According to Ehuacom.com, Phuket is the largest Thai island. It is located in the Andaman Sea off the southwestern coast of the mainland. The shape of Phuket resembles an irregularly shaped pearl. The area of the island is 540 sq. km, it stretches for 21 km in width and 48 km in length. Phuket
Island is one of the main tourist centers of the country. It attracts the best beaches in all of Asia, amazing scenery and a large selection of hotels. At first, mainly Europeans came to the island, but in recent years, Phuket has become very popular among Asian tourists. The island has a long history. It was visited by Indians as early as 1025 BC. Phuket
has always been a popular stop for sailors, as evidenced by old manuscripts, the oldest of which dates back to the 3rd century BC. In the records relating to the history of Thailand, there is also a mention that the island was part of the Shivit kingdom, located on the Malay archipelago. During the reign of Ayutthaya, the Dutch settled in Phuket, occupying its southern and western parts. In the 19th century Chinese began to arrive here, wishing to work in tin mines, which radically changed the ethnic composition of the interior of the island. Before 1972 Phuket was an obscure and isolated province. The situation changed along with the massive construction of roads, a dam connecting the island to the mainland and the opening of air traffic. The airline “Thai Airways International” carries out flights here more than 10 times a day. Phuket is also an international airport with direct air links to Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Today, this resort receives about 1 million tourists annually. The main resort areas stretch along the western coast of Phuket. Patong is the most developed beach area in terms of its infrastructure and is suitable for those who love a kaleidoscope of entertainment and vibrant nightlife. The main street of Patong is Bang La Road, which becomes closed to traffic from 6 pm and turns into a noisy avenue where crowds of tourists stroll. The main bars and discos are concentrated here. In the evening, many Thai girls and transvestites line up along Bang La Road offering sex services, and the latter are quite intrusive and do not let single men through. Patong is a string of seafood restaurants, massage parlors, bazaars and shops. Sellers of street bazaars are willing to bargain, but if you are not a fan of “bringing down” prices, then you can go to one of the supermarkets, where goods are offered at official prices. Massage parlors can be seen everywhere. Each the hotel has its own massage parlor, in addition, they offer massages directly on the beaches, on special sunbeds under the tents. For those who love a relaxing beach holiday, Karon and Kata beaches are suitable. They are considered the cleanest and most comfortable beaches of the island. Phuket capes are very popular, which separate the main resort areas from each other. Rocky capes are covered with lush vegetation, and in the waters of this part of the lagoons you can see numerous fish. Here, tourists are invited to rent masks and go snorkelling. Almost all the beaches of the island are municipal, each has rows of sunbeds with umbrellas, which can be used for a fee. From other Phuket beaches Surin , Kamala and Nai Harn can be distinguished.
If you get tired of lying on the beach, you can visit the capital of the island – the city of Phuket Town. The oriental bazaar is noisy here and the quaint Chinese-Portuguese architecture pleases the eye. 2 km away is the Wat Chalong temple, built in honor of three monks who deserved special favor from the Thai emperors. The monks had a special gift to heal people from all sorts of ailments. To this day, thousands of pilgrims flock here to bow to the statues of the monks and ask them for recovery. Just to the east of the temple are the Phuket Zoo and the Aquarium.. To the east of Phuket Town, not far from the coast in the sea, is the island of Sea Ray. Here is an interesting village of sea gypsies “gypsies”, who are engaged in fishing and pearling. This is the oldest and smallest people of Phuket, which still does not recognize the achievements of civilization and lives apart. There are several plantations of sea pearls on the east coast of Phuket, where you can get acquainted with the technology of growing pearls where the “Thai village” is located – a place where folklore performances are held twice a day, giving an idea of the national culture of southern Thailand. South of Phuket There are several observation platforms from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the sea.
Of the natural attractions of the island, it is worth noting the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park in its northeastern part. This is one of the few places in Phuket, where untouched massifs of the jungle are still preserved. The park was created in 1977 to protect the rainforests that grow on the slopes of Pra Taeo mountain, where the rare species of the White Elephant palm is found and is home to gibbons, langurs, barking deer, wild boars and a wide variety of birds. The area of the park is 22.3 sq. km. In the southwestern part of the park, at an altitude of 380 m, there is the Ton Sai waterfall, and in the northeastern part, at an altitude of 390 m, there is the Ban Pae waterfall. The waterfalls are most beautiful during the rainy season, when the flow of water in them increases. Phang Nga Bay is unique in its beauty.. Small islands of rocky origin literally strewn the entire sea within sight. On these islands live the so-called. “sea gypsies” This small nation still does not recognize the achievements of civilization and lives exactly the same as many years ago. The sea gypsies make their living by fishing and growing rice.
The central parts of many islands collapsed, and small lakes formed in these places. They are usually only reachable through caves that open out to the sea. They organize excursions on sea canoes. The most popular of them is the so-called “James Bond” island, known throughout the world for the fact that one of the episodes of the film about super agent 007 “The Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed here. Phi Phi Islands. Basically, they go to the islands nearby Phuket for snorkeling and diving. The best diving conditions are found in the Similan Islands, which can be reached from Phuket in a day by speedboat.
