Phuket Travel Guide
Travel guide to Phuket, Thailand with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Phuket sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Phuket Overview
Phuket is an island off the west coast of Thailand, of which it is part. With around 25 miles of glorious beaches it has transformed itself in recent years from being a major tin manufacturer into a first class tourist destination.
Patong Beach is the area most focused on tourists, with a plethora of hotels now built there and it is also the centre of the nightlife scene in Phuket. With bars and clubs everywhere it is a particularly exciting place to be for those new to the area. A word of caution though for those who are talking to a lady in a bar - that might not be a lady! Patong Beach is where the exotic ladyboys are usually found.
Nai Yang Beach is a place that is most often seen on television as it is where the sea turtles go to lay their eggs. Now part of the Sirinat National Park it is a protected area but one that any visitor should see if they get the opportunity.
Within the heart of Phuket itself there is still work going on there, with the interior of the island housing paddy fields and rubber plantations. It is only natural since tourism cannot pay for everything and people still have lives to lead. Having said that though it is tourism that pays for the majority of the island using the money that visitors bring to make the whole experience even better in the future through reinvestment. Phuket is a beautiful destination offering a wonderful range of activities and a taste of a very warm culture in Buddhism.
Top Phuket Attractions
Buddhism is the primary religion here, so temples are one of the main sights seen here. Wat Chalong is the best known in Phuket with another very popular one being Wat Phra Thong which has a partially buried golden Buddha.
Shopping in Phuket
Phuket offers all things to all men, and women. Combining as it does the traditional and the modern there are the traditional street markets where local wares can be bought, with the night markets being especially interesting. In contrast to that are the modern retail stores, catering for the burgeoning tourist trade with a real western feel to the shops, and with all the major designer names on offer.
Phuket Sporting Events
Water sports are Phuket's main activities with the nearby reefs and diversity of marine life making scuba diving a big attraction. There are also lots of places to windsurf, water-ski and parasail. Golf is another popular activity here, with some fantastically designed courses offering a good test of golfing skills in a truly sublime environment.
