Travelling to Phuket?

Our routes, not a list of everything. Places that have been there for centuries: no opening times or prices, which go stale.

1. 01

   Phuket in a day

   9 hOne day in Phuket isn’t a beach day: it’s the old town day. The tin-money houses in the morning, the big Buddha at midday, Promthep Cape when the sun drops.Thalang Road and the tin houses · Wat Chalong and the firecrackers · The big Buddha on Nakkerd · Rawai, where the fish comes ashore · Promthep, where the island endsRead the full guide
2. 02

   A weekend in Phuket

   18 hTwo days covers one day on the water and one on land without moving hotel. If you get to choose, make it a Sunday: Thalang closes to traffic and the old town changes character.Saturday: Phang Nga Bay · Saturday night: making your mind up about Patong · Sunday morning: Thalang with nobody on it · Sunday afternoon: Lard YaiRead the full guide
3. 03

   The beaches of Phuket, one by one

   Thirty kilometres of sand down the west coast, and one difference that really matters: the red flag. In monsoon season the rip current kills people every year, and from the sand you can’t see it.Patong · Karon and Kata · Kata Noi · Nai Harn and Ya Nui · Bang Tao and Mai Khao · The rip current, and what to do if it takes youRead the full guide
4. 04

   Where to eat in Phuket

   Phuket has been a Unesco City of Gastronomy since 2015, and not for the pad thai on the promenade. The food here is Hokkien with a century and a half of island on top, and you eat it in the old town.Moo hong, the house dish · Mee Hokkien and o-tao · The old town at lunchtime · Rawai: the seafood where it lands · Roti and massaman: the Muslim half · Nine days when the island eats no meatRead the full guide
5. 05

   Where to stay in Phuket

   Choosing a beach is choosing a holiday. You don’t switch zones on a whim here: there’s mountain between one beach and the next, and what you pick on day one is where you’ll eat every night.Patong · Karon and Kata · Nai Harn and Rawai · Bang Tao, Kamala and Surin · Phuket TownRead the full guide
6. 06

   Day trips from Phuket

   The island is the base, not the destination: the good stuff is one or two hours out by boat. Phang Nga, Phi Phi, the Similans, shut half the year, and Khao Sok, the one thing on the list that isn’t sea.Phang Nga and the limestone stacks · Phi Phi, and what happened to Maya Bay · The Similans, shut half the year · Khao Sok, the trip that isn’t sea · Coral and Racha, if you don’t want the whole dayRead the full guide
7. 07

   From Phuket airport to the beaches

   The airport is in the north and the beaches are west and south: 30 to 50 kilometres to go. The Smart Bus runs them one by one, but it isn’t 24h.The Smart Bus, beach by beach · The taxi from the official counter · What isn’t thereRead the full guide
8. 08

   Phuket: practical tips

   The red flag, the rental bike and the taxi counter. Three things decide how your week goes, and none of them is in the brochure.The red flag isn’t decoration · The bike: helmet, licence, and a photo of the scratches · Taxis, songthaews and why everything costs · The jet ski and the damage · Elephants: riding or not riding · Mobile dataRead the full guide

The real options, with what actually decides it: which terminal it leaves from and where it drops you. Fares and timetables live with the operator, who keeps them current.

• BusSmart BusPatong · Kata · Karon · RawaiRuns down the west coast beach by beach. The only line actually designed for travellers with luggage. It isn’t 24h: landing in the small hours or very late, it isn’t an option.·Fares and timesPhuket Smart Bus
• TaxiPatongOfficial counter with zone fares. A mountain sits between here and Patong: the ride is longer than it looks.·Fares and timesAeropuerto de Phuket

Before you fly, or on the layover. Pay per visit, whatever airline.

• The Coral Executive Loungefrom €29.00
• Coral Premium Departure Loungefrom €31.00
• Coral Beach (Coral Executive Lounge)from €33.23
• The Coral Executive Loungefrom €39.35

• BangkokBKK8 routes