Phuket

Some of Phuket's Beaches
Genisis Stock Photo

Phuket is Thailand's largest island, a idyllic site for the country's premier international beach resort. Much of the island's charm is that the ocean facing west coast is lined with a series of bays where white sand beaches span between two rocky points. This makes for a series of relatively intimate places rather than one big unbroken stretch of sand lined with high rise hotels and packed with people. See the Phuket beaches page for an overall map to the main beaches and towns of the island.

As befits a mature international resort destination, Phuket has a large variety of sun and surf activities so there's something for just about everyone. Some would argue that Phuket's development as an international destination has made it a little less exotic. While this is certainly true of some places, there's still a lot of local color to be found for those willing to step away from the beach and look for it.
Of course, we can't talk about Phuket without mentioning the tsunami which affected a wide area of the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004. The big wave affected different beaches to varying degrees. Karon, which has a rather steep beach, was relatively unaffected, while Patong's long gentle slope allowed the water to flow several blocks inland and well past the second floor of the buildings nearer the beach. Many businesses in Patong were effectively destroyed.
However, the wave had barely receded when re-building began to be discussed. Many businesses were able to re-open within three or four months, although some hotels took slightly longer. By the time we next visited in November 2005, just a month shy of one year since the tsunami, things were pretty much back to normal. There are lots of shiny new taxis, tuk-tuks and buildings, but other than that there is very little sign of the event that took so many lives.

Phuket Sights

As befits an island resort, the main attractions on Phuket are its many beaches. However, there are a few other things to see away from the sand and surf. Here are a few ideas

Phang Nga Bay

Broad view of Phang Nga bay.

This bay near Phuket, with its fantastical scenery, is a popular spot with tourists. It used to be that the only way to see it was on a tour boat from Phang Nga city, although you could take a boat from a small fishing village near Phuket for a more "personal" tour by the people who lived and worked in the bay. You would still see the infamous "James Bond Island" but the fishermen know at least a dozen more truly beautiful and unique spots.

Taking the sea canoe through the mangroves

A sea canoe glides through the mangroves.

Now, there's a new option -- the "sea canoe" tours. There are several companies now offering these tours. They depart from Phuket, saving the long drive up to Phang Nga town. You ride on a large boat up into the bay. At selected places, the boat stops and you get off the big boat onto the sea canoes, two tourists and one guide to each canoe. The guide does all the work. You just have to keep your camera dry.

Knife-edged rocks in the hongs.

The sea canoe tours allow you to see things you can't see from the big tour boats, such as the mangrove forests (above) and the many caves hollowed out in the islands. The center of many islands have collapsed, leaving small lakes open to the sky and fantastic formations of rock. These are usually only reachable through small caves opening into the sea. Some of these can only be entered when the tide is low. Its definitely not an adventure for the claustrophobic!

From a tour of Phang Nga in 1999.

Phang Nga is one of the most unique spots on earth. The landscape is only matched by two or three other places in the world. With the innovation of the sea canoe tours, you can see Phang Nga in a whole new way.
Phang Nga Bay is really a "must see" sight. There are very few places in the world with a landscape like Phang Nga. To make sure you see it, you can book tours in advance through our travel partner Viator.

Old Phuket

Before it became an international resort destination, the people of Phuket made their money from tin. When tin mining first began to boom in the nineteenth century, those at the top built many large mansions and shops in a blend of Chinese and Portuguese styles. Some fine examples still exist and many have been restored in recent years. You can see good examples, some open to the public, on Dibuk, Phang-Nga, Yaowarat, Thalang and Krabi streets.