Phuket suggests choosing a lively beach and then choosing a quiet beach. If you don't care, you can stay in a hotel with a private beach and various snorkeling. If you are a family, you can try renting a high-end villa; you can only shop for one day, and you can sign up for a few day trips for the rest; if you are physically strong, you can get up early to go to the beach to see the sunrise, which is very different from the sunset but is as beautiful. After reading this guide, please sign up to go to Phuket!
Phuket Attractions Chinese Map
Best Travel
Phuket is located in a tropical region and has a humid tropical climate. November to April is the peak tourist season in Phuket. The temperature is suitable and the sun is gentle. You can dive comfortably and have close contact with corals. From April to September, the sun shines directly at the equator, which is the rainy season in Phuket, especially in May, where rainfalls almost every day. In September, Phuket will also hold a vegetarian festival that boasts asceticism. Perhaps experiencing difficulties under the harsh sun is also a good choice.
Dressing Guide
Phuket is hot all year round, and there is often no winter in summer. No matter what season you are, just go to a cool and comfortable summer outfit. If you are afraid of sunlight, you can bring a thin shirt. When going to the rainy season, you should bring rain gear to take care of sudden inconvenience.
Top Ten Beaches
Phuket is very big, most of the beaches are on the west side of the island, and most of the quiet beaches are on the northwest side. The reason why Paton, Kata and Karon are very famous is that most hotels and restaurants are near these 3 beaches.
Patong BeachPatong Beach
The most famous and charming beach on Pugu Island is Patong Beach, which is horseshoe-shaped, with fine and soft beaches, clear sea water, gentle waves and gentle breezes. It is the most lively beach on the island. The seabeds on the south and north of Patong Beach are both coral reefs, colorful.
Among several beaches, the sea water quality of this beach is relatively poor and the number of people is the most, so the beach itself is not likable. But staying here is really convenient, you can stay in Patong for 2 days before considering staying at other beaches, such as Kata.
gathers most of the hotels, resorts, bars, restaurants and various entertainment and commercial facilities on Pugu Island next to the beach. Their decorative styles are unique, so they are also called "European Village". There are German villages, Swiss villages, Italian villages, etc., and each village is separated by decorations with different ethnic characteristics. Walking there, it is like being in an exotic European city.
Patong Beach is the most modern beach resort on Pugu Island. Its prosperity and liveliness are completely comparable to Pattaya.
Patong Patong Beach Bar Street is super lively at night.
play activities
There are various maritime activities such as swimming, sunbathing, banana boats, windsurfing, yachts, etc. The sea water here is clear and there are many species of organisms in the water. It is one of the best diving places recognized by Asia.
The crescent-shaped beaches of Patong's three-kilometer coastal areas are full of hotels, supermarkets, shopping centers and various entertainment facilities, and everything is complete.
Nightlife
If tourists want to experience the lively nightlife, you can take a walk around Bangla Road. There are many open air bars here that are open until around 2 o'clock in the evening. There are also many pavilions on Rat-U-ThitRoad that are open from the evening until late at night, which is very lively.
There are more than 100 various bar and discco dance halls in Patong Beach, among which the more famous ones are SoiEasy and BananaDisco. Banana is the oldest and most famous dance hall in Patong. There are also Simon Cabaret, famous for hermaphrod performances and a very distinctive Muay Thai gym.
Transportation
- From the town center, you can take TukTuk to the bus fare of about 300 baht. Take a minibus at
- , starting at Ranong Road, Phuket Town (opposite the airport), passing through several major beaches, you can stop and go on, and you can travel every half an hour, the operating time is 7:00-18:00, and the fare is 15-20 baht.
- takes a taxi from Phuket Airport . The fare is about 600 taizhuang and the journey is 45 minutes. There are also mini buses, 150 taiwan per person.
Friendly reminder:
Basically, the prices of Patong Beach along the beach are the most expensive, so try not to buy there. The prices of the several streets in the beach are slightly cheaper. It is best to exchange for money and buy good things on the main road in Layuan Tito Street, which is located in the middle.
Kata Beachkata Beach
Kata Beach is much smaller than Patong and Karon, but it has 2 beautiful bays and is in a W-shaped shape. The two beaches are nicknamed "Great Kata" and "Little Kata" by locals.
During the day, Kata is calm and clear, suitable for leisure and diving, attracting many tourists who like tranquility. There is also a small coral reef in the north of Kata Beach, which is also very suitable for diving.
