Andaman Sea & Islands, Phuket Thailand

The Andaman Islands are considered to be one of the best tourist destinations giving visitors a diverse selection of activities from which to choose. Diving, wind surfing, jet skiing; spas and beach combing are just a few of the options available. There is also a plethora of accommodations awaiting the millions of vacationers who come to the Andamans from traditional thatched roofed bungalows, luxurious penthouse style houses and unique villas.

Thailand is remarkable known for its variety and diversity of attractions both scenic and cultural as well as the differences in the countryside. The Andaman coast is known for its striking areas including Phuket, famous for beauty, wealth of attractions and overall splendor. Southern Thailand is a step apart from the other areas of the country in that it has the highest rainfall, which grows deep green vegetation, with geological sheer limestone formations that add a dramatic, stunning touch to the landscape. In the six provinces along the western coast, the Andaman Sea is resplendent with excellent coral reefs that bring divers in droves. Year round the water remains warm and comfortable for swimming, and beautiful in its crystal clarity.

Phuket is Thailand's best known, popular tourist attraction. It is the largest island in Thailand and considered an administrative kingdom unto itself. The island is 21 kilometers at its widest point and 48 kilometers long. It encompasses a plethora of different beach locales from its urban center to its mountainous interior. From modern to secluded beauty, Phuket is and remains a stunning area of the world. There is a causeway that links it to the mainland and it hangs from Thailand's Southern peninsula - an emerald pendant that has land drops to a rugged coastline with the eastern side with gentler slopes. Each beach is different, with a unique ambiance that runs from serene to bold and brash.

Extensive mining once ruined many areas, but that is a thing of the past. Today, it has been transformed. For example, Bang Tao beach was once a worked out tin mine; it now is a stunning beach dotted with five-star deluxe hotels, and golf courses that utilize abandon mining pits.

Perhaps, lost in the sun, sea and sand is the attractions that highlight its multicultural heritage. It was used by Arab traders hundreds of years ago, and was also colonized by the French, British and Chinese. This makes Phuket a melting pot of various cultures offering a blend of Chinese, Thai and Muslim tradition. Through a juxtaposition of ornate Thai Buddhist Temples, garishly colored Chinese temples and domes of Muslim mosques - these all dot the countryside together. In spite of these stark ethnic contrasts, there is an ethnic harmony that encompasses all of these traditions and influences absorbing all with equality. It all contributes to Phuket's being called on the world's best tourist destinations.