Help with Phuket Beach to stay
 

Please help - I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of beaches in Phuket: Patong, Kata, Karon, Bang Tao, Surin and Kamala.

I know that Patong is the most touristy and busiest. I don't want a beach which is too secluded: I want access to busy places like Patong and yet a bit away from it (that maybe everyone's choice too) which one is a good choice? and why?

Are hotel prices comparable in these beaches?

Patong = busiest
Karon = quieter about 15 mins south
Kata = next down, quieter

Noth Kata and karon has restaurants, some shops, bars etc

North from patong is kamala, fairly quiet but again, restaurants, bars etc

Surin, Bangtao etc more north much quieter.

What is your price range ? le meridien is located just south of Patong on the way to Karon, in it's own nice cove.

Otherwise Kata is probably what you are after.

Hello JamesA ...

I would like to keep the cost at under ~ 3000 baht, for a double room if possible. Will be going around May 2007.

Don't even mind Patong, as long as the hotel is tucked "around the corner" or a few blocks away and not right by the busy strip

...

actually I had 2 hotels in mind, in Kata Beach.

First one is Katathani Beach Resort, and the second one is Sawasdee Village. Price is similar and both look quite nice (at least in their websites). Any recommendation? Thanks

Katathani ! location-location-location (!), great place, has also been used by many others here, surprised about the same as the other one, I would go for Katathani, if you want something good but cheaper one of the 'few' others right on the beach is the easily remembered 'Kata Beach Resort.

John, you do understand that May is likely to be quite rainy... 13.7 inches average rainfall in May in Phuket.

... thanks I will check out the Kata Beach Resort.

No .. I didn't know about the rainfall in May. Actually Phuket is only a side trip .... from Hong Kong. Next year I'm going back to Hong Kong from Canada for my Mom's 90th birthday, so I'll be travelling from Edmonton - Vancouver to Shanghai (7 days) with side trips to Hangzhou (West Lake) and Zhouziang Water Village, then Yellow Mountain for 2 days hiking, then to western China to visit an old Chinese town Lijiang, then it's off to Hong Kong. So hopefully Phuket is a "wind down" get-away trip s I can do nothing and maybe some golfing.

I imagine if May is rainy, June would be more so - so I may try to schedule Phuket towards the end of April if I can help it.

Thanks.

John, here's the weather website I use, I find it very helfpul: www.weatherbase.com