Phuket
Thailand's largest island, and the easiest place to combine a beach holiday with boat trips to Phang Nga Bay and Phi Phi. Phuket is busy — but it is also big enough to escape the crowds if you know which coast to stay on.
Which beach, which coast
The west coast faces the sunsets and the waves: Kata and Kata Noi for families, Surin and Bang Tao for space, Nai Harn for the south. The east coast is mangroves and marinas — better for sailing than swimming.
Boats, not sunbeds
Phuket's real value is as a base. Phang Nga Bay is 40 minutes by boat, Phi Phi two hours, the Similans a morning's drive north. We schedule boat days around the wind rather than the brochure.
Things to see in Phuket
Bay & islands
Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island
Forty limestone islands rising out of green water, with hidden lagoons (hongs), mangrove channels and the famous…
Islands
Phi Phi Islands & Maya Bay
Six islands of limestone and turquoise water, two hours by boat from Phuket, with Maya Bay at the centre.…
Landmark
Phuket Big Buddha
A 45-metre white marble Buddha on Nakkerd Hill, visible from most of southern Phuket.…
Neighbourhood
Phuket Old Town
Sino-Portuguese shophouses, cafés, galleries and the Sunday Lard Yai market on Thalang Road.…
Beach
Kata Noi Beach
A 700-metre cove south of Kata, sheltered by headlands, with the best swimming on Phuket's west coast.…
Temple
Wat Chalong
Phuket's most important temple, with a 60-metre chedi said to contain a fragment of the Buddha's bone.…
Tours that include Phuket
Bestseller
4.9 (145)
Thailand Highlights
Bangkok · Ayutthaya · Chiang Mai · Phuket
Bestseller
4.9 (90)
Andaman Islands & Longtail Bays
Phuket · Krabi
Small group
4.9 (130)
Southern Islands: Andaman Sail
Phuket · Koh Lanta
Private
4.9 (80)
Khao Sok & the South
Khao Sok · Krabi · Phuket
Bestseller
4.9 (109)
Phi Phi Sunrise by Private Longtail
Phuket
Private
4.9 (175)
Phang Nga Hongs by Sea Kayak
Phuket
Experiences here
Add Phuket to a longer trip
Most travellers combine it with two or three other places. Tell us your dates and we will suggest the route.