Meryl Puccinelli (From: Nice, France)

Meryl Puccinelli

The things I like most in Phuket are, first, Mai Kao beach. It is the quietest place on the island. For food, I love the yum puh (or crab salad) at one of the local restaurants in Chalong - I can’t recall the name but it was very good and reasonably priced. I also like to eat at Mom Tri’s Boathouse Wine & Grill in Kata Beach; it’s a fantastic place to dine.

My favourite pub is an Irish pub in Soi Bangla, Patong, called Scruffy Murphy's. I think they have the right mood and atmosphere. They have good live music too.
I also enjoyed renting a car and just driving around the island - it was a good way to see Phuket. One more thing I really liked was the Thai massage at Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort [near Patong]. Everyone should try it.

John O’Dea (From: Kilfenora, Ireland)

John O’Dea

I visit Phuket because the weather is very warm here. My favourite show is the one at Phuket FantaSea, but I also enjoyed the Simon Cabaret show, which was hilarious.

Sea-canoe at Phang Nga bay was amazing. I also love Thai seafood; it’s very exciting and colourful. The shopping in Phuket is very good - anything I want, I can get here.

The part of Phuket I like the most is Pa Khlok because it is peaceful and quiet, and there’s a lovely beach there.

Darrin, Cynthia and Lachlan Bailey (From: Sydney, Australia)

Cynthia, Darrin and Lachlan Bailey

We found the most attractive part of Thailand and Phuket is the easy going life and the simplicity of Thai people. We love going around on a bike or in a rented car... the beaches are so beautiful. We also really enjoy driving all the way to Paradise Beach, or going to the ‘secret’ viewpoint above Patong Beach (the military run weather station).

This almost-unknown spot offers a 360-degree view of the island and it’s accessible from Chao Fah West Road, not far from Wat Chalong. We sometimes climb the Toh Sae Hill (the hill with the many red-and-white antennae) in Phuket Town around noon to see an old man who feeds lots of friendly monkeys everyday. He teaches them tricks and feeds them fruit or candies if they behave nicely.

We like spending the afternoon at Friendship Beach on the Southeast coast, not far from Evason Resort... not quite a white sandy beach but the view of nearby islands is very relaxing. (Friendship beach is not actually a beach, it is a small bungalow resort with a swimming pool where drinks and snacks are served all day). And for an unusual lunch, we tried the floating restaurant (or gra chang in Thai) at the area called Laem Hin on the East Coast of Phuket. It’s not easy to find the small road to the pier... follow the black signboard 'The Village' on the side of Thepkrasattri Rd. The entrance to this small road is not far from a big temple. A free longtail boat will take you to the floating restaurants which are a bit pricey but you can have an unusual fresh seafood lunch there. You can also pick the fish or crabs you want to eat from nets attached between each floating platform.

Besides Phuket we enjoy going snorkeling at Phi Phi Island and climbing the 1,440 steps of the Tiger Cave in Krabi, driving a rented car through Phang Nga Province and going to Khao Sok where there is unforgettable limestone scenery.

Lorena & Catalina Von Hildebrand (From: New Delhi, India)

Catalina and Lorena Von Hildebrand

The No 1 thing we like about Phuket is the restaurants. There are so many choices and such diversity. The food, especially the seafood, is always fresh and delicious in Phuket. We also like going to Paradise Beach, south of Patong. The road to get there isn’t very good, so only a few tourists find it. It is beautiful and very quiet. The surroundings are fantastic - still very much wild tropical forest.

The other thing we like about Phuket is Nai Harn beach. This beautiful bay has an amazing panorama. It is different from other beaches because of its waves - they are just perfect, not too strong and not too weak. They are great for surfing and body-surfing.

Hiroyuki Nobuto (From: Osaka, Japan)

Hiroyuki Nobuto

The thing I like best is the people’s smiles because they give me a feeling of being at ease and help me to forget my busy life in Japan for a while. The second thing is the white powdery beaches and the sea - the clear water and the beauty of the undersea world of the Andaman. It makes me want to be a part of nature. It refreshes my mind.

The mixed culture of Phuket, with its foreign influences and yet its own strong identity, gives me creative ideas for my own life back home.