seaside holidays with children

[sweatalot]

Hi everybody. I stayed with my family in Patong two weeks ago. We enjoyed very much. Next year July my daughter's family will come with two children, 10 and 6 years old. They, too like to stay at the sea with us.

The children like playing in the sea and snorkeling. I am not sure if Patong would be a good place for them. Any recommendations will be appreciated. Need not be Phuket, other seaside destinations like Koh Chang, Koh Samui, Hua Hin etc. would be  fine - if better for the children. Thanks in advance

[madmax2]

Really nice child friendly beaches at Khao  Lak, plenty of choice of accommodation and plenty of restaurants, they have a policy of no girlie bars from what locals there have told me

In the dry season when the wind comes from the north east the sea is very calm and idea for children of all ages, the beaches are very clean as well compared to most beaches on Phuket

I am not sure what season it is in July but i am sure someone else can advise you about that 

Edited March 31, 2017 by madmax2

[Old Croc]

You're right, Patong isn't a particularly child friendly town.

You are aware that Phuket Province is 576 sq km in size and Patong City covers just 16 sq km of that? 

With a total of around 36 beaches (without even counting the scores of nearby islands), there is a huge amount of Phuket outside of Patong in which to holiday.  (Many people on this forum mistakenly think Patong is Phuket and vice versa). Like a lot of expats, I live relatively close to Patong, but haven't been there for years 

Read this topic to get some ideas for children on the Island.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/976147-amusement-park-in-phuket/

 

If, however, you have decided to go somewhere other than Phuket, you would be better served asking the question in the appropriate local forum or perhaps the general travel forum.

Edited March 31, 2017 by Old Croc

[LivinginKata]

4 hours ago, Old Croc said:

<snip>

If, however, you have decided to go somewhere other than Phuket, you would be better served asking the question in the appropriate local forum or perhaps the general travel forum.

 

Think the OP said other than Patong ...

 

You might want to check-out Karon/Kata beaches. But ... July is not a good month to swim in the sea (waves and undercurrents), nice beaches but have everyone swim in the hotel pool.

[stevenl]

Really nice child friendly beaches at Khao  Lak, plenty of choice of accommodation and plenty of restaurants, they have a policy of no girlie bars from what locals there have told me
In the dry season when the wind comes from the north east the sea is very calm and idea for children of all ages, the beaches are very clean as well compared to most beaches on Phuket
I am not sure what season it is in July but i am sure someone else can advise you about that 

Really dangerous seas there in July.

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[schlog]

Chumpon.

[madmax2]

37 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Really dangerous seas there in July.

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All the resorts have pools and some are right on the beach front if you want to check if its safe to swim in the sea, you can see the beach from your room

All the west coast beaches in Phuket and Phangnga are not safe for swimming once the monsoon season starts except on the odd occasion

[stevenl]

All the resorts have pools and some are right on the beach front if you want to check if its safe to swim in the sea, you can see the beach from your room
All the west coast beaches in Phuket and Phangnga are not safe for swimming once the monsoon season starts except on the odd occasion

Op asked to play in the sea, you recommend khao lak, but don't know if it is suitable that time of year. I inform you it is not suitable, much worse sea conditions than most Phuket beaches, so you recommend him a swimming pool.
Sorry, you're not making sense here.

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[madmax2]

36 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Op asked to play in the sea, you recommend khao lak, but don't know if it is suitable that time of year. I inform you it is not suitable, much worse sea conditions than most Phuket beaches, so you recommend him a swimming pool.
Sorry, you're not making sense here.

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I am sure the OP can sort it out for himself, if the sea is to rough which it can be they can swim in the resort pool right next to the sea with a sea view and with drinks and food service

Sometimes the sea is calm even in the monsoon season, or do you disagree, at least it has been in the past when we have been there at that time of the year, and we go for drive there at least twice a month

No bars and no shopping centres, more like Phuket 20 years ago in our opinion

[stevenl]

I am sure the OP can sort it out for himself, if the sea is to rough which it can be they can swim in the resort pool right next to the sea with a sea view and with drinks and food service
Sometimes the sea is calm even in the monsoon season, or do you disagree, at least it has been in the past when we have been there at that time of the year, and we go for drive there at least twice a month
No bars and no shopping centres, more like Phuket 20 years ago in our opinion

In monsoon season if the sea is calm there there will still be dangerous undertows.