There are various hawkers setting up stalls to sell food, beverages and daily necessities. They rented them to the government and cleaned up the stalls. Therefore, the environment in Kata Beach is still very clean and tidy. Walking along the main road of Kata Beach can also enjoy beautiful views of Chalong Bay to the south.
At the top of Kata Beach, when the weather is sunny, you can enjoy the three bays of Big, Small Kata and Karon. This is also the scenery on the famous postcard in Phuket. This is also one of the famous places to enjoy the dusk and sunset in Phuket.
Transportation
- Kata Beach is close to Karon Beach, and it takes 5 minutes to get there from Karon Beach, and it takes only 15 minutes to get there from Patong Beach.
- beach is 17 kilometers away from Phuket Town. It can be reached in 40 minutes by minibus. It is a flight every half hour. The operating hours are from 7:00 to 18:00, and the fare is about 20 baht.
- takes a taxi from Phuket Airport. The fare is about 750 Taizhuang, and the journey is 1 hour. There are also mini buses, 180 taiwan per person.
Karon Beach Karon Beach
Karon Beach is 20 kilometers away from the city and is one of the main sandy beaches on the island. The coastline is curved and slender, with clear water and fine sand, making it an ideal place for swimming and surfing. There are also some rolling sand dunes and tall pine trees here.
Karon Beach is also one of the longest beaches in Phuket, with 4 km. There are several large resorts nearby. The beach is quite good, the sand is very fine and powdery. The key is that it is quite quiet. Compared with Patong Beach, the seaside atmosphere is more leisurely, there are not many water activities, and the waves here are higher, which is very suitable for surfing.
There are many small restaurants on Karon Beach, which offer a variety of local cuisine and fresh seafood. If you drive a few kilometers to a restaurant on the top of the island, you can also enjoy the beautiful sunset by the sea.
Caron Nightlife center is on LuangPohChuan Road, where there are many bars and restaurants. The coffee bar in "NakonaiArtPlaza" has attracted many cultural enthusiasts. In the middle of this road, there are many more famous restaurants such as "BanglaPlaza". In addition, there are many beach resort hotels in Karon Beach, which have their own piano bars.
Transportation
- Karon Beach is close to Patong Beach, and it is 10 minutes away by car from Patong.
- beach is 20 kilometers away from Phuket Town. It can be reached in 45 minutes by minibus. It is a flight every half hour. The operating hours are from 7:00 to 18:00, and the fare is about 20 baht.
- takes a taxi from Phuket Airport. The fare is about 700 Taizhuang and the journey is 1 hour. There are also mini buses, 180 taiwan per person.
Friendly reminder:
Be careful when swimming by the sea of Karon during the rainy season from May to October every year and be careful to see if the red warning flag is planted at any time, because there will be heavy storms during this period. When the red flag is inserted, you should avoid moving around the beach.
Karon's southernmost corner is a bit coral, it can be shallow and the water is very shallow, which is suitable for children to play with, but! ! ! ! Be sure to pay attention, because the water is very shallow and it is very easy to be scratched by corals!
Kamala Beach Kamala Beach
Kamala Beach is still in a relatively undeveloped state and is the only main beach in Phuket that maintains the old appearance of the original fishing village. The Fantasy Paradise and the primitive fishing village have attracted many tourists, and the simple environment here has allowed many tourists to live there forever.
The local bar is still open to welcome tourists and island residents. You can even take a long tail boat or dive in the north of the beach, explore the adjacent beach, or do an island tour. Interested tourists can chat with locals and see fishing boats returning home at sunset.
This is a niche place. Those who have really come here will say, "We just like it like this, don't tell others, otherwise they will be in chaos as soon as they come here."
Traffic
is about 4 kilometers away from Batong Beach. Take a ride from Patong Beach for about 15 minutes, and if you ride a bike or drive, you need to pay a parking fee, a motorcycle with a motorcycle of 20 baht and a car with a parking fee of 40 baht.
Nai Han Beach Nai Han Beach
Nai Han Beach is located on the southern coast of Phuket, 18 kilometers away from the city. It is a deep water bay surrounded by mountains. The north and south ends are steep stone cliffs, with unique scenery. The beach here is not long, but the water is clear and the sand is white and the scenery is pleasant. There are also some farmhouse cottages for rent nearby, suitable for camping and various water activities.
