Phuket in June
 

We are considering an Andaman 3 bedroom unit at Kamala beach. Is this a good location
for a family with 3 teens? Are these units
in good condition?

How will scuba diving in Ko Phi Phi be in late June? We are considering Phi Phi Princess, is this the right choice?

Should we rent a car for the full 5 days on Phuket or just as needed?

In going to Phang Nga Bay, should we drive ourselves or take a hotel organized tour?

We expect to get rain daily
on Phuket but should we also expect some sunny weather?

You are going in the rainy monsoon period ( hence the much lower hotel rates ) so you are correct to expect tropical rains.
Before you considor renting a car be aware that having insurance does 'not' void you of problems should you have an accident, especially if anyone is injured, the insurance won't save you. I would suggest a car and driver to take you around, or take the tours that you can book from your accommodation travel desk/reception.
I know Phuket very well having lived there 3 years but sorry I cannot help with 'Andaman' as I am not clear on the 'name' of the resort/accommodation you are refering to, is the name just 'Andaman'?
Kamala Beach is a quite beach north of Patong but it is also home to the Disney-like Phuket Fantasea which you will either love or hate.

Phi Phi in June, again, you are at the mercy of the weather, if you go in the Monsoon season you must be prepared for rough seas or boat cancelations, of course you might hit the jackpot and get 5 days of brilliant sunshine, it's the luck of the draw, but as I said, that is why the hotels are so cheap at that time.

Dear James. Thank you for you kind reply. The Andaman condo unit is at
Kamala beach estates. They are on a point overlooking Kamala Bay. Are you
familiar with Kamala Beach Estates? The
pictures of the units look fantastic but
we all know how versatile digital photography can be. We are considering
a condo because we want to be able to
hang-out together without being cooped
up in hotel room. The size of the condo
is 232sq mtrs. My only concern is Kamala Beach area may be too boring unless we have a car to make spur-of-moment trips to shop or sight see. Sometims waiting on a taxi can take the
wind out of your sails. Also, we have
5 people which may mean using 2 taxi's???


Regarding water sports in June. All of our family members are excellent swimmers and divers. Are the beach's treacherous or is the danger a matter of
swimming ability? You mentioned seas
could be rough but for diving we are
wondering more about the visability in
June. Any comments?

Regards

Yes I know the Kamala Estate. My personal suggestion if you want self-catering condo place is the 'residence' at Kalim Bay whicvh is actually just beyond the north end of Patong, very good write-ups and they have been around many years though modern and well priced. No beach in front but you walk along or short tuk-tuk ride to main Patong Beach. You are 'out of the busy area' but so close that restaurants and shopping etc are easily reached in 5 minutes.
Far far more for the kids to see and do in Patong than Kamala.
Regarding swimming, all I will stay is 'don't become a statistic', so many warnings are given ubout rip-tides and under-currents, you must be incredibly careful(!!)
You need to seriously considor the weather aspect, it's a toss of the coin or the draw of a card, you might hit lucky and get great sunshine, you may have rain whole time, I think you seriously should take a look at Koh Samui which is also a lively and busy island but in June the weather is so so much better, lots for everyone to do, restaurants etc, plus you can find apartments/bungalows/cottage type places too. Take a look at the residence, and then you can also click thru and take a look at Samui places, look around Chaweng or Lamai if you have teens

http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/ph...dence/details/

You can take boat trips from Samui to Koh Tao for great snorkeling.

Samui Beach Apartments ( previously Seascape ) on Samui are about $50 for a 2 bedroomed apartment, now this is not luxury, but a/c, if you don't mind downgrading a bit they are a bargain for June! Tradewinds Cottages are about $50 for a double and $62 for a 3 bedded(for the kids), a/c and decent, very tropical style right on the beach, beachside restaurant sailing and beach stuff. You can also find luxury villas up to the $1,000 a night range but for 5 days on a tropical island beach I think Tradewinds could really be great for a family and the kids will be happy(!)

You can get a very good insight into Phuket from the online English language edition of the newspaper Phuket gazette, lots of info

http://www.phuketgazette.net