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[kingstonkid]

Koh Samed has nice beaches and day cruises where you can snorkel with the fish at different islands

[phuketrichard]

In July head to Samui, there some nice resorts right next to the sandy beach

Or possibly  Koh Chang

forget Phuket, Khao lak, Koh Lanta, if u want them to snorkel as the water is to rough

 

[csabo]

Koh Lanta.  You will have the island to yourselves.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g303905-c162380/Ko-Lanta:Thailand:Koh.Lanta.Low.Season.html

 

Lanta surf pics from June.

 

 

[robertson468]

Would strongly recommend Koh Samui.  The area of Bophut has no "Girlie Bars" at all, lots of good restaurants and very close to the sea.  If you PM me I can give you details of good quality, family friendly and inexpensive Resort. 

[krabi local]

Ao Nang would be my suggestion for the kids.


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[Rimmer]

A baiting flame has been removed

[khunPer]

Koh Samui can be a fine alternative for kids 6 and 10 years old. Chose one of the Northern beaches – Bo Phut and Maenam can be fine options, but there are others, however Chaweng and Lamai are not especially child-friendly IMO – which are normally calm and swim-able most of the year, eventually a resort with pool also. Besides the beaches you will find a number of other activities of interest for kids at that age – and some gown-ups also – including day trips by boat, swimming and snorkling with tropical fish, small water-parks, funny rides, small cozy zoo's with for example sea lion and bird shows, etc.

 

Maenam Bay, you can live beach-front in the many resorts ranging from affordable to relative priceless, and shopping and restaurant are normally within few hundred meters or less walking distance.

 

Bo Phut Beach (Fisherman Village) – beach-font living like Maenam above.

 

(For info: I'm living at Samui for 10+ years, and has a daughter now 11 years old, so I've been through the island's various kids-activities by experience.)

[Grubster]

On 3/31/2017 at 7:28 PM, stevenl said:

In monsoon season if the sea is calm there there will still be dangerous undertows.

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I liked that by mistake, what you say is nonsense, do you know what causes undertows? Look it up.

[LivinginKata]

17 minutes ago, Grubster said:

I liked that by mistake, what you say is nonsense, do you know what causes undertows? Look it up.

 

Perhaps stevenl meant rip current ,,,,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undertow_(water_waves)

quote .... "Confusion with rip currents

Main article: Rip current

In popular usage, the word "undertow" is sometimes used correctly, in the same sense it is in oceanography. However the term "undertow" is also often used incorrectly, in the mistaken belief that near beaches there is a water flow or current that can pull a person down vertically and hold them underwater until they drown. This misconception stems from a basic lack of knowledge about water currents, and from confusing undertow (which is usually not dangerous) with the more substantial dangers of rip currents. Rip currents also cannot pull a person down, but they can carry a person out beyond the zone of the breaking waves.

In contrast to undertow, rip currents are responsible for the great majority of drownings close to beaches. When a swimmer enters a rip current, it starts to carry the person offshore. If the swimmer understands how to deal with this situation, he or she can easily exit the rip current by swimming at right angles to the flow, in other words swimming parallel to the shore, or by simply treading water or floating. However, if the swimmer does not know these simple solutions, or does not possess the necessary water skills, they may panic and drown, or they may exhaust themselves by trying unsuccessfully to swim directly against the flow."  unquote

 

[Grubster]

3 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Perhaps stevenl meant rip current ,,,,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undertow_(water_waves)

quote .... "Confusion with rip currents

Main article: Rip current

In popular usage, the word "undertow" is sometimes used correctly, in the same sense it is in oceanography. However the term "undertow" is also often used incorrectly, in the mistaken belief that near beaches there is a water flow or current that can pull a person down vertically and hold them underwater until they drown. This misconception stems from a basic lack of knowledge about water currents, and from confusing undertow (which is usually not dangerous) with the more substantial dangers of rip currents. Rip currents also cannot pull a person down, but they can carry a person out beyond the zone of the breaking waves.

In contrast to undertow, rip currents are responsible for the great majority of drownings close to beaches. When a swimmer enters a rip current, it starts to carry the person offshore. If the swimmer understands how to deal with this situation, he or she can easily exit the rip current by swimming at right angles to the flow, in other words swimming parallel to the shore, or by simply treading water or floating. However, if the swimmer does not know these simple solutions, or does not possess the necessary water skills, they may panic and drown, or they may exhaust themselves by trying unsuccessfully to swim directly against the flow."  unquote

 

Yes and rip currents can not happen on a calm beach.