Phuket: the pearl of the Andaman

Thailand's most cosmopolitan resort

Rawai Beach, located near the southern tip of Phuket and about 500 meters from Ya Nui Beach Villas, is perfect if you're looking for a quiet, relaxing vacation with lots of delicious seafood. The beach is also a launching point for boat excursions to Phuket's surrounding islands, including Bon Island, Ko Kaew, Ko Lon, Ko Aeo, Ko Hae (usually known as Coral Island) and Racha Island. A full-day's sightseeing and snorkelling should cost around 3,000B, though with some hard bargaining it's often possible to get the price down to less than 2000 Baht. Also well worth a visit are the Phuket Shell Museum, a landmark of the Rawai area for almost twenty years, and of course Promthep Cape View Point, famous for its striking sunsets. Towards the southern end of Rawai Beach is the "Gypsy Village", home to a formerly nomadic minority believed to be of Melanesian descent. For swimming, Ya Nui Beach and Nai Harn offer amazing white sand and an escape from the relative commercialization of Rawai.

Phuket Town is about 17km from Ya Nui and must-seee attraction in the south of Thailand. The town is packed full of character and abounds with temples, busy markets, great restaurants and beautiful Sino-Portuguese architecture, a legacy of the island's former tin wealth. Some of the best examples of this style of architecture can be found in Soi Thalang and Soi Romanee, where long rows of shophouses are painted in alternating bright or pastels shades and feature arched windows with shutters.

Soi Thalang (sometimes known as Phuket Walking Street) is also the venue for Phuket's sunday market, the most popular attraction in Phuket Town and a great opportunity for tourists to soak up the local atmosphere and experience a range of traditional and exotic cuisines. The market begins every Sunday at 4pm and winds down at about 10pm.