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Phuket: Island paradise

By Meng Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-02 10:54

Phuket - the largest island in Thailand - is one of the best tropical destinations for Beijingers looking to get away from the winter and lose some of those heavy clothes.

Connected to mainland Thailand by a bridge, Phuket is situated off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. You can fly to the island directly on chartered planes.

Many travel agencies in Beijing offer chartered plane tickets to Phuket during the Spring Festival, priced from 3,500 yuan to 10,000 yuan.

In five-and-a-half hours, you will be welcomed by blue sea and soft white palm-lined beaches.

You can immediately relax with a traditonal Thai massage, fishing, snorkeling and diving.

High season in Phuket is from November to April and the temperature there is currently around 30C.

You can also take an exhilarating speedboat trip to the surrounding islands. Phi Phi island is a must-go. And it only takes 90 minutes to travel to its colorful fish and crystal clear water. You will also have the chance to visit the magical landscape of Maya Bay where the movie "The Beach" was partially filmed.

If you are into food, Phuket will never let you down. You will find no end of venues to enjoy seafood. Fish, crabs, prawns and lobsters are all huge. You can also enjoy Thai curries, which are spicy but not too hot. Food is relatively inexpensive. For 50 Thai baht (about 10 yuan), you can treat yourself very well.

Seize the chance to get fully refreshed before you rush into the Year of the Tiger.