Thailand’s largest island, Phuket, is the second most developed (after Pattaya) of the country’s tourist destinations.
The island, off the south west coastline, sits in the Andaman Sea and is separated from the mainland by a narrow bridged strait. The west and south coastlines are liberally sprinkled with beaches, many of them long, curving arcs of golden sand with mounds of boulders separating them from the neighbouring beaches.
With an international airport and good transport links to the rest of the country, it makes a good base for exploring further afield or as the jumping-off point for other popular destinations such as Khao Lak, and the islands of Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta. There’s a collection of worthy golf courses in the immediate area and plenty to do and see for all the family, both on and off the island.
Phuket is Thailand’s favourite destination for foreign golfers, particularly expatriates. The island’s housing boom has gone hand-in-hand with the development of new, and the redevelopment of existing, courses. All Phuket’s golf courses now proudly announce their associated housing developments, aimed at those whose dream home sits on the edge of the fairway.
Off the opposing coastline, in the Gulf of Thailand, the fabulous beaches of Koh Samui have been attracting visitors for decades. The island – the third largest in Thailand – is now firmly on the international tourist map.
Koh Samui’s central region, comprising almost two thirds of the island, consists of thickly wooded mountainous terrain. Coconut palms interspersed by gushing streams and waterfalls provide the backdrop for the island’s two proper golf courses.
Finding somewhere to stay today on either of these islands couldn’t be easier. You don’t have to look far to find luxury hotels, boutique resorts, villas and natural spas; unexpectedly most are reasonably priced.
There’s also all manner of retail chains and fast food outlets nestled under a blaze of neon signage.Thankfully, the commercial areas only appear in concentrated areas and are not a dominating feature of these two popular holiday destinations, both not so many years ago the province of backpackers and cruising yachties, who – as always – were obliged to look further afield for their untouched island paradises, as infrastructure, tourism and residential development gathered pace.
