phuket or samui in July
 

Hi everyone. Researching a first trip to Thailand. Which island is better in July, phuket or samui. Dont really care about beaches, looking for more activities(especially elephant tours) Will have 2 teenagers in tow, so were looking for lots of activities. It seems that the weather in Phuket in July is "iffy". Rain doesnt bother me, i just dont want to go to an area and most of the tours are unavailable due to rain or wind. Any help would be appreciated.

If you don't care about beach, why go to Phuket or Samui?

If activities and elephants are what you want, go to northern Thailand. You can stay at an elephant camp north of Ciang Mai, or if you want a wonderful resort/elephant experience, it's hard to beat the Anantara at the Golden Triangle. Trekking and other activities ar available all over nortehrn Thailand.

for weather questions, www.weatherbase.com

I guess I should have clarified myself. We still want to do ocean activities, especially kayaking and scuba.Im just not planning on sunbathing on a beach all day, so a nice beach is not the top consideration. We do plan on seeing other parts of the country, just trying to sort out my southern Thailand itinerary.

Phuket side tends to be rainier and seas choppier in July. Samui side will be calmer. That said, rainy season doesn't generally mean it pours down all day, but that it might rain a bit in the later afternoon and evening with occasionals days of raainy, overcast weather. It will be our third trip to Thailand in August and I've stopped considering weather and just pick where to go now based on the place itself.

Ko Tao reportedly has the best diving on the Samui side. Easiest access is by boat from Samui. Diving, while possible on the Phuket side during July, may be limited due to the strong currents. The Similan Islands, for example, would not be possible then.

Other activities...Phuket offers great activities, like John Gray Sea Canoe (excellent, we'll do it again), lots of shopping, ATV tours, speedboat trips, water sports (though perhaps limited due to the number of red flag days on the beach), Phuket Fantasea (if you like shows, skip the dinner there)....there is a lot to do for every interest.

Samui offers water sports as well, mostly from Chaweng Beach. There is some good hiking inland.

In either place, I'd skip elephants...they are not the best kept and you will pay a lot to ride in a basket around relatively unscenic areas. For elephants, do look at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center www.changthai.com and the Anantara Golden Triangle www.anantara.com.

In our case, my daughter and I (she's 9) will have another 2 weeks in Thailand after my husband returns home for work. We chose to do 6 days in Phuket the JW Marriott Resort and Spa, largely for its location (not in the thick of things in the densely built tourist areas as that is very much not our style) and its kids program with circus training that my daughter is excited about, and the excellent low season pricing I got. Then we will spend 5 days at the Anantara Golden Triangle. We've done the program at the TECC, and it was very good. But this time around, I really wanted AC and a real bed, plus the Anantara is in a new area for us. Price per night works out the same at both places for the two of us, but the Anantara is so much more in terms of comfort...so we chose it this time.

If I were you, I'd decide what kinds of things you want to do and experience, what kind of place you want to stay, and budget, and go from there.

Thanks Kimjapan. Lots of helpful info. especially about the elephants. It seems that Chiang mai is the place for that activity. I am kinda looking more at Samui. My main reason for wanting to go to Phuket was to see the Phangnga Bay area. Are the kayaking tours available in July in the Phuket area?

John Gray says he goes every day of the year.