Phuket

Island in

Thailand

is the number one destination for tourists in Southeast Asia.

Phuket

is located in the southern part of

Thailand

, approximately 800 km south of Bangkok. Even though

Phuket

is an island, it is connected to the mainland by a 300m bridge, for easy access to the four million tourists that arrive every year.

Phuket

is the home to nearly 600

hotels

and resorts that are mainly located on the western part of the island. There's a large variety of accommodations in

Phuket

, from inexpensive guesthouses and bungalows, to

hotels

and luxurious resorts with large suites and private villas. Nearly half of the

hotels

and resorts in

Phuket

are located around

Patong

beach, by far the most commercial and populated beach on

Phuket

Patong

beach has nearly 300

hotels

and resorts most of them either on the beach or within a walking distance to the beach.

Patong

beach is one of the biggest and most beautiful beaches on

Phuket

, with its white sand and clear waters. Nighttime is famous in

Patong

beach; this is the only place in

Phuket

where the

hotels

and the city never sleep. Many restaurants, bars, discotheques and shows will keep most tourists out of their

hotel

room

s and onto the streets of

Phuket

. However

Phuket

Island can also be wild, secluded and mysterious like other islands in

Thailand

. Karon and Kata beaches are somewhere in between. Not nearly as commercial and constructed as

Patong

, these beaches offer a more quiet and relaxing atmosphere with large luxurious

hotels

and resorts and some quiet more affordable

hotels

. But for tourists looking for wilderness, quietness and a change of scenery, beaches on the North of

Phuket

like Bang Tao or Nai Yang or in the south of

Phuket

like Panwa, Nai Harn or Chalong are perfect for them. These beaches are the hidden treasure of

Phuket

Island. With just a few

hotels

and resorts so as not to spoil the wilderness of the environment, these beaches offer breathtaking views, gorgeous beaches and incredible sunsets.

Map

Island Guide

Photo Gallery

Hotels

Activities

Festivals

Still with a few hotels and bars and restaurants, the Nai Harn Beach gives the feeling of Phuket many years ago. Being an unspoiled beach with refines sand and clear water makes it one of the island's nicest beaches. Rawai beach was the first to be regularly visited by Thai tourists to Phuket long before foreigners were a common sight in Phuket. This is a favorite picnic spot for Thais sitting under the trees that shade this narrow but picturesque beach. Across the road are many Thai and European restaurants where many of the residents like to spend their evenings or having diners.

Not the perfect place for swimming, but shallow water makes it safe for children and it is protected from the wind.

The Rawai area is famous for the Promthep Cape viewpoint and a Sea Gypsy village. There are many long tail boats and speed boats anchored here that you can hire to make trips to the nearby islands. Not far on the road going back to Phuket is the Seashell Museum if you are a collector, Rawai is also one of the few places where you can buy shells. Northeast of Rawai, lays Chalong–Phuket's principal boat anchorage. Boats can be chartered to go to some small island south of Phuket.

A number of restaurants are on the road leading to the bay. Chalong Bay has a long flat, shallow, muddy bottom, at ebb tide, waters recede as much as one kilometer. It is very picturesque but not for swimming. Panwa Beach is where rubber and palm plantations still outnumber the resorts. Visitors to this area can inspect several hundred exotic, grotesque, and flamboyantly colorful marine species at the Phuket’s Aquarium.