Phuket
Phuket is Thailand's largest island and the easiest one to reach, which is both its appeal and its problem. It is developed, it is busy in places, and it also has coastline quiet enough that you can forget the rest of it exists. The island is big enough that the beach you choose decides the holiday, and small enough that you can see the other side of it in an afternoon.
The shape of the island
Almost everything visitors come for is on the west coast, facing the Andaman Sea, which is why the sunsets are the ones people talk about. Patong sits in the middle of that coast, with Kata, Karon and Nai Harn running south from it and Bang Tao and Surin to the north. Phuket Town is inland to the south-east and is where the island's own life happens. The airport is at the far northern end, a long way from most of the beaches.
The beaches
Patong is the loud one: water sports, beach bars, and the nightlife the island is known for. Kata and Karon are the next bays south, calmer and better for swimming, with families and couples rather than crowds. Nai Harn, further south again, is the quietest of the four. Bang Tao and Surin, up the west coast, are where the upscale resorts and beach clubs are.
Culture and the interior
Old Phuket Town is the part of the island most visitors skip and should not: streets of Sino-Portuguese shophouses in strong colours, with cafés, galleries and markets among them. Wat Chalong is the island's most important temple. The Big Buddha, a 45-metre marble figure on Nakkerd Hill, gives you the whole island in one view.
On the water
The boat trips are the reason many people come. Phang Nga Bay for limestone cliffs rising straight out of green water, James Bond Island and the floating village at Koh Panyee. The Phi Phi Islands by speedboat for snorkelling and swimming. Coral Island for a shorter, easier day out.
Nights
Bangla Road in Patong is the centre and makes no attempt to be anything else — clubs, live music and neon, busy from after dark until very late. Away from it the island runs on beach clubs and sunset bars, which is a completely different evening at a completely different pace.
Eating
Fresh seafood everywhere, Thai cooking at every price, and one dish that belongs to the island: Mee Hokkien, stir-fried yellow noodles with seafood in a heavy savoury sauce. The night markets are where to start and the beachfront restaurants are where to spend.
Practical notes
- November to April is the dry season and the good weather
- Taxis, tuk-tuks and rented motorbikes are the way around; distances are longer than they look
- Swim between the flags and take the red-flag warnings seriously — the Andaman surf is real
Explore Phuket
Staying
Patong for nightlife and convenience, Kata and Karon for the middle ground, Bang Tao and Surin for the upscale and the quiet, Phuket Town for culture and for value. Because the island is large and public transport is thin, the bay you pick is where you will spend most of your time — which makes it the most consequential booking decision here of anywhere in Thailand.
Getting around
There is no useful public transport between the beaches. Taxis and tuk-tuks are everywhere and are not cheap; a rented scooter is what most people staying more than a few days end up doing. Distances that look small on a map take longer than expected, because the roads follow the coast and the hills.