Phuket family hotel ideas

mutley74

Hi i am visiting Phuket end of May for 6 nights with my son (11).

i need some ideas for nice places to stay getting bogged down with TA reviews so getting no where!

Need
-pool
-Wifi in rooms
-breakfast
-clean & safe
-close to beach (<5mins) and shops (<10mins) where possible

i was thinking of Karon or Kata beach but cant decide which is better. We not beach loungers but enjoy nice beach walks and like to do some exploring/trips.

any tips welcome as i need to book my internal flight and accomodation soon.

Mr_Wang

mutley74 wrote: »

Hi i am visiting Phuket end of May for 6 nights with my son (11).

i need some ideas for nice places to stay getting bogged down with TA reviews so getting no where!

Need
-pool
-Wifi in rooms
-breakfast
-clean & safe
-close to beach (<5mins) and shops (<10mins) where possible

i was thinking of Karon or Kata beach but cant decide which is better. We not beach loungers but enjoy nice beach walks and like to do some exploring/trips.

any tips welcome as i need to book my internal flight and accomodation soon.

Karon is lovely, but if you've got young kids beware it has the most dangerous tide on Phuket. Someone drowned whilst we were there.
It's also a quite expensive area.
Kata is cheaper and there is a lot more going on, but it is over ridden by Russians.

PompeyPete

A Russian phrase book might come in handy...

http://www.thephuketnews.com/why-phuket-needs-the-russians-38023.php

and prices are more expensive than elsewhere...

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phukets-prices-madness-remains-tourisms-biggest-turnoff-16041/

PompeyPete

Here's a detailed recent thread off TAabout someone who enjoyed Phuket...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g297930-i9925-k6269354-JBR_2_3_13_15_3_13_missing_it_already_LONG-Patong_Phuket.html

and someone with children...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g1210687-i12719-k6368607-Surf_House_anyone_been_with_kids-Kata_Beach_Phuket.html

TA hotel reviews can be written by anyone whether they've stayed in the hotel or not. Many are deliberately malicious or way over the top with compliments. So have a look at the reviews on Booking.com or Agoda. You can only submit a review on those websites by invitation, and to get the invitation to submit a review you must have personally booked a room in that hotel through them.

To help you focus on what you want on the TA discussion forum, firstly go to the Phuket page. At the top of the page type 'children' in the SEARCH box and press <Return>.
When all the relevant threads appear, change the drop-down box on the right of the screen from Relevance to Date, and all the SEARCH results will appear in date order with the most recent ones coming first.

Doshwaster

I'd also recommend stopping in Karon. It's quieter, cheaper and more family-friendly than Patong but only a short ride away.

The only thing to watch with Karon is the sea as the tide there is very dangerous. The beach is fine but it's not safe for swimming.

As others have said, there has been a Russian invasion recently in some areas. If you think that young British men are rude, heavy drinking and troublemaking then you haven't seen anything yet

mutley74

Doshwaster wrote: »

I'd also recommend stopping in Karon. It's quieter, cheaper and more family-friendly than Patong but only a short ride away.

The only thing to watch with Karon is the sea as the tide there is very dangerous. The beach is fine but it's not safe for swimming.

As others have said, there has been a Russian invasion recently in some areas. If you think that young British men are rude, heavy drinking and troublemaking then you haven't seen anything yet

These pesky Russians seem to get everywhere (seen them in Turkey too:eek:) (def not interested in Patong!)

Surely there must be some areas which are okay for a casual traveller like me in?
Im trying to figure out which is better Karon or Kata?
Just looking for clean beaches, with some shops etc nearby and near bus routes so we can travel around island.

Doshwaster

mutley74 wrote: »

These pesky Russians seem to get everywhere (seen them in Turkey too:eek:) (def not interested in Patong!)

With the European economy struggling the tourism market is changing. While SE Asia used to be dominated by northern Europeans and Australians you now see many more newly wealthy Russians, Chinese and Indians.

At the danger of stereotyping, the Russians are mostly interested in drinking all day while the Chinese and Indians like to shop until they drop.

I never made it to Kata so cannot comment on what it is like.

Mr_Wang

mutley74 wrote: »

These pesky Russians seem to get everywhere (seen them in Turkey too:eek:) (def not interested in Patong!)

Surely there must be some areas which are okay for a casual traveller like me in?
Im trying to figure out which is better Karon or Kata?
Just looking for clean beaches, with some shops etc nearby and near bus routes so we can travel around island.

Koh Lanta - That's where you need to be mate.

parcival

Try the Cape Panwa hotel or it's sister hotel the Kantary Bay. Both on the southern end of Phuket.

Both are very Brit friendly and not to many Russians......

lovesgshp

Would not go to Phuket, if you have a alternative. Have been there quite a few times and son lives there, as has done for 7 years.
The place is now a real dive he says. Crime is increasing, Russian !!!!! are trying to run everything as well as the Thai side. Prices are going OTT, with different menus in restaurants for farangs and Thais. Tuk-tuks are overpriced.
He runs a business there and sees how downhill the whole place has gone. We talk to him at least once a week and hear all of the stories, that are suppressed in the local papers.

mutley74

lovesgshp wrote: »

Would not go to Phuket, if you have a alternative. Have been there quite a few times and son lives there, as has done for 7 years.
The place is now a real dive he says. Crime is increasing, Russian !!!!! are trying to run everything as well as the Thai side. Prices are going OTT, with different menus in restaurants for farangs and Thais. Tuk-tuks are overpriced.
He runs a business there and sees how downhill the whole place has gone. We talk to him at least once a week and hear all of the stories, that are suppressed in the local papers.

Chose Phuket as it had better flight options to Phuket and From (to BK). Where else would you choose?

Surely it cant all be that bad?
Is Kata or Karon all Russian run?