Phuket is the largest and most famous island in Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. The capital Pukhet Town stands on the eastern coast, while most of the tourist beaches are on the west shore facing the open sea.
Here you will find everything from crowded beaches with a wide range of leisure activities day and night, to beautiful, more remote and secluded coves.
How to get
Communications with the rest of the coast and islands are excellent, and it has an airport and bus service to Bangkok.
Airlines. The information is available in Means of Transport.
From the airport, there are taxi and minivan services to all beaches. You have to know that when the minivan is shared (it costs about 250 baht or a bit more depending on the distance to your beach) they usually make a stop to organize the route between the accommodations in which to leave customers and offer you one if you had not decided yet. It takes time, patience.
Maritime links
» Tiger Line Ferry
» Phuket Ferry
» Chaokoh Group
» Phi Phi Ferry
From May to October, maritime links reduce the frequency.
How to go by bus
From the Bangkok bus terminal (south line).
We always recommend a VIP bus with 24 seats and air conditioning. Usually, they leave in the evening travelling during the night.
The Phuket bus station is in the middle of the island, so you have to take a taxi to reach the destination, about 400 baht (there is another station in Phuket Town, but these buses do not get there).
Given its size, a suitable way of moving between the beaches and the capital is by motorbike. However, you should avoid the interior roads when it rains, as they have steep slopes with sharp bends that are only for experienced drivers.
Car rental, taxis and tuk-tuk are also good and much safer alternatives.
There is public transport among the different locations and the capital, cheap but slow. Ask at your accommodation about the nearest stop.
The second-largest bustling town is on Patong Beach. As a beach it is not extraordinary, but it provides all the services to cover the needs for comfort and enjoyable swimming.
The feverish activity continues all night, with a wide range of attractions for all tastes.
If you prefer a quieter beach, there are a few suitable choices both to the north and to the south of Patong, such as Kata, Karon, Kamala, Surin and Rawai (have a look in the video available below).
There are also some nearby islands where you can enjoy spectacular beaches and snorkelling. We refer to the Coral and Raya islands, in addition to the famous Phi Phi islands, located a little further.
Another natural setting that deserves a visit is Phang Nga Bay, north of the island, where you can find the James Bond islet.
Besides the activities of the beaches, from the port of Chalong, ships leave for recreational purposes, sport fishing ships and for diving, the latter searching diving spots such as Shark Point and Anemone Reef.
