Phuket Travel Forum

I will be staying in Patong for a few days in July. After reading other replies on this site I assume the ocean will not be calm and have surf with some dangerous undercurrents. Is it better to get a hotel with a good pool. We will be staying or two nights and then going sailing around Phang Nga Bay.

We were thinking of staying for three nights at Phi Phi at the Island Village Beach Resort. Will the ocean be calm enough to swim in? Can't decided if better to rent a beach villa or hillside one with a pool. Help.

Hello,
A lot of Patongs hotels have a good pool...!!...I would stay in hotel with a good pool...That I have done...!!
The beaches at Koh Phi Phi are calm....(no surf)...Safe for swimming...!!

Take care when swimming at Patong Beach...Rips are there even on small days(1-2 feet)
Hillside villa is cheaper than a beach bungalow..!!..

Weather is changeable, and surf can be up when a weather front comes through. Patong now has life guards, so on calmer days I would swim with no problem. Stay near the beach, its a great area, with lots of activity.

For Phuket, most of the tourist beaches are on the west coast, which during this time of year is subject to rip currents. We have already had seven drownings of tourists over the past couple of months because of this phenomenon. I would recommend a place with a pool, or alternatively, a hotel on the east coast. Evason, for example, has an east coast beach you can swim from in July, and they also have a beach area set up on a nearby island in Chalong Bay that is okay for swimming year round.

For Phi Phi, the Island Village is on the east side of the island, so it should be okay for swimming at high tide. At low tide the shoreline is rocky and a bit muddy, so not so pleasant for swimming.