Island Layout

If you arrive by car or coach, you'll cross into Phuket from the mainland at the northern tip of the island via the Sarasin Bridge, along Route 402. Phuket Town, the island's historic and commercial center, is in the southeast of the island at the terminus of Route 402; local buses connect at Phuket Town Bus Station, on Phang Nga Road, east of the town center. Phuket's picturesque stretches of sand dot the western coast from Nai Harn, on the southern tip, to Mai Khao, about 48km (30 miles) north, via Kata Noi, Kata, Karon, Patong, Kamala, Surin, Bang Tao, and a number of smaller beaches north along this corridor. A busy coastal road links the popular tour towns in the south, but stops north of Patong, requiring a short detour from the main highway. The four corners of Phuket are linked with just a few busy main arterial roads. Renting a vehicle is the best way to tour the island's smaller byways or make the trip to jungle parks, such as Khao Phra Thaew Royal Wildlife & Forest Reserve, in the northeast of the isle, famed for diverse flora and fauna. The western beaches have all the services visitors might need, but everything comes with resort prices -- and don't expect to find any real Thai feel here. For a taste of Thai life, affordable services, and authentic restaurants, explore Phuket Town (especially if this is your only urban destination down south).

The Beaches -- There's a beach for everyone in Phuket, from private stretches belonging to exclusive hideaways to public bays lined with beach chairs and buzzing with jet skis. There are even camping spots close to such places as pristine Mai Khao beach. Each beach is distinct, and selecting the appropriate area makes all the difference.

Nai Harn, the southernmost bay on the west coast, is home to only one major beachfront resort, but has a host of smaller family friendly resorts and bungalows set back from the coast. Laid-back and quiet in the monsoon season, Nai Harn attracts surfers and other watersports enthusiasts. The sand is fine and the water deep. As a public beach, with a few local eateries, it makes for a great day trip, if you're staying at a more populated beach and want to run away for the day (a good long motorbike/car ride south of Kata/Karon).

Rawai Beach and Chalong Beach are two well-known, eastern-facing beaches, both hosting a few resorts, such as the luxurious Evason Phuket, and some outdoor seafood or barbecue restaurants. Cape Panwa, between Chalong and Phuket Town, also has scenic hidden beaches with a range of hotels and restaurants.

North of Nai Harn are the more popular developed beaches: Kata, Kata Noi, and Karon beaches. Though they are getting developed, they're not quite reaching the levels of over-the-top Patong. Along these beaches, you'll find resorts large and small. In general this area is all upmarket, though there are a few budget places that haven't been bulldozed and made high-end yet. Sandy beaches are long and picturesque, and the water is deep, with some nice wave breaks. This beach area has more restaurants than the remote bays and some shopping, nightlife, and travel agent options as well. But you won't find rowdy crowds here and, even with all the development, the area manages to maintain a laid-back character.

North of the Kata and Karon bays, you'll pass through Relax Bay, a small cove with a few resorts, before rolling down the mountain to Patong Beach, the most famous (perhaps infamous) strip on the island. Patong's draw is its seamy Patpong-styled nightlife, busy shops and restaurants, and brash in-your-face beat. Not surprisingly, commercial sex workers flock here to service lovelorn foreign customers. Accommodations run the gamut from five-star resorts to budget motels. Love it or hate it, the town has the most diverse selection of dining facilities and highest concentration of tour and dive operators, watersports, shopping, and nightlife. Most visitors end up spending a few nights on this strip. The drawbacks are all too visible -- endless parades of pushy touts pounce on you at every step. While some adults may find the nightlife titillating, families with kids may want to avoid some of the lurid displays of obscenity on offer. If you love to be in the center of it all, stay in Patong; if you want some peace, stay away.

North of Patong, Kamala Bay, Surin Beach, and Bang Tao Beach have more secluded resorts on lovely beaches for those who want the convenience of nearby Patong but cherish the serenity of a quiet resort.

About two-thirds of the way to the northern tip of the island, Bang Tao Beach is home to the Laguna Resort Complex, a partnership of five world-class resorts sharing excellent facilities and a fabulous beach. While this area is rather far from both Patong Beach and Phuket Town, the many dining and activity options make it quite self-sufficient for those with the means.

