Thailand - Phuket

Approximately 890km from Bangkok Phuket lies off the west coast of Southern Thailand in the Andaman Sea.

Phuket is actually quite hilly. There are few peaks above 500m and are many covered in lush jungle. The highest being Mai Tao Sipsong at 529m.

The most beautiful beaches are found on the West coast, separated by rocky coves and headlands. The east coast comprises limestone shoals with only a few sandy beaches while spectacular limestone islands adorn the horizon. Coral gardens full of exotic marine life dot the emerald waters surrounding the island, although sadly much of Phuket's coral has been disappearing due to environmental pressures and human activities.

It's all here. Without further ado, our guide to Phuket spa resorts, luxury hotels and small villa hideaways to suit all budgets and tastes, with a beach sampler to find the whitest sand.

Service charge and government tax on rooms amount to an additional 17 percent.

Phuket's low season (during the monsoons) is May till end October as reflected in some of the published rates below. There are also peak season rates which rise steeply. Group discounts are possible. Book through your travel agent or contact the hotel directly for a web offer.

Exchange rate is roughly US$1=Bt40 though hotels will change US dollars for anywhere between Bt39 and Bt41. Use moneychangers or banks in tourist areas for the best rates. Rates listed here are largely rack or published full rates. These tend to fluctuate with the season so do check.

The tsunami came and went, taking with it vast chunks of shoreline, concrete, and timber. The waters claimed lives yet, capriciously, restored ravaged beaches with pristine sand raked from the depths of the sea. Patong, the tawdry neon-emblazoned nightlife strip and budget paradise, was pummelled to near extinction.

Today there is barely a trace of tragedy and its alleyways are alive again with feral promise, chatty t-shirt vendors, burnished bodies, and that ultimate barometer of commercial health, fake DVDs. Take your pick of cut-price knock-offs, from Harry Potter to the intriguing Shaving Private Ryan.

Marina Phuket Resort enjoys a superb location on the headland overlooking Karon Bay, one of the very best of Phuket's renowned west-coast beaches. The reception area lies on the main Kata-Karon beach road, just a short walk from the center of Kata Town. But the bungalows and restaurants are set well back from the road, providing a peaceful retreat from all the rest of it.

Over the past 20 years, Marina Phuket Resort has painstakingly integrated tropical nature and traditional Thai culture to create the ideal village resort. It combines some of the finest sea views onthe island with a truly extraordinary jungle garden. Formerly a coconut plantation, the grounds occupy 64,000 square meters and the coconut palms are now part of a lovingly tended tropical jungle extending right down to the sea.

Much of Marina Phuket Resort is hidden away in lush greenery, with a web of wooden walkways providing easy access to both sea and jungle bungalows. The seaside units present sweeping vistas of Karon Beach and the Andaman Sea, including magnificent sunsets; the jungle units offer lush views of forest and glimpses of the pool area - one of the most appealing on Phuket. Guests also enjoy direct access to the beach, where they can swim and snorkle right in front of their bungalow.

Laguna Phuket Resort Asia's finest destination resort, is a holiday paradise of five hotels: Banyan Tree Phuket, Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket, Dusit Laguna Resort, Laguna Beach Resort and Allamanda Laguna Phuket.

The hotels are linked by sparkling lagoons and tree-lined avenues, so you can easily enjoy everything that Laguna offers:
Banyan Tree Spa / Angsana Spas, Banyan Tree Gallery / Angsana Galleries, Canal Village Laguna Shopping, Laguna Phuket Golf Club, Quest Adventure / Camp Laguna, 30 restaurants & bars and a Wedding Chapel

This green oasis with its lazy lagoons, sheltered drives, blossoming plants, broad recreation facilities and child-friendly attitude is a favourite with families, and golfers.

Occupying a large spread at one end of this development but not directly on the beach, is the Banyan Tree Phuket. This is a spread-out villa-style estate redolent of Thailand with rich motifs and design flourishes, encompassing the resort, a highly regarded spa and golf.

Ensuring you are not overly exercised negotiating the distances take a ride in an electric buggie. Each of sumptuous villa is a perfect all-in private hideaway for honeymooners, couples, or holidaymakers needing that little extra.

You can choose from three villa categories - Jacuzzi Villa, Pool Villa and Spa Pool Villa. The Banyan Tree Spa is jewel in the crown here offering a smorgasbord of selection from full-day workouts to customised scrubs, massage, aromatherapy, hydrotherapy and treatments like the three-hour Thai Ginger Healer incorporating yogic massage and steaming hot herbal pouches applied to tired limbs. However expect to be shelling out about US$200 plus for assorted pampering.

The Laguna Phuket Golf Club is an 18-hole enchantment of lagoons and verdant greens. Not quite ready to walk all that distance? Then try the driving range, putting green and practise bunker. There is also professional instruction available should you require it.

The all-suite Allamanda Laguna Phuket is found along the rim of a lagoon and again some distance from the beach. It is not hard to see why it is popular with families. The suites (up to two bedrooms) bright and cheerful are spacious with separate living and dining areas as well as a kitchenette. Even a Kid's Suite featuring a separate bedroom with bunk beds, toys, games and video in some rooms.

There are three swimming pools to dive into and a library stocked with magazines, books and PlayStations. Allamanda Laguna Phuket is not just for toddlers and doting parents.

The Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket has 355 rooms and Grande Villas rimming the lagoons. Villa guests can opt for a boat to shuttle to the lobby. Added recently are the spoiling Golf Pool Villas & Residences. Luxury villa complexes are owned by private individuals and managed and let out by Sheraton. These villas are closer to the golf course and feature private pools and 24-hour butler service.

The Dusit Laguna Resort with a freeform pool, beachfront gardens and a low-rise Thai-style design. There is a spa here as well. Since the tsunami the resort has undergone considerable redevelopment. The affected rooms have been restored and upgraded, the ballroom is ready and there are two new restaurants (Italian and Asian). Most rooms offer plug-in Broadband and the wireless coverage extends up to the beach.

Block by block over the next couple of years, the hotel is discretely reworking everything. Rooms and bathrooms are gradually bring upgraded (which will feature glassed-in shower cubicles and other features). This is family-friendly and laid back hotel. The Busy Bee Kids Club caters for tots to teens with activities and crafts. Also the Kids will enjoy the special menus and assorted freebies.

Single? Bored? Then get married! Laguna Phuket will roll out the red carpet for a resort wedding with Buddhist monks, blessings, candles, dance, music and romantic locations by the acre. If you are headed for nuptials, explore arrangements at the dreamy, lagoon-setting wedding chapel. The chapel seats up to 50 and Thai as well as Western ceremonies are available. Phuket is a popular choice for Asian resort weddings.

The Laguna Phuket Plus Card priced at Bt1,500 is available to guests in the Laguna Phuket development. The card includes Phuket shopping discounts and dining bargains, offering steep discounts on restaurants, green fees at the golf club and substantial price reductions at the Canal Village shopping area (open from 10am to 8pm).