Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There are internet cafes and banks with ATM and currency-exchange facilities across
town.
Post Office
(Th Thawiwong;
9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat)
Tourist Police
(
1699; cnr Th Thawiwong & Th Bangla, Patong)
Getting There & Around
Air Asia
( 0 7634 1792;
www.airasia.com
; 39 Th Thawiwong; 9am-9pm)
has an office in town.
Túk-túks circulate around Patong for 50B to 100B per ride. There are numerous places
to rent 125cc motorbikes and jeeps.
Big Bike Company
( 0 7634 5100; 106 Th Rat Uthit)
rents
proper motorcycles (500B to 1000B per day) and Nicky's Handlebar rents Harleys. Keep
in mind that the mandatory helmet law is strictly enforced in Patong, where roadblocks
and checkpoints can spring up at a moment's notice.
Budget
(
0 7629 2389; 44 Th Thawiwong;
9am-4pm)
has an office in the Patong Merlin Hotel.
Sŏrng·tăa·ou
from Phuket Town to Patong leave from Th Ranong, near the day market
and fountain circle; the fare is 25B. The after-hours charter fare is 500B.
Sŏrng·tăa·ou
then drop off and pick up passengers at the southern end of Patong beach. From here you
can hop on a motorbike taxi (20B to 40B per ride), flag down a túk-túk (prices vary
widely) or walk till your feet hurt.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Hat Kamala
A chilled-out hybrid of Hat Karon and Hat Surin, calm but fun Kamala tends to lure a
mixture of longer-term, lower-key partying guests, families and young couples. The bay is
magnificent, turquoise and serene with shore breakers that lull you to sleep. Palms and
pines mingle on the leafy and rocky northern end where the water is a rich emerald green
and the snorkelling around the rock reef is halfway decent, while new resorts are ploughed
into the southern bluffs above the gathering long-tails. The entire beach is backed with
lush rolling hills, which one can only hope are left alone…forever. And it's the only beach
with a walking path lined with this many restaurants, resorts and shops. Ditch the motor-
bike and step into Kamala bliss.
