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Andaman Coast
Phuket
Thailand's largest island: broad beaches, buzzing Patong, a beautiful old town and a springboard to the Andaman islands.
📅 2–3 nightsBeachNightlifeWatersports
Thailand's largest island: broad beaches, buzzing Patong, a beautiful old town and a springboard to the Andaman islands.
Why Phuket? Thailand's largest island: broad beaches, buzzing Patong, a beautiful old town and a springboard to the Andaman islands.
Phuket is Thailand's biggest island and its most developed beach destination - which cuts both ways. There is glitzy, party-hard Patong and wall-to-wall resorts, but also a gorgeous Sino-Portuguese old town, quiet southern coves, hilltop viewpoints and a full menu of island-hopping day trips into the Andaman Sea. Its food scene is so rich that UNESCO named Phuket a City of Gastronomy.
Two to three nights is a good measure: enough for the beach, the old town and a boat trip out to Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay, using Phuket as your Andaman springboard. Excellent flight links and ferries to Krabi and the islands make it an easy start or finish to a southern Thailand route.
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Phuket International Airport, in the north of the island, has direct flights from Bangkok (around 1 hour 20 minutes) and many Asian and European cities, and the island is linked to the mainland by the Sarasin Bridge, with buses and minivans to Krabi in about 3 hours. Ferries to Phi Phi and Koh Lanta leave from Rassada Pier near Phuket Town. Public transport is weak, although the Phuket Smart Bus runs from the airport down the west coast beaches to Rawai. Otherwise use Grab or Bolt, or rent a scooter or car, as the taxi and tuk-tuk fares are notoriously high. Allow real driving time between beaches.
Patong is the loud, neon centre - convenient and cheap but not pretty. Families and couples prefer Kata and Karon just south, with nice sand and calmer vibes, or the smarter Kamala, Surin and Bang Tao to the north, lined with upmarket resorts and beach clubs. For seclusion and honeymoon hideaways head to the far south around Nai Harn, or the quiet east coast around Panwa. Near the airport, long and peaceful Mai Khao is great for a first or last night. Old Town stays put you among the cafes and street art rather than on a beach, with easy taxi rides to the sand.
Do not skip Phuket Old Town - pastel Sino-Portuguese shophouses along Thalang Road, the colourful lane of Soi Rommanee, ornate Chinese shrines, cool cafes and street art, plus the Sunday Lard Yai walking street. The white marble Big Buddha, 45 metres tall on the Nakkerd Hills, gives the best overview of the island, and nearby Wat Chalong is Phuket's most important temple. Watch the sunset from Promthep Cape at the island's southern tip. For wildlife, choose the observation-only Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, where rescued elephants roam free, and skip any venue offering rides or shows.
Take a speedboat or longtail to Phang Nga Bay to kayak the sea caves and hongs among the karsts around James Bond Island. The Phi Phi Islands are the classic day out for snorkelling, Pileh Lagoon and Maya Bay, which closes each year for a few months in the monsoon to let the reef recover. From mid-October to mid-May, speedboats run to the Similan Islands for some of Thailand's clearest water, with daily visitor caps. Closer to home, Coral Island and Racha Yai make easy half-days. Go early to beat crowds, and check that national park fees are included in the tour price.
Eat well at the old town night markets, the Chillva Market and the big Phuket Weekend Market, and seek out Phuket specialities like Hokkien mee, moo hong braised pork belly, oyster omelette and a dim sum breakfast in Phuket Town. Beachside seafood restaurants in Rawai sell fish straight off the boats. Nightlife peaks on Bangla Road in Patong - bars, clubs, cabaret and sheer sensory overload - which is either the point or the reason you stay south. Beach clubs in Bang Tao and Kamala and rooftop bars offer a smarter alternative for a sundowner, and many bars stay open well into the night.
The dry, calm season runs from November to April, with sunny days, flat seas and the best visibility for snorkelling and diving; December to February is the busiest and priciest period, so book ahead. March and April are the hottest months. The southwest monsoon from May to October brings showers, rougher seas and red-flag warnings on the west coast beaches - respect them, as rip currents off Patong, Karon and Kata are genuinely dangerous. The upside is greener landscapes, fewer crowds and lower hotel rates, and the sheltered east coast and Phang Nga Bay trips run most of the year.
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All hotels in Phuket →2-3 nights for the beach, the colourful Old Town and island-hopping day trips to Phi Phi or James Bond Island.
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