With its numerous beach resort areas and long established town centre, Phuket is an ideal destination and enjoys a prime location within easy reach of some of Thailand’s most treasured attractions, such as Phi Phi Island, Pha Nga bay and the Krabi coastline. The island is Thailand’s biggest and also wealthiest province (per capita) but is also rich in natural beauty and resources and enjoyed a thriving economy of sea trading, rubber farming and tin mining long before the tourist industry took off in the early 1980s. In fact, a community was established here as far back as the first millennium, when it was part of the powerful Srivichai Kingdom based in Java. Today Phuket is a multi-ethnic island, supporting a large foreign population and boasting a world class property industry that attracts the rich and famous, along with more than three million tourists who arrive annually, mostly at the international airport. They are catered for by a sophisticated tourist infrastructure, reported to be the best in Thailand and including everything from five-star themed hotels and golf resorts, to modest guest houses. With food being so important in Thailand, restaurants are numerous in tourist centres and offer a wide range of international cuisine. The nightlife in Phuket, particularly Patong, is lively and exciting with plenty of bars, live music venues and some discos. But it is diving that attracts many, with some excellent reefs and clear water offshore and many dive shops offering courses or simple snorkelling trips. Golf is also widely catered for with half a dozen excellent courses. In addition, a number of family friendly animal shows, along with the award winning Phuket Fantasea extravaganza are ideal for families. Beyond Phuket island there is also a vast playground boasting some of region’s most beautiful islands and scenery. The Phi Phi island chain is famous for its natural beauty and stunning backdrops, while Pha Nga bay is a jaw-dropping theatre of karst pillars scattered across the water. Railay beach in nearby Krabi is also a favourite landscape picture on brochures, while the Similan Islands off the west coast are a favourite marine reserve with divers. | 
