Must see attractions in Phuket

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Built in 1903 with tin-mining riches, this beautifully preserved Sino-Portuguese mansion should make any antique- or architecture-lover's must-visit list…

One of the island's most important Chinese shrines, this red-washed, elevated complex is dedicated to Tean Hu Huan Soy, god of performers and dancers. It…

A handful of Chinese temples pump colour into Phuket Town, but this restored shrine, tucked away up a 50m alley now adorned with modern murals, is…

For a bird’s-eye view of the city, climb (or drive) up Khao Rang, 2.5km northwest of Phuket Town's centre. An overhanging viewing platform opens up 270…

Chalong, 9km north of Rawai, is home to Phuket's only working distillery, launched by French couple Marine Lucchini and Thibault Spithakis, who bonded…

Financed by donations (2100B sponsors a gibbon for a year), this tiny sanctuary adopts gibbons previously kept in captivity in the hope of reintroducing…

Thalang's museum chronicles Phuket’s history, from prehistoric Andaman inhabitants to the tin-mining era, with Thai and English displays. It traces…

Comprising the exceptional northwestern beaches of Nai Thon, Nai Yang and Mai Khao, as well as the former Nai Yang National Park and Mai Khao Wildlife…

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…

Dating back 150 years, Wat Chalong is Phuket's busiest Buddhist temple. Its three-tiered, salmon-pink, 61m-high chedi (a later addition) has 36 golden…

A group of talented Thai artists have come together to set up this bohemian, banyan-shaded arts commune, just off Rawai's main strip. Feel free to wander…

Thailand's sun-yellow oldest foreign bank is a fine example of Phuket Town's historic Sino-Portuguese architecture. Though you can admire the restored…

Comparatively quiet and laid-back by Phuket standards, Hat Kamala is a well-enclosed sugar-white strand with a mostly rustic feel, framed between green…

Painted in a striking yellowy-mango shade, this ancient building has a unique, early 1990s four-storey clock tower and a traditional police-cap roof. The…