Thailand’s largest island, Phuket has a mountainous landscape leading down to lush, green palms, warm, turquoise seas and soft, golden sands. Patong is its most developed resort and is well known for outrageous nightlife. There are lots of clubs, bars and restaurants in the main town and it also has a fantastic beach lined with hotels and resorts.

To the south is Karon, home to the 2nd largest beach and offshore coral reefs that are good for snorkelling. Quieter Kamala also has coral reefs and good surfing conditions, as do the curved beaches at Kata.

The island’s airport is in the north and there are lots of Phuket hotels near the airport in Mai Khao and Nai Yang, where sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. In Bangtao to the south there is a great range of Phuket hotels with private pools on Booking.com, while around the corner in exclusive Surin there are often typical Thai long boats bobbing up and down in the rolling waves.

On the other side of the island Chalong has an impressive Buddhist temple and is a popular spot for kitesurfing. Neighbouring Panwa has shallow water coral and the Phuket Aquarium to explore. The Phi Phi islands are off Phuket’s eastern shores and their idyllic scenery makes wonderful day trips.