Whitewater Rafting: All these activities are organised on the mainland in the Phang Nga area. The journey from Phuket takes just an hour by road. Be sure to bring a change of clothes because you’re guaranteed to get wet.

Upon arrival you’re instructed to place all your valuables in one of the secure lockers before being whisked away for a short briefing and safety talk. A qualified instructor will guide you in fluent English through the dos and don’ts of whitewater rafting, before issuing you with life jackets and protective helmets.

The organisers often include an elephant ride as part of the package. Treks last for about half-an-hour and the beasts can carry three people, plus the mahout. A word of warning: the trip involves lots of swaying and bumping. Exploring virgin rain forest was never going to be easy.

Whitewater rafting in Phang Nga is available all year round. For further information visit www.phangnga-rafting.com or call +66 (0)76 246284, +66 (0)76 244940.

Phuket Aquarium:
Whether you confine yourself to a walk along the beach or engage in swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving, there’s no doubt that marine related activities are one of the prime attractions for visitors to Phuket.

For those who are inclined to do their research in a more leisurely style or who would like to know more about Phuket’s surrounding waters and its marine life, the Phuket Aquarium is the answer.

The aquarium, which is also a marine life research centre, is located right on the tip of Cape Panwa and is a 13 kilometre drive from Phuket City. There’s a local bus service to the aquarium, which leaves Ranong Road daily from 9am to 3pm every hour.

Explore the island:
There are many companies who offer island tours and these are a convenient and inexpensive way of seeing more of your holiday destination. However, if you’ve the time, why not rent a motorcycle or car and do a little exploring on your own. Your hotel or tour guide will be able to give you a road map, but you can’t really get lost. This is an island, so if you keep going you’ll eventually get back where you started! Follow the winding coast roads and discover isolated beaches, which you can have all to yourself. Head inland and visit small farming communities where people still live in much the same way as they have for hundreds of years.

Please remember that you must wear a crash helmet when riding a motorcycle. For those of you who are visiting from Europe or the Americas, please also note that we drive on the left here!

Motorcycle rentals start at 150 baht per day and small jeeps are available from 1,000 baht per day. If you rent for a week or longer you may be able to negotiate a better rate.