Phuket

Island in

Thailand

is the number one destination for tourists in Southeast Asia.

Phuket

is located in the southern part of

Thailand

, approximately 800 km south of Bangkok. Even though

Phuket

is an island, it is connected to the mainland by a 300m bridge, for easy access to the four million tourists that arrive every year.

Phuket

is the home to nearly 600

hotels

and resorts that are mainly located on the western part of the island. There's a large variety of accommodations in

Phuket

, from inexpensive guesthouses and bungalows, to

hotels

and luxurious resorts with large suites and private villas. Nearly half of the

hotels

and resorts in

Phuket

are located around

Patong

beach, by far the most commercial and populated beach on

Phuket

Patong

beach has nearly 300

hotels

and resorts most of them either on the beach or within a walking distance to the beach.

Patong

beach is one of the biggest and most beautiful beaches on

Phuket

, with its white sand and clear waters. Nighttime is famous in

Patong

beach; this is the only place in

Phuket

where the

hotels

and the city never sleep. Many restaurants, bars, discotheques and shows will keep most tourists out of their

hotel

room

s and onto the streets of

Phuket

. However

Phuket

Island can also be wild, secluded and mysterious like other islands in

Thailand

. Karon and Kata beaches are somewhere in between. Not nearly as commercial and constructed as

Patong

, these beaches offer a more quiet and relaxing atmosphere with large luxurious

hotels

and resorts and some quiet more affordable

hotels

. But for tourists looking for wilderness, quietness and a change of scenery, beaches on the North of

Phuket

like Bang Tao or Nai Yang or in the south of

Phuket

like Panwa, Nai Harn or Chalong are perfect for them. These beaches are the hidden treasure of

Phuket

Island. With just a few

hotels

and resorts so as not to spoil the wilderness of the environment, these beaches offer breathtaking views, gorgeous beaches and incredible sunsets.

Map

Island Guide

Photo Gallery

Hotels

Activities

Festivals

Nai Yang, south of Mai Khao beach, is where the National Park office located. The beach itself is on a long curving bay lined with evergreens that provide shade to picnickers. The large coral reef is home to many different species of fish, and Nai Yang is well known as a site where sea turtles come to lay their eggs during the period from November to February; the population of these has however, dropped off greatly. Nai Yang and Mai Khao Beaches have a very different feeling than beaches to the south.

Bang Tao is an 8 kilometer sweeping crescent shaped bay with a gentle slope and absolutely pure white sand and is fringed with rows of casuarina trees. The constant but gentle breeze on this bay has made Bang Tao Beach very popular with windsurfers and it plays host to several international competitions each year. The main entrance to Bang Tao beach is 2 km north of Surin Village and marked with large signs from the sprawling Laguna Phuket complex, that takes up most of the middle of the bay. This remarkable complex of five luxury resort hotels employ the same low rise village style architecture that are uniquely designed to blend with the vastness of the old tin mine which is what this area used to be.

The old tin mining lake is now a beautifully landscaped lagoon that serves as a water sports center. There are, however, accommodations available outside Laguna at the bay's south end.

Dry season swimming is excellent, and at the bay's north end is a smaller bay, almost completely enclosed, at the mouth of which is some fine coral. Plenty of places to eat, tour companies, and other tourist facilities are available either at Laguna or in the nearby town of Choeng Thale.