Phuket is Thailand 's largest island, approximately the size of Singapore. Phuket nestles in balmy Andaman Sea waters on Thailand's Indian Ocean coastline 862 kilometres south of Bangkok.

Phuket formerly derives its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoyed a rich and colourful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign trader's ship logs.

The Portuguese, French, Dutch and English traded with Phuket. Other visitors were less friendly. Phuket's most famous monument is the memorial statue of the heroines Thao Thepkasattri and Thao Sisunthon, who rallied islanders in 1785 to repel Burmese invaders.

Phuket is blessed with magnificent coves and bays, powdery, palm-fringed white beaches, sparkling island-dotted seas, sincerely hospitable people, superb accommodations and seafood, delightful turn-of-the-century Sino-Portuguese architecture; numerous sporting and leisure opportunities; a lush tropical landscape - all of which combine to create a delightful ambience for truly memorable holidays.

Major Attractions

Phuket and nearby islands have superb scuba diving grounds. A number of dive shops offer modern equipment rentals and internationally certified lessons for beginners. One-day dives cost as little as 3,000 Baht, but the more popular trips are five-day liveaboard diving excursions to the outer islands, like the Similan Islands of Phangnga Province, home of the most beautiful and colorful soft corals in the world. Visibility is often more than 100 feet and the water temperature doesn't really require a wetsuit.

Phuket is best known for its beautiful beaches. During the peak season of November-January, European visitors migrate to these sandy shores to bath in the sun and play in the surf. Most are situated on the western side of the island and are great for swimming and windsurfing. Patong is the most popular beach, teeming with all kinds of accommodations and activity, day and night. Its southern neighbor is Karon, a long, quiet beach lined with palms and evergreens, and the white sandy beaches of Kata, a stark contrast to Patong. The east has small islets ideal for snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing.

Wat Chai Tararam, or Wat Chalong, is the most popular temple in Phuket. Built in 1837, a recent additon to the temple is a 61.4-meter high chedi containing the Phra Borom Sareerikatat relic, a piece of Buddha's bones brought over from Sri Lanka. Combining the architectural styles from the Southern, Central and Northeastern Thailand, the chedi is the first in this region to house this holy relic.

The Phuket Fantasea is a cultural theme park, the first kind ever, providing an immersion into Thai culture with fulfilled, elaborate magical and illusion shows. They also offer a dinner buffet in a cavernous dining hall. It is located on Kamala Beach.

Game fishing trips are organized year-round with abundant tunas, barracudas, merlins, sailfish, and even sharks inhabiting the waters off Phuket. A favorite destination for most anglers is the nearby Racha Island where every trip is bound to reel in a big catch. See turtles laying eggs and watch baby turtles being released back into the sea during the Songkran Festivals (April 13-15) at Nai Yang Beach, an area filled with government regulated bungalows.

Catch the most breath-taking sunsets at Phromthep Cape, Phuket's southernmost point. Be sure to get there early or else fight your way through throngs of tourists that converge at the cape daily.

Be enchanted by the mystery surrounding the solid gold Buddha statue half buried in the grounds of Wat Phra Thong. Legend has it that in the 18th century, an invading Burmese army tried unsuccessfully to unearth it and was driven away by a swarm of hornets. The revered statue has remained so ever since.

View the spacious colonial-style residences built in the late 19th century by tin and rubber barons and distinctive shophouses with shaded walkways in the heart of Phuket Town. The town was founded by Chinese and Malaysian merchants and the Sino-Portuguese architecture still retain influences from both cultures, as evident by the Government House, Phuket's oldest public structure.

Various forest mammals, reptiles and over 100 bird species live harmoniously together at the Khao Phra Thaew Forest Park near Thalong District, significant for preserving the last of Phuket's primary rainforest. Within the park are 2 spectacular waterfalls, Ton Sai and Bang Pae. See gibbons swinging in trees, the result of The Gibbon Rehabilitation Center in reintroducing domesticated gibbons into the forest to fend for themselves.

Phuket town serves mainly as a dormitory and shopping centre. Splendid colonial style residences built by late 19th-century tin and rubber barons and shophouses from the same period provide distinctive character.

