Phuket Travel Tips

Expect stunning white sandy beaches, friendly local people, tasty cuisine, luxury resorts and culture. There are so many different activities on offer and we have put together a guide to top rated sightseeing tours and packages, best places to visit, where to stay and how to save money and visit Phuket on a budget. 

 

Where to Stay in Phuket

If you are looking for somewhere to stay for a good price in Phuket then you have a lot of options including budget backpacker hostels, cheap hotels and amazing world class resorts.

The Kee Resort and Spa is a recommended mid range hotel where the service is impeccable. Facilities include an amazing pool with a swim up bar, a roof top bar and restaurant and modern living arrangements. 

The longer you stay the better deal you are likely to get. 

 

Best Beaches in Phuket

Beaches are one of the main attractions to Phuket. You can go jet skiing, parasailing, windsurfing or just relax on the white sandy shore. You can see an amazing panoramic view of the Andaman Sea at Laem Phromthep the islands southern-most tip. This can get crowded during peak season visiting times though and arriving early in the day is recommended.

Here are some of the top rated beaches to check out:

  • Kalim Beach
  • Naklay Beach
  • Kamala Beach
  • Surin Beach
  • Pansea Beach
  • Bangtao Beach
  • Layan Beach
  • Naiton Beach
  • Naiyang Beach
  • Rawai Beach
  • Prompthem Cape
  • Nai Harn Beach
  • Kata Noi Beach
  • Mata Main Beach
  • Karon Beach
  • Karon Noi Beach
  • Freedom Beach

 

Culture & Temples

If you are seeking culture on a holiday in Thailand and you are staying in the Phuket area a visit to the Wat Phra Thong temple will not disappoint. Here you will be able to see a large bronze sculpture of Buddha, very different to everything you would normally see in Western life.

 

Phi Phi Island Tour from Phuket

Phi Phi is one of the most famous destinations in the region and this can be visited on a day trip from Phuket. Day tours depart daily and your first stop will likely be Bamboo Island. This day was not only an adventure, but also the most beautiful scenic tour I’ve ever been on (despite the bruises my backside acquired from being thrown around on the boat- all in good fun and laughter!). 

Bamboo Island was our first stop and we spent about an hour here sun baking and taking in the beautiful scenery. The water was aqua blue (no exaggeration) and the photos rolled in like the waves as they knocked us over every few seconds. We did a bit if exploring on the land as well, discovering that balancing was not a strong point of ours, as there were many large swings attached to the palm trees to climb on. We soon gave up on this and spent the remaining time catching a few rays.

Overall, it was a great start to the morning! Pong (he said his brother Ping was at home) then instructed the group that we would be heading to a resort on a nearby Island (which the name escapes me) for lunch. We enjoyed a lovely buffet over looking the water, which was phenomenal. We had a moment to walk around and spy on the great pools and worship statues placed around the courtyards. My friends and I took some time to take photos on a very cute swing overlooking the ocean.

We then floated to a lagoon and jumped off the front of the boat into ten-metre deep bright blue/green water. The photos can speak for itself - this was one of my favourite moments of the entire trip. Everyone was laughing, the sun was shining and I had never seen such natural beauty as when I stared into the water below me.

After our splash we went and saw an Island full of cute Monkeys (not actually cute if you get too close) scampering around and looking at the boat full of people in awe. We also floated by some Viking Caves to see something so bizarre to me, yet very interesting. People still lived in these caves and survived on the little clothing they had, the fish in the sea and the passion in their hearts for the caves!

It was such a wondrous thing to see. Finally we reached our last stop at Maya Bay- where they shot scenes from ‘The Beach’ with Leo, yep Dicaprio- for a swim and some time to soak it all up before returning to the main land. My friends and I definitely soaked up the fact Leo had walked on the same beach as us!