thanks for all the tips!
we are also thinking of phi phi-is it worth going and any advice on where to stay?

It's OK but accommodation is very very overpriced compared to what you get on Phuket main island. The little main village is very crowded and is on the backpacker route. Narrow lanes between accommodation, queues at restaurants, touts for bucket-drink bars...

There is accommodation on separate beaches, but then you either eat in the bungalow resort or you get a long tail boat to take you into the village for dinner - starts to add onto the price.

You could maybe do a day trip instead although Maya Bay, where they filmed The Beach, can be packed full of dozens of speedboats full of tourists from certain countries playing loud music on a bad day, plus floating rubbish. I am not trying to spoil it for you, because it can be fun & the islands themselves remain beautiful limestone karst monuments, but it's not the pristine magical environment maybe it was in the old days.
Like I said before, a sea kayaking day trip in Phang Nga bay is a possibility depending on the water confidence of your children.

We're staying at the Grand Sunset Hotel in Karon for $33/night. It's a new hotel, and it has received great reviews and for the price you can't beat it. In Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Bali we are staying at all 5 star properties, but we decided to take it easy here. Supposedly Karon Beach is only a few blocks away, and there are a ton of local restaurants just outside of the hotel. They do have a two bedroom suite available, but I'm not sure the cost. I'm sure it's very reasonable.

http://grandsunsethotel.com/rooms.htm

Here are the tripadvisor reviews:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...on_Phuket.html

I hope that new hotel has no teething problems.

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-...s-burns-15628/

Eek, me too.

With a young family I'd recommend Karon or Kata rather than Patong. They are cheaper and quieter but still close enough to Patong to go for a day trip to see what the fuss is about. The beaches are also very good - but just be careful in the sea as they have notoriously dangerous tides.

was trying to get the courtyard surin beach but seems to be fully booked:mad::mad:

what to do
is the holiday inn patong beach really that bad?

You really should stay away from Patong. It is not a family environment. Kata is too hemmed in and claustrophobic for my taste. Karon is better but has a reputation for treacherous rips in the water so you'd be doing more time at pool than beach with those kids.

Surin doesn't have all that much available so if you can't find anything there, I recommend trying something at Bangtao Beach, or possibly Kamala. I normally stay at Bangtao--the northern part has the expensive hotels like the Banyan Tree and Laguna Resort properties, Sheraton, etc. But the central and southern part have more reasonable places. I've stayed at Amora before--it's older but still pretty decent. Lots of little beachside restaurants to have good seafood at reasonable prices, also some restaurants on the road. There's a Best Western and also some other places to stay, both in regular hotel rooms and little villas which could be good for a family.

I didn't catch when you were going, but once you get past end of March, rates generally go way down until November. Except for holidays like Songkran. Beach/water conditions can get too rough for safe swimming once you get into June, July, Aug, Sept especially. Pool time instead.

I also echo the recommendation to only do Phi Phi as a daytrip if you must go, but that the sea kayaking trips or bigger boats to Phang-Nga bay would be better.

thanks jiejie
we are going start of may..
i was thinking that if we were in a nice resort like hol in or jw marriott then patong would be ok but maybe not?
happy to go somewhere better for kids but was worried then too isolated with no food options/things to do available nearby
thanks for the tips

An outdated impression, at one time accurate. Patong has more to offer than debauchery and rip-offs. It has grown tremendously in the last few years, but the beach remains busy... not for everyone. Yes, it still has umpteen bars and discos that close as late as 6am, but the nightlife scene is mostly in one big nightlife zone, easily avoided.

The 'original' Phuket beach resort spot, its condensed but still keeps the small beach community feel that other spots have forgotten or evolved from. It is still mighty popular though...

A great long straight beach, next to Kata, it has much less people (primarily Scandinavian) but, like Surin, gets deep quickly and is known for rip tide deaths, even among experienced swimmers. The community stretches giving the impression that each different business cluster is a bit of a walk from each other, and low seasons here can be quite quiet. Still a great beach, and away from the Party atmosphere.

Other than being a much shorter beach, and having a much less selection of amenities, Surin is a charming little place. A fair drive from most other parts of the island (closer to the airport and Talang/Laguna) but still without the isolated feel.

Phi Phi day trips usually include swimming and beach time. Phang-Nga day trips have more to see, but no swimming or beach time. Two different flavours for two different experiences.

As for the Phi Phi day trip vs overnight. Phi Phi is lovely, and a very different feel than the rest of Thailand. If you just want to see the island, do some swimming, have lunch, 40 minutes on the beach, the day trip is enough. If you want to see a bit more, walk to the viewpoint, hire a longtail boat for half day, or even try the nighttime beach parties, then it may be a good experience. I don't like Phi Phi, or what they did to it... but two things are for sure... it is BEAUTIFUL and it meets the typical tourists expectations. decide for yourself.

Enjoying the sunset. Now! Yanui Beach
 

www.yanuiseaview.com. Small 8 bungalows family run resort on Yanui beach see reviews and google earth . MrsTD n I enjoying sunset :cool:Now. Happy campers ^

My friend and I booked Phi Phi Hotel last time we stayed there. Excellent choice since its the first thing you see when the ferry docks, obviously walking distance, smack in the middle of all the little shops... has a pool, restaurant, etc. Easy to find, won't get lost and comfortable large rooms with a relatively modern/traditional design mix.

Sorry sean, but unless "outdated" means things at Patong changed radically between 2011 and 2012, then I'm sticking to my guns on this one. There are simply much better beaches for families to stay on Phuket.

My comment on Surin about "not much available" had to do with accommodation. Surin simply doesn't have the number of hotel rooms that other beaches have.

What kind of resort or budget are you looking at? We arrive May 1st, but its the just the wife and I and all we needed was a place to sleep as we will be out and about for 3 days.

Just taking a quick look on hotels.com, you can have a 2 bedroom suite for $75/night on Karon beach.

http://www.hotels.com/hotel/details.html?pa=2&pn=1&ps=2&tab=description&destin ationId=1308721&searchDestination=Phuket&hotelId=2 13870&arrivalDate=05-01-12&departureDate=05-06-12&children[0]=2&rooms[0].childrenAges[0]=8&rooms[0].childrenAges[1]=10&rooms[0].numberOfAdults=2&roomno=1&validate=false&previous Dateful=false&reviewOrder=date_newest_first

I agree completely. The 'outdated' comment is way off skew. I was there not too long ago (within 2012) and it's still a place to avoid, especially for families. Don't get me wrong, its got its clientele, like hardcore partiers, drinkers and generally people going to just go nuts. But if you're looking to relax on vacation, definitely not the spot to go and with a family...forget it. You can't 'avoid' those areas. They're everywhere.