Overview to Phuket: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
Cast adrift from the mainland in the Andaman Sea, Phuket has some of the best beaches, diving and partying in Southeast Asia. Now fully recovered from the devastation of the 2004 Tsunami, the island has reclaimed its title as one of the backpacking honey pots of Thailand.
Beaches line the entire west side of the island. To the north, Hat Mai Khao is a stunning strip of white sand that seems to stretch endlessly away towards the horizon. Further south, Ao Bang Tao and Hat Railay’s west beach are almost as impressive, while Patong mixes beaches with a wild night out.
If parts of the island are a little overdeveloped, there are still plenty of spots that remain hopelessly exotic. The coast of Ao Phang Nga is peppered with mangroves and jagged karst formations that reach skywards.
A popular activity on Krabi’s stretch of coastline is hiring a sea kayak and delving into the mangrove swamps and ‘hongs’. Elsewhere, to the far south of the island, Laem Phra Nang’s dramatic cliffs are a rock-climbing mecca while, at its southernmost tip, the sunsets from Laem Promthep are sensational.
The best diving sites are clustered around the islands that dot Phuket’s coastline. Here, the reefs are dazzlingly colorful explosions of coral and marine life. A short boat ride from Phuket, the Similans and Koh Phi Phi Islands offer (if possible) even better diving possibilities.
Away from the beaches, Phuket Town itself – its lively night market aside – is not especially noteworthy. Inland, though, there are stunning mountains and jungles and striking paddy fields, as well as the temple of Wat Chalong, the island’s primary ‘sight’.
But the appeal of Phuket doesn’t lie in its manmade attractions. What Phuket does, better than almost anywhere in the world, is tie together great beaches, diving and snorkeling and a lively party scene in one very pretty package indeed.