Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand, and there are several excellent beaches. The waters are usually clear and very good for diving. There are a lot of tourists all year round, but slightly less during low season (rainy season), from May till September.

As long as you avoid the usually crowded Patong and Karon beaches on the west coast, you can easily find remote beaches for walking, jogging, or just relaxing. There are not many sights to speak of on the island, but perhaps that makes it all so relaxed.

Two of the main attractions near Phuket are the Phi Phi Islands and the Phang Nga Bay, with the so-called James Bond Island. The name comes from The Bond film "Man with The Golden Gun" which was partly filmed on this small island. There is a good choice of organized day trips by speedboat from Phuket to both the Phi Phi Islands and Phang Nga Bay.
Closer to Phuket are interesting islands as well, the islands south-of Phuket, Coral island, Koh Lone and Koh Racha are perfect to visit on a daytrip on a sailing boat.

Ocean activities are the biggest draw for tourists in Phuket. Courses and equipment are available at most major beaches for scuba diving, Snuba diving as well as snorkeling in the lagoons with coral reefs. You can find plenty of good dive sites all around Phuket (shark point, anemone reef, etc.) but there are some world class dive sites you don’t want to miss for any reason. You can join a 5 days live aboard to the Similan Islands , a natural reserve where you can spot wales sharks and manta rays. There is also the number one spot in the Andaman sea, Hin Daeng , situated just few hours of speed boat from Phuket. It is important to notice than coral reefs were left mostly untouched by the 2004 tsunami.

You can rent wind surfboards, dinghies, canoes and yachts from many locations for those interested in boating. For a more colorful adventure you can explore the limestone caverns of Phang Nga Bay on guided tours in inflatable canoes.

While scuba diving is probably one of the most popular activities in Phuket, the island also offers many opportunities for more land-oriented outdoor activities such as mountain biking through the western range of the island. Guided horseback tours are also a relaxing way to go sightseeing. Phuket also has a few beautiful golf courses that were built on the remains of the tin mines that first brought industry to the island.

Those interested in an exciting local spectator sport might enjoy checking out the Thai boxing , or "Muay Thai", at Saphan Hin stadium in Phuket Town.  Boxers strike blows at and with every part of their bodies, making this a very thrilling spectator event.