that accomodate children as young as 3 that would be a great help.

we would be looking to spend about $700ish for the 7 nights i guess??

Many thanks

Surfing in Phuket?

If you want nightlife then Patong, but be sure you know what Patong is all about these days before thinking about staying there !
Some like it, others dislike it.


One of the best family beach resorts now is the Centara Grand Beach Resort at Karon, it is up the north end, not Patong, but for families and lots of facilities it has a lot going for it.
A tuk tuk to Patong from there would be $ 10-13

What time of year were you planning on because May to October swimming or even going into the sea can be dangerous. But the Centara Grand has some of the very best facilities for children.

For the $700 how many people does that include ?

I know of no reason a resort would not accept those ages, not heard of that one.

First decide on which beach area you want to stay. Patong is solid built up now, Karon still has an open feel to it. Kata is ok but much more built up now.

Once you have decided which beach area suits you then it is easier to give ideas of best places to suit what you are looking for.

If you plan to travel from May to September Koh Samui would be better for weather, plenty to do, there is nightlife in Chaweng but nothing like what you find in Patong Phuket or Pattaya.

Flight time from KL or Singapore is similar to both Phuket and Koh Samui, Koh Samui being perhaps 10 minutes more, that is all. Has lots more resorts and accommodations that are right on the beach. Also has plenty of cottages and bungalows at resorts which are good for families.

No surfing on Samui but if that time of year lots of snorkeling trips.

They do some surfing in Phuket these days but tends to be when high waves, that is also the same time as very dangerous rip-tides. Looks dangerous to me. Also a lot of beaches have Jetskis etc so they can be crowded.

As JamesA says, there ARE some surfable conditions on the west coast during monsoon season, but dangerous rips are common at that time of year, from june to october. During the High Season months the water will be almost flat. If surfing is a big priority then I would go somewhere else.

Knowing the time of year of your trip is essential for any recommendation as price varies considerably in accordance with the season. $100 a night will get you a great room at a beachfront property in September but you may need to double that or move further inland in November.

Not sure why people keep going to Phuket. I guess maybe it feels like home maybe - a bit of USA in Asia, and I understant that... We stay very clear of Phuket generally as it is simply way to developed and it is anything but a Thai island any longer. But if you are looking for a canned, Carnival cruise style vacation, with Carnival activities and some decent nightlife, and Thai people who are pretty much fed up with westerners (I speak Thai so I actually understand what they are saying....) I suppose Phuket is ok. It just ain't what it used to be. Having lived in and traveled around Thailand for some nearly 30 years now, when my friends ask about Phuket, I usually advise a pass. So many other choices that are much more interesting and affordable.... Just my thoughts.

Phuket = best resorts/accommodation, best offshore islands, best(IMO) golf courses, best recreational saltwater fishing grounds, best diving sites etc....

Cokesmith,

Your comments may have some relevance if they are directed to Patong, but it is very unfair to label the entire Island that way.

Phuket is such a large and diverse Island, is easy to travel to and can still be an excellent holiday location for many different reasons. In fact, many Thai people still vacation there.

Yah you are probably right - there are surely some nooks and crannies that are worth a visit. Can't see us ever going back though...

If you did not know Phuket before you would not know how different it is now. I was just down there to visit our branch office in Phuket Town. Drove one evening to Patong just to have a look. Parked at Jungceylon, took a 10 minute walk, that was enough !
Latest at Kata is noisy late night beach parties.
If you enjoy Phuket fine, but all I have is sadness for what used to be 'home' for us.

I would rate Koh Samui ( apart from busy part of Chaweng ) and Khao Lak, Koh Lanta, Koh Chang as much nicer these days for a beach holiday.

I agree James, there are nicer places but many of my friends have been there recently and still had a fantastic time. I think it is too early to write the entire Island off based on what Patong has become.

It is sad to hear that Kata has developed so much. There was certainly no late night beach parties there in 2007. At that stage, you could walk the beach at midnight and hardly see another soul. I hope that beaches like Nai Harn are still the relatively quiet little pieces of paradise they were a few years ago.

We are heading to the east coast of Koh Phangan for our next Thai holiday, this May, as we feel that Koh Samui has almost "outgrown" us as well. Unfortunately, nothing stays the same. We will probably still spend a few days on Samui on the way there, but will skip Chaweng.

We have a place on Koh Lanta and absolutely LOVE that island. The development there is happening at a quick clip but the quiet solitude of the island is still the norm. I would say that Lanta is a FAR better choice than Phuket, especially for families with kids.

What is Lanta like in the LOW season cokesmith? Do many of the bars and local restaraunts close down?

We can generally only travel from MAY to OCTOBER and we have always liked Phuket and Samui as there is such a wide range of activities available, even at that time of year. Our kids are now 13 and 10 and still like some "down time" but we need mini golf, bowling alleys, go karts etc to keep them occupied for at least a few hours every second day.

Where Phuket has always served us well, is that we can stay at a less developed beach but hire a jeep and access all those other distractions when we require them. Is that possible on Lanta?

Yes Lanta does close down pretty quiet in the low season. We like that but it does require a bit of effort to get to do certain activities, that's for sure. I know it is very popular there to rent the three-wheeled motorcycle sitlos there. There may be jeep rental too, I am not sure. THere are a few restaurants and bars that stay open, but most are shut up tight. No real nightlife to speak of then either...ANd there are no mini-golf, bowling alleys and go-karts on the island...yet. I think Phuket is the closest for this as I don't even recall Krabi having anything like this...

""but we need mini golf, bowling alleys, go karts etc""

If that is the case then certainly Phuket

I 'heard' there was a go-kart place opening in Krabi near AoNang but that is all I know.

Koh Phangan now has an Anantara, was named something else before.
May to September Koh Samui are still popular for the much nicer weather. Easier to get to Koh Samui now, increase in flights from Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur ( from KL 3 airlines direct now + Air Asia but that is to Surat Thani and then requires ferry over to Samui ).