Phuket, Thailand

Phuket is actually an island on the southwest side of Thailand it is about the same size as Singapore and is connected to mainland Thailand via a bridge on the far north tip. Dubbed ‘Pearl of the South’ by the tourist industry, Phuket is Thailand’s largest, most populous and most visited island. A whirl of color and cosmopolitanism, Thailand’s only island province revolves around and thrives on tourism, but still retains a spark of the real Thailand. Phuket is more about doing things - or doing nothing at all - than it is about sightseeing. With that said, there are some interesting markets, temples, examples of Sino-Portuguese architecture and nature reserves to check out when you can go no deeper shade of brown. Set within a lush tropical landscape, Thailand is a theater of sensual and cultural contrasts; the long, rich heritage and abundant resources of this proud Buddhist nation jostle for space within the dynamics of a country undergoing economic boom and bust. It is zestful, tranquil, resplendent and subtle - Thailand is always compelling. The coastal terrain of the 503 square miles, 810 square kilometers, and island encompasses broad, sandy bays, rocky peninsulas, limestone cliffs, forested hills and tropical vegetation. Phuket’s inland area supports rice paddies, rubber, cashew nut, cacao, pineapple and coconut plantations as well as the islands last bit of rain forest. Phuket has a culture all of its own, combining Chinese and Portuguese influences with that of the Southern Thais, and Chao Naam, a seafaring, semi-nomadic group that depend on fishing and boatbuilding.