JW marriot in phuket

[dunesdude]

Hello im planning to spend 1 week vacation in phuket,thailand and i will be staying at the JW marriot Hotel , I need to ask are there any good places nearby the hotel for diving iv heard that patong is the best place to dive at in phuket i wont mind changing hotels for another similar hotel i will be only diving for 3 days and the rest im planning to go out explore the city and have fun.

Thanks,

 

[Quero]

Hey dunesdude!

First clarifying question: When are you coming?
Second question: Are you planning to rent a car?

In relation to my first question, there is very little shore diving from Phuket, no matter where on the island you stay. But especially in the summer months, nobody is doing beach dives, especially from the beaches up in the northern end of the island, because the seasonal rip currents along the shore make it dangerous to do so. This means you will want to do daytrip boat diving at dive sites away from Phuket.

In relation to my second question, the pier where the dive boats leave from for daytrips is on the southeastern coast of the island whereas the JW Marriott is on the northwestern coast. It takes about 45 minutes to drive from the JWM to the dive pier when traffic is running smoothly--more during rush hours. In that sense, unless you are planning to rent a car, you may decide to switch the part of the island where you plan to stay to avoid the hassle and expense of getting to the pier in the morning and back in the afternoon for a diving daytrip. If you stay in Patong, Kata or Karon, in the southern half of the island, the logistics are much easier.

Finally, if you are up at the JW Marriott, you may want to have a car to go out and have your fun. That part of the island is not party-central.

 

[jdfmail]

You could stay at Le Meridian....beautiful hotel and I've got a prepaid voucher if you're interested. Just off Patong but on a private cove.

 

[dunesdude]

sorry i forget to mention i will be coming on the 10th of june and to be exact i will be staying at the JW marriot ,Mai khao beach and i am unsure if i will be renting a car or not

 

[lulubelle]

Please post some comments after your trip. I have tons of Marriott points to burn and would like to burn them at hotels which have good diving in proximity.

 

[Quero]

To go diving in June from Mai Khao/JW Marriott means getting down to Chalong Tourist Pier and doing a daytrip. It's far, and if you don't have a rental car, the taxi transfer can add significantly to the total cost of your daytrip.

For people with lots of Marriott points who want to do daytrip diving from Phuket, my recommendation is not to stay at the JW property but instead book the Courtyard in Patong. (For you, Lulu, if you plan ahead and want to do a liveaboard during the winter months, there's also a Marriott property near Khao Lak.)

 

[dunesdude]

may i ask whats the distance and how long does it usually take?

Thanks,

 

[Quero]

From post #2 above:

...the pier where the dive boats leave from for daytrips is on the southeastern coast of the island whereas the JW Marriott is on the northwestern coast. It takes about 45 minutes to drive from the JWM to the dive pier when traffic is running smoothly--more during rush hours.

In terms of distance, it's about 50 km., more or less.

 

[stevenl]

Since departure of the diveboats is at rush hour, count on around 07.00-07.15 departure from your hotel for a boat departure around 08.30.

 

[Harley1962]

I used to manage the Nautica Divers concession at the JW Marriott some years ago. More recently, Sea-Bees has had the kiosk on the JW Marriott property. They are an excellent and well-organised operation, with first-class day trips on very well-appointed boats, as well as trips to Similan.

However, as noted above, you will be FAR from the action (both in terms of diving, and nightlife). Sea-Bees arranges all transfers to / from Chalong Pier in their quoted prices (Similan is basically closed for diving in June), but it's a long day for just 2 dives (3 on Sundays)--up early, van transfer 45 mins. each way, plus boat and dive time, etc....

If you MUST stay at the JW, then Sea-Bees also arranges "local" diving with a contracted dive operation on Nai Yang Beach (just south from Mai Khao), which is OK, but not great (and even less interesting from June-Sept). The advantages : You will have a more relaxed schedule and can do 1 dive (morning or afternoon) and still have time left over to enjoy the rest of the day.

And for the "out and about" portion of your stay, better count on renting a car..the prices for the "limo" service to Patong / Karon / Kata are very high from JW.

Honestly, if you are really set on doing the most dives possible in a short time frame, I would re-consider your accommodation location.

Have a great trip.