Far north of the main resort areas, Nai Thon and Nai Yang Beaches have limited facilities and may not appeal to most, but for real beach lovers, they are a dream come true. Nai Thon is possibly the most beautiful beach on the entire island, while at Nai Yang there is a coral reef 1,000m (3,280 ft.) offshore, just a short ride in a longtail boat. If you are looking to get back to nature, these two beaches or Mai Khao, a little farther north, are your best bet.

Mai Khao is the northernmost beach in Phuket and is famed as being prime habitat for sea turtles. It is designated National Parkland, but with all the development in the area, few sea turtles are returning here to lay eggs. This steep and wide beach is well-shaded by casuarinas trees and sections of it are still deserted, though it now hosts several luxury resorts, all of which claim to respect the local ecology.

Getting There

By Plane

There are more than 50 daily flights from Bangkok’s two airports to Phuket, making last-minute bookings easy and giving travelers a choice of flight times. Thai Airways (www.thaiair.com; tel. 02545-3691) flies ten times daily from Suvarnabhumi International Airport (trip time: 1 hr. 20 min.) for around 1,200B. Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com; tel. 02270-6699) connects Phuket with Ko Samui four to five times daily for around 2,000. Air Asia (www.airasia.com; tel. 02515-9999) and Bangkok Airways make the two-hour journey from Chaing Mai to the island for 1,100B.

Almost all Southeast Aisa’s budget airlines fly to Phuket from Bangkok and beyond, including Air Asia and Nok Air (www.nokair.com; tel. 1318). From Bangkok, most budget carriers operate from Don Mueang International Airport for around 800B. Connecting with Singapore is Silk Air (www.silkair.com; tel. 07630-4020). Budget carriers Tiger Airways (www.tigerairways.com; tel. 80060-15637) and Qantas subsidiary Jetstar (www.jetstar.com; tel. 02267-5125) also have regular connections from Phuket to Singapore; Jetstar flies directly to Australia. As a testament to the island’s popularity, it’s now possible to fly direct to Phuket from Dubai, Seoul, Beijing, Moscow, Kuala Lumpur, and more. If Phuket is your last stop before flying home, these routes can save you a few hours catching a connecting flight back to Bangkok.

Getting from the Airport to Town -- The modern Phuket International Airport (www.phuketairportonline.com; tel. 07632-7230-7) is in the north of the island, about a 45-minute drive from Patong Beach in off-peak hours, or an hour in rush hour (8–9am and 4–7pm). There are ATMs, money-changing facilities, car-rental agents (see “Getting Around,” below), fast-food joints, and a post office at the airport. For a fee, most resorts will pick you up at the airport; check if this is included in your booking.
Just outside the terminal to the right is a meter taxi stand. With the 100B airport tax imposed your ride will likely cost 600B to 800B. There is a ready supply of taxis upon exiting the terminal. Limos (aka well-kept sedans) and minivans are available at the airport for fixed rates depending on destination.

Travel Tip:  Because metered taxis are so rare, consider getting the phone number of the meter taxi driver from the airport—especially if they didn’t pump the breaks so much you got nauseous. Another reliable option is downloading the Grab app (www.grab.com/th; available in the Google Play and iTunes App Store). Grab drivers are required to use a meter, and they’re much cheaper than Phuket’s unregulated taxis. 

By Bus

Bus travel isn’t that much more economical than flying (see above). Still if you’re long on time and short on cash, there are three air-conditioned VIP buses leave daily from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal (tel. 02422-4444), costing 998B, and taking 12 hours. Numerous regular air-conditioned buses go each day and cost around 600B. Standard buses make frequent connections to Surat Thani and nearby towns on the mainland (to Surat is 5 hr. and about 160B).

By Minivan

Minivans to and from Surat Thani, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ranong, and other southern cities leave on regular schedules throughout the day. In each city, minivan operators work with the hotels and arrange free pickup, so it is best to book through your hotel front desk or a travel agent. Tickets to destinations in the south, to such places as Surat Thani, go for between 200B and 500B.

Getting Around

Public transportation on Phuket is a problem that never seems to get solved. If you've spent any time in other parts of the country, you'll know that the covered pickup trucks that cruise the streets picking up and dropping off passengers are called songtaews, while the noisy motorized three-wheel vehicular demons are known as tuk-tuks. Not on Phuket: Here, locals call communal pickup trucks tuk-tuks, while songtaews are the giant colorful buses that ply the main roads (also called baht buses).

