A traveler's guide to Phuket
Pick the bay for the volume you want. Phuket will happily sell you the loud version and the quiet one on the same day.
Phuket is Thailand's beach island with a city attached. Patong is the loud bay. Kata and Karon are the easier swims. The pier at the east side is how you leave for the smaller islands when you want the water without the traffic. The island is big enough to choose badly, and easy enough to choose well.
When to go
November to April is the Andaman dry season and the time to swim on the west coast. May to October brings swell and rain to those famous beaches, and the east side becomes the backup.
The beach
Patong is a city beach with the energy that implies. Kata and Karon are longer and simpler. Nai Harn is the prettier south-end bay. Freedom Beach and a few others are boat or stair arrivals. The sand is pale and the water is warm in season.
In the water
Dry-season swimming on the west is the product. A boat toward the smaller bays is worth it, and the day should include a sober look at the waves. Snorkel trips need a calm morning. The rainy-season sea is not a maybe.
If you only remember this
- The airport is in the north. The famous beaches are in the west and south. Budget the ride.
- Scooters and holiday traffic are a known problem. A car with a driver is often the better tool.
- Beach chairs are cheap and the public sand is real.
- One day off the island is enough. You do not have to collect every pier.