Khao Rang , a small hill northeast of the town, provides a pleasant view of town while dining, and has a Fitness Park, a series of hillside sculptural tableaux which enhance calisthenics.

Phuket Aquarium is located at Cape Phanwa, on the island's extreme southeast. The aquarium displays hundreds of exotic, grotesque and flamboyantly colourful marine species found in Phuket 's teeming waters. Open daily from 8.30 in the morning until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. A local bus can be taken from the town's fresh produce market. Called 0-7639-1126 for more information.

Phuket Butterfly Farm and Aquarium is only 3 kilometres from town via Yaowarat Road and the Sam Kong intersection. It has a fascinating collection of such tropical creatures as butterflies, insects, marine life all arranged in natural surroundings. It is open daily from 9 p.m.-5 p.m. Tel: 0-7621-5616, 0-7621-0861

Thai Village and Orchid Farm , on Thepkasattri Road about 3 kilometres from town, serves daily a typical southern Thai lunch that is followed by a spectacular cultural show including Thai dances, sword-fighting, Thai boxing southern customs and elephants. Handicrafts are also on display. Call 0-7621-4860, 0- 7623-7400 for details.

Phuket Zoo ,located on the way to Chalong Bay, contains a collection of Asian and African mammals and birds. Elephant and crocodile shows are performed every day. Call 0-7638-1337, 0- 7638-1227 for details.

Saphan Hin is a public park near the sea at the end of Phuket Road. In the circle is the Tin Mining Monument, shaped like a large drill bit, dedicated to the memory of Captain Edward Thomas Miles, the Australian who brought the first in dredge to Phuket in 1909.

Phuket Sea Shell Museum is located near Rawai Beach on the island's southwestern shores. The emphasis is on shells from Thai waters, which are among the most sought-after by collectors, however shells from every part of the world are featured. There are numerous rarities and freaks including the world's largest golden pearl (140 karats), large sections of sedimentary rock containing shell fossils, and a shell that weighs 250 kilograms. The museum is open daily from 8 a.m. till 7 p.m. Tel: 0-7638-1266 or 0- 7638-1274

Ko Si-re , a twenty-square kilometre island, separated from the main island only by the small Thachin canal, is some 4 kilometres northeast of the town and hosts the biggest Sea Gypsy village in Phuket.

Ao Chalong , Phuket's principal boat anchorage and the island's larest bay, is 11 kilometres south of the town. It is very picturesque but not suitable for swimming. Boats can be chartered to go to some small island south of Phuket. A number of restaurants are on the road leading to the bay.

A few kilometres from the bay is Wat Chalong where statues of Luang Po Chaem and Luang Po Chuang, Phuket 's most revered monks, are enshrined.

Laem Ka , at the extreme southwest of Chalong Bay, is suitable for swimming.

To the south, the palm-fringed Rawai Beach about 17 kilometres from town hosts Phuket 's Chao Le people (sea gypsies). Several offshore islands have gleaming white beaches and dazzling underwater scenery which attract fishing enthusiasts and scuba-divers.

The nearby Laem Phromthep or Phromthep Cape forms Phuket 's southern most point and is the perfect place from which to enjoy spectacular sunsets and the sea.

Ko Kaeo is an offshore isle about 3 kilometres out from Rawai beach and can be reached in 30 minutes by boat. It offers picturesque beaches and underwater scenery. There is also a replica of the Holy Footprint on the island.

Hat Nai Han is located next to Phromthep Cape about 18 kilometres from town. Although not so long, the beach has white, clean sand. Beyond the beach is a swamp called Nong Han. Not recommended for swimming during May-October because of the Monsoon season.

A small bay next to Nai Han past the Phuket Yacht Club is Ao Sen or Sen Bay , peaceful and picturesque with white, clean sand.

The View Point is located mid-point between Nai Han and Kata beaches. The scenic Kata Noi, Kata and Karon beaches, and Ko Pu Island can be viewed from this point.

20 kilometres and 17 kilometres respectively from town are Hat Karon and Hat Kata . Both beaches are long and peaceful and eminently suitable for swimming and sunbathing.