With the crowds of the high season still months away, there’s never been a better reason to escape to Thailand’s most popular and exciting island.
Located in the Andaman Sea, Phuket, or “Pearl of the South” as it is known in the tourist industry, is Thailand’s largest, most populous, and most visited island. There’s more to do in Phuket both in and out of the water than any other island in Thailand. So whether your ideal vacation involves relaxing on a pristine beach, diving the ocean depths, deep sea fishing, sailing, horseback riding, walking in the jungle, bungee jumping, nightlife, or shopping, Phuket has got it covered.
About 70 percent of Phuket is mountainous. Most tourists head for the coastal areas with their wide, sandy bays, rocky peninsulas and limestone cliffs, and of these tourists, most end up at three beaches located adjacent to each other on the southwest side of the island — Patong, Karon and Kata. All of these “beach towns” are developed and Patong is particularly lively, both night and day. However, Phuket has numerous beach areas and depending on your style of island vacation, from party central to remote seclusion, you’ll find what you’re looking for.
In the sixteenth century, Phuket, or Junk Ceylon as it was known then, was a way station on the route between India and China where seafarers stopped to shelter. The Dutch established a trading post and the tin trade was worked by foreigners. During the nineteenth century, Chinese immigrants arrived in such numbers to work the tin mines that the ethnic character of the interior of the island became predominantly Chinese, while the coastal settlements were populated chiefly by Muslim fishermen.
Since the early 1980s the tourist industry has been Phuket’s chief source of income. Hotels, restaurants, tour companies, and souvenir shops are predominant on the west coast. Agriculture also remains important to a large number of people, and covers by far the most part of the island.
The Beaches
Patong Beach is Phuket’s central tourist and nighttime entertainment district. Over the years Patong has transformed from a fishing village into one of the island’s two cities. The famous bay and 4-kilometer beach remain as they were, with development limited to the area behind the beach road. There, however, virtually every kind of entertainment imaginable awaits visitors, with beer bars, nightclubs, restaurants and cafes catering to every nationality. Accommodations range from budget to five star and shopping opportunities appear to be endless. Plenty of tour companies are also on hand to help visitors plan their vacations. There’s a saying locally, “If you can’t find it in Patong, it doesn’t exist in Phuket.”
The second largest of Phuket’s principal tourist beaches is Karon Beach. Large resort complexes line the road behind the beach, but the strand itself, long and broad, has no development. Karon is the most upscale of Phuket’s beaches. Kata Beach is the smallest of the three main tourist beaches and different in appearance and style from Karon or Patong with low-rise structures bordering the beach. The waters are perfect for swimming and at the north end there’s a coral reef, home to many species of fishes.
It’s impossible to list all of Phuket’s numerous beach areas here but a few of the more well-known ones include Chalong Bay, Phuket’s principal boat anchorage and the center of the island’s yachting businesses; Rawai Beach, with its many restaurants and bungalows, shell handicraft shops, and good waters for swimming and snorkeling on the reefs offshore; and Kamala Beach, the perfect place to get away from it all. Moving north, Bangtao Beach is a large open bay mostly occupied by the Laguna complex, a massive five-star hotel development with golf course; and Nai Yang Beach is on a long curving bay lined with evergreens that provide shade to picnickers, a very popular activity here.
What To Do
The options are endless… You may well never run out of things to do in Phuket!
For the adventurous…
Scuba Diving: Whether you’re an absolute beginner or an advanced diver, you’ll find everything you could ever want in Phuket, which is one of the world’s top 10 dive destinations. Phuket is surrounded by numerous smaller islands with some excellent dive sites and, further afield, the world-famous Similan and Surin Islands. All instruction and equipment is available at the main beaches and beginner courses are very inexpensive.
Snorkeling: The bays in Phuket contain many interesting coral reefs. Equipment can be rented from dive shops around the island.
Yachting: A popular pastime here; Phuket is one of South-East Asia’s main destinations for yachts.
Wind Surfing: Boards may be rented by the hour, half day, full day, or week at most major beaches. Tuition is available free.
Deep Sea Fishing: Many tours are available. Sailfish and marlins are the prized fish.
Sea Canoeing: Touring the limestone caverns in Phang-Nga Bay is an unforgettable experience. Inflatable canoes squeeze into and under islands.
On land…
Golf: Phuket has five top golf courses with service that makes this a worldwide center for golf lovers.
Jungle Tours: Forest walks, river canoeing, elephant trekking, and tours by Land Rover.
Horseback Riding: Guided tours on horseback are another way to relax while sightseeing.
Khao Pra Taew Wildlife Conservation Development and Extension Center: Twenty-two square kilometers of virgin forest with spectacular vegetation; giant trees supported by huge buttresses are thick with creepers and climbers of every description making it look like a Tarzan movie set. Langurs, barking deer, mousedeer, deer, bear, wild boar, monkeys, gibbons and many species of birds inhabit the forest.
Phuket Butterfly Farm and Insect World: Tropical species of butterflies, other insects and reptiles are on display.
Snake Farms, Cobra Shows and a Monkey School are located at Chalong and Patong.
Shop till you drop…
Large department stores are located in Phuket Town and Patong. Souvenirs such as pearls, batiks, and pewter ware are Phuket’s best known products.
Central Festival Phuket: The ultimate in one-stop shopping and entertainment. Located in Phuket town, Central Festival Phuket is the newest, largest and most complete shopping complex in the South. Inside you’ll find Central Department Store, mega concept stores, a 7-sceen multiplex, fashion boutiques, exotic souvenirs, and 150 specialty shops including Asian arts and crafts, jewelry and gems. Satisfy your appetite with choices of Thai, Japanese, Italian Western and Asian cuisine, as well as international family restaurants.
Jungceylon: World-class shopping and dining on Patong Beach with over 200 shops divided into 4 zones: Silang Boulevard is decorated in tropical resort style and features international fast food, fashion boutiques, spas and a Thai product center called “That’s Siam”; Phuket Square has Robinson Department Store, Carrefour Hypermarket, and SF Cinema City; Sino Phuket is a reproduction of Sino-Portuguese style shop house buildings and home to international restaurants, bars and clubs; and The Port, located outside, has a huge pond with plenty of trees for shade, a life-sized reproduction of a Chinese junk boat, and a musical fountain with an amazing free light & sound show every evening and movies projected onto a water screen.
When the lights go down…
Phuket Fantasea: The ultimate cultural theme park, Fantasea represents a new dimension in nighttime entertainment using ultra-high technology to create fantastic illusions and special effects.
Phuket Simon Cabaret: Dubbed the mother of all cabarets, the glamorous performers found here have made Simon Cabaret a leading Phuket entertainment venue since 1991.
Thai Boxing: “Muay Thai” as it is called in Thai, strikes blows at and with every part of the body. The stadium is located in Phuket Town and bouts are held every Friday night.
A time for healing…
Massage & Spa: Phuket has become an outstanding destination for spa. Phuket spas offer both Thai traditional style and western holistic spa treatments to create a fusion of health and healing choices.
Medical Tourism: Phuket is ideal as a health and wellness destination. With the investment of international medical facilities, Phuket can provide high standards of medical care at affordable prices. Visitors are able to combine their holiday package tour with medical treatment such as a physical check-up, dental work, plastic surgery, etc.
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