Mr.Mac’s Hotel Blog : The Pattaya Blog

You know you are going somewhere special when your resort complex has its own lounge at the airport. Laguna Phuket Airport Hospitality Centre at Phuket Airport is available to resort guests for relaxing after or before their flight. And there is staff on hand to assist with arrival and departure queries.

Laguna Phuket is situated on sandy Bangtao Beach around 30 minutes south of Phuket International Airport. The beach stretches some 8 kms, along the edge of the Andaman Sea, on the west coast of Phuket Thailand.

Today, Laguna Phuket is probably Asia’s premier resort complex but when I first saw the area in 1982 it was nothing more than wasteland.

The dramatic transformation was brought about by the visionary Chairman of Singapore’s Wah Chang Group. From a tin-mining wasteland there grew 5 top-quality hotels and a shopping ‘village’ all set amidst beautiful landscaped gardens and a network of lagoons. Between them the hotels have 30 bars and restaurants and a whole host of facilities including gyms, games rooms, tennis, archery, swimming pools and watersports.

Adjacent to the resort is the 18-hole Laguna Phuket Golf Club This par 71 course makes good use of the undulating landscape and lagoons. All Laguna Phuket guests can enjoy reduced green fees.

Each of the hotels has a spa and by all accounts the Banyan Tree Phuket Spa is probably the best. When it comes to awards I tend to be a little cynical but there must be some substance when a hotel, like this one, is voted World’s Best Spa Resort by readers of Cond

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Phuket History The first records in Phuket history originate in the beginning of the 11th century. As far as historians have been able to trace, the first inhabitants of what is now known as Phuket were the sea gypsy’s and theNegrito’s.

Phuket Negritos The Negritos are considered by historians to be the indigenous inhabitants of South East Asia. The Negritos include tribes from the Malay Peninsula, Andaman tribes, Pilipino tribes and the Semang tribes. The Negritos were small people and were pygmy sized. They are in fact considered to be among the smallest races when looking at population size. Genetic expert consider the DNA of the Negritos to be among the purest of any human race.

Junk Ceylon Junk Ceylon. was the first name of Phuket in its history. Historians have found the original name of Phuket on the maps of Portuguese sea merchant maps. There was an earlier mention of Junk Ceylon in a book written in the year of 157 AD. The book was written by a well known Greek philosopher. Cladius Ptolemy.

The Greek philosopher mentioned that if one was to travel to the Malaysian peninsula, one would have to pass a cape which he called the Junk Ceylon. The Junk Ceylon was given a location between the latitudes of 6 N and 8 N which would be the position of present day Phuket. It seems that the Junk Ceylon was visited by sea merchant from various countries as the bay of Junk Ceylon offered a superb protection against the forces of nature and gave the merchants an opportunity to rest and restock.

Recent Phuket History Phuket become later known as Thalang after the city which still exists in the northern region of Phuket. An important part of Phuket history was during the 15th century when Phuket obtained the reputation as a leading tin mining producer. Due to the local mining industry, Phuket become somewhat of a trading hub.

Due to the large volume of European merchants and traders that were calling port in Thalang, the Thai King during that period decided that Phuket should be administered by a European. Between the period of 1681 and 1685, Thalang was administered by a French missionary named Renee Charbonneau.

Burmese Invasion Another imporrant event in Phuket history was in 1785 when enemy troops from neighboring Burma attempted to invade and rule Phuket. Two Phuket ladies decided to stand up and defend the Island in the name of the King of Thailand. The former governor’s widow, Chan, and her loyal sister Muk organized a defense which lasted nearly a month.

The Burmese troops were left with no supplies after they had been unable to get past the defence for over a month. The aggresors had no other option but to withdraw as their suplies had run. The king of Thailand heard of the heroic actions of the two sisters and bestowed upon them the noble titles of Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Si Sunthon. Even in present day Phuket, the two sisters have not been forgotten and are in fact still honored and respected. In 1966 the two sisters were honored by their very own statue which stands at the Tha Ruea Intersection.

Read the remaining article on Phuket history in the Phuket guide: http://www.all-phuket.com/phuket_history.html

James welcomes you to read more about Phuket in the Phuket Travel Guide

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The largest and most accessible island in Thailand, Phuket, lying off the South West coast, is also one of the most diverse and developed. It is blessed with a wealth of natural resources to entice the visitor. Lime stone cliffs, white sand beaches, rocky headlands, peaceful sweeping bays and a forested tropical interior. Alongside its natural assets Phuket has a range of accommodation and entertainment to offer something for everyone.

Phuket island is about 850 kilometers South of Bangkok. The province covers 590 square kilometers including the additional 39 small islands. The main island itself covers about 540 kilometer square and measures 48 kilometers North to South and 21 kilometers East to West.

As the island is the biggest in Thailand you can find quite beaches and you can party the night away at others. It is all up to what you are looking for.

Phuket is connected to the mainland by two bridges. These cover the narrow strip of water that separates Phuket from Phang-Nga province on the North side of the island. The rest of Phuket borders only the tropical Andaman Sea.

The island is a variety of manly forested mountains stretching North to South and flat plains. However it is the jewel of the Andaman Sea and its palm fringed beaches that has contributed to making it the wealthiest and most visited island in the South. It attracts thousands of visitors a year. Many are content to relax on its many beaches, but for the more adventurous Phuket is a center for diving in the area with world class dive sites a short boat trip away and facilities for all levels.

The year is divided into the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season falls from May to October, with September and October being the wettest. The dry season, from November to April gradually gets hotter and hotter until the rains start again. The most pleasant time to visit, but also the most busy, is from November to February. At this time blue skies and spectacular sunsets are the usual, along with a cooling sea breeze and average temperatures ranging from 23c to 33c.

Phuket also has something to offer those who are looking for more than beach lounging. Phuket town with its Sino-Portugese architecture, markets, temples and friendly small town atmosphere is a place to sample real thai living and enjoy the bustle - just be careful in the narrow streets with all the motorbikes! Phuket island has food and restaurants for any taste and budget. Surrounded by the rich Andaman Sea its no surprise that its sea food is exceptional. Accommodation ranges from five star world class resorts to simple bamboo beach side bungalows with everything in between.

Nevertheless, emphasis is put on the upper sector. Phuket is not just the most popular destination in the South of Thailand but it also is extremely popular among people from Hong Kong and Singapore and other foreigners that are looking for a holiday house. In no other place in Thailand is it as expensive to buy property as in Phuket. Many rich people are living here and the offered property is very much geared to the higher end.

Due to Phuket’s world known status as a tourist destination it was rightly or wrongly at the center of the media attention after the tsunami of 2004. In comparison to other provinces in Thailand, Phuket actually received less damage and had a lower death toll. Also, compared to other countries that were affected by the Tsunami Thailand had probably the least problems. Only days after the tsunami many beach front bars were open and ready for business. Since then there has been much attention and help by the Thai government (focusing on the big businesses) and other organizations to get business back up and running and to promote tourism back to the region. Now apart from the warning sirens and ‘tsunami evacuation route’ signs there is little evidence that the tragic events of the 26th of December, 2004 ever happened.

Richard Meyer is a professional travel writer for Excelloz which is an online travel website that specializes in hotel reservation in Asia and Oceania but soon worldwide. In addition to hotels, Excelloz provides free travel guides and independent hotel reviews.

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