Explore and discover Patong Beach’s wild side. It’s a great tourist place that fulfil the voracious desires of a traveler. It is an exciting place that reflects the Thai Culture, traditions and character. For a fearless traveller, trips to nearby places such as the James Bond Island, Chalong Bay or Tunnel cave could be interesting. While there are also plenty of opportunities for love a few yards away that could be successful, so don’t resist temptations. And of course for a techie traveller, Wi-Fi access is available along the beach hotels, coffee shops etc. Water sports can be exhilarating and fun anywhere in Patong Beach, especially parasailing, jet and water skiing, diving or even snorkelling.

You could also attend traditional Muay Thai boxing lessons and trekking through forests on elephants. Female travellers even enjoy attending some Thai cooking classes. A different state of mind could be achieved if you travel to Chalong Wat or Kalim Beach. An odd tour could also be arranged to visit the Cashew Nut factory, Phuket Butterfly Farm and Insectarium, Phuket Monkey School or The Gibbon Rehabilitation Center. Spend your evenings at a spa, getting a soothing foot or body massage and get prepared for the next day trip. Do visit the Tsunami Memorial Park, located north of Patong Beach in Kamala.

Night life in Patong Beach is an unforgettable experience and you could either start or end your trip day travelling at Soi Katoey on Bangla Road. Explore all the bars, pubs and discos and you can continue your Phuket experience at a cabaret show. You could even go for live concerts in Phuket Brewery; just be sure to remember a good ‘hair of the dog’ recipe for the next morning. Do not forget to enjoy the boat trip to Bang Wat Dam, just be sure to bargain for the best price and get affordable deals and tours available there. It is advisable to do a little research before and make your travelling plans, as there are so many things to see and do in Patong Beach, it could be very expenisve, or cheap, depending either on how much research you do on prices, or, how much luxury you plan to incorporate into your trip.

Booking a room in advance is really necessary especially during Christmas time being the peak season. Budget accommodations are a great choice as there are plenty of bungalows and lodges easily available. Affordable beach lifestyles are also possible here. Amidst the swaying palm trees and fun loving people, you will learn new cultures and traditions. You’ll bring many memories home after your trip, and who knows, –you may even begin planning a new trip on the way back from your first!

Due to the development in the infrastructure, Patong is home to many restaurants, hotels and pubs. It can be safely said that one will never run out of things to do in this place. You can be from the luxury circle or from the common circle, Patong cares for you just the way you need it to. Catering to this wide range of tourists has let Patong grow phenomenally. For those who just want to lay down kick back and relax, there are activities like sun bathing and Thai Massage. Local masseurs will be occupying the shady parts of the beach.

These masseurs really help revive you from your stress and anxiety and let you cool down without burning a hole in your wallet. Jet skiing, windsurfing, kayaking, water skiing, wakeboarding, snorkeling, banana boat and Hobie Cats are some of the water sports that are available on the beach. All the equipment and safety gadgets such as life jackets are available on the beach itself for rent. All you have to do is strap in and have a blast. Volley ball and beach soccer are two other sports that are played on the beach. They are usually played by the home crowd and the locals don’t mind hanging with the tourists. This is also a good way to make some new friends as well. There are beach vendors who sell almost everything from souvenirs to eatables. Bargaining is an important part in doing business with these sellers, but the friendliness of it is enjoyed by both sides.

Ad: Jungceylon mall, Unit 2303, 3rd Floor,193 Rut-U-Thit 200 Pi Road, Kathu, Patong. Tel: 076-366-163. Web: www.soundphuket.com

Sound Phuket in Patong is an upscale nightclub run by the same people who brought the world Bed Supperclub in Bangkok. It’s the kind of place where people go to be seen, as well as to party all night. As such, you’re going to want to dress up for this one.

Sound looks incredible inside, like some kind of nightclub in a spaceship. It’s all very fashion-oriented, so expect the “it” crowd to be in attendance most nights. The music policy varies between hip hop, house, electro and all else in between.

There’s an OK selection of resident DJs at Sound Phuket, including Thai whiz Golfy, as well as a couple of less-impressive expats. Would it have hurt Sound’s image to have delved deeper into the local talent rather than scrape the barrel?

Golfy doesn’t live in Phuket, to our knowledge, and there are a large number of quality Thai DJs on the island.

In high season, the Bed All Stars come out to play, which means some of Bangkok’s finest, including Octo and Bangkok Invaders.

DJ gripes aside, Sound is a fine venue and previous guest DJs have included the likes of Benny Benassi. If you want a real party, though, you might be better off heading to Stereo Lab.

The Twinpalms Phuket has two swimming pools, one of which is a lap pool and the other a large lagoon pool. They also have a spa, a sauna, a fitness center, a lounge bar, a poolside bar, a gift shop, a business center and a library. They also offer massage services, conference facilities and laundry services. It is about 30 minutes away from the Phuket International Airport.

Ad: 106/46 Moo 3,Surin Beach Rd, Cherng Talay, Talang, Phuket 83110 Thailand

When Baba Dining Lounge burst onto the scene a couple of years ago, people were flocking to Phuket’s new “it” venue. At last there was somewhere that managed to find a balance between being a great Phuket restaurant and hosting some wild parties as well. The guys at Baba have been working hard to give the island more of the good stuff and there have been a couple of additions to the Baba family.

Baba-Q is barbeque central with a fine selection of meats from around the world, including fresh seafood. Baba-Q is also home to a cooking school on the second floor, where there are six cooking stations that can be used for lessons or else converted into private hotpots for dining out. There’s a huge swimming pool and Baba-Q is as great a place to eat as it is to work on your tan. There are also parties held at Baba-Q, including NYE 2008 with music legend Arthur Baker. More big names to come for 2009.

