Love it or hate it – Patong is Phuket’s playground. People flock to Patong for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s the beach – although the beach in Patong is definitely nothing to get excited about. For others, it’s the nightlife, which is definitely something worth getting excited about. Patong is overdeveloped, it’s noisy and it’s full of people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time there.

Without wanting to make too many sweeping generalizations, Patong is the favored destination of single, Western males. Some travel alone while others might go with friends. Remember: Patong is a playground. The nightlife in Patong is about as interesting as you will find on the island. However, the scene is developing.

For a long time, if you mentioned nightlife in Patong to most people, they’d have immediately thought of go-go bars and bar girls. All of that still exists, but the nightlife scene in Patong is now a lot more diverse than it used to be.

Patong now has dance clubs and salsa bars, jazz clubs and trendy hangouts. There is, though, still no escaping the fact that Patong has far too many beer bars. If having Thai bar girls flaunt themselves in front of you is what you’re after then Soi Bangla will be like a little slice of heaven.

With regards to the beach in Patong, it may have been a scenic area before, but it’s now full of parasols and sun loungers and people trying to get you to rent jet-skis. Other annoyances include people selling ice creams, people offering massages and people trying to draw henna tattoos while you’re sunbathing.

If you’re a foodie then Patong will provide you with a few surprises. Although the food can be expensive, just take a walk along the street and you’ll see just how many great restaurants there are in the area. All tastes are catered to, although there are perhaps a few too many Italian restaurants.

One gripe about Patong is the tuk-tuk drivers. Half of them are honest folk just trying to make a living, but the other half are scoundrels who should be given a wide berth. There have been numerous cases of tuk-tuk drivers becoming very aggressive with people who park in “tuk-tuk zones”, which really don’t exist. The tuk-tuk drivers in Patong have a monopoly over public transport because every time the authorities try and do something about the situation, the tuk-tuk drivers block the streets with their vehicles.

Overall, Patong is a great party destination with an average beach and lots of beautiful Thai women. Heaven or hell? You decide.

A master development to rival all master resort developments, Gamsha Bay will become 320 million Sq. Ft. dedicated to leisure & tourism along the Red Sea. It will be divided into a number of exciting zones comprising of marinas, 5-star hotels, golf courses, extreme sports adventure area, villas, town houses, apartments, retail establishments, shopping, boulevards, spa resorts, cinemas, scuba diving facilities and much more…making Gamsha Bay the regions largest leisure destination.

Gamsha Bay will be the region’s largest development, located to the north of Hurghada; it will offer residents an open scenic environment with 13 kms of beaches and a wide array of housing options, entertainment venues and recreational amenities including an innovative extreme sports adventure theme park. Once completed it will have 55,000 residential units that include – villas, townhouses, apartments plus retail establishments, shopping centers, marinas, apartments and several other amenities to choose from.

Gamsha Bay will be divided into distinct areas offering a complete mix of downtown luxury living, sea & beach front life plus a choice of leisure areas dedicated to a wide variety of activities including boating, golfing to name just a few. One of the planned areas is called Heritage Walk and Marina will be a downtown development divided into 5 different cities namely Egypt, Morocco, Greece, Andalusia and Persia. Each city will reflect the unique architectural style associated with it. The complete development is planned to be built in five phases over 10 years, with the initial components of the first phase completed within the next five years.

Gamsha Bay, with its environmentally conscious design, innovation and architecture will surely set a benchmark for the real estate marketplace and will further drive economic development in Egypt and the region as a whole. Another important aspect of this mega project is that it will bring substantial new tourism and leisure employment prospects to this area of Egypt.

In terms of its most unique offerings, Gamsha Bay will bring a first-of-a-kind Extreme Sports Adventure Theme Park to the region. Providing a mix of convenience and luxury, the development will include spa resorts, a world class golf course, a marina village, cinemas, shopping boulevards and scuba diving facilities.

Gamsha Bay in Egypt is being developed by Damac Properties who are the largest private master developers in the Middle East.

The Algarve, in Southern Portugal, with its year-round sunshine, miles of golden sand beaches, and picturesque villages, has become one of Europe’s most popular golfing destinations. But while there are many courses suiting all abilities, the Algarve is also perfect for non golfers, especially the eastern region around Tavira, with its stunning nature walks. At the other end of the scale, resorts such as Vilamoura and Vale do Lobo are mega destinations with all the golfing and sporting options you could want. Then, in Western Algarve, around the bustling holiday destination of Albufeira, you can holiday 24/7, combining championship golf with a hectic nightlife.

Western Algarve golf breaks

Besides bustling Albufeira, there is the charming old town of Lagos, set on one of the largest bays in the Algarve. Its 17th-century fort stands at the harbour entrance and a new marina with rows of excellent restaurants and bars draws the crowds. Alvor, an old port at the mouth of the Rio Alvor, has many traditional restaurants by the quay and a maze of cobbled streets lined with whitewashed houses, shops and a few bars.

Golf holidaymakers should check out the renowned Pinta, one of the best courses in the Algarve, designed to retain natural valleys and undulations. Neighbouring Gramacho is also excellent and both courses are free of green fees for those lucky enough to be staying at the Pestana Hotels.

Central Algarve offers golf and more

Quinta do Lago is a premier golfing destination. Two of its four excellent 18-hole courses are listed among the Europe’s top 25 golf courses, and half of the 2000-acre resort comprises a residential and recreational estate, surrounded by pine forests. This beautiful area is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Ria Formosa nature reserve. Nearby is a large shopping centre with a health club, nightclubs and restaurants, and scenic countryside runs along miles of secluded beaches.

Just 20 minutes’ drive from Faro International Airport, Vilamoura is one of Europe’s largest sport and leisure complexes. There are five golf courses, championship tennis courts, an acclaimed riding school, and fishing and shooting facilities. The resort’s large marina has many fine restaurants, cafes and shops.

Vale do Lobo, Portugal’s biggest luxury golf and beach resort, also 20 minutes from the airport at Faro, is one of Europe’s finest. Its two golf courses, the Royal and Ocean, provide stunning views of the coast, and its 5 km-long sandy beach, with dramatic red sandstone cliffs, provides non-golfers with seriously good beach and swimming options. The resort also offers tennis courts, a gymnasium and health and beauty centre, as well as restaurants and shops.

Eastern Algarve; golf tours without the crowds

For a less frenetic golfing experience and a chance to enjoy nature, head east from Faro towards the Spanish border. There are many hotels not far from the airport, close to some well-designed courses. Tavira, at the mouth of the River Gilao, is a fishing port dating from Moorish times. Nearby you’ll find Reserva do Sapal, one of Portugal’s most important nature reserves. And just across the border, on the Costa de la Luz, are many more great golf courses.