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Ideal duration: 3-5 days

Best Time: November to February end Read More

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"Where Summer Beach Fashion Truly Comes Alive"

Phuket Tourism

The largest Island in all of Thailand, Phuket has everything Thailand has to offer. Serviced by the Phuket International Airport, the island sees no dearth of travellers during any time of the year. Golden beaches, numerous offshore islands, upbeat markets, a high octane nightlife and thrilling watersports characterise Phuket in a nutshell. Beaches like Surin and Kata cater to families and those individuals with eccentric tastes. Patong beach, on the other hand, caters to all those who like it cheap, loud and crazy, even after the sun sets. Bangla road with its numerous bars, ping pong shows and street food vendors comes alive as the night grows older. Those who shy away from dizzy bright lights and alcohol will find themselves at the Cabaret shows or even at the ever-popular street markets. The Phuket Walking Street or Phuket Weekend markets are places where one can spend hours sifting through various clothes, souvenirs and novelty items.

Aside from all the glitz and swankiness, Phuket offers many traditional activites and experiences too. Enjoying tropical weather all year round, the waters of Phuket come to life, brimming with marine habitants in the months of November to February. Activities like snorkelling and scuba diving can be done at popular and scenic locations such as Phi Phi Islands and Similan Islands, which make for day-trips by speedboat. Further up north, a more quiet and rustic experience can be had while visiting the Elephant Sanctuaries and national parks such as Sirinat National Park and Khao Phra Thaeo National Park. This is also true down south at beaches like Rawai beach and even on the west such as Karon beach which are generally less crowded and offer a more serene experience.

Hidden in plain sight is also an immersive experience of Thai culture. Phuket Town heavily retains it's Chinese influence and Sino-Portuguese history via its cuisine, cooking styles, architecture and historical museums and buildings. Chalong Wat, a Buddhist temple and Jui Tui Shrine, an important Chinese place of worship, stand as embodiments of how various religions and cultures coexist.

Phuket caters to all types of travellers - be it families, individuals, couples or groups, across all budgets. But among them, a certain section does particularly stand out. With a plethora of high-end resorts along most beaches, hotels, luxury shopping outlets and spas, Phuket is a haven for those looking to splurge big on their vacation and look good while doing it.

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Nightlife in Phuket

Nightlife in Phuket is a busy affair with plenty of places to entertain. Only second to Pattaya in Thailand, the island stands up to the reputation of being a partying destination. The place is packed with bars, discos, ladyboy cabaret shows, nightclubs, go-go bars, live music and international DJs jamming a session. Where most of the small areas and towns offer small parties, Banga Road in Patong is the major as well as the busiest hub for party lovers featuring crazy neon lights, loud rocking pulsating music and huge crown to enjoy the scene. Some of the major places to check out in Patong are Soi Crocodile, Simon Cabaret, Soi Easy, Soi Gonzo, Presley Guesthouse and Elvis Bar, Soi Sea Dragon and many more.

Shopping in Phuket

Phuket offers a great deal for shopping lovers with products ranging from cheap clothes to handicrafts and jewelry. The place is a main source of cultured pearls, pewterware, ornaments and nielloware. There are two main shopping malls in Phuket: Central Festival, at the northwest edge of Phuket Town, and Jungceylon, in Patong. However, the open air markets, bustling street side shops, night, dazzling night markets, small food markets, are more popular among tourists. One can buy brands, copy of brands (sometimes it is difficult to distinguish), antiques, house wares, and much more. There are special shops where one can buy souvenirs located at Ratsada, Phang-nga, Montri, Yaowarat, and Tilok-U-thit roads, in Phuket Town, Thepkasattri Road and at the beach centers of Patong, Kata, Karon and Rawai.

Exchanging Money in Phuket

One can get the currency exchanged at either banks (major banks of Thailand being Bangkok Bank and Thai Farmers Bank), which are open from 9:00 to 15:30, Monday to Friday or there are numerous authorized currency exchanged counters dotted all across the tourist places. Most of the hotels will also exchange the currency but at poor exchange rate. One will find bank branches at most of the shopping centers opened from 10:00 until 20:00. ATM Machines are easily available for 24 hours all around the island and accept all major credits cards including Visa and MasterCard.

Daily Budget for Phuket

Phuket is a small island offering facilities for all kind of visitors. If you are planning a trip to this beach destination, below are the daily-basis expenses for different type of travelers. The cost mentioned here is approximate per day per head cost excluding the hotel charges (including food, water, local transport, entertainment, tips and handouts, local transportation, souvenirs and alcohol cost) Budget travel: THB 654 approximately Comfortable travel: THB 1325 approximately Luxury travel: THB 3150 approximately

Currency in Phuket

Most of the international credit cards are widely accepted in Phuket. ATM Machines are easily available for 24 hours all around the island and accept all major credits cards including Visa and MasterCard. Baht is the main currency that is used in Thailand. Make sure you carry cash while shopping at local street market and use your cards wisely to avoid any fraud.

