andrewrh

We are flying down to Phuket in February. Can anyone recommend a nice hotel ? I was looking on line and Kamala Beach looks nice. Anyone been there ?

Englishmum

We have twice enjoyed our stays at the Marina Phuket Resort - which is in a great location at the headland of Karon Beach, and unlike other hotels around the bay (eg. the Hilton) you don't cross the main road to get to the beach, there is direct access.

The first time we stayed there we were with two other expat families (9 kids in total and 7 adults) and there were loads of things to occupy kids of all ages; the tweens did parasailing in the bay, snorkelling etc. Also right next door the hotel operates the Dino Park (a v.good mini-golf course with a dinosaur theme, volcanoes etc.). You can hail tuk-tuks right outside the hotel entrance but there are many restaurants, bars and tourist shops all adjacent to the hotel on the main road. We didn't get any traffic noise at all.

The last time we were there (in July) it was just my spouse and myself and we stayed in the newly renovated Garden rooms....absolutely gorgeous...and we went to the nearby elephant trekking centre and they picked us up at no extra charge.

http://www.marinaphuket.com/home.html

Around the corner of the headland at Kata Beach is ClubMed, which I haven't stayed at but friends who've stayed at other Club Meds think they're great for families.

http://www.clubmed.com.sg/cm/resort-...HUC-ac-vh.html (prices will be in Singapore $ as I'm in Singapore, but you can change your country)

Friends have also stayed at the Indigo Pearl (with their then 2 year old) but they did say it was a bit remote so they never left the hotel grounds:

http://www.indigo-pearl.com/The-Hotel

There are hundreds of places to stay in Phuket.....obviously it's hard to suggest places as you didn't state your budget and ages of your kids!

bakedbean

I used to live in Phuket until a few months back. As Englishmum says, there are loads of places to stay. I quite like Kamala - it's a nice town and plenty of local eateries there.

Will you have a hire-car? Do you just want an "on the beach" holiday? Nai Harn has a beautiful beach and 2 hotels right at the side of the beach. All Seasons Hotel and the other one I think is called Royal Yacht Club (a bit pricey that one) and ironically is not actually a yacht club.

If you want "things to do" for the kids, then Kamala, Kata, Kata Noi are all nice places. Kata Noi is very nice, quietish. You can google for hotels there.

Enjoy your hols. February should be good weather there.

uk_vette

Hi,

We were at the IBIS hotel, in Kata.

Nice hotel, and clean.

Just a 10 minute walk to a very nice beach.
The IBIS is where we will go again in 2011.
We will probably go some time end of February, up to middle of March.

'vette

nonthaburi

You're probably not going to like this but I would recommend not going to Phuket in the first place. It is a rip-off island with no redeeming features IMO apart from the airport. If I were you I would go to Krabi on the mainland or further down to Phangna or Trang. Much nicer places and the locals are so much less jaded by the whole tourist thing . Depends what you're after though. If you want to stay in a nice resort and never leave your sunlounger then Phuket is the place for you. Enjoy your trip !!

bakedbean

Krabi and Phang Nga I would agree with you if Andrew and family can get easy flights there. Not sure where Andrew is flying from.

Trang???? You gotta be kidding and yes I have stayed there 3 times and only because it is midway between Phuket and Penang where I live and, with the choice of locations in deepest southern Thailand , it's better the devil you know. For a start off, no-one speaks any English there. It is not geared up for international tourism. There seems to be an apparent shortage of food there? At the hotel we stayed at earlier this week, with a nice big menu, pointed at a couple of dishes. Mai Mee (don't have). Another one? Mai Mee. Eventually asked them in very bad Thai what exactly they did have, and it was just one dish of snapper. So we decided that snapper would be a good idea. (and it was very nice too actually).

I'm sure it could be a very nice place indeed but you'd need to throw an awful lot of money at it first to attract international tourism. It's got a small airport I think - need to expand. The scenery from Trang to Phattalung (you'd need a car) is superb - National Park land. But family holiday? I don't think so. And do you think the Thai gov is going to invest heavily in southern Thailand?

