Tonsai waterfall looks in many ways like its neighbour Bangpae waterfall. Located a bit further north, it’s about the same size, the same height and at an equal walking distance from the parking. There is a National Park entry fee of 200 Baht per person on arrival, which is compulsory.
Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa is one of the most luxurious resorts in Mai Khao Beach, an endless unspoiled beach in the northern part of Phuket. Renaissance is the perfect place to escape crowded beaches and tourist frenzy.
Phuket Simon Cabaret has been a successful show for more than two decades and what makes Simon Cabaret so famous is the ladyboys phenomenon.
Phuket Bird Park, in Chalong, welcomes you with a large entrance gate opening on a green jungle and an Indiana Jones-looking bridge, setting the mood for a visit.
Khao Khad Viewpoint (Panwa Viewpoint) is a solitary standing viewpoint on top of one of the highest and most remote hills of Phuket and a bit of a mystery. With parking designed to accommodate a large number of buses and cars, a shop and a massive staircase leading to a large tower, you would expect to find a crowd up there
Katathani Phuket Beach Resort is an affordable 5-star hotel situated on the stunning Kata Noi Beach in southern Phuket. The hotel is built along a 450-meter sandy beach, providing guests with incredible sea views from many of its well-designed rooms.
Holiday Inn Resort Phuket is an excellent hotel to get the best of many sides of Patong Beach: easy access to the beach across the street, shopping, dining and, of course, the famous nightlife.
Central Phuket is one of the biggest malls on the island, split into two massive wings on either side of a wide road: Festival and Floresta. If you’re just exploring, it can feel like two different malls, but it’s actually one big complex.
Bon Island (or Koh Bon) is located just south of Rawai Beach in Phuket and is just a short longtail boat ride away. A few sandy beaches pepper the coast of this tiny island, and despite being so close to Phuket, it is not too busy with tourists.
Ao Yon Beach is a surprisingly quiet and remote beach where you can have a calm walk and only meet locals and a few longtime residents.
Ao Sane Beach proves that Phuket still has some little beaches hidden from view where you can pretend nothing has changed in the past twenty years. Of course, there is no such thing as a ‘secret beach’ anymore, but you must make a little effort to get there.
Phuket windmill viewpoint, also occasionally called wind turbine, is a panoramic hill in the very south of Phuket Island. From up there, you can enjoy a birdview of the very popular Ya Nui Beach on one side and the bay of Nai Harn on the other.
Wat Sri Sunthon (Wat Srisoonthorn) is known for the immense golden Buddha reclining at the top of a large building in the ‘Pang Sai Yat’ posture, which corresponds to “Realizing Nirvana”. The statue seems to be staring endlessly at the frantic traffic on the nearby road to Phuket International Airport. Of course, you already knew that ‘Wat’ is the Thai word for ‘Temple’.
The Kee Resort is probably one of the best-located hotels in Patong Beach if you want to be in the heart of the renowned Bangla Walking Street action. Its unique location at the end of Soi Seadragon makes it the perfect place for guests who plan to be on the beach during the day and party at night.
The Similan Islands are Thailand’s most beautiful archipelago, 120 km from Phuket. Snorkelling, diving, overnight camping. Open October to May only.
Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach is a superb resort located on the still peaceful Naithon beach, a surprisingly beautiful beach away from any main road on the upper west coast of Phuket.
The Phuket Aquarium in Cape Panwa is not immense, as the tunnel is only a few metres long, but it is still a great place to entertain you and your kids on a rainy day and might even be your chance to see baby turtles.
Novotel Phuket Resort at the northern end of Patong Beach offers sea views, which not many hotels in Patong can afford. The hotel is designed with typical Thai roofs over an imposing lobby, palm trees and greenery everywhere around three huge cascading pools.
Entirely built on stilts in Phang Nga Bay, Koh Panyi is a surprising village standing near the famous James Bond Island and ione of the most visited places people visit in a day tour in Phuket.
The Karon Viewpoint Thai name is Kho Sam Haad, which means ‘The Hill of the Three Beaches’, and once we reached the place, just as promised, we saw three beaches. So if this is your first trip to Phuket, you probably will stop for a few minutes at this popular panoramic landmark.
Kalima Resort Phuket is a hotel with amazing panoramic views of the immense bay of Patong Beach, built on a green hill near Kalim Beach in Phuket. With such a unique location, guests can enjoy the views but also a strategic location within minutes of Patong Beach
Freedom Beach Phuket is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. The 300-metre stretch of soft white sand and turquoise water is just 10 minutes by longtail boat from Patong Beach, but it feels like a different world.
Bang Pae waterfall is one of the best-known waterfalls in Phuket. There are only three significant waterfalls on the island: Bang Pae, Kathu Waterfall and Tonsai Waterfall, maybe four if you include a tiny one near Ao Yon Beach.
Amari Phuket is a resort with a unique location on Patong Beach. The hotel has a private beach, a fantastic view of the entire bay, and most rooms face the sea! This 5-star resort is at the southern end of Patong past the bridge, making it the perfect hotel if you want to enjoy the best of both worlds
After Beach Bar Phuket is a very popular Thai restaurant perched high on a cliffside above Kata Noi Beach, on the way to Nai Harn Beach; from the outside, the restaurant looks modest, with low thatched roofs and an old-fashioned reggae atmosphere.
