Phuket – Island Paradise and World-Class Destination

Phuket, an island of stunning mountainous beauty in the Andaman Sea is often synonymous with idyllic beaches and palm-lined shores but is also a world class destination for some of the best in Asian culture, food and hospitality.

Away from the famously soft sand of the western shores, Phuket plays host to one of Thailand’s most important Buddhist temples, Wat Chalong. The temple, which is the island’s spiritual centre, features beautiful interiors lined with hundreds of tiny mirrors casting infinite reflections which change with the seasons. On special holidays, Wat Chalong becomes inundated with bustling country fairs where local flavours converge on the site to dazzle visitors with taste and colour, offering the very best Thai gastronomy.

It’s no surprise Phuket is fast becoming a premiere luxury destination. A favourite of celebrities, a number of famous faces have purchased residences on the island. Phuket’s transition from tourist trail mainstay to exclusive style gives travellers a growing range of new and old experiences to enjoy.

The island’s commercial centre, Patong, has evolved from country-town into a vibrant 24-hour destination filled with nightclubs, bars and restaurants. Little can prepare visitors for an excursion along Patong’s Bangla Road at night. Each evening the street fills with a smorgasbord of characters from the exotic to the sublime, mixed with a smattering of intrepid westerners looking for an unforgettable experience.

For those who prefer to take things a little slower, Phuket Town offers a raft of Sino-Portuguese splendours from funky shops to a great selection of fusion dining experiences. This administrative capital features a blend of colonial and Chinese architecture, laid out around winding streets and hidden thoroughfares.

When To Go:

Thailand’s climate is best expressed as three seasons – hot (March-May), cool (November – February) and wet (June-October). The best time to visit Phuket is in the cool season of November to February when average temperatures range from 20-30°C (70-90°F), making the island an excellent destination for winter sun. The heat really builds in April and May and reach soaring highs of 30-40°C (90-110°F), which combined with the humidity makes it quite difficult to do anything but sit in the shade and the monsoon season which follows with its massive storms and high seas, strikes the nation’s southern peninsular along the Andaman coast hardest.

What To Do:

Phuket plays host to a vibrant array of things to do and places to see. The island has a taste for high-end dining with accompanying hotels and spas increasing in number. A must-visit is Black Ginger (pictured), a breath-taking restaurant within the world famous Indigo Peal resort. Widely believed to serve the best Thai food in Thailand and with a chef who has worked extensively with the Thai Royal Family, diners can choose from a range of authentic flavours of Phuket set in a masterful modern interpretation of ancient Thai architecture. With an atmosphere worthy of the cuisine, guests are transported into this slice of paradise, located on a private lake by pulley boat giving the whole experience a quaint and cultural feel.

For adventurers, the Andaman Sea offers some of the best diving in the world and is a great place to achieve PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification. The seas around Phuket feature exceptional biodiversity and stunning seascapes.

Back on dry land and away from the towns, Phuket’s miles of pristine coastline back onto untouched jungle which is home to colourful wildlife and subspecies unique to the region. The surrounding smaller islands also offer visitors breath-taking vistas and the chance to get up close to rare flora and fauna in an untouched environment.

A notable example is Phang Nga Bay, to the north east of the island of Phuket. The bay features unique sheet limestone cliff formations which emerge from the water in an unforgettable tableau of colour and light. Arguably the most famous of all Phuket’s surrounding islands is Koh Phi Phi, one of Thailand’s absolute gems and the scene of many a Hollywood film. The island’s popularity stems from its unique composition – high cliffs rise from emerald shallows, guiding the eye to the untouched beaches which frame thick jungle, there truly is nowhere quite like it.

Where To Stay:

For design Kata Rocks (pictured) is the place to go. Sleek and chic, offering a minimalist vibe with contemporary apartment sized suites, Kata Rocks is unlike anything else on the island.  Right on the oceanfront on the headland between Kata and Kata Noi Beaches, every Sky Villa at Kata Rocks has a totally uninterrupted sea view and all have their own private pools. And with an incredible spa with eight treatment rooms housing everything from metro nap energy pods to light-emitting treatment beds and chromotherapy which combine beautifully with traditional Thai wellness philosophies, Kata Rocks brings the best of West and East together seamlessly.

For heritage, The Nai Harn (pictured) is unparalleled. Only recently launched in January 2016, The Nai Harn offers the perfect blend of romance, adventure, indulgence and a genuine sense of heritage, perched above one of Thailand’s best beaches, ranged along a lush hillside at the southern tip of Phuket.

Formally the Royal Phuket Yacht Club, The Nai Harn is Phuket’s only hotel with a real sense of history and has hosted luminaries from royals to heads of state to stars of stage and screen but also offers dress circle seats to one of the greatest shows on earth – the spectacle of an Andaman sunset set against the dramatic promontory of Cape Promthep.

Finally, for the all-round breath-taker, the aforementioned Indigo Pearl (pictured) is not one to miss. A resort inspired by Style and Distinction, it perfectly combines historic detail with chic design elegance. Whilst boasting an incredible contemporary Thai restaurant, Black Ginger, Indigo Pearl’s ‘pièce de résistance’, is the Coqoon Spa – a must-try for all spa enthusiasts consisting of multiple luxurious spa suites called ‘The Nests’. All this together results in an ultra-luxury destination steeped in the ancestry and richness of the rainforest and exotic gardens.