Cathy and Gary's South East Asia Travel Pages
PHUKET
Phuket is an island in the Indian Ocean, 867 kilometers from Bangkok. The island is connected to the mainland of Thailand by the Sarasin bridges. This small island has a rich and colorful history and is known as the Pearl of the Andaman or Pearl of the South, much of the islands former glory and enormous wealth came from tin production.
Today Phuket is one of Thailand's major tourist attractions.The surrounding waters contain beautiful marine life with some of the world’s best diving sites and Phuket town is notable for its Sino-Portuguese architecture..
The Island of Phuket is a perfect holiday destination for all ages with great sightseeing, stunning beaches, lush green forests and mountains. Phuket is always warm and humid due to the monsoons that blow year round. The wet season is from May until October when the monsoon blows from the southwest. The dry season is from November until April when the monsoon comes from the northeast, coolest temperatures are during January and the highest temperatures are normally during March.
Since the 1980's tourism has been one of Phuket's main sources of income. Hotels, restaurants, tour operators, markets and shops are everywhere on the west coast. However tourism is not the islands only activity.
Agriculture is very important to a large number of people and the main crops are coconuts, rubber, pineapples and cashews. Prawn farming is also in abundance on the south and east coasts, while pearl farming and fishing are also very important.
The best way to see Phuket is to hire a car and do some of the fantastic drives around and off the island. We have been travelling to Phuket regularly since 1995 and have been staying for 5/6 months at a time for many years, normally during low season. There is so much to see and do, the food is great, the people are friendly and it does not matter when you come, wet or dry season, you will have a fantastic time.
So enjoy looking through our Travel Pages, I hope our recommendations, tips, reviews and links can be of some help in planning your Phuket Adventure. Our Facebook is updated daily while we are in Thailand so like us for updates.
