The Island Of Phuket

The Island Of Phuket

One of Thailand's Most Popular Beach Resort

Since the 2004 South Asian tsunami, the Island of Phuket has become a household name worldwide. These days Phuket is one of the most popular beach resorts in the world, with an estimated 8 million visitors expected in 2011. Phuket has changed a great deal since 2004, with several new luxury resorts, giant shopping centers, and McDonald's and Starbucks on every corner. All this development has attracted a new breed of tourist, people coming to enjoy the tropical beaches and exotic nightlife without sacrificing familiar comforts like fast food and designers retail stores.

accommodation and entertainment in Phuket is much higher than it is in Pattaya

Nightlife is what draws many people to Phuket, and Patong Beach has a wild club scene that rivals that of Bangkok and Pattaya. Bangla Road in the heart of Patong is home to a handful of world class nightclubs, dozens of go go bars and hundreds of smaller beer bars. This is no place to take your mother, and definitely no place for children, Patong is a true sin city if there ever was one. There is no shortage of adult entertainment venues in Patong, and despite the law stating that bars and nightclubs are supposed to close at 1AM, the party goes on until the daylight hours.

Outside of the main beach resort of Patong, the rest of the island is far more laid back, more appropriate for couples and families. Over the hill to the south, Kata and Karon Beach are popular with Scandinavians, many of the Scandinavian owned guesthouses and restaurants fly Swedish and Norwegian flags, to welcome their fellow countrymen. The beaches at Kata and Karon are much more pleasant than the overcrowded and heavily polluted beach in Patong. There are jet-skis for rent, para-sailing and beach volleyball all laid out along the beautiful white sandy beaches.

Phuket is also home to many more pristine, less developed beaches that offer tourists an opportunity to get away from the crowds of the popular resort beaches. Located on the southern tip of the island, Nai Harn Beach has Le Meridian Yacht Club at one end, and the rock cliffs of Laem Promthep Cape at the other end. Nai Harn is one of the nicest, and least crowded of all the beaches on the island, and the nearby Promthep Cape is considered to be an ideal spot to enjoy a romantic sunset. On the opposite side of the Promthep Cape, there is a small beach with only a tiny patch of sand along an otherwise rocky shoreline, and this makes for some fantastic snorkeling.

On the north end of the island, close to the airport, there are several large beaches that are much less developed, the most popular being Nai Yang Beach and Nai Thon Beach. Most tourists never see the stunning scenery and pristine natural beauty of these quite beaches, however they are only about a 45 minute drive from the the main beach resorts of the Island. One of the most popular of all the beaches in Phuket is Laem Sing, located between Kamala Beach and Surin Beach. The only access to Laem Sing beach is through a steep set of stairs from high up on the hillside just off the main road. The crystal clear water at Laem Sing looks like something you would see in a travel magazine or on a post card.

Phuket is changing rapidly, growing larger day by day, and these days there is something for everyone. The only downside is that as Phuket grows and the number of visitors increases, so do the prices. The cost of food, accommodation and entertainment in Phuket is much higher than it is in Pattaya, and other Thai beach resorts. Phuket is one of the world's premier beach resort destinations, and as long as you can afford to spend a few bucks, it is a lovely place to spend your holidays.