Welcome to Phuket
Jade waves concealing rainbows of fish wash white-gold beaches beneath lushly jungled hills, beyond which lie temples and towns wrapped in Phuketian heritage: Phuket (), Thailands dazzling largest island, is so diverse you may just forget to leave. The original Thai island getaway, Phuket may be much less undiscovered these days, but it still has its special allure.
Long-tail boats, | BENNY MARTY/SHUTTERSTOCK
PhuketTop Experiences
Phukets 45m-high, Burmese-alabaster hilltop Buddha.
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Phuket Top Experiences
Phukets spectacular southernmost tip.
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Phuket Top Experiences
Phukets cultural capital; Sino-Portuguese architecture.
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Phuket Top Experiences
Jungled back-to-nature cape; quiet beaches.
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Phuket Top Experiences
Phang-Ngas towering national-park limestone islets.
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Phuket Top Experiences
Blonde beaches; jungle-covered limestone islets.
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Phuket Top Experiences
Some of Thailands finest diving.
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Eating
Beachside dining, bamboo shacks, heaving markets, sizzling street grills and smart restaurants. Phuket is a fantastic food destination, cooking up everything from terrific-value street eats to international fine dining not to mention deliciously fresh seafood. Dont miss Phukets Peranakan-style cooking, at its best in Phuket Town.
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The Phuket Dining Scene
Phukets dining options cater to all tastes and theres some fabulous food. Book ahead for top-end restaurants.
Street stalls Anywhere, at any time, for delicious Thai favourites.
Markets Phuket has plenty of markets with cheap, good meals.
Shophouse restaurants Semi-outdoor spaces dishing up Thai staples.
Restaurants From cheap-and-cheerful to elaborate and experimental, taking in everything from Thai to Italian.
Cafes Caffeine and brunch-style food; especially strong in Phuket Town.
Hotels Many of the islands finest restaurants are attached to hotels.
Best by Budget: $
Phuket Towns favourite hotplate-fresh roti.
Soak up the Old Town shophouse scene over flavour-bursting southern-Thai fare.
Pt tai with a serious kick, on Karons roadside.
Sample signature Phuketian dishes.
Plastic chairs and Hokkien noodles in Phuket Town.
No-fuss Thai staples overlooking Kamalas northern sands.
Best by Budget: $$$
Choose Cherngtalay or Phuket Town for Noi Tammasaks signature fusion creations.
Imaginative European-style food and divine artisan cocktails (Cherngtalay).
Elaborate contemporary Italian cuisine from a Sardinian chef, just north of Patong.
Phuketian classics are given a sophisticated makeover on Hat Tri-Trang.
Understated east-coast surrounds and European-inspired dishes starring Phuket produce.
Top-end dining with sea breezes at Katas finest restaurant.
Best Local Thai
A Phuket Town shophouse setting for lip-smacking southern-Thai cooking.
Phuketian classics sizzled up in an atmospheric Old Town shophouse.
One of Phuket Towns most established local-cuisine restaurants.
Stylish design meets Phuketian specialities in a Sino-Portuguese Phuket Town building.
Karons favourite roadside food shack for terrific pt tai.
MSG-free Thai favourites on a Kata backstreet.
Best Food Experiences
Gastronomic wanders around Phuket Town.
Master Royal Thai specialities in a Phuket Town mansion.
Fine-dining cookathons courtesy of Katas swankiest restaurant.
Top Tip: Price Ranges
The following ranges refer to a main course.
$ less than 150B
$$ 150350B
$$$ more than 350B
Drinking & Nightlife
Many travellers come to Phuket to party whether thats at beachside bar shacks, sophisticated lounges, buzzing beach clubs or Patongs carnival of sin. It isnt all about dirt-cheap shots and go-go bars: Kata has mellow sand-side bars and Ao Bang Thao is classy-beach-club territory, while Phuket Town is an artisan coffee and cocktails hot spot.
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