Apologies if sarcasm has got the better of me here, but it was only a few days ago and still very fresh in my mind

andrewrh

Thanks everyone for the useful info.

We are flying down from Beijing - terrible schedule, (arrive and depart after midnight) but it's the most convenient location.

I've had a look around the internet and decided on Kamala Beach - our son is 2 years old and basically we just need a nice clean pool at the hotel and some sand and sea within a short walk. Last Chinese New Year we staying just outside KL in a resort with a waterpark. This year a quieter setting would be better.

Thanks again.

nonthaburi

555555555555555555. I've got to laugh at that. I guess you had a bad holiday then BB. Sorry about that.
Just my own personal opinion about Trang and I really liked the place and I've not been there in quite a few years now as well so it's probably better now than it was. I agree that it's not really geared up for international tourism ( more Thai tourists really and the underwater wedding thing WTF ?! ) but that has never really been a priority of mine.
I can see that language could be a problem as well but my Thai is pretty good anyway and my wife is Thai + two Thai speaking kids so that is never a problem. I guess I forget what it is like to come here without all that. Trying to remember what it was like when I first came here now not speaking a word of Thai.
I never had a problem with food though, I reckon you were just a bit unlucky with where you stayed .
Oh well, I'm sure in a few days you'll be laughing about it. Hope you have a better holiday next time

bakedbean

Yes, sarcasm gets the better of me sometimes, heh heh.

No it was just an overnight stop both directions as we were driving Penang-Phuket-Penang and it's a bit of a long drive as you probably know.

I do sort of know what you mean about Trang. It has got potential but they need to pump some money into it, and the language is going to be a problem for international visitors.

The food shortage thing was the same each stay. We also stayed at Lampam near Phattalung and that was even worse. Again, beautiful scenery down there on Lake Songkla but needs some investment.... and education investment in the peoples too. Mmmm maybe getting a bit too political there

nonthaburi

I guess for me I've always liked the island life and Trang and Satun as well have some very quiet islands that aren't too touristy where you don't get the whole sexpat thing. It's quite hard to find places like that these days so that's why I like it.

Gemma setter

The Boathouse ON Kata Beach is best for any age because the food is superb, and you literally step onto the beach from the hotel terraces,and the sea is safe
Kamala is remote and not much choice of quality eateries.
It all depends on your budget and February is high season, so not much bargaining to be done
Kata is best for babies.

sassie

Hope you have a nice holiday. We have just booked 2 weeks in April to Phuket. After doing loads of research, we have decided to stay at the Katathani Beach Resort in Kata Noi. The resort has 6 pools so plenty of space for people to spread out and is right on the beach. It's also relatively quieter than the likes of kata and patong (not from personal experience, but from reviews I've read on the net) and its only a short walk into Kata, so it ticks all the boxes for us.

uk_vette

.
Hi Andrew,
Last year we went to Phuket. Ibis Kata.

We flew from Weifang to Guanzhou, then got the fast boat to Hong Kong, then flew to Phuket.

It was quite easy despite how it sounds.
Are you still in Dalian?

'vette

Gemma setter

Stayed there ten years ago, if you like Germans putting towels or plimsoles on the chairs before 6 each morning it's O.K.
Also your short walk is short on the map, but there is a steep hill between Kata and Kata Noi, so you need plenty of breath, which can be a problem in the heat. and kata Noi has nothing else there except the hotel so you are short on entertainment if the weather is inclement. Be sure to request a room in the newer blocks as the original ones in the older part are pretty much old fashioned!

bakedbean

I like Kata Noi, quieter than Kata for sure, but it's got a very nice beach if beachlife is your thing. Dunno about Germans and plimsolls - all sorts of nationalities go there.

Yes, not sure about the walk into Kata. It is very steep. Could risk a taxi??