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Justly famous as one
of the world's premier tropical beach resorts,
Phuket blends extraordinary natural beauty with
superb tourism facilities to ensure the perfect
vacation in the sun whereby the beaches are wide
and luxurious with clean sand and clear water.
Against a backdrop
of green hills, the west coast of what is
Thailand's largest island is blessed with a
whole string of magnificent beaches and coves
bathed by the clear blue waters of the Andaman
Sea. Nature's bounty is then matched by luxury
hotels and resorts of the highest international
standard, while for your leisure, pleasure and
sheer indulgence there are water sports,
swimming, yachting, scuba diving, golf, spa treatments,
exquisite dining and more. Tourists tend to
prefer to stay in Phuket town itself as it is a
stylish city of Sino-Portuguese architecture and
it is cheaper compared to accommodation at the
beach.
Popular beaches
along the western coast include Patong beach, Karon
beach
and Kata beach while Hat Nai Han beach at the southern tip
of the island is extremely beautiful. Boat
charters are possible at Hat Rawai beach while Laem
Sing beach, located north of Patong, is also known for
its beauty. Situated on the northwest coast is
Hai Mai Khoa beach, part of the Sirinat National
Marine Park, known as the place where sea
turtles lay their eggs. Diving is the number one
activity here and it is not a surprised fact
because Phuket is one of the world's top ten
dive destinations.
Yet Phuket is not
just an island in the sun but as a province in its
own right, it has a wealth of scenic and cultural
attractions. Buddhist temples, Chinese pagodas
and Muslim mosques, as well as the fabulous
annual Vegetarian Festival, attest to a
multi-cultural history and also the magnificent mansions
built in the Sino-Portuguese style tell the
story of riches made from tin mining in the 19th
and early 20th centuries, and rubber and coconut
plantations contrast with areas of surviving
virgin forests in a refreshingly green
landscape.
In all, Phuket is an
island of unparalleled beauty and unique
cultural traditions, a place to explore as well
as to relax totally and relish the vacation of a
lifetime. The best time to come here is from
November to April whereby you should miss the
monsoon season and the strong seasonal
undercurrents.
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