Free time activities

Besides studying we also have lots of free time and Phuket offers lots of activities to spend your time and money. Going to the beach is always an option and there are plenty of beaches to choose from.

Patong beach is closest to the university (15 minutes by motorcycle) but also the most crowded beach on Phuket. It's full of tourists, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and people selling all kinds of stuff. If you're looking for entertainment it's the right place to go but for swimming and relaxing on the beach there are better places. There are also many water sports available in Patong.

Karon beach is located a 10 minute drive to the south of Patong beach. It's a large beach with a volleyball field and when we went there it was not too crowded and the sea was perfect to swim.

Kata beach is just 5 minutes south of Karon beach and a very nice but expensive place. There are lots of activities you can do there such as jet ski (people told me that you shouldn't try it on Phuket, because there are lots of scams, who will charge you hundreds of Euros even if there is just a small scratch on the jet ski), banana boat, surfing and para-sailing. The scenery is also very beautiful but take your own lunch because a simple Pad Thai can cost you around 200 Baht (5 Euros) on Kata beach.

Kata Noi beach is at the southern tip of Kata beach and has been my favourite so far. It's a lot smaller than the other beaches and there are also a lot less tourists. The wave were quite big when I went there and it was great fun playing in the water and diving through the waves.

Photos: Patong, Karon, Kata, Kata Noi

Apart from just hanging out at the beach there is lots of other stuff you can do here. Last week we went bowling (60 Baht/person/game)and two weeks ago asiaexchange arranged surfing lessons for those who were interested. It cost us 1000 Baht (25 Euros) for a 1,5 hour lesson (it might seem like a short time but trust me, it's more than enough!) and we could use the boards for the whole day. It was lots of fun but the next day my body felt like I got run over by the All Blacks... ouuch! Of course we've also had some pool parties since around half of the people are living in two houses which have pools. So don't worry about feeling bored in Phuket, there is always something to do here.