The good, bad and ugly sides to a holiday in Phuket
The Thai resort island offers something for everyone, from backpackers to billionaires, but beware of rip tides, rip-offs and scams
THE GOOD
Google Phuket and “tropical island paradise” and you’ll be overwhelmed. Even allowing for copywriters’ fondness for a cliché, the 645,000 hits can’t all be hyperbole. A three-hour flight from Hong Kong, Phuket offers something for everyone – from backpackers to billionaires. Luxurious resorts boast state-of-the-art facilities, sumptuous suites and swanky spas in palatial surroundings, while budget travellers can still find rustic huts for 1,000 baht (HK$225, US$29) and campsites costing 300 baht for two people. Give your wallet a workout at some of the island’s stylish eateries or fill up on freshly cooked pad thai and sickly sweet banana pancakes with condensed milk from street vendors for 100 baht. Shop for big-name brands
in air-conditioned malls or haggle your heart out in the night markets, where there are even more cheap food stalls.
In keeping with its international status, Phuket lures its share of global superstars. Beyoncé and Jay Z have spent holidays on the island, as have the Kardashians, and Rihanna recently gave a concert on Patong Beach. Phuket’s charms don’t only attract vacationers, however. Thais, tourists and Asia-based expats snap up holiday homes at developments such as Laguna Phuket, a resort comprised of luxury villas, world-class hotels and recreation facilities including an 18-hole golf course.
The Pearl of the Andaman is deceptively spacious. Rent a jeep or motorcycle and tick off the temples, beaches, waterfalls and scenic vistas. Head away from the crowds to Radar Hill, reached via a steep road that winds past rubber plantations and offers spectacular views. (“Phuket” is derived from the Malay word bukit, which means “hill”.)
Back at sea level, hire a jet ski, sign up for a scuba diving course, hop on a ferry to Phi Phi Island or book in at a wellness retreat and turn off your mobile phone.
If it’s action you’re after; you’ll find it at Patong Beach. The frenetic resort began its tourism trajectory in the 1970s, when holiday cottages (mosquito-infested bamboo huts) started to appear. It’s still possible to track down quiet coves and empty beaches where life is laid back and coconut, not concrete, remains the building material of choice.