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Phuket
is a popular tourist region of Thailand, receiving 10 million
visitors per year. Since we were in Phuket, some
additional tourist attractions have been added such as an
aquarium, a water park and a giant Buddha statue. We still
prefer the natural, historic and cultural features which we
highlight here.
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Phuket is a
province of southern Thailand in the Andaman Sea consisting of
Thailand's largest island and 32 smaller islands.
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The main tourist attraction in Phuket is its numerous fine
beaches such as Hat Karon, Bang Tao, Kata Noi and Freedom Beach.
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Phuket Town
is the hub of the island featuring an exciting mix of modern
businesses and shopping centers, historical mansions and
Buddhist shrines. |
In Phuket's
Old Town the buildings such as this Chinese Club reflect the
Chinese and Burmese influence and the Portuguese colonial past.
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Largely
mountainous, most of Phuket is covered with rubber and palm oil
plantations, hillside villages and industrial suburbs.
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Beautiful shrines and temples are open to the public, such as
Wat Chalong, Jui Tui Shrine and Ta Rua Shrine.
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Patong Beach
is the main tourist area in Phuket, attracting European tourists
since the 1980s. Numerous hotels line the 2-kilometer white-sand
beach.
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Patong Beach
is a center for nightlife and cheap shopping. It was one of the
areas worst hit by the tsunami of 2004, but has been mostly
rebuilt.
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An experience many enjoy is a relaxing Thai massage in a beach
gazebo.
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Elephant rides are offered in a few places, but wildlife
advocates suggest visiting an elephant reserve instead. |
Beautiful dancers performed ban sop ruak, traditional
interpretive Thai dances, which retell ancient stories through
graceful hand movements.
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The
architecture and decor of our resort, the Marriot Beach Resort,
reflected the Sino-Portuguese history of this region.
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Thai cuisine is known
for its fresh ingredients and tantalizing spices. |
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Kwa Sim Bee Na-Ranong is honoured as the first commissioner for
the province of Phuket who modernized the tin industry, started
rubber plantations and developed the island's infrastructure.
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In front of
almost every home and business there was a shrine, sometimes
simple, sometimes ornate, with offerings of fruits and flowers.
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