A first-time guide to Phuket

27.09.2024 - 21:57 / lonelyplanet.com

Sep 27, 2024 • 9 min read

There’s much to love about Phuket besides its many powder-puff beaches. Firstly, there’s the old town, frozen in time by candy-colored mansions nodding to the days of tin barons, the proud flagship of Phuket Town.

Beyond Sino-colonial homes and palm-fringed bays await markets that are visually Thai, with pop-up stalls and motorcycle grills wherever you look. Yet foodies can also hit restaurants daily for a month and still find new dishes and eateries, such is the ethnic diversity of Phuket cuisine.

Thailand’s largest island is home to rolling hills and thick rainforests framed by gushing waterfalls, perfect for hiking adventures. Meanwhile, self-sufficient communities offer tours to tap into the emotions of the traveler.

On a cosmopolitan island like Phuket, where an estimated 70 percent of the residents have mixed Straits-born Chinese and Thai ancestral roots, you’ll find what you’re after – whether you stick to the busy areas or veer off the tried-and-tested track.

Dive into the pulse of this fascinating island and plan a memorable trip with my top tips on Phuket.

Phuket knows only a dry and a wet season. If you take off for Thailand to escape the northern hemisphere winter, the time between late December and mid-April will give you a boost. February and the first half of March are the driest, with daytime highs of 36°C (95°F). Best for beach bums, conditions are sweltering during this time; lows can be as high as 28°C (82°F). However, these months are heavier on your pocket with hotel prices almost doubling.

For wallet-friendlier rates, visit in the shoulder season from late April to early June, when the crowds thin out. Weather-wise, this transitional period is hit or miss. While the rainy season starts in late June, it can be sunny for days. But heavy rains lash the island from September to mid-October, when the powerful monsoon brings moist warm air from the Indian Ocean. Stormy seas could prevent diving now, though windsurfing may be a joy, and accommodation prices plummet. Humidity levels are also lower during this time, with average temperatures of 23°C to 30°C (73°F to 86°F).

Plan a weekend fling with Phuket at the very least. That’s enough to lounge on a beach or two, get a massage, sample juicy, barbecued meats grilled on skewers, and check out the beer bars come nightfall. Add two more days to sip coffee and eat your way around town at a leisurely pace. To be out sightseeing and get a deeper understanding of the island’s colorful heritage, seven days will not get you bored. Over a week, you’ll have wiggle room in your schedule to go island hopping, explore evergreen national parks, or book community-based tourism activities that directly benefit locals.

Yes and no. Thai