Phuket Royal Yacht Club Hotel is one of the best snorkeling spots on Phuket. The snorkeling area stretches all the way to Orson Beach (a small beach at the end of the bay). Rental equipment on the beach is very convenient and can be purchased at nearby stores.
Every year from May to October, the small waves at the northern end of the beach are very suitable for surfing, especially for bodyboarding. It doesn't take too long to learn to surf, and children love chasing waves in relatively safe environments. You can buy surfboards at shops near Naihan Beach or rent them at vendors who rent sunbeds.
Transportation
is 18 kilometers away from the city, a 30-minute drive from Patong Beach and a 20-minute drive from Kata Beach.
Rawai Beach Rawai Beach
Rawai Beach is located on the southern coast of Phuket and is the oldest famous beach in Phuket. The beach here is white, soft, with snowy waves and many fishermen live here. There are also several small islands scattered on the beach, making it an ideal place for swimming and leisure. This beach legend is very popular among locals because the seafood is good. It is also suitable for chartering a boat to go to sea to go to the depth or fishing.
Walk south from Lawei Beach, it is Punta Cape, one of the best attractions to enjoy the sunset. Walking north is Chalong Port, and many speedboats leading to islands near the east coast start from here, such as Coral Island , Emperor Island , Phi Phi Island .
Some fishermen are repairing boats, some are repairing nets, and some are building new boats. The entire beach exudes a firm sense of navigation. Fishermen towed the captured seafood to the shore, and restaurant operators on surrounding islands loaded boxes of beer and bags of rice on long-tail boats.
You just need to sit leisurely and enjoy this busy scene! There are no jet skis, banana boats and mobile beach vendors here, nor any tourist traps similar to those on the West Coast beach, only a comfortable and leisurely beach life.
Transportation
Raway Beach has become the preferred beach for Phuket tourists because it is very convenient to get there. Drive south along the central main road (402) passing through the center of the island and all the way to the southernmost seafront. It's that simple. There are fewer tourists at Bang Tao Beach, and there is no business attracting water activities in Shanghai, so the atmosphere on the beach seems quiet. Bangtao Beach is wider and there are many windbreakers on the shore. Although there are no lively seaside activities, it is also suitable for swimming within the cordon of the nearby sea area during the non-rainy season.
Bang Tao Beach
seems to be the longest beach in Phuket, 8 km long, so it will definitely not feel crowded, especially at its northernmost end. Most of the places on this beach are occupied by Laguna Resort ~ There are 5 luxury hotels and golf courses!
Nai Thon Beach
This is a small beach for fishermen. During the rainy season, there is strong wind and lots of water. People can stay in boarding hotels at residents' homes. It is the best view of Phuket before development, so it is a secluded beachfront, but it is very suitable for sitting and basking in the sun and swimming. Whenever the monsoon transition from May to October, this beach is forbidden.
The journey to the beach is even more interesting than the beach itself. When heading to Naitong Beach from the south, the narrow roads pass through several existing pristine jungles on the island, winding along the coastline, with a beautiful view comparable to the Costa Øça. If you drive from the north to Naitong Beach, you will pass through a village along the way and enter a lush valley, and then you will reach the beach.
During this stay, you can also participate in a variety of activities, including taking a long tail boat to the cave adventure, and experiencing scuba diving arranged by the Haibin Road Store.
Nai Yang Beach Nai Yang Beach
Nai Yang Beach is located 30 kilometers north of the city, close to Phuket Airport, and has now been planned as a national park. Palm trees are planted next to the deep and curved Naiyang Beach, which is suitable for swimming and picnicking, and is also a great place to fish and appreciate corals.
Mai Kao Beach Mai Kao Beach 40 kilometers away from the city and is located in the north of the west coast of Phuket. The beach is about 9 kilometers long. It is the longest beach on Phuket, but it is also a place with fewer holidaymakers. Palms are everywhere and the scenery is quite beautiful.
Within November to March of the following year, watching sea turtles climb on the shore to lay eggs, is the most attractive program on the beach.
Transportation: Take a taxi from Phuket Airport to McKao Beach about 600 baht/car, take a taxi from McKao Beach to Patong Beach 600-700 baht.
Special reminder
Special attention! Every year there are some people who stay in Phuket forever, mainly because of Rip Tides (offshore current - the waves return after hitting the beach), especially Karon Beach, which will have such currents in May-October, which is very dangerous! Students with average water properties should choose a shallow place for swimming. If you are really caught by this current, the general method is not to directly fight the sea water, but to swim along the coastline, so that the sea water will bring you back to the coast!
