Welcome to Phuket

Welcome to Phuket
Welcome to paradise

It has all the right ingredients; surrounded by clear blue water, its palm fringed beaches are of soft, clean sand, it has a vibrant nightlife and you can enjoy the most wide ranging cuisine – you name it, you can eat it in Phuket। For several years Phuket has topped the polls as a holiday paradise, and in the most recent survey, readers of a top travel magazine voted for it ahead of Bali and Cebu। Add all this to the most welcoming people in the world, and you can see why travellers love it।
Phuket and its surrounding islands are some of the most beautiful and intriguing in the world. Tall outcrops of limestone rise vertically from the sea, and probably the most famous of these was used as a location for one of the James Bond films. It’s now known as “James Bond Island”, but its real name is Phang-nga.
Set just off the west coast of Thailand, in the Andaman Sea, Phuket is about the same size as Singapore. The main town is Phuket Town, but many visitors stay in the beach resorts of Surin, Katu, Karon and the most famous (and busy) Patong. To get from Phuket to Patong takes about 20 minutes. Phuket Town has all the administration offices, bigger business hotels and department stores, whilst the beach resorts cater more to the holiday maker. However, excursions to the islands off Phuket go from the port at Phuket Town.
A Day Visit by Boat to Phi Phi Island
This is one of the best excursions from Phuket, and takes in a whole day. Leaving in the morning; the excursion includes a visit to island caves, a glass bottomed boat/submarine trip, snorkelling off the island and some time on Phi Phi island, where some organizers go to Maya, a location for the film “The Beach”.

At A Glance
Phuket, pronounced "Poo-get," is Thailand's largest, most populous and visited island, a whirl of colour and cosmopolitanism that's a province itself. The coastal terrain of the 810sq km island encompasses broad, sandy bays, rocky peninsulas, limestone cliffs, forested hills and tropical vegetation.
Phuket has a culture of its own, combining Chinese and Portuguese influences with that of the Southern Thais and the chao naam, a seafaring, semi-nomadic group that depend on fishing and boat building. This is Thailand's wealthiest province, and since the late 1980s tourism has eclipsed tin mining as the island's largest source of income.
There is a lot to do in Phuket; there are also more tourists in Phuket than on any other Thai island, though most flock to three beaches on the south-western side - Patong, Karon and Kata। Beaches like Nai Han near the southern tip, and Kamala on the western coast, are relatively quiet, inspite of major tourist development at both, while Nai Thon, Nai Yang and Mai Khao to the north remain mostly untouched.

Moving Around
In general, the northern half of the island has not been swept up in the development wave, offering quiet beach retreats and the chance to explore rural inland areas.
In the southern half of the island, commercialism is evident - snake farm, bungee-jumping operation, billboard, half-built condo project, travel agency or craft shopt is seen every half kilometre. The island's beaches and relatively unspoiled northern interior remain its main attractions.
Phuket is the principal point for the Thai scuba-diving industry and is one of the world's top 10 dive destinations।

Dining
When in Phuket, one must sample authentic, Phuket-style cooking - a blend of Thai, Malay and Straits Chinese influences. Meals in the city tend to cost 50% less than meals at the beach.
Town Centre - several restaurants and outlets include Raan Jee Nguat, Thai Jong, On On Café, Mae Porn, Kanda Bakery, Roti Chao Fa, Nai Yao, Ta Yai Nai Yao and Kra Jok See
Khao Rang (Phuket Hill) - try the iced coffee at sunset and chicken coconut soup or oyster omelette at Thungkha Kafae
Ao Chalong - Kan Eang 1, just past Wat Chalong, serves fresh seafood by weight and allows one to specify the method of cooking whether grilled, steamed, fried or in soup
Kan Eang 2 - this second location is at the other end of Ao चलोंग

Attraction
diving
snorkelling
yachting
paddling
fishing
dinner theatre
Sino-Portuguese architecture
main market on Ranong is a good place to buy Thai and Malay sarongs as well as baggy Shan (fisherman's) pants
Chinese temples can be found at the Ranong vicinity the Vegetarian Festival is Phuket's most important and usually takes place during late September or अक्टूबर

Shopping
There are loads of souvenier shops and clothing boutiques at the beach resorts of Patong, Kata and Karon. The best bargains on the island are found in the provincial capital. There are two main markets - one off the southern side of Ranong near the town centre, the second off the northern side of Ong Sim Phai a bit southeast of the town centre.
The newer Ong Sim Phai market focuses on fresh produce. Adjacent to the market is the large Robinson Ocean Plaza. Along Yaowarat between Phang-Nga and Thalang are a number of Indian-run tailor and fabric shops while Chinese gold shops line Ranong opposite the market. Another shopping venue is the small Rasda Centre/Phuket shopping centre on Rasada.
The Loft sells Asian antiques, Nepalese-Tibetan carpets and ornaments downstairs; contemporary art can be found upstairs. Other antique shops in central Phuket include 88 Ancient Art and Ban Boran Antiques. Phuket Unique Home features silverware, dishware, home décor accessories and furniture with a blend of old and new influences.