The Best Things to Do in Phuket: A Leisure and Fun Paradise

Phuket Island lies in southern Thailand and draws visitors from every continent. Long stretches of pale sand line the coast, local customs colour daily life and after dark the bars plus open-air shows light up. If you want only to lie under a palm tree or to fill every hour with something new, the island suits either plan.

The shore is the first place most people go. Patong Beach holds the crowds, the jet-skis and the parasail boats. A short ride south, Kata besides Karon sit in deeper quiet - people spread towels, wade in calm water and read under umbrellas. Under the surface, the Andaman Sea holds reefs but also fish. Day-boats leave for the Phi Phi group and for Raja Nui - divers slip in among coral walls and clown-fish schools. First-timers need only sign up for a three hour pool lesson as well as a guided open water dive the same afternoon.

Away from the sand, Buddhist life continues as it has for generations. At Wat Chalong monks chant while visitors remove shoes, cover shoulders and light incense sticks. On a hill between Chalong or Kata, a forty-five-metre marble Buddha sits above the treetops - the view runs from Rawai to the distant islands. Back in town, shop houses built a century ago by Chinese merchants still stand in neat rows - their pastel walls, shuttered windows and tea shops give the old quarter a Portuguese flavour.

Food plays a large part in any stay. Schools set up stoves under mango trees - teachers hand out mortars or show how pound chillies, tamarind and lime become Pad Thai or Tom Yum. After sunset, the Weekend Market fills a field near Central Festival - smoke rises from grilled squid skewers, banana roti stalls and plastic cups of orange flower juice. When the kitchens close, Bangla Road opens - loud music spills from doorways, neon signs flicker also touts hand out flyers for Muay-Thai bars and rooftop discos.

Inland, dirt tracks lead through rubber plantations and remaining jungle. Some camps keep rescued elephants - visitors feed bananas - sit on broad backs for a slow walk to the river. Kayaks wait at Phang Nga pier - paddles dip among vertical cliffs that rise straight from green water. Inside one cliff, a cave opens into a hidden lagoon where monkeys watch from vines. If you prefer speed, surfboards rent at Kalim Beach, jet skis tie up at Patong next to charter boats troll for sailfish beyond the reef. For slower hours, small spas along Soi Kata offer hour long Thai massages on floor mats - herbal steam and coconut oil follow the pressure point work.

The last light of the day gathers at Cape Promthep. Motorbikes and songthaews climb the hill - people lean on the rail plus watch the sun drop into the Andaman Sea. When the sky turns from gold to violet, the day on Phuket feels complete.