Phuket Travel Guide

Kid's Stuff

Thailand is a very safe place for kids of all ages. The Thai people love children and are quite protective of them, no matter what their nationality. They do like to touch kids, squeezing their arms gently or stroking their hair, especially if your child is blonde, but it is done with the kindest of intentions. However, this can be a bit unnerving for children from the west who aren't used to this kind of attention from strangers.

Food for kids

Phuket has all the familiar fast food outlets, KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and most hotels serve western cuisine, but your kids might enjoy trying some Thai food. Lots of the vendor foods, which are generally safe, are perfect for kids: sausages (big hot dogs) on a stick, barbecued or fried chicken and sticky rice, fresh fruit, dishes of shaved ice flavoured with syrups, battered, deep-fried bananas, sweetened rice and coconut mixtures in bamboo leaves, custards or crisp cakes drizzled with caramelized sugar, and a wide variety of drinks from sodas to fresh fruit juices would also appeal to the most discerning of young palates.

Activities for kids

In the Hotels
Most of the major hotels have a kid's club with facilities and activities geared to kids staying in the hotel. Camp Laguna at the Laguna Phuket offers day adventure activities for 8-18 year olds and is open to children staying at other hotels. Activities range from windsurfing, to T-shirt painting.

Outside the Hotels
Many activities in Phuket can be enjoyed by both adults and children - e.g.., local sightseeing tours and snorkelling trips, ten pin bowling, water skiing and mini golf.

Kids, especially the older ones, will enjoy many of the local sightseeing tours. Phang Nga Bay with its stunning limestone scenery, includes an exiting trip on a local longtail boat through the mangroves, while the Phi Phi island tours have some great snorkelling in shallow water. Specialist eco-tours are available both on the island, and in Khao Sok National Park and nearby Phang Nga. You can take an adventure tours for the day or stay overnight in the forest. Eco-tours offer a variety of activities including rafting, kayaking, elephant riding, trekking and bird watching. For private tours on the water - Coral Seekers - a local company offer family outings to local islands with snorkelling, lunch and beach hopping. For more information on local tours and destinations click here.

Phuket is a great place to learn a new skill, especially in the water. Children over 12, can take a PADI dive course and learn to dive in Phuket's 28C warm water. East of Patong is a water-ski centre which offers instruction in both water skiing and wakeboarding to both adults and children. PADI courses with licensed instructors operate year round and are great value for money.

Summer Schools:
Dulwich International College runs a summer school for about 2 weeks every year in July with sports activities and training, games, artand crafts. Check the Dulwich school website for details.

Age Specific Activities

Ages 4 - 8

Phuket offers lots of activities for families with younger children, including:

• The Phuket Zoo off Chao Fa Road East which offers close-up encounters with animals from S.E Asia, as well as crocodile shows and tigers who will pose for a photo with you.
• The Butterfly Garden and Aquarium just north of Phuket Town.
• Elephant rides at Siam Safari or Adventure Safaris.
• The Snake Show at the Phuket Shooting Range in Chalong.
• Indoor playgrounds with rides at the major hypermarkets on the edge of Phuket town. Big C Supecentre and Tesco/Lotus upstairs next to the food market.

Ages 8 - 12

• Mini golf at Dino Park (mini golf with a dinosaur theme - good for the evening) in Kata/Karon.
• Paintball at The Phuket Shooting Range in Chalong.
• Rent mountain bikes at Mike's Bikes in Chalong, the Bike Shop in Phuket. Many hotels also have bikes for hire.
• Go-Kart Speedway in Patong.
• Horseriding at the Phuket Riding Club in Chalong or Phuket Laguna Riding Club in the north of Phuket.
• Gibbon Rehabilitation Project at Khao Phrae Thaew National Forest.
• Marine Biological Centre at Cape Panwa.
• Cable water ski-ing at Kathu Water-ski Park.
• Phuket FantaSea cultural theme show at Kamala Beach.

Ages 12 - 16

• Hiking or trekking with a variety of eco-tour companies like Adventure Safaris or Jungle Tours.
• Ten-pin bowling at Ocean Shopping Plaza, or Big C Supercentre in Phuket Town, or Ocean Bowl Patong.
• Video arcades at Ocean Shopping Plaza or the top floor of Big C Superstore, located west of Phuket Town towards Patong.
• Rock climbing and abseiling at Camp Laguna, Laguna Phuket Resort.
• Snorkelling.
• Sea Canoeing at various venues in Phang Nga Bay. (See tours)
• Cable water skiing and wakeboarding at Phuket Water Ski in Kathu.
• Scuba diving and PADI certification, for kids aged 12+.
• Big game fishing.
• Bungy-jumping at Tarzans Jungle Bungy Jump for those aged 13+.
• Sunsail offers 5-day courses in sailing, but kids must be accompanied by an older family member.
• Phuket FantaSea cultural theme show at Kamala Beach.