Phuket is Thailand's beach playground, the biggest island in the country and the gateway to the turquoise waters and limestone cliffs of the Andaman Sea. It's a place of two halves: the loud, neon nightlife of Patong on one hand, and quiet southern coves, sleepy fishing villages, and the charming old town on the other. The beaches are the headline, soft sand and warm clear water, but the real magic is just offshore, where boats whisk you out to the postcard islands of Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay. It's busy and developed, yes, but get past the main strip and Phuket still surprises almost everyone.
Here's the honest part for budget travellers: Phuket is one of the pricier corners of Thailand, running noticeably above Bangkok or Chiang Mai. But that reputation comes mostly from the beachfront resorts and tourist-strip restaurants, and it's easily sidestepped. The beaches themselves are all free and public, the street food is as cheap and brilliant as anywhere in the country, and staying just inland or in the old town slashes your costs while keeping the beach a short hop away. The trick in Phuket, more than anywhere, is knowing where the tourist markups hide. We'll show you exactly how to dodge them.
