From contributor Ultimate Pie Guy:

Phuket is Thailand’s biggest island. With so much to do and see, here are some suggestions to make your stay more enjoyable. 

FOR TRANSPORT

Hire a taxi or Grab (the Uber of Phuket).

FOR SHOPPING

For upscale shopping, there’s the Porto de Phuket outdoor mall off Boat Avenue. The complex contains a full range of restaurants (ranging from Thai to Western to Japanese to Spanish). Plus there’s an amazing supermarket called Tops Food Hall. And there’s good shopping, too, including a JIM THOMPSON, if that’s your style.

Close to Boat Avenue is Villa Market Grocery Store. It’s great for Westerners and good for everyday shopping (like paper towels and Smucker’s Jam), but get there early for your New Year’s shopping, as groups buy everything out. 

RESTAURANTS

Some of the best restaurants are on Boat Avenue. My favorite one, however Little Lillo, is in Kamala Beach.

HOTELS

There are many resorts and villas in Phuket. But a couple of stays on the island I’d recommend are the InterContinental Phuket Resort and the Andara Resort & Villas.

BEACHES

The best beaches are to the south by the resorts. But if you stay at the resorts, you’re eating at the hotel. And that’s a shame because you should see other parts of Phuket. For that reason, I recommend Bang Tao Beach on the western part of the island.

RECREATION

If you’re a tennis player, visit SiamSportsPro Tennis Academy. They have great tennis courts.

WHAT TO AVOID

The town of Patong. It’s too touristy.

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CONTACTS

Porto de Phuket

https://www.portodephuket.com/startsite.html

JIM THOMPSON

https://www.jimthompson.com/en

Villa Market Grocery Store

https://shop.villamarket.com

Little Lillo

https://littlelillo.com

InterContinental Phuket Resort

https://phuket.intercontinental.com

Andara Resort & Villas

https://www.andaraphuket.com

SiamSportsPro Tennis Academy

https://siamsports.pro

LEAD-IN IMAGE

Rawai Beach, Phuket, Thailand - Photo by Yannick Apollon on Unsplash