Why We Never Skip a Year in Phuket
Phuket, an easy travel destination with stunning beaches, great restaurants and 5 star resorts. Depending what you are after there is something here to cater for every traveller. Phuket is a gateway to many nearby exciting destinations in Thailand, island hoping in Koh Phi Phi, Koh Hong or Koh Racha, snorkelling trips to the Similan Islands and the like.
Top Beaches Phuket
- Freedom Beach – a hidden gem with soft sand and clear waters
- Panwa Beach – calm and great for relaxing away from crowds
- Paradise Beach – small, beautiful, and close to Patong without the chaos
- Banana Beach – secluded, lined with palm trees and turquoise water
- White Beach – not very well-known but I believe it has the whitest sand on the island
- Surin Beach – stylish and popular with locals, great for swimming
- Nai Thon Beach – tranquil, wide sandy beach perfect for long walks
- Island Escapes from Phuket –
- Many travellers head off the mainland to surrounding islands – Koh Hong, Koh Yao, Koh Phi Phi – Offers the ultimate white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters. Popular for day trips, snorkeling, and island-hopping adventures. I’d recommend actually staying here.
My thoughts On Patong Beach
- The most tourist-heavy beach in Phuket
- Full of hustle and bustle with markets, shops, and a large crescent-shaped beach
- Known for its vibrant nightlife and party atmosphere
- I do not recommend Patong as one of the top beaches in Phuket – it can be overcrowded, noisy, and lacks the natural beauty of other beaches
- Better suited for nightlife seekers than those after a relaxing beach escape
Where To Stay
Phuket has a large variety of accommodation options, you can go for a 5 star resort on the beach, stunning beach bungalows and condos, apartment style stays in town or hire a villa all to yourself. Personally I prefer the medium scale or luxury beach bungalow style hotels. A few nice choices are The Surin on Surin Beach, Sri Panwa cliff top villas, Thavron Beach Village Resort, The Pullman Arcadia Naithon, The Naka Island, Santhyia Koh Yao Yai, The Racha, Mandarava, Keemala, Six Senses Koh Yai Noi. Some of these hotels are located on nearby islands, which is the best way to be able to stay on a smaller scale luxury resort. On the Phuket mainland itself, north of the airport are a few beachside destinations that don’t always get a mention, Mai Khao and Khao Lak, both of these destinations offer stunning 4 and 5 star accommodation choices along long sandy stretches of beach. Some options to stay here are the Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa and Anantara Mai Khao. Further north in the sleepy Khao Lak some options might be Bangsak Villiage and Khaolak Laguna Resort.
Attractions
Many people opt to stay in Phuket or the surrounding islands and then book tours to local attractions. From Phuket a few popular options are visiting Koh Phi Phi, Koh Racha Beach, Koh Hong, Krabi and James Bond Island. Koh Phi Phi Lei and Maya bay a national park island is currently closed for tourists, you can travel past by boast but are not allowed to set foot on the beach itself. Koh Phi Phi Don still boasts some beautiful beaches a market area and some luxury beach bungalow style you resorts. You can catch a private speedboat to the island, or the ferry from Rassada Pier, which takes about 50 mins longer but is a fraction of the cost, you can buy ferry tickets at the pier. Koh Hong is best accessed from Krabi where you can hire a long tail boat to take you across, or join a tour. This particular island is stunning and is a national park, the beach is open to the public and there is large central lagoon for snorkelling and swimming. The Similan Islands are a popular dive and snorkelling area where you can easily book day tours to from Phuket.
Night Markets
Each larger beach area has small local markets lining the roadside. Phuket Old Town Walking Market on Thalang road is worthwhile, only open on a Sunday from 4pm the market sells souvenirs and street food in the historic old part of Phuket Town. Or check out the Chilva Market Phuket open from Thursday –Saturday 5pm-11pm.
Eat
Thailand is synonymous for delicious cuisine, and generally wherever you go the food is quite consistent. Most hotel restaurants offer a variety of Thai dishes cooked by local chefs. You can venture out to nearby hotels, the town itself or street side local eateries, but I personally prefer to eat at the resort and enjoy the views and atmosphere.
Getting Here
Fly direct to Phuket’s international airport or from Bangkok, this large modern airport attracts traveller’s form all over the world. If you have not booked a transfer with your hotel, outside the airport are small booking desks that with organise a taxi or shuttle to your accommodation. Fares are capped and there is no need to haggle, a sign just as you leave the airport indicates approximately how much the trip should cost you. You can also travel to Phuket via train and bus travelling from the north of Thailand.
