Attraction
Phuket Big Buddha
A 45-metre marble-clad Buddha on Nakkerd Hill above Chalong, with free entry and wide views over Kata, Chalong Bay and the south of the island.
There are more things to do in Phuket than its beaches suggest, although the beaches are where most visitors start. Thailand's largest island faces the Andaman Sea, with a string of west-coast bays from Patong, the busiest resort, to Kata, Karon and Nai Harn in the south and quieter Bang Tao, Kamala and the Sirinat National Park coast in the north. Inland and in the south you will find Wat Chalong, the Big Buddha on Nakkerd Hill and the sunset viewpoint at Promthep Cape.
Phuket Town gives the island a second personality. Its Sino-Portuguese shophouses, Chinese shrines and museums tell the story of the Hokkien families who grew rich on tin, and its food is distinctive enough to have earned many entries in the MICHELIN Guide, from crab curry with rice noodles to late-night pork rice. Boat trips leave daily for Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay. Four or five days lets you combine a beach base with a day in the old town and an island trip; a week allows a slower pace.
Attraction
A 45-metre marble-clad Buddha on Nakkerd Hill above Chalong, with free entry and wide views over Kata, Chalong Bay and the south of the island.
Attraction
Phuket's best-known temple complex in Chalong, with a 60-metre chedi holding a Buddha relic and a hall honouring the revered monk Luang Pho Chaem.
Attraction
Phuket's southern tip, a rocky headland with a lighthouse, a Brahma shrine surrounded by elephant figures and the island's most popular sunset viewpoint.
Attraction
Phuket's busiest and best-known beach, a long curve of sand on the west coast backed by Patong's hotels, restaurants, shops and Bangla Road nightlife.
Attraction
A curved west-coast beach of about 1.5 kilometres with the islet of Koh Pu offshore, popular with families in the dry season and surfers in the…
Attraction
A museum in a 1934 Sino-Portuguese former Chinese school in Phuket Old Town, telling the story of the island's Hokkien settlers, tin mining and Baba culture.
Café
A specialty coffee bar on Soi Romanee that roasts Thai arabica on site, is known for nitro cold brew and makes bean-to-bar chocolate from Thai cacao.
Café
A Thalang Road coffee shop styled like an old Chinese kopitiam, serving Phuket-style Hokkien noodles, pad thai and drinks at modest prices.
Café
A bakery café a few minutes from Nai Harn Beach, baking sourdough, croissants and cakes on site and serving breakfast and lunch from early morning.
Café
A hillside café on the road between Ya Nui Beach and Promthep Cape, with a rooftop deck over the sea, house-roasted coffee and weekend live music.
Café
A small yellow-and-blue coffee bar at Phuket Town's Fountain Circle, known for burnt butter toast with ice cream and Phuket-style iced coffee.
Café
A quirky coffee shop and gallery on Phang Nga Road, filled with local art for sale, antiques and curios, with vintage armchairs and good coffee.
Hotel
A secluded luxury resort of private pool villas, suites and residences on Phuket's north-west coast, home to the Michelin-starred PRU and awarded Two MICHELIN Keys.
Hotel
Aman's resort on a peninsula above Pansea Beach in north-west Phuket, with pavilions and villas, several restaurants and a holistic wellness centre.
Hotel
A hillside resort above Kamala with distinctive tree pool houses, bird's nest and clay pool villas, a wellness focus and the Mala Spa.
Hotel
A large beachfront resort on 850 metres of Kata Noi Beach, with a water park, Club Tully kids' club, Tew Son Spa and a wide choice…
Hotel
Phuket Town's 1927 heritage hotel on Phang Nga Road, once a backpacker favourite seen in The Beach and now a restored small hotel in the old…
Hotel
A small boutique hotel on Phuket Road in the old town, with 17 individually decorated rooms around a courtyard pool, a café and a restaurant.
Bar
Patong's main nightlife street, closed to traffic each evening and lined with bars, clubs and neon signs from the beach road inland.