In addition, although jet skiing, paragliding and other sports are fun, some people are injured every year. If you just want to see the sea, bask in the sun, and take a vacation, you must pay attention to safety and don’t try activities with higher risk factors!
And again, unless the tour guide goes to rent a jet ski for you, don’t play it alone. Once you are “wiped off the paint”, you will cheat you tens of thousands of baht in minutes! This is very common.
ordinary airport tax refund
shopping in Phuket may enjoy a 7% tax refund, but it must meet the following conditions:
- must shop from a store marked VAT Refund for Tourists.
- must buy at least 2000 baht in the same store on the same day.
- The total amount of items purchased must exceed 5,000 baht.
- When shopping, you must collect and fill out the PP10 VAT refund form from the store (you need to show your passport to the mall staff).
- must retain all receipts and credit card vocher.
tax refund process
When leaving Thailand (you must leave Thailand from Phuket Airport to get a tax refund. If you still have to transfer to Bangkok or Chengmai , you cannot get a tax refund at Phuket Airport. You can only apply for a tax refund from the airport that leaves Thailand). You must put these tax refund items in your hand luggage! Find VAT REFUND OFFICE in the department hall before entering the country, present your passport and invoice, and ask him to stamp the PP10 form for you.Then pass the passport control (security check), and present your passport, receipt, and VAT Refund form at the tax refund office (VAT/Duty Refund Office). For valuable items, such as watches and jewelry, you must also take them out for the staff to see!
So the above said, you must put the purchased things in your hand luggage. Then give the other person a handling fee of 100 baht to get cash, bill of exchange or ask him to return the money to his credit card. (If you buy more than 30,000 baht, you can only get a bill of exchange or return it to the card) - It is recommended to get cash back directly, credit cards are particularly slow.
Some precautions for renting a car in Phuket
- Although there are many local car rental agencies, it is possible that the car you like is not available, so ask one by one.
- car rental agency is generally not large in scale. It is best to choose one that is close to the hotel. After finding the phone number, call him directly, take the car to the hotel parking lot, and throw the car keys to the concierge.
- Photo The slope of the mountain road is so steep that people can’t walk on it. I advise novices to think twice and don’t panic, because the road is very narrow and steep, and if you turn off the engine, it will be blocked.
- abides by traffic rules. You can't turn around. You just drive very hard. You dare to drive 80km/h on a mountain road like a downhill slide. If you sit, you may feel more terrifying.
- driver's dashboard and co-pilot's things must be taken. It is very likely that when you go downhill, the curve will be too fast and the curve will be too steep, so one of my maps flew out of the window. Fortunately, there is a backup.
- When picking up the car, be sure to check the seat belt and wiper. If the wiper is raining, you will know that it is necessary. When the wiper is raining, you can't even see the road clearly. It is recommended to stop on the side of the road before leaving. Safety is the first priority.
- When picking up the car, pay attention to the amount of oil in the oil meter, don’t be fooled, remember the mileage, ask the fuel tank capacity and the fuel consumption per 100 kilometers, so as to calculate the number of fuel you refuel. If you add too much, it will be useless for others.
- Please be sure to go to the big gas station to refuel. Shell, Esso Caltex, the small sign on the roadside says that there are many Gasolines, but they all use a measuring cylinder to refuel. Moreover, the English is not good, so you can't bargain usually short of weight. Be careful when reversing and overtaking. They never avoid motor vehicles and often overtake from the middle line of the road. It is very thrilling. Anyway, be careful not to honk the horn everywhere. Don’t occupy the fast lane if you can avoid occupying the fast lane. Get out of the way for the locals. They drive fast, and we newcomers are not afraid of slowness.
- Renting a car from the airport may be more expensive than renting a small agency in the local area, but it will cost 300 baht to rent the airport in the city.
- right rudder left gear, just drive the driver and rely on the center line. And when turning right, you must avoid the vehicle, stop, watch, and pass through, otherwise it will be very dangerous.
- Shell's No. 91 oil per liter (Little) is about 35.88 baht; don't go to a private gas station to add, return to some, about 46.8 baht.
Shopping note
- Beware of those jewelry stores that actively invite you to, which will probably be a scam.
- Do not mail precious stones such as sapphires, try to carry them with you.
- Don’t easily believe in the statement of jewelry discounts. Phuket’s time-honored jewelry stores usually don’t offer discounts.
- does not have any jewelry operated by the government.
