Phuket vs Bali: how to choose between these two divine islands

14.10.2024 - 21:11 / lonelyplanet.com

Oct 10, 2024 • 8 min read

Anyone planning an island escape in Southeast Asia faces a tricky decision – in a region studded with sand-circled tropical islands that sizzle with fabulous food and overflow with culture, how do you pick just one?

This magical part of the world has enough island escapes to fill several lifetimes of travel, but regrettably, we only have one, so the shortlist has to be narrowed down. For a first taste of Southeast Asia's islands, we'd make a strong pitch for Phuket in Thailand and Bali in Indonesia – both are rich in culture, wrapped in sparkling sands and accessible to everyone from students in flipflops to empty-nesters catching up on far-flung travel.

But which to choose... Luckily, we have a pair of seasoned travel writers on hand to make the case for each of these beloved island hubs. Read on to see if Phuket or Bali is the right escape for you.

Isabella Noble is a Barcelona-based travel journalist and the author of Lonely Planet’s Pocket Phuket guide. She has been spending time on this beautiful, sometimes underappreciated Thai island for almost a decade.

For anyone who loves Phuket – as I do – it’s a magical island that instantly defies the stereotypes without making any fuss. Thailand bursts with dreamy, laid-back, palm-filled islands washed by gentle turquoise waves, but Phuket (pronounced poo-ket) combines this tropical-paradise allure with the lively buzz, creative vibe and thrilling food scene of a dynamic urban hub.

Let’s start with those fabulous, flour-soft, salt-white beaches. My favorites are in the north of the island, including sparkling Hat Surin, endless Hat Bang Thao and wilder Hat Layan. Phuket’s three northwesternmost strands are a treat too: Hat Nai Yang, Hat Mai Khao and Hat Nai Thon all sit within the protected Sirinat National Park and have a blissfully relaxed, nature-first feel.

On the island’s southern tip, mellow Hat Rawai is another beachy beauty that I seek out on every visit. It’s known for its rustic seafood restaurants, buzzing kitesurfing scene and the powdery strands close by at Hat Nai Han. Blazing sunsets draw crowds to dramatic Laem Phromthep (Promthep Cape) and there’s an almost mystical feel as everyone simultaneously gazes out as the sun drops into the jade-colored Andaman Sea.

Phuket also has one of Thailand’s most irresistible food scenes, born from the mingling of Southeast Asian and Chinese cultures over the centuries (known here as Baba culture). The arty island capital, Phuket Town, is the culinary epicenter. A tin-mining hub in the 19th and 20th centuries, it's filled with candy-colored Sino-Portuguese buildings, restored vintage shophouses and hidden shrines that burst into life during the September/October Vegetarian Festival.

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