Phuket by car: a three-day route

Day 1 — the south: viewpoints and temples

• Airport → Chalong, