Phuket
Phuket is one of the oldest cities in Thailand
Phuket is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country’s largest island, and another 32 smaller islands off its coast. It lies off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Phuket Island is connected by the Sarasin Bridge to Phang Nga Province to the north. The next nearest province is Krabi, to the east across Phang Nga Bay.
TOP THINGS TO DO
Known as the pearl of the Andaman Sea, Phuketis the largest island in Thailand. Besides many beautiful beaches and off the coast attractions, Phuket has a lot of interesting in land attractions including its Old Town, Wat Chalong, Big Buddha, zipline parks, Muay Thai camps, Turtle sanctuaries, aquarium, and even cooking schools.
TRANSPORTATIONS
Tuk Tuks are the small open sided vehicles which can be found everywhere on the island. Most of them are red and they work just like taxis. Fares should be negotiated and agreed before you hop in. As the seats are quite small, it is not recommended for long distance trip. Fares depend on distance, time, weather and your negotiation skills.
Songthaews are the open aired local buses, mostly in blue-yellow. They follow fixed routes with no fixed bus-stops so you just flag them when they pass by. Prices are fixed and much cheaper than Tuk Tuks and taxis but it takes longer to reach your destination. Some Songthaews are happy to be chartered when they don’t have other passengers.
While this may be a convenient way to get around, it is not the safest way. If you have to use the service, wear the helmet and only do so for just short trips. They are usually stationed around the street corners. The drivers often wear colourfuled vests.
Roads in and around Phuket are well signed in English so foreigners can easily drive around on their own. Car rental operators can be easily found at Phuket airport, Phuket town and the main roads along the main beaches such as Patong.