The Thalang National Museum in Phuket has undergone a significant transformation and is now nearly fully reopened. As of May 2025, only one final room remains under renovation, with plans to reopen it by June 2025.
Koh Racha Island or Koh Racha Yai (also called Raya Island) is a small idyllic island just 12 kilometres south of Phuket, popular for day trips, snorkelling and scuba diving. The island is so small it can only accommodate a few resorts
The Upside Down House Museum is one of the most surprising attractions in Phuket. Once you see it with your own eyes, there will be no need for any explanation as this pink house is standing upside down on its roof in a garden, as if some giant kid had casually dropped it after playing with it.
Pansea Beach looks like a private beach, but since private beaches are not allowed in Thailand, you can get around by owning all the land around that beach. Only two luxury hotels, ‘The Surin’ and ‘Amanpuri’, can access Pansea Beach.
Kayaking in Phuket with John Gray Sea Canoe is a fascinating experience, and the best way is to explore Phang Nga, slowly gliding among giant cliffs in a silent kayak.
Devil’s Playground is brought to you by the owner of the famous Suzy Wong’s in the same Seadragon street. Devil’s Playground, now also known as Suzy Wong’s 2, ‘raised the bar’ of Go Go clubs to a new level.
Banzaan Market in Patong Beach is an excellent experience during your holiday. It’s easier to access than most local markets since it is just behind the gigantic Jungceylon Shopping Mall.
Wat Phra Thong (or Wat Prathong), meaning ‘Golden Buddha Image Temple is a very old temple with an incredible legend behind it, the kind of story that irresistibly attracts people. It’s not very big or impressive, but everyone first wants to see the famous half-buried golden Buddha. So what is this strange legend about a temple in Thalang on the way to Phuket Airport?
The Thai Hua Museum on Krabi Road in Phuket Town is a pleasant surprise. We visited it a few years ago when it reopened, and despite being in a beautiful mansion, it was just an empty building.
Phuket Naka Weekend Market (previously called Chaofa Variety Weekend Market) stands as one of Phuket’s largest night bazaars near Central Festival on the outskirts of Phuket Town.
Phuket Sunday Walking Street Market is the most popular attraction in Phuket Town. This 360-metre long street market was an instant success, adding a much-needed event to the historical part of town.
The Tiger Kingdom Phuket might not be to everyone’s taste, but we took an hour to stop and see if the animals were well treated. The place is surprisingly large, clean and very well organised.
Phuket Mining Museum was built with unusual grandeur in a remote and isolated location behind the Loch Palm Golf Club of Kathu, somewhere in the hills before Patong.
Phuket Indy Night Market is a fun, young, creative little night market in Phuket Town, located on Limelight Avenue, a small lane off Dibuk Road, not far from the well-known Raya Restaurant.
Laem Ka Beach, in the very south of Phuket near Rawai, is a little gem hidden from view and mostly locals know about it. It was closed to the public a couple of years ago to allow the construction of a new hotel.
Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort is a superb 5-star resort built on a hillside of Kamala overlooking Rayee Beach, which is just a little south of the main Kamala beach, far from any crowd.
Coral Island, or Koh Hey, is one of the few beautiful islands you can reach within 15 minutes by speedboat from Rawai Beach in south Phuket. You can spend half a day or a full day playing on the beach, snorkelling or even scuba diving, even during low season.
Chinpracha House (Baan Chinpracha) is one of the most beautiful mansions in Phuket, and it is spread all around Phuket Town. Chinpracha House is somehow unique and in its original condition.
Soi Seadragon got a major facelift and is no longer this dark old-fashioned alley that reminds a bit of Patpong in Bangkok. Now with two levels, a centrally located DJ booth and some pretty flashy light effects, it looks more like an oversized club.
Hidden in a vast cave in Phang Nga Province, Wat Suwan Khuha is a surprising religious site sheltering an immense reclining golden Buddha. If you feel like a little drive outside Phuket island, this is your chance to explore another side of Phang Nga!
Splash Jungle Water Park is a popular theme park on Mai Khao Beach, just next to Phuket International Airport. It’s not huge and a bit pricey, but it’s a great way to spend the day with the kids and the family having fun.
Phuket FantaSea is a show narrating the legend of Kamala, which in this story is a jungle with a mythical palace, quite different from the Kamala, you know.
How to get a driving license in Phuket… If you plan to stay in Phuket for a while, you will probably consider renting or buying a motorbike, which means you will need a driving license.
Phuket 101 Blog shares 30 years of Phuket exploration and thousands of photos for those who love Phuket as much as we do. This blog shares our real experiences.
Phuket Elephant Trekking is to be avoided! Now comes the true ‘Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries’, where elephants rescued from a terrible life of labour can finally be free.
Suzy Wong’s is already an icon of Soi Bangla nightlife, and you can’t visit Patong without visiting it. A great deal of effort was given to the new bar facade with its bright red Chinese decoration and massive door.
Mom Tri’s Villa Royale is not just your regular hotel in Phuket. It was the private house of Mom Luang Tridhosyuth Devakul, a famous artist and architect better known in Thailand as ‘Mom Tri’, a descendant of King Mongkut Rama IV.
