Phuket

Its west coast is a string of sandy bays, from busy Patong to the quieter curves of Kata Noi, Kamala and Bang Tao, each with a different mood. Inland and on the east side you find rubber plantations, mangroves and the island’s capital, Phuket Town, whose old quarter of pastel Sino-Portuguese shophouses grew rich on tin and still feeds you the best Hokkien noodles on the coast. Above it all, the white marble Big Buddha looks out from Nakkerd Hill, freshly reopened in 2026. But the real draw lies offshore. From November, as the monsoon fades and the dry high season begins, boats fan out every morning to the limestone towers of Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island, to the Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay, and, once the national park reopens in mid-October, to the granite boulders and clear water of the Similans. This guide shows which boat trips are worth booking and what is and is not included, where to meet elephants without riding them, which evening shows to see, and where to stay, from a family resort on Kata Noi to a jungle villa above Kamala or a social hostel steps from Patong Beach.