Destination overview

The largest island in Thailand, Phuket is a mountainous province located in the southern tip of the Andaman Sea. With an abundance of beaches, parks and forests to explore, a rich history and culture to discover and fantastic dining and nightlife choices, the only thing you'll find lacking in this tropical paradise is the time to see all that the island has to offer. The range of activities in Phuket continues to grow in sophistication and variety, offering visitors of all budgets, tastes and ages something to enjoy.

Over five million tourists flock to Phuket each year to experience its scenic beaches and picturesque mountain ranges. Phuket Island is 50 kilometres long and is linked to mainland Thailand by a bridge so you're never far from the sea at any given point.

Spectacular scenery, stunning tropical sunsets and warm blue sea await you at one of Asia's most popular beach destinations. This fun island provides an unbeatable combination of perfect palm-lined beaches, superb hospitality and great value shopping and dining.

Phuket is approximately 590 square kilometres in size, including 39 surrounding islands. Seventy per cent of the land is covered by mountains, which stretch from the northwestern tip of the island to the southern edge, while the remaining 30 percent is plains. The island is divided into three districts - Talang in the north, Kathu in the west, and Muang in the south.

Phuket has a long rainy season in the late spring, summer and autumn months, so the ideal time for a visit is between December and April if you’re into outdoor activities.

Whether it's world-class diving in the Andaman Sea, golf at championship courses or exciting eco-adventures in tropical forests, Phuket is a place to extend your horizons and seek new adventures. Take an exhilarating speedboat trip to the surrounding islands, or enjoy a serene cruise around mystical Phang Nga Bay. And if it’s nightlife you’re after, then you can’t go past Patong Beach or Soi Bangla, fast becoming known as party capitals.

Phuket's most popular beaches sit on the western side of the island and include Patong Beach, Karon Beach, Kata Beach and Kata Noi Beach and Nai Harn and Rawai on the southern tip of the island. The beaches north of Patong – Kamala, Surin and Bang Tao – tend to be less developed and more secluded.

Several coral islands lie just south of Phuket, with the Similan Islands on the northwest and the Phi Phi Islands on the southeast. All are popular with snorkellers and scuba divers looking to catch a glimpse of Phuket's diverse marine life.

Phuket also has a number of National Parks that showcase some of the island's best beaches, forests, waterfalls and other natural attractions. Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, on the northern part of the island, is home to Phuket’s last virgin rainforest. Sirinath National Park encompasses a mangrove forest with a saltwater swamp and both are well worth visiting.

You will find that Phuket has a wide variety of activities with snorkelling, scuba diving, swimming and boating among the most popular outdoor activities; but you can also experience more exotic attractions such as elephant rides, safaris and all-terrain vehicle tours.

And, let’s not forget that Phuket is a shopper’s paradise. The island has a wide range of shopping options from bustling open-air village food markets, noisy night markets, street stalls and local shops to western-style department stores and upmarket specialty shops. With traditional handicrafts, beautifully designed clothing, jewellery, antiques, homewares and much more to choose from, you might just need to buy an extra suitcase.

The island's long history has shaped the Phuket of the present day with its diverse ethnic groups, culture, architectural influence and fine cuisine. These attributes have made Phuket a complete tourist destination that offers a lot more beyond its natural heritage of sea, sand, forest and world-renowned diving sites. Sino-Portuguese architecture draws visitors to the city, while the friendly and accommodating Phuket style of hospitality has never failed to impress people from all walks of life.

And, getting around Phuket is easy. Most of the beach resorts are small enough to walk around and most resorts are located close to the beach, restaurants and shopping areas. If you'd rather not walk, you can always opt for a taxi or tuk tuk.

At first sight, Phuket Town appears to some visitors as a sleepy provincial capital with not a lot in the way of attractions. Yet Phuket Town is steeped in history and has many attractive and unique temples. It is also a great spot for some of the best scenic lookouts you’ll find anywhere.

A favourite with more adventurous tourists is a stroll through the Old Town, an area that lives and breathes the island’s history of tin mining. Many of the temples used as bases during Phuket’s famous Vegetarian Festival are within walking distance of each other and you will even spot wildlife downtown, on Monkey Hill.

One of the great drawcards to Phuket is that there's always something to do on and off the island whether it's raining or shining and some highlights that should not be missed include a visit to unique Phang Nga Bay, which covers an area of 400 square kilometres and is home to around 100 islands. A distinctive feature of the bay is the sheer limestone cliffs that jut vertically out of the emerald-green waters. James Bond Island and Koh Panyee are two of the more famous spots in this bay. And one place that should be on every tourist’s list is Koh Panyee which is a remarkable village, built out over the water on stilts and with a giant rock monolith guarding its rear.

Wat Chalong is one of Phuket's most important temples and visited by thousands each year. It is beautifully decorated with infinite reflections from hundreds of tiny glass pieces and several pagodas. On special holidays Wat Chalong hosts 'country fairs' with a real local flavour where you can buy just about anything and snack on Thai food to your heart's content. Wat Chalong has an interesting history and is Phuket Island's spiritual centre. No trip to Phuket is complete without a visit to this fascinating temple.

Visible from most of the south of Phuket, the Big Buddha is a recent arrival to the island and stands 45 metres high. The image stands on the top of the Nakkerd Hills and looks down over Chalong, Kata and Rawai. Next to it stands a smaller, golden image that is actually made of brass and there is a shrine also on the site. The drive up to the Big Buddha takes you through the 'real' Thailand and the view from the top is spectacular.