Phuket offers beach resorts, a lively old town and boat trips around the Andaman coast. Choose your base carefully: distances, traffic and sea conditions can have a bigger effect on the day than the map suggests.
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Phuket: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Phuket?oldid=5308196
Stay in Phuket Town for food and old-town exploration, or choose a beach base for time by the sea. Check road access, noise, transport costs and whether the beach suits swimming in your travel season before booking.
Explore Phuket Old Town's streets and Sino-Portuguese buildings, visit Wat Chalong, and choose beaches to suit the sea conditions and atmosphere you want. Check whether viewpoints or religious sites have access restrictions before setting off.
Do not touch coral, feed marine life or buy wildlife products. Choose boat operators who respect reefs and wildlife. Take rubbish away from beaches and avoid damaging vegetation around viewpoints and coastal paths.
Try Phuket's Hokkien-style noodles, local dim sum and southern Thai dishes as well as seafood. Phuket Town is a useful base for food exploration. Ask about peanuts, shellfish, shrimp paste and spice levels before ordering.
Check the current programme for Phuket Old Town walking streets, markets and cultural venues. Allow extra travel time for evening events and confirm your journey back, as transport costs and availability vary between beach areas.
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an important local religious event with processions and rituals. Songkran and other Thai holidays can also bring crowds. Check dates and etiquette, and ask before photographing ceremonies.
Carry your regular medicines in their original packaging and keep prescription details with you. Arrange travel-health advice for your itinerary before departure. For trips away from towns in Phuket, identify the nearest suitable medical facility and check your insurance cover.
