Joanna James
The island of Phuket is blessed with gorgeous locations including numerous islands off its coast, each with its own unique landscape. Here's a look at some that are worth seeing.
Located within the Marine National Park - the Similans are actually made up of nine islands, which have remained largely undeveloped, and as such offer an unspoiled landscape that has not changed with the times. Beautiful white sandy beaches, lush foliage and crystal clear waters are what draws visitors across the water here on day trips from the main island.
Located just off Phuket's southern coast, Koh Bon is an ideal getaway destination for a quick break from the main island. A largely rocky island with a peaceful stretch of beach situated on its eastern side, Koh Bon is famous has the only place in Thailand with an underwater vertical wall, making it a brilliant place for snorkelling and diving. The main dive site has a ledge that drops 45m down.
Ko Tapu, or better known as the James Bond Island, is a tall island located in the Ao Phang Nga National Park. The island came to fame after it was featured in a James Bond movie and has attracted crowds ever since. Ko Tapu stands tall (roughly 20m above sea level) amid the green waters and other islands in the area, and while you can't spend much time here due to its small size, it's still worth seeing.
The Racha Islands, also referred to as the Raya Islands, consist of two islands celebrated for their abundance of marine life and diving sites. Only one island, Racha Yai, has some accommodation among its local population for visitors, but by 4 pm, most of the day trippers leave the island, and all goes back to normal. Due to the island's popularity, visitors staying at nearby hotels and resorts, such as Kata Rocks, for example, one of the Phuket luxury villas in Thailand, often travel by boat to see the island.
Just a 45-minute ferry ride from Phuket, are two islands located at the mouth of Phang Nga Bay. The beauty of these islands is because they have so far been left untouched and therefore still retain their natural beauty. Aside from a small fishing community, there's no big development on the islands to disturb the peace.
The Phi Phi Islands are a popular destination for both locals and tourists alike. Made up of six islands, the biggest and only inhabited one is Koh Phi Phi Don, which features three main areas of interest - a lively village, a tropical beach; and the southern coast, which consists of the jungle and a small strip of beach.
The Koh Khai Islands consist of two small uninhabited islands located on the eastern coast of Phuket. Koh Khai Nok, the largest of the two, is open to visitors and has a few facilities to serve visitors. The highlight of the island is the abundance of marine life near the shore.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a pas...
