EXPLORING THE WONDERS OF PHUKET!

Leila, Sue and Lise recently visited Phuket for the Annual Pacific World Marketing Meeting. All the offices of Pacific World gather with their marketing representatives from around the world to discuss and plan for the next year.

While our conference schedule was very tight, we were fortunate enough to have a little spare time.  Thanks to the Pacific World team who put together a site inspection program, we were able to see and experience some of the highlights of Phuket. It is easy to see why the conference and incentive market love this island so much!

Hotels
The conference was held at the ever-popular Sheraton Grand Laguna Phuket with accommodation split between the Sheraton and the Dusit Laguna Resort Phuket, next door.  Both hotels have excellent facilities and offer great opportunities for groups. The DMS team stayed at the Dusit and enjoyed the resort facilities including luxury spa and varied dining options - outside, inside and even on the beach! The Sheraton hosted the final evening’s gala dinner complete with marquee on the beach - this really was a WOW night to remember!

We also visited the newly renovated Le Meridien Hotel and the Movenpick Resort, both proving to be very popular with Australian groups due to their cost-effectiveness. Movenpick Resort is not so well known to the Australian market, but is a fabulous hotel, close to Phuket Town, where Pacific World has had great success in operating groups.

Dining Options 
During our Phuket island exploration day, we visited a number of venues used by Pacific World for groups, including several of the iconic restaurants in Patong such as Baan Rim Pa and Sala Bua Restaurant.  

The number of options for offsite dining is amazing, especially in Patong, Phuket Town and the Laguna area, however, around the whole island, there is so much more from which to choose. Five-star dining experiences are available from the Silk Restaurant for example, or for a more relaxed and less expensive local-style venue, the Lotus Restaurant.

Activities
There are many activities for individuals and for groups.  The elephant trekking is a must and Pacific World works with the best operators on the island. The trek coming down the mountain affords one of Phuket's best views. Additionally, the speed boat trips offered out to the different islands are activities not to be missed.

Most groups do include a speed boat trip out to Phang Nga Bay, also known as James Bond Island - and a little bit of sea kayaking!  A highlight for me was seeing the over water village (where we also had lunch) and how the people have built their livelihood around the sea.  There are many island options including Phi Phi Island, as well as, trips to Krabi which is a new and upcoming area for incentives. The highlight for me was swimming and snorkelling in the crystal clear waters of James Bond Island, a 'must' for any visitor to Phuket.

The island of Phuket has a wonderful feel which Australian and New Zealand conference and incentive groups would really enjoy.  There were many international visitors – with the majority coming from Down Under so the destination had a certain familiarity about it – comforting for those groups venturing out of Australia or the Pacific for the first time. 

Phuket also has a myriad of activities to suit all types of groups - seasoned travellers who have been to other parts of Asia before, adrenalin junkies and younger groups, or older groups with more discerning tastes.  Some of the smaller properties such as Banyan Tree are just exquisite! 

Oh...and if you are planning for Phuket, a big draw card is the shopping options!  There are plenty of brilliant opportunities - from the big open air markets to some of the larger malls – where bargains are aplenty.

Pacific World – Your perfect partner in Phuket!
Addy and Sirithorn at Pacific World Phuket do a brilliant job and especially love working with the Australian and New Zealand clients. They must surely be the best DMC partner for your program to Phuket (in fact to anywhere in Thailand) and have an amazing track record for repeat clients.

With Jetstar now flying direct to Phuket and many flight options with Thai, Singapore and Malaysian Airlines, why not consider this destination for your next program. Allow the Pacific World team to put together something special for you.

Back to Top