The sights
James Bond Island & Phang Nga Bay
Khao Phing Kan and the needle of rock beside it, Ko Tapu, appeared in a 1974 Bond film and have drawn boats ever since. The wider bay is the real attraction: mangrove channels, sheer islands and the stilt village of Ko Panyi.
ℹ️ In Ao Phang Nga National Park; fee for foreign visitors. The island is crowded from late morning. Day trips take 8–10 hours.
Sea-cave hongs by canoe
Islands such as Koh Panak and Koh Hong conceal collapsed cave systems open to the sky. Lying flat in a canoe, you slip under a low rock arch and emerge in a silent lagoon walled by jungle.
ℹ️ Access depends on the tide, so timings change daily. A guide normally paddles. Bring a dry bag; a head torch is useful.
Similan Islands
Nine granite islands about 65 km offshore, with white beaches, giant boulders and visibility that often exceeds 25 metres. Day trips snorkel in the shallows; liveaboard dive boats go on to Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock.
ℹ️ National park, open roughly mid-October to mid-May, with daily visitor limits. Most boats leave from Thap Lamu pier near Khao Lak, 1.5 hours north of Phuket.
Big Buddha
A 45-metre seated Buddha faced in white marble on the summit of the Nakkerd Hills, visible from much of the south of the island. The terrace has wide views over Chalong Bay, Kata and Karon.
ℹ️ Free; donations welcome. Cover shoulders and knees. Go early or near sunset to avoid heat and tour groups.
Phuket Old Town
A grid of pastel Sino-Portuguese shophouses built on tin-mining fortunes, now home to cafés, small museums, shrines and some of the best local food in southern Thailand.
ℹ️ Free to wander. Thalang Road becomes a walking-street market on Sunday evenings. Allow half a day.
Kata & the surf beaches
From about May to October the south-west monsoon sends swell onto the west coast. Kata’s southern end has the most consistent beginner waves; Kalim, Kamala and Bang Tao also break.
ℹ️ Boards and lessons are available on the beach in season. Obey the flags: red means no swimming. The sea is flat from November to April.
Promthep Cape
The rocky southern tip of the island and its favourite sunset viewpoint, with a lighthouse and a path leading down the spine of the headland.
ℹ️ Free. Very busy in the hour before sunset; nearby Windmill Viewpoint is a quieter alternative.