Set to open in April is Baba 88 might well become Phuket premier clubbing venue. Baba 88 will be underneath Baba Q and will play host to top international DJs. The guys from Baba usually come good on their promises, so expect some exciting developments. There will definitely be a lot more parties at Baba and Baba 88 will likely be picking up the slack in the Phuket nightlife scene for a long time to come.

Phuket Brewery is a new show-and-entertainment venue and a welcome addition to the Phuket Town nightlife scene. It has all the best elements of a pub, a restaurant and a theater rolled into one. This is a decent place to check out a local scene. The brewery is located directly opposite Tesco-Lotus in Phuket Town. Inside the brewery there is a massive hall with a huge stage and a seating capacity of more than 1,000 along with VIP rooms for private groups.

The nightly show starts at 7 pm. Entertainment comes in many forms, such as live music, magic shows, juggling, acrobatics and traditional Southern Thai dance. You can kick back with dinner and be entertained for an entire night. What’s more, admission is free.

The Phuket brewery has its own beer, Pearl Beer, brewed in-house at a micro-brewery. A one-liter jug of beer will cost you around 250 to 350 baht depending on your style. There are three different kinds of Pearl Beer: a lager, a dark beer and a wheat beer. If you don’t like beer, there is also a cocktail menu. The food menu has various Thai dishes, including deep-fried pork knuckle –- brewery style. Delicious.

Phuket Brewery is occasionally used a venue to host special events, such as concerts. Famous Thai bands like Sek Loso and Carabao have graced the stage in recent months. Even if you’re unfamiliar with Thai bands, the big concerts are always worth checking out. Cheap beer and a crowd of excited locals usually make for a good night’s fun.

If there is a special event on, tickets are about 150 to 250 baht, which will include a drink. Also, every Thursday night is ladies’ night, which means all females get a special cocktail for free. Oddly, there’s also a hoteliers’ night on Mondays. Show your hotelier ID card and get a 15% discount.

We cannot get over what a clubbing wonder Stereo Lab has become. There are regular special events like Hed Kandi and there are a host of top DJs itching to get on the decks at Phuket’s most talked-about venue.

Expect to see the likes of Goldie, DJ Fresh, Fabio, Krafty Kuts, Joey Negro and local favourites. Stereo Lab has really picked up where Club Lime left off a couple of years ago.

The Stereo Lab beach club and lounge is also one of Surin Beach’s newest and hippest place to hang out and enjoy a glass of wine while watching the sunset view out over the northwest coast of the island. There’s something for everyone, with a beach bar, games room, Moroccan lounge, wine cellar, tapas menu and al fresco seating on the beach.

You can walk to Stereo lab from the beachfront parking lot. Walking along the sidewalk by the beach, the place is only about five minutes away. You can’t miss Stereo Lab as it has a large sign. There’s a ground-floor bar and lounge, warm and cozy with white rattan chairs and tables complemented by blue cushions.

There is also a DJ booth and a bit of a dance floor. Upstairs there are private lounges with orange sofas and chocolate-colored pillows to crash out on — kind of Moroccan theme with a bit of beach jazz thrown into the mix.

The house DJ spins a standard blend of chillout and upbeat tunes for partygoers. The place gets very busy after 10, but it’s well worth squeezing in for. There’s even a chance for a boogie on the beach.

Open 11 am until 2 am.

Kargo is the perfect place to either to take your sweetheart after dinner or catch up with friends after work. The one-and-a-half storey bar, serving Kingfisher beer, a premium lager from India, is now open in Phuket serving a range of wines, spirits and cocktails. Dinner and tapas are also available.

Entering Kargo bar and restaurant, whether from the ground floor or upstairs, you can tell there’s definitely something about the place. The venue presents a chic mix of flair in design and architecture with new-age color schemes and décor. The dining area is a great place to share meals on a nightly basis. Looking up, there’s striking galaxy ceiling full of stars.

The lounge bar is in the middle and you can sit and chill after dinner. For something a bit quieter, there is also a VIP room on the second floor, along with comfy sofas and a DJ booth. The resident DJ spins a bit of everything, so expect to hear some pop, a few 70s’ numbers and lots of house music. A welcome addition to the Phuket bar scene.

Open 5 pm until 2 am every Tuesday to Sunday.

Kata Beach is a great beach spot, especially during low season when there aren’t so many people around. The nightlife scene in Kata has a few bright spots, one of the most popular being Ska Bar, located right at the south end of the beach. As the sun sets and the people come out to play, Ska Bar starts rolling out the tunes and the fire dancers get to work, putting on shows on the beachfront.

The music tends to move between hip hop, standard dance tunes and, of course, reggae. Ska Bar is kind of a reggae bar, complete with young Rasta wannabes serving the drinks. The bar is really small, so arrive early if you want to be guaranteed a seat. Beers go for about 80 baht, while cocktails are 120 to 150 baht each.

Ska Bar is a popular Kata nightspot among tourists in the area. The Rasta boys are usually a friendly bunch, although they can be rather glum sometimes.

Rockin’ Angels is a little bar on Yaowarat Rd that you might have walked past 100 times before you even knew it was there. Most of the time, it’s a pretty lazy hangout serving drinks and friendly chats. It’s a chilled kind of Phuket City bar most of the time, but at night when there are enough people around, once the band starts playing, the parties can go on until the early hours with people spilling out into the street.

During low season the entertainment tends to be provided by CD, but come high season, once all the tourists are in and the teachers are out in force, Rockin’ Angels becomes a hive of activity. Phuket nightlife is full of little nightspots such as Rockin’ Angels.

Coming from the Old Phuket Town roundabout, you’ll find Rockin’ Angels on your right just before the first intersection. Jam sessions have been known to occur at the drop of a hat and there are always a few hipsters hanging out and soaking up the vibe.