Bar
The biggest club on Patong's Bangla Road, a superclub with three rooms for EDM, hip-hop and techno and a line-up of international DJs.
Bar
A beachfront club on Bang Tao Beach from the Twinpalms Phuket family, with a pool, daybeds and cabanas, all-day dining and weekend events.
Bar
A laid-back reggae bar on the sand at the southern end of Kata Beach, built around a huge old tree, with fire shows on some evenings.
Bar
A live jazz, soul and blues bar on Yaowarat Road in Phuket Old Town, run by a jazz guitarist, with nightly sets and no cover charge.
Bar
A speakeasy hidden behind a key-cutting shop front on Thalang Road, serving coded signature cocktails in a dark room lit by large projections.
Restaurant
A one-MICHELIN-Star restaurant at Trisara in Choeng Thale, serving a seasonal tasting menu built on produce from its own farm and Thai suppliers.
Restaurant
Thai and Phuket Peranakan dishes served in the restored Phra Pitak Chinpracha mansion on Krabi Road, with a cocktail bar and its own cooking school.
Restaurant
A long-running family restaurant in an old Sino-Portuguese mansion on Dibuk Road, known for crab curry with rice noodles and other Phuket home dishes.
Restaurant
A Bib Gourmand restaurant in a vintage-styled old building in Phuket Town, cooking family recipes such as crab yellow curry and Moo Hong pork belly.
Restaurant
A Bib Gourmand southern Thai restaurant in a grand Sino-Portuguese building on Phang Nga Road, cooking the owner's mother's recipes with live music.
Restaurant
Chef Tammasak's contemporary Thai restaurant near Bang Tao, with a tiled interior, a garden with live music and dishes such as lemongrass lamb chops.
Thing to do
A self-guided stroll through Phuket Town's Sino-Portuguese streets, taking in Thalang Road, Soi Romanee, old shrines, museums and Baba-style cafés.
Thing to do
Phuket Town's Sunday evening market, known locally as Lard Yai, filling Thalang Road with street food, crafts and performers from late afternoon.
Thing to do
A large Saturday and Sunday evening market near Wat Naka south of Phuket Town, with clothing and souvenir stalls, live music and a big food area.
Thing to do
A roadside viewpoint above Kata Noi where three west-coast bays, Kata Noi, Kata and Karon, line up in a single view; free and open at all…
Thing to do
An evening cabaret theatre on the edge of Patong, staging glitzy costume and dance revues with lip-synced musical numbers and photos with performers afterwards.
Tour operator
The pioneer of sea-cave canoeing in Phang Nga Bay since 1983, best known for its Hong by Starlight tour with guided paddling into hidden lagoons.
Tour operator
A Phuket boat-tour company founded in 2005, running small-group speedboat trips to Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay from Boat Lagoon, plus private charters.
Tour operator
A Chalong-based dive company with more than 20 years in Phuket, running day trips, Similan Islands liveaboards and courses from beginner to instructor level.
Tour operator
A cooking school in Kathu offering half-day beginner classes and a longer masterclass, with a guided market visit and dishes such as pad thai and tom…
Tour operator
A Patong cooking school with classes from a 30-minute single dish to a full day, a choice of more than 40 dishes and a market visit…
Four or five days covers a beach base, a day in Phuket Old Town and one boat trip; a week allows a slower pace and a second island excursion.
Patong suits nightlife lovers, Kata and Karon suit families, Phuket Town suits culture and food lovers, and Bang Tao, Kamala and the north-west coast suit those who want quieter luxury.
Phuket International Airport is in the north of the island; taxis, airport minibuses and ride-hailing cars run to Phuket Town and the beaches, and the drive to Patong takes about 45 to 60 minutes.
It ranges widely: street food, markets and guesthouses are inexpensive, while beach resorts, tasting menus and private boat trips can be costly.
Generally yes; take normal care with valuables, agree taxi and tuk-tuk fares in advance, ride scooters only with a helmet and licence, and always respect red flags on the beaches.