Tag: Asia travel

Where to stay in Phuket depends above all on the trip you’re planning: the island has around a dozen neighborhoods that are nothing alike. Patong is loud and chaotic, Rawai feels like a small town where half the residents are expats, and Phuket Town, with no beach at all, has […]

Phuket takes more preparation than you might think: the island has almost no public transport, prices vary wildly depending on how you travel, and September is the worst month for the beach. Here is how I prepare, covering actual prices in baht and euros, the seasons, visas, apps and scams; […]

Phuket has a curious reputation problem: some see nothing but party hostels and overpriced jet skis, while others see Thailand’s best base for island-hopping, diving and immersing yourself in Thai culture. Both sides have a point, though the second is much closer to the mark in my opinion, and you […]

Phuket’s street food is the best reason to visit the island, so forget the beaches for a moment. I ate at plastic tables under fluorescent lights, sampling southern Thai spices, Chinese Hokkien noodles, Malay-influenced roti and Peranakan braised pork. Here are the dishes I ordered, the restaurants where locals eat […]

Phuket has more than 30 beaches, and they often have nothing in common: the crowded party strip of Patong has almost nothing in common with the rocky cove of Ao Sane, my snorkeling spot, or the deserted stretches of sand at Mai Khao. Here are my 15 most beautiful beaches […]

Phuket is Thailand’s most divisive island: a week in Patong would have convinced me it was overpriced and overcrowded, whereas in Kata, in Old Town on a Sunday evening and over a plate of Hokkien mee at a stall near the clock tower, I discovered a completely different island. It’s […]