The first stretch of sand to be developed was Patong, some four kilometers long: first with a string of simple thatched-roof bungalows and before long with more substantial hotels and/or bungalow complexes. Patong still contains more tourist facilities than any of the other 13 western beaches and, by night, rivals the gulf-coast resort of Pattaya with its discos, bars, and generally festive atmosphere.


Visitors in search of something more on the tranquil side have a wide variety of choices, from Mai Khao and Nai Yang Beaches near the airport down to Rawai at the southern tip of the island. Some, like Karon and Kata Yai, are spacious strands several kilometers long, while others like Kata Noi and Relax Bay are perfect crescents of white sand protected by dramatic limestone outcrops jutting into the sea at either end. Most now have some sort of tourist facility – Karon, the most rapidly developing, with several new resorts growing each year again – but even so they have retained, to a remarkable degree, the unspoiled beauty that attracted the early travellers.

For anyone who wants to take a few hours away from swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing, or just lying in the sun on the beach of their choice, the island offers a number of diversions. Phuket Town has numerous fine old Chinese houses and public buildings – one of the latter was used as the French Embassy in the movie The Killing Fields - as well as a fascinating market selling local products. Khao Phra Theo National Park, just off the airport road, contains the last of the virgin jungle that once covered Phuket. Near the statues in honor of the two heroines is the new Phuket Museum, which contains various historical and religious objects found in the area. Of the several colonies of Sea Gypsies – more properly reffered as the Moken – who still live on the island, the most interesting is the one on Koh Sire, a large island linked by a bridge east of Phuket Town.

Of the side trips that can be taken from Phuket, perhaps the most popular is to Phang Nga Bay in the north, about three hours by boat. Here, hundreds of incredible-shaped limestone cliffs rise straight from the blue sea, creating a world-class scenic attraction. Some are named for their shapes - Egg island, for instance, as well as Nail and Puppy Islands - while others have acquired a different sort of celebrity: James Bond Island is so called because it was featured in the film The Man With The Golden Gun. One of the more spectacular islands is Koh Pannyi, where a Muslim fishing village on stilts is sited at the foot of a towering slab of limestone.
ALso well worth a visit are the Phi Phi Islands ( described in the Phi Phi section ) and, for dedicated snorkelers or rock climbers, as well for romantic souls, Krabi would be your place.