Category: Phuket Guide

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Phuket Guide

Songkran – Thai New year

Songkran – what to see more than just a water fights

Songkran is probably one of the most fun festive time in Thailand. It is the Thai new year and national holidays. It is the time when people go back to their families, spend quality time together. Songkran day is on April 13 of every year, and the holiday period extends from 14 to 15 April to enable people to travel home for the holidays.

The word ‘Songkran’ came from the Sanskrit word meaning transformation or change. It is the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia.

There are plenty of symbolic traditions during Songkran celebration, begin with merit-making in the morning. Locals visit temples and offering food to monks. Other traditional ritual include pouring water on Buddha statues and the young perform water pouring to elderly, representing purification and the washing away of one’s sins and bad luck.

However Songkran festival known internationally as ‘Water Festival’, major streets throughout the country are closed to traffics, and used as arenas for water fights. People of all ages celebrate this tradition of splashing water on each other, traditional parade are held nation wide. You will probably hear locals say ‘Sawaddee Pemai’ which mean happy new year to each other while having water fights on the street.

Under the surface of a fun water festival, Songkran is definitely a time to visit families, friends, and love ones, much like Christmas for westerners. Some families have traditional dish that they would cook together once a year during the festive time. A well rounded Songkran practice is recommended, so you can deepen your experience and understand the culture better than just a brush on water fights surface.

Due to serious COVID-19 situation in April 2020, the virus puts paid on Songkran. Government ban large public gathering, the celebration was suspended national wide in 2020, first time ever in the history of Songkran festival in Thailand that this is happened. With the vaccine and situation look into a better situation this year, everyone is hoping to be able to celebrate Songkran festival again in 2021 with a hope and a brighter future to come. Locals are looking forward to spend time with families and love ones, kids are expected to have their fun time with friends away from school. Especially this year, the time that all of us looking forward to a shinning light of hope.

Phuket has welcomed millions of visitors during April each year to celebrate Songkran festival. The famous street in Phuket where most people go to celebrate is no doubt, Patong beach and Bangla road, some may find that a little too busy for such a relaxing period. An alternative venue that can be as much fun in terms of water fights but not as crowded is on Kata and Kata noi beach. The ocean has never been so pristine, the best time to visit Phuket is now!

Luxe-villas has many luxury properties located less than 2 minutes drive or 5-10min walk to the famous Kata and Kata noi beach. You can celebrate the fun Songkran on the beach while staying with us. For more information, please send your enquiry on the contact page.

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Phuket Guide

Surf season, Kata beach Phuket

Surf season, Phuket Thailand

Phuket is famous for its beautiful beaches and clam ocean from November to April each year, This Pearl of the Andaman Sea welcoming millions of tourists on its beaches. However the green season in Phuket has more to offer, in the past decade, some already know that it is one of the best surf destination in Thailand.

Surf scene has been in Phuket since 2005 and getting more and more popular, from May to October considering the best time to surf in Phuket. These three months offer non-crowded beaches because there are more rainy days than a clear blue sky. The southwest monsoon, wind and waves come from the southwest and since Phuket exposed to the west waves hitting the popular beaches of Phuket, make swimming difficult but create the surf scene around, drawing the other group of visitors to the island.

Kata beach is one of the most popular beach to surf in Phuket. Kata beach welcomes all surfer levels, there are plenty of surf board shops and surf schools available on the beach, some offer class with equipment rental included in their rates, or if you are an experience surfer and only want to rent the board, there are different rates for 1-2 hours or all day rental. Some shop will train you before you hit the waves and try it out for the first time. However don’t expect Phuket waves to be like those waves in other professional surfing destination. Kata waves are good for beginner who want to try it out and enjoy the waves.

Before hitting Kata beach for surf season, you might want to equip yourself with rip current and how get out of it. While the ocean is great for surfer, some swimming skills is always good to have under your sleeves.

Luxe Villa’s properties are located within walking distant to Kata beach, the popular surf scene in Phuket. Enjoy special hotel rates during the so call ‘low season’ of Phuket and kick your surf skills up a notch with Luxe villas. For more information, please send your enquiry on the contact page.

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Phuket Guide

Pa Hin Dam and Nui beach – Pin it for your next trip to Phuket

Phuket visitors often ask themselves, where can they go that out of the beaten tourist tracks. Most would have thought, there should not be places people never set their foot on this famous island of Thailand. Although Phuket is a well known tourist destination for both hemispheres, it never seized to amaze me with new hidden corners of this island called the Pearl of Andaman Sea.

If you happened to be on the south side of Phuket, along Kata and Karon beaches. One of the best kept secret of southern Phuket gem is Pa Hin Dam or the Black Rock viewpoint. Not many people know about it until only about a year ago that it was discovered, still not many people actually visited, it might be because both Pa Hin Dam and Nui beach required a healthy physical person. You do not need to be an athlete, however being physically fit will be required. There is a dirt road entrance and more than a kilometer walk down and up the steep hill, and this is why it was been kept untouched for a long time, otherwise it would have been discovered by public long ago.

Actually getting there is not pretty straight forward, from Karon viewpoint on 4030 road, drive south 400 meters, you will find parking for the entrance to Nui Beach and Pa Hin Dam on your right. Here is where your adventure begin. The dirt road leading to both attractions, get off your vehicle and walk along that road for about a kilometer then you will find a three-way intersection, right to Nui beach, left to Pa Hin Dam, choice is yours.

To Nui beach, one of the most exclusive beach on the island. Enjoy your physical exercise down to the beach and there are small shop selling drink on the beach to quench your thirst. Locals are friendly and you can spend your time worshiping the sun there as long as you want, just make sure that you have enough time to walk back before it is too dark since there is no accommodation available.

Getting to Pa Hin Dam use the road on the left at the intersection or hike up from Nui beach, once you are there, the spectacular panoramic view of Phuket beaches and small islands will make you forget all those sweats along the way. You will have an impressive view of the famous Promthep cape, the southern tip of Phuket where most people go to watch the sunset. If you would like to stay and watch the sunset from this view point, make sure to carry a flash light with you, because after sunset the path out can be quite dark.

Luxe-villas properties are located within 5 kilometers to Pa Hin Dam, less than 2 minutes drive to the parking at the entrance of Nui beach and Pa Hin Dam. You can enjoy the hidden Phuket gem while staying with us. For more information, please send your enquiry on the contact page.