Here's the problem: Songtaews are only permitted to travel from a beach to Phuket Town (not from beach to beach). Tuk-tuk drivers have exclusive rights to transport people between beaches, so the "service" is run as a racket -- pay the fare they demand, or walk. At night, tuk-tuk drivers are known to charge solo passengers up to 1,000B to go from Karon to Patong Beach, but they are the only game in town. Budget travelers on limited funds must bear this in mind to avoid getting stranded late at night. If you plan to stay several days and want to explore the island, renting a car is the obvious answer.

By Songtaew 

The local bus terminal is in front of the Central Market, on Ranong Road, in Phuket Town. Fares to the most popular beaches range from 20B to 30B. Songtaews leave when full, usually every 30 minutes, and they run from 7am to 6pm between Phuket Town and the main beaches on the west coast.

By Tuk-Tuk 

Within Phuket Town, tuk-tuks charge 100B to 200B even for the shortest trips, but they can get away with it because there's no alternative for short hops. They provide the most convenient way to get to the bus station or to Phuket Town's restaurants.

In the busy west-coast beaches, tuk-tuks and small Daihatsu minitrucks roll around town honking at any tourist on foot, especially in Patong. It is the only way to travel between beaches. Bargain hard and beware that these guys will try to eke every baht out of you. Expect to pay about 600B from town to the airport, 500B from town to Patong Beach, and 200B from Patong Beach to Karon Beach. At night, you'll have to pay through the nose, usually double the normal day rates. In early 2007, the beach and main roads began using one-way traffic, and transport prices have been rising further due to the longer distance.

By Motorcycle Taxi 

Motorcycle taxi drivers, identifiable by colored vests, make short trips within Phuket Town or along Patong Beach for fees as steep as 100B. Don't let them talk you into anything but short in-town rides, unless you're looking for a death-defying F1-style race along the switchback highways between beaches.

By Car 

You should be extremely cautious when driving yourself around Phuket. Roads between the main beaches in the west and connecting with Phuket Town across the center of the island are dangerously steep and winding, with more than a few hairpin turns and lots of unpredictable traffic. Having said that, renting a vehicle here makes much more sense than in, say, Ko Samui or Ko Chang, and road surfaces are generally in good condition. As in other parts of the kingdom, drivers pass aggressively, even on blind curves, and self-driving visitors should be defensive and alert at all times.

Avis, Budget and Hertz have counters at the Phuket airport.. Plan on spending around 1,400B per day for the cheapest four-door sedan. All international renters have sound insurance coverage available, which is highly recommended.

If you plan to spend most of your time at the beach or island hopping but want to get out and explore one day, you might consider asking your hotel their rates for a car and driver. In researching this book, we found 1,200B an hour for a sedan and 1,700B an hour for a luxury Mercedes to be the going rates, which likely includes cold water, cold towels, and fresh-cut fruit. Many hotels were willing to offer discounts for guests looking to book a full day.

By Motorcycle 

Also along the Patong strip, the same car-rental guys will offer cheap bike rental. A 100cc Honda scooter goes for 150B to 200B per day, while a 400cc Honda Shadow chopper will set you back at least 600B per day. Significant discounts can be negotiated, if you plan to rent for a longer time. Wear your helmet, as police enforce fines of 500B for going without, and practice caution while driving.

Fast Facts

Banks -- Banks are located in Phuket Town, with many larger branches on Ranong and Rasada roads. There are bank branches of major Thai banks at Chalong, Nai Harn, Kata, Karon, and Patong beaches. Money-changers are located at the airport, in major shopping areas on each beach, and at most resorts. Banks offer the best rates. ATMs are found all over Phuket.

Hospitals -- The best facility is Phuket International Hospital (www.phuketinternationalhospital.com; tel. 07624-9400) at 44 Chalermprakiat Ror 9 Rd., next to Big C Shopping Mall, outside Phuket Town. Bangkok Phuket Hospital, at 2/1 Hongyok-Uthit Rd. (off Yaowarat Rd., in Phuket Town; www.phukethospital.com; tel. 07625-4425), has high-quality facilities. Mission Hospital also offers decent medical services and is at 4/1 Thepkasattri Rd., Phuket Town (www.missionhospitalphuket.com; tel. 07623-7220). Both Phuket International Hospital and Bangkok Phuket Hospital both have diving decompression chambers.

Police -- The emergency number for the Tourist Police is tel. 1155 or 1699; for Emergency Police, dial tel. 191; for Marine Police, dial tel. 07621-5438.

Post Office -- The General Post Office, in Phuket Town (tel. 07621-1020), is at 158 Montri road.