Phuket
Phuket's ‘two heroines’, Chan and Mook, supposedly drove off an 18th-century Burmese invasion by convincing the island’s women to dress like male soldiers; the sisters are immortalised, swords in hand, on a hectic roundabout at the near-centre of the island.
The mid-March Phuket Heroines Festival celebrates their victory with re-enactments of the story.
5.08 MILES
Beautiful 8km-long Hat Bang Thao is one of the longest, dreamiest beaches on Phuket. This slice of pearlescent sand is just asking for you to laze around…
6.8 MILES
Branching off Th Thalang, in the heart of the Old Town, this small, vibrant street flaunts some of Phuket's most gorgeously revamped Sino-Portuguese…
23.63 MILES
Established in 1981, 400-sq-km Ao Phang-Nga National Park is famous for its classic karst scenery. Huge vertical cliffs dominate its 42 islands, some with…
11.15 MILES
High atop the Nakkerd Hills, northwest of Chalong Circle, and visible from half the island, the 45m-high, Burmese-alabaster Big Buddha sits grandly on…
15.57 MILES
Come here to the island’s southernmost point to see the glittering Andaman Sea wrapped around Phuket. The cape is crowned by a mod lighthouse shaped like…
14.6 MILES
Ask a Phuketian or a local expat for their favourite island beach and many will choose Hat Nai Harn. A beautifully curved golden-white crescent with…
6.77 MILES
Founded in 1934 and formerly a Chinese-language school, this flashy museum is filled with photos, videos and English-language exhibits on Phuket’s history…
6.73 MILES
Built in 1903 with tin-mining riches, this beautifully preserved Sino-Portuguese mansion should make any antique- or architecture-lover's must-visit list…
0.21 MILES
Thalang's museum chronicles Phuket’s history, from prehistoric Andaman inhabitants to the tin-mining era, with Thai and English displays. It traces…
0.68 MILES
Accessed by a tucked-away flight of steps, an enormous golden Buddha reclines on the roof of this immaculately kept modern temple named for one of Phuket…
3.24 MILES
Best reached from the west side of Khao Phra Thaew Royal Wildlife & Forest Reserve, this small waterfall is at its best between June and November. A few…
4. Khao Phra Thaew Royal Wildlife & Forest Reserve
3.99 MILES
On the northern half of the island, this lush reserve protects 23 sq km of virgin island rainforest (evergreen monsoon forest). Because of its royal…
4.05 MILES
About 7km north of the Heroines Monument, Phuket’s tranquil, 250-year-old ‘Temple of the Golden Buddha’ revolves around a half-buried statue, with only…
4.75 MILES
You'll hear haunting gibbons' songs all the way along the jungly earth-and-concrete path to this waterfall, a 300m walk up from the Phuket Gibbon…
7. Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Project
4.78 MILES
Financed by donations (2100B sponsors a gibbon for a year), this tiny sanctuary adopts gibbons previously kept in captivity in the hope of reintroducing…
4.92 MILES
This busy mosque provides a good insight into Phuket village life and makes an interesting change of scene from the beach. Its cream-coloured facade and…