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The
rainy season in Phuket lasts from May to October.
It starts getting relatively serious in June, builds
up a head of steam, and as the months go by,
the torrents become increasingly regular in their
appearance and more aggressive in their personality.
Cloudbursts with amazing ferocity, accompanied by
thunderclaps of such violence that they force many
to scurry for cover, are frequent and fearful. Bolts
of lightning streak their way from the heavens challenging
all and sundry to get out of the way or be damned.
Welcome to Phuket.
What do you do, get on the first plane and head for
home? Hell no! You were very smart to come here during
this season in the first place. You probably saved
a bit of money by taking your vacation in the off
season, and you are sure as heck going to enjoy the
fact that there is just a very thin layer of tourists
on the ground compared to the wall to wall camcorder
toting' masses you'll come across during the "high
season". The Island, as the saying goes, is your
oyster.
For all their ubiquity, for all their ferocity, the
rains are a blessing. Make sure that your umbrella
is upside down. If it is, you are on line to reap
a harvest that will make this holiday on our wonderful
Island of Phuket one of your most memorable.
First of all, the sheer beauty of the Island is never
more apparent than during the rainy season. The greens
are never greener, the air is never purer and the
plant and animal life is never more lavish or radiant.
Oh yes! Welcome to Phuket!
It is the Southwest monsoon that brings all this goodness,
and to be sure it can lead astray some of the best
laid plans and all that. However this is no ill wind,
and with just a keen eye frequently trained skyward
you can still enjoy most of the attractions our Island
has to offer.
From bathing under the hot sun, to enjoying a massage
on the beach, to boating in your privately chartered
yacht, to golfing on the greenest of greens, this
Island has got it and baby it sure does flaunt it.
Your job is to exploit it for all it's worth.
Swimming
It is still enjoyable to swim in the lucid waters
from one of Phuket's numerous beaches. A word to the
wise though, keep an eye peeled for the flags that
you should see flying from the beach front. Red means
danger. A great deal of danger, regardless of your
swimming ability.
During this season, seas are often rougher, and that's
just the obvious hazard. More perilous are those treacherous
unseen currents. They can rapidly and sometimes fatally
whisk even a fully grown
strong swimmer downward and outward. Away from land.
Away from safety. Away from life ! On a brighter note,
yellow means it's OK to venture forth, using normal
caution.
Now here's a bone we have to pick. Many hotels or
beach authorities put out their red flags in May and
simply leave them there until December. We think that
this is too much like "crying wolf" and
that visitors who are keen to enjoy Phuket's seas
and beaches will, after time, grow accustomed to the
red flag and simply ignore it. This is specially true
when the weather is fine and the waters are still.
Hotel managers please change the flags to mirror the
conditions.
Sea
Sports
Sea sports are at a disadvantage during the rainy
season, but they are by no means impossible. Boating
for instance can still be enjoyed . The distinct and
beautiful Islands that dot Phang Nga Bay's sheltered
waters are as memorable a sailing environment that
you are likely to discover anywhere. Game fishing
is at its best during the rainy season, and it is
still possible given a certain degree of luck, to
enjoy diving day trips to such beauty spots as Phi
Phi and Racha Islands.
Off Kata, Karon and some other beaches, you will often
see scores of local youngsters braving all kinds of
elements and all colors of flags, to enjoy the surfing
delights delivered by the seasonal winds and waves.
No Big Sur or Bali to be sure, but fun is fun.
Golfing
Now try this one on. One friend who has visited Thailand
annually for the past ten years, primarily for the
golf, told this writer that in all that time only
twice has rain forced a cancellation of play. Furthermore,
he related, on one of the two occasions, the sun reappeared
shortly after they had packed it in. They were just
too wet and lazy to finish up. So golf is a "gimmie"
and so are many more of the Island's activities. Heck,
if you are dropping like a stone from the top of a
crane and the only thing between you and eternal salvation
is a cord attached to your ankles, do you really give
a damn that it's raining?
Seriously though bungee jumping is open, safe and
fun all throughout the rainy season. There is plenty
more action or inaction if you like awaiting the rainy
season visitor, just have a look at some of the activities
available. Damn few are impossible because of the
rain, and most are a bit cheaper and less crowded.
The bottom line is that you are in the right place
at the right time. Welcome to Phuket.
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