Phuket travel guide
Phuket province is primarily comprised of Phuket Island itself, Thailand's largest, but it also encompasses the smaller islands to the west, south, and east. Referred to in glitzy TAT brochures at the Pearl of the Andaman, the province is visited by over a third of all international visitors to Thailand in any given year. Its huge popularity has brought largely uncontrolled development to the most popular destinations over the past couple of decades and much of the main island today bears the scars of yesterday's short-sighted development.The province however is home to more than just the single island and as some of the crowds become increasingly dismayed by what they find on Phuket, they're flocking to the offshore destinations such as Ko Maiton, Ko Racha and others. For many, though, the very developed and westernised beaches that run down the western coast of Phuket are exactly what they are looking for. With over a dozen beaches and bays to choose from, you can opt for tourist and deck chair madness one day and follow it with a hidden-away bay the next.Phuket is also a rapidly-growing real estate market for those looking at retiring or at least buying a holiday home. Massive upscale development is going in all over the island and the prices are not cheap. With an international airport, top standard medical care (Phuket is the sex-change capital of Thailand) and all the western creature comforts, it is easy to see why for some, Phuket is indeed their very own Pearl of the South.

Karon Beach travel guide
Karon Beach is one of the more exposed beaches on Phuket and in off season the water is too rough for safe swimming, especially for children. The sand is yellower and far grainier than other Phuket beaches . In season however the waters are largely calm and the beach is terrific for swimming. There is almost no shade on the beach, so bring litres of sunscreen or invest in a deckchair and umbrella.The development on Karon is far more spread out than on other Phuket beaches and even in season it is dead easy to find an empty stretch of sand. This makes it a popular beach both with families and those looking for a quiet spot. Karon has three main districts to stay in, the north, the centre and the south. The guesthouses, hotels and resorts at the northern end are clustered around the roundabout and along Patak Rd running back off the beach. Heading south on Karon Rd which runs by the beach there's a handful of low-key self-contained resorts, which are massive, but nowhere near as intrusive as they could be, till you reach Luang Pho Chuan Rd which runs back from the beach road till it hits Patak Rd. Towards the far end of Luang Pho Chuan are a bunch of budget guesthouses and cheapish hotels. Heading back south again there's a small group of mid- to upper-range resorts grouped around Karon's southern headland and back off the beach just before Karon Rd rises over the hill and enters Kata.Most of the entertainment and restaurant options are on Patak and Luang Pho Chuan Rds and, as there's just about nothing on the beach itself aside from the occasional ice-cream or fruit vendor, most people find themselves off the beach come the evening.While it doesn't have the pulsating nightlife of Patong, Karon nevertheless isn't as quiet as it may appear at first glance -- the beach is huge and come the evening the bars and restaurants sprinkled across the area do spring to life. If that still isn't enough, Karon Beach is but a walk from Kata Beach and is even connected by a regular, albeit very slow, songtheaw service.Popular with families and longer stay visitors, Karon is a good option for a low-key beach holiday on Phuket.

Patong Beach travel guide
Patong Beach was once the most beautiful on Phuket, only reachable by boat and largely untouched. Today it's a seething mass of tourism, squalor and unrestricted development, a mess of hotels, bars, restaurants, travel agents, tailor shops and touts. The beach remains attractive, but is not a scratch on what it must have originally been like. Although popular during the day, Patong really comes into its own in the evening, creating a truly ugly tapestry of the surreal, debauched and depraved. Bar upon bar upon bar lines the streets, urchins wander underfoot and streetwalkers wielding a menagerie of creatures -- gibbons, parrots and pythons -- try to extort money from tourists. Call us killjoys, but Patong is everything that tourism to Thailand should not have become. Nevertheless, thousands enjoy it. The accommodation listings here are just a sample -- there are more than 100 places to stay, many indistinguishable from the next.The beachside strip of Patong was badly hit by the2004 Asian Tsunami, with the hotels on the beach side of Thaweewong Rd suffering the brunt. Repairs and reconstruction are moving along quickly, however. The dark heart of Patong is Bangla Road, bisecting the beach road and running up as far as Rat U-Thit 200 Year Road where it pretty much gives up. This is where you'll want to spend all of your time, or as little as possible, depending on your leaning. The strip is really quite tame in the daylight -- the goblins only come out at night -- and before six in the evening you can drive on it -- one way, heading away from the beach -- but after that it's closed to vehicular traffic. Thaweewong Road is packed -- this is where you'll find Starbucks, KFC, McDonalds, and no fewer than two Subway shops -- just in case the last sandwich you ate wasn't quite filling enough and you're too embarrassed to walk into the same shop and order another. Tuk-tuk drivers on every corner aggressively offer rides to everyone who passes and numerous sois run off the road, lined with Thai shops full of overpriced goods, with hawkers and barkers every step of the way exhorting you to buy their goods. The situation is so bad a popular t-shirt on sale reads "No, I don't want a f*cking tuk-tuk, suit or massage, thank you very much".It's important to remember that more subtle operators are mixed in with the obvious barkers. If you say you're from Lithuania, and someone insists they know a Lithuanian-run gift shop just down the street, rest assured they will still lead you to a Nepali tailor shop, with nary a Lithuanian to be found. Still, many people find Patong a good bit of fun, until the point where their patience wears out, and there's certainly lots to do and see (and buy) till that happens.The further you get away from Bangla Road, the more things simmer down. The soi off Hat Patong Road to the north, where you'll find the Boomerang and the Siam Palm, is particularly quiet, though not really easy walking distance from the beach. Kepsap Road and associated sois are also a bit tamer, but again, a bit of a walk. A good option is to visit Patong on day-trips, though after six in the evening there are no more songtheaws and a tuk-tuk back to your beach will cost as much as a cheap room unless you fill it with people. The police in Patong are particularly diligent about fining people who are riding motorcycles without helmets, so don't even think about going without one (this only applies to the driver). Parking can be a huge problem here, especially in the evening. All plans for an underground parking lot were permanently scrapped after the tsunami and while there's talk of putting a park and ride system into place, it's a long way off. In the mean time, it's a good idea to park as far away from the centre of Patong and get around on foot.

Surin Beach travel guide
Located a few kilometers North of Kamala, Surin has one of the most beautiful beaches on Phuket Island where buildings have been kept well away from the sands thanks to a soccer field and the remnants of a golf course. All that is beachside is a cluster of seafood shacks. It's a shame some of the other beaches haven't developed in a similar manner. A large timeshare development has however gone in behind the beach, and is an absolute blight on the landscape. On the beach itself there are numerous restaurants offering Thai and Western Food day and night.During peak season from November to April the water here is a beautiful clear blue, suitable for swimming and snorkeling. The rocks at either end of the beach are particularly good for spotting some colourful reef fish including the abundant Parrot Fish. Often there is a speedboat available for banana boat rides and skiing.During low season the wave conditions can be treacherous for those not used to swimming in big waves. With rips and sudden drop offs in water depths ensures a drowning victim or more each year. For surfers though when the wind is offshore and on the right tide you can get some great beach breaks.Surin was hit by the Boxing Day Tsunami, though as the hotels are well off the beach, damage was fairly light.

Surin Beach travel guide
Located a few kilometers North of Kamala, Surin has one of the most beautiful beaches on Phuket Island where buildings have been kept well away from the sands thanks to a soccer field and the remnants of a golf course. All that is beachside is a cluster of seafood shacks. It's a shame some of the other beaches haven't developed in a similar manner. A large timeshare development has however gone in behind the beach, and is an absolute blight on the landscape. On the beach itself there are numerous restaurants offering Thai and Western Food day and night.During peak season from November to April the water here is a beautiful clear blue, suitable for swimming and snorkeling. The rocks at either end of the beach are particularly good for spotting some colourful reef fish including the abundant Parrot Fish. Often there is a speedboat available for banana boat rides and skiing.During low season the wave conditions can be treacherous for those not used to swimming in big waves. With rips and sudden drop offs in water depths ensures a drowning victim or more each year. For surfers though when the wind is offshore and on the right tide you can get some great beach breaks.Surin was hit by the Boxing Day Tsunami, though as the hotels are well off the beach, damage was fairly light.

Phuket Town travel guide
It would be easy to think of Phuket Town as merely a travel hub for those heading to the beaches, but unlike it's kindred city to the east, Chumphon, it's actually a great place to stay in its own right.Since most of the roads and transportation for Phuket province pass through this town in the island's southeast, you're likely to find yourself staying 'in town' more than once, but your time here needn't be wasted. From an architectural standpoint, it's one of the most interesting towns in southern Thailand, featuring some lovely Portuguese-Thai buildings, as well as a handful of great eateries and reasonably-priced hotels and guesthouses. Given that prices here are much lower than what you'd pay at the beach, many travellers find themselves hunkering down in Phuket Town just to balance their budget, and jumping on a cheap songtheaw when they need to tuck their tootsies in the Andaman.Although the town is quite sprawling, most of the stuff attractive to travellers is within the area circumscribed by Ratsada, Yaowarat, Thung Kha and Thepkasatri Roads. If you're staying in this area, it's easy enough to walk to most places, which gives you a chance to lazily observe the charming architecture. At the same time, while there are quite a few worthwhile places to visit, they're spread out across the entire area -- it's not a place where you can just wander around hoping to find a good bar or restaurant by chance. Ask around, get yourself a map, and try to know where you're headed in advance.