History of Phuket

Located on the strategic position between the trading routes of India and China, Phuket has served as a place to harbor ship proceeding to India that would wait for the northeast monsoon winds. The place has been under the foreign influence long before the other parts of the country. The island became the part of the Thai state during thirteenth century after the Sirivijaya Empire based in Sumatra lost it to Thai armies at Sukhothai. It was in sixteenth century that Phuket was first time mentioned as a key source of tin as it became a hub of revenue for Thai kingdom and significant trading center. It was also during the period when Europeans arrived at the island. One can still witness the structures in Sino-Portuguese style in the old-quarters of town. The untouched interior of the island was still covered with the old rainforest by the end of nineteenth century while making way for rubber plantations as the twentieth century arrived changing the landscape irreparably. Once named as Junk Ceylon on European maps, the place got its name Phuket later from Malay word meaning •hillê.

Religion of Phuket

Major religion practiced in Phuket is Theravada Buddhism followed by Daoism, which is often practiced along with Buddhism. In addition, about 35% of population on the island is Muslims.

Phuket Customs

Phuket is a melting pot of people of various cultures including Thai, Chinese, Malays and sea gypsies. However, there is as such no restriction about what to wear and what not to wear. It is one of a major beach destination and thus one must carry short, t-shorts, swimsuits and lightweight clothes for summers. If you are planning to visit a Buddhist temple, dress conventionally and take off your shoes before entering the temple complex. Monks do not accept anything from a woman and they are not supposed to touch monks. The rear seats of the buses are usually reserved for monks and one has to vacate if needed. Do not say anything disrespectful for royal family as one could be subject to penalty. Tipping is usually mandatory in Phuket, however is appreciated especially in hospitality sector. A tip of TBH 20-50 is commonly paid to a porter and 5-10 per cent for other staff. A generous tip of TBH 100 is usually given massage ladies.

Language of Phuket

Central Thai is the official language of Phuket, which is commonly used in business and tourist areas. However, people usually converse in southern Thai dialect that sounds pithier and sounds faster than Central Thai. English is also widely spoken and understood, especially in the beach and other tourist areas. Some of the useful Thai words one should now while travelling to Thailand are (krub is used for males and kha is used for females): Sawatdee (krub/kha): Hello Sabai dee ru (krub/kha): How are you? Sabai dee (krub/kha): Fine Khob Khun (krub/kha): Thank you Chai: Yes Mai Chai: No Dai: (you/I) can Mai Dai: can not Nee Tao Rai: How much?

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Phuket Photos

Phuket, Thailand
Kata Beach - One of the Most Famous Beaches in Phuket
White Buddha Statue - One of the Landmarks in Phuket
Patong Beach - Sunset View

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FAQs on Phuket

What is the best time to visit Phuket?

The best time to visit Phuket is from November to February. The weather during this period is relatively cool and dry. Due to its tropical location, Phuket harbours a warm climate throughout the year. The average temperature in Phuket ranges from 23 degrees to 31 degrees. Weather conditions remain warm almost throughout the year, but there will be a notable difference in rainfall every month; however, April-May and September-October are the hottest. Owing to the southwestern monsoon September-October period is also the wettest. Swimming and diving activities can only take place in the non-monsoon seasons. Even during monsoon, the rainfall occurs intermittently in short bursts, so there will be plenty of sun in between.

The island of Phuket has two seasons namely wet season from May to October and the dry season from November to April with February being the driest month.
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What is the local food in Phuket?

Phuket offers a variety of cuisines owing to the large number of foreign travelers visiting the island every year. Although foreign cuisines are widely available, Thai flavors are still available especially with a focus on seafood. One will find from high-end restaurants to small time street stalls selling delicious food. The place is a paradise for seafood lovers. Some of the local delicacies of Phuket are fried or boiled noodle dished eaten with either pork or chicken; Khanom Jin (another noodle dish eaten in breakfast and served with fresh vegetables and spicy curry); and Nam PhrikKung Siap (smoked shrimps and chili eaten with fresh vegetables).
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How much does a package cost for Phuket?

The packages for Phuket start at INR 11076 which can be further customized based on number of people, days, hotel category, vehicle type and customizations. You can have a look at all packages here

What are the top hotels in Phuket?

There are 2560 in Phuket which can be booked through Holidify. The most popular hotels in Phuket are Candy House, East Brother Inn 普吉岛东哥客栈, Villa Beyond, Seductive Sunset Villa Patong A6, Baan Wanicha Bed and Breakfast Resort, Wings Villa (Hall 32). You can see all the hotels in Phuket here

What are the things to do in Phuket?

The top things to do in Phuket are Patong Beach, Bangla Road, Big Buddha, Kata Noi Beach, Phuket Weekend Night Market, Karon View Point. You can see all the places to visit in Phuket here

What are the places near Phuket?

The top places near to Phuket are Krabi which is 64 km from Phuket, Phi phi islands which is located 52 km from Phuket, Khao lak which is located 84 km from Phuket, Surat thani which is located 170 km from Phuket, Koh samui which is located 253 km from Phuket

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