Heading to Bangkok on the 11th nov 2adults 2kids. Never been so thinking of doing 2-3days in Bangkok then flying to Phuket or krabi and staying for a further 5 days. Not sure of wat to do I'm hearing steer clear of patong so thought Karon or kata. Maybe even phi phi island for a night or 2. What's everyone's thoughts I want a nice hotel/area with plenty for kids to see and do. I want the shopping bargains of course and I would like to RELAX eat an have a massage or 2. Or do I forget the whole thing and head to chiang Mai? Opinions please???
Karon, Kata, Krabi or Phuket
mel82 on 24/10/2013 - 23:54
Comments
Yeah what mskeggs said. IIRC many years ago we stayed at Karon, which was sufficiently far away from the hustle and bustle of Patong. When you do go to town you don't want to be too far away, so the remote resorts might not suit your shopping ambitions. We also took a half day trip to Phuket Town for lunch and to see a different side of Phuket.
There is almost nothing at Krabi, went there on a day trip once. Don't waste your time.
I'd recommend Kata. It has lots of nice lay-back restaurants, some with cover bands. Then there's Dino Park (who doesn't love plaster dinosaurs) and the staff wear Flintstones costumes! The beach here is nice - there's a reef offshore that keeps the waves down and good, safe swimming for the kids. Karon is not bad either but the beach there is quite dangerous. The water gets deep very quickly and there are rips and big waves (read several drownings each year).
There is quite a lot of shops at kata for the low end stuff like shirts and shorts and other trinkets. If you want some upmarket stuff like good quality shoes, jeans, jackets etc, hop in a songthaew (like a small utility with bench seats in the rear) and go to the Jungceylon Shopping centre in Patong. At the same time, you could take a look around Patong to see how tourism goes beserk then head back to peaceful Kata.
My two bob's worthI can't seem to find a good price for a hotel every time I think it's perfect it says it's only for 1 child so I have to book 2 rooms which makes it quite expensive!
2 rooms might be better. Have a look at booking.com e.g Peach Hill you can get 2 double/twin rooms for 5 nights for around $1000. Good location too
Consider most hotels will allow an extra bed. I find Agoda is the best for accurately reflecting the room bed capacities and charges for an extra bed.
I have a larger family and find an email to the hotel directly usually uncovers how they handle families most cost effectively (either via extra beds or sometimes an unadvertised family room etc.)
Thank u I will have a look now :) centara resort looks nice but! Haha
When looking at hotel sites/prices, click on "map" and go to satelite view, zoom in so you can see how do you get to the beach from the hotel.
Karon Beach has this huge canal running alongside the beach to get over.It goes:
Beach
Wide canal/easement
Busy Road
HotelsYou may have to walk up the road first to find a crossing to get over the canal to get to the beach. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Northern beaches are nicer. Surin, Bang Tao.
kata is the place to stay. the beach is great with restaurants right on the beach. plenty of shopping etc…
Thanks Nettie I think kata it is :)
Phuket is a great destination with kids, but I agree with staying outside Patong.
I haven't been to Phi Phi, but reports from friends suggest it might be a better destination for adult relax time, while Phuket has more to do and see. Of course, both will have plenty of relaxation options.
If you can find a good rate, Katathani is highly recommended. I know they have done Groupon style deals before.
But really, just get on trip advisor and find somewhere that suits you, prices all over are good, and a tuk-tuk into Patong for dinner is cheap.
My only recommendation is to keep to the beaches just north or south of Patong, there are some other resorts further north that are too far out of the way.