[mistertee9]

I have been to Patong Beach many times in “high” season and also during Loy Kratong and Songkran. I recently returned home from a few days in Patong Beach during “low” season and just thought I’d share a little about my experience.

I had heard that August is a very wet month in Phuket and was expecting rain every day. I was pleasantly surprised to have three very nice days with a few very quick showers. Temperatures were relatively moderate and there were nice breezes every day. Everyone told me that I just missed the rain… I heard it rained after I left. Luck of the draw…

There were significantly fewer tourists than in the “high” season, but there were enough to keep it interesting while providing a much more laid-back experience when I wanted it. While there seemed to be a pretty varied mix of nationalities visiting, the majority seemed to be Australian and Western European with noticeable absence of the Germans that I have seen in large numbers other trips.

I stayed at the Safari Beach hotel which is behind the Savoey restaurant on the Beach Road. I have stayed there several times and have always had a pleasurable experience. I prefer a smaller, reasonably priced hotel with a friendly, attentive staff and the Safari Beach Hotel meets those preferences. The hotel offers a nice variety of room types from Contemporary room and Deluxe rooms, with balcony overlooking the gardens and pool to Deluxe, Junior Suite and Ocean View rooms above their Concaved restaurant on the beach side of the road. I have stayed in most room types over the years (Junior Suite - beach side this time). The Contemporary rooms I am not too crazy about but the Deluxe and Junior Suites are very nice. I have not had the pleasure of staying in the Ocean View rooms yet…

The prices at the Safari Beach during “low” season are not as deeply discounted as some of the properties in town, definitely not the 50% discount offered at some hotels. I paid bht2900 for the Junior Suite on the beach side which I thought was reasonable but was no “low” season bargain. I was in holiday mood and I like the hotel’s location, staff, accommodations and pool. The beach side rooms are also covered by WiFi. Bht2900, fair enough… I could have gotten a Contemporary room for bht1200 but declined.

My other preferred hotel in Patong is the Summer Breeze Hotel which gets a lot of attention in the forum lately, for good reason. It is also a smaller, hotel with a very friendly staff. It’s a little lower priced than the Safari Beach. To me, the Summer Breeze’s biggest assets are the friendly staff, nice clean rooms, and WiFi. Of the rooms in the SB, I prefer the “Summer Suites” which I think are a very good value.

As far as hotels go, I don’t think you can go wrong at either Safari Beach or Summer Breeze. Both are comfortable size and have nice staffs. Both offer great food. The Safari is a little more expensive but it has a wider variety of room types, nice pool on grounds and close proximity to the beach. The Summer Breeze offers nice rooms, an off-site pool, and with out knowing how else to put it, just feels like home. For me it comes down to whether I want to have the pool and beach proximity or not…

On the fun side of things, this “low“ season was a departure for me as well. I didn’t even set foot in any of the small sois off Bangla. I spent a lot of time in the Shipwreck Bar, having a few cold ones and watching the world go by and at the Tipsy Prawn Bar on the beach across from the Savoey restaurant. The Shipwreck bar seems to be pretty well known as a great observation point on Bangla with a great staff (some new) and kicked-back atmosphere. I don’t remember seeing anyone mention the Tipsy Prawn on the forum before but it is a nice indoor/outdoor bar restaurant right on the beach with good food and happy hour prices late afternoon. For sand lovers, there is a shower between the beach and the bar…

I found another group of bars that may appeal to those that want to get away from the Bangla scene. They are located by the intersection of Thawiwong (beach) and Prachanukhro roads, near Patong Merlin and Absolute Sea Pearl. Nice, covered outdoor bars that catch a nice ocean breeze. Quiet atmosphere and seem to be frequented mostly by expats and long-time visitors… The one I spent my time at is called the Beach Bar but there are several similar ones in the area. Secluded, quiet, breezy. Ahhh…

One last thing I can add about my “low” season experience is that the tailors and other assorted taut riff-raff seemed to be a lot less aggressive than during my other Patong visits.

All in all, I had a very relaxing visit during “low” season and I would encourage everyone not to discount the possibilities of visiting during “low” season. Of course the weather can be unpredictable and beach activity enthusiasts may be disappointed, but the smaller crowds seemed to change the complexion of the place enough to make it appealing in other ways.

Regards