Phuket
For many, the main incentive to spend a holiday in Phuket is the incredibly wide reach of activities the island has to offer. Not only that, but with an encyclopaedia-long list of hotels and accommodation as well as startling scenery and seascapes, Phuket is a dream destination.
The island's west coast has long been the 'tourism side' of the island, but nowadays the east coast and even some inland districts have been developed with new resorts springing up all the time. In spite of this, Phuket never feels crowded because of its size and pockets of tranquillity can easily be found.
Phuket Hotels
Phuket is packed with hotels, large, small, secluded, bustling, beachfront, all suite, large resorts, boutique hotels, Phuket has them all and more.
There's so much variation, a good first step is to decide which area you want to stay in, here's the hotels by areas Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala, Surin, Bang Tao, Nai Harn and Nai Yang.
Alternatively you can view all hotels Phuket by name, location, or price. (Read more...)
Tours in Phuket
Phuket's got it all and knows it. Why not take a sunset dinner cruise on a wooden Junk underneath a canopy of a million stars? You can in Phuket. You'd like to ride an ATV through a muddy field or go on a cultural tour?
Ladyboy Cabaret is popular and hilarious, and it's equally as easy to see elephants on stage too. As for daytime activities, you can zoom over to Phi Phi on a speedboat, visit the world-famous caves or 'hongs' of Phang Nga Bay or ride an elephant through the jungle. It's only a matter of arranging it in Phuket. (Read more...)
Phuket Beaches
Phuket's most attractive beaches are on its west coast and the troika of Patong, Karon and Kata are the most popular. However, because of Phuket's size, many beaches such as Mai Khao and parts of Bang Tao are deserted and epitomise the ideal tropical beach, with swaying palms, crashing indigo waves and white sand.
From picturesque and quiet Nai Harn Beach in the south of the island to the brash pageant that is Patong, each beach oozes individuality and a favourite tour is one of the west coast, taking in the island, beach by beach. Phuket's personality is the sum of its beaches. (Read more...)
What to See in Phuket
Paradoxically, Phuket's greatest spectacle; its most impressive show and biggest draw comes absolutely free: the sun setting over the Andaman has got to be seen to be believed and contrary to what most tour agents claim, Phrom Thep Cape is not necessarily the best place to view it. Most west coast promontories are great viewing points.
As you travel around the island you will notice a rich mixture of cultures and traditions. The many Chinese who made Phuket their home some 200 years ago have helped influence the architecture in Phuket Town, with its 'Sino-Portugese' colonial look. (Read more...)
What to do in Phuket
Tours on and from Phuket take in scuba diving, elephant trekking, national parks, island hopping and eco-friendly discovery tours. The island also has an abundance of water-related activities such as yachting, deep sea fishing, paragliding (pulled by a speedboat), snorkeling and wind surfing among others.
For many, simply lying on a beach sipping on a cold drink is enough of a holiday activity but for other more active types the idea of thundering around a Go-Kart track of bouncing on the end of a bungee cord is distinctly seductive. The island's lush and challenging golf courses are also a big draw. (Read more...)
Dining & Restaurants in Phuket
Phuket's many and varied restaurants are highly competitive and this makes for a veritable swathe of fine dining establishments as well as an incredibly varied array of eateries. Patong is the epicentre of this cultural and culinary hotchpotch with hundreds of cuisines to choose from, ranging from French to Finnish, from Arabic to Andalusia-based recipes.
Local cuisine is admirably represented from unbelievably cheap (but serving delicious food) roadside restaurants to the Royal Thai Cuisine of Baan Rim Pa, the islands myriad hotels and resorts, while sometimes not getting western cuisine quite right, can be trusted to get the Thai part spot on. (Read more...)
Phuket Nightlife
Some people go to Phuket solely for its nightlife and for many Patong is the only party place to be. Sexy, highly charged and noisy, Bangla Road is certainly a spectacle and plain too much for conservative types.
Still, not all of Patong is as exhibitionist as Bangla and good music venues are to be found along the Beach Road such as Molly Malones, Rock City and Saxophone. Kata and Karon each have their own nightlife, albeit a lot quieter than Patong's and Phuket Town is the place to meet locals and experience nightlife Thai style. (Read more...)
Shopping in Phuket
Phuket boasts several large shopping malls and brand-name clothes at a fraction of the cost of back home are readily available. In fact, one of the worst mistakes for visitors to make is to arrive with full suitcases as Phuket's bargains are severely tempting.
Patong's many street stores lend a bazaar-like atmosphere to the town and the Jungceylon shopping complex is enormous. Just outside Phuket Town stand three malls and the town itself has a wide range of shopping opportunities from silk to 'antiques'. Finally, the island's fresh markets are a wonderful insight into the seemingly dysfunctional but actually practical way of life. (Read more...)
