The beaches of South East Asia - Phuket
We guide you through our pick of the best
Phuket: island supreme
The largest of the islands and still the favourite, Phuket has something for everyone, and can be reached in just an hour by internal flight from Bangkok.
This is the place to do as much or as little as you like. The active are spoilt for choice, with some amazing dive sites only a short boat ride away, and sensational snorkelling and sailing available for all standards, from beginners to advanced. Better still, if you don't want to do the work yourself, there are several companies in and around Patong – Phuket's most popular beach – that offer one-day cruises to some of the smaller islands in the vicinity.
Those in search of something quite different can take jungle treks in Khao Phra Taew National Park, which has the last of the island's virgin rainforest and some truely spectacular waterfalls.
Golfers are not forgotten – there are several professional-level courses in the northern part of the island. One of the best is at the Banyan Tree resort on the lagoon, which is an enclave of five-star hotels all set in beautifully landscaped gardens overlooking beach and lagoon.
Little shuttle boats travel from one to the other so that residents can dine at different restaurants every night. The Banyan Tree is the most luxurious
of them all – it's the flagship resort of The Banyan group, and where its award-winning spas began. True hedonists can book a spa villa that not only has its own swimming pool and Jacuzzi but an outside massage sala too.
If you're not a spa nut, a good alternative to The Banyan is the Dusit Laguna Resort, which has a really lovely beach and numerous other leisure facilities from pitch-and-put to tennis via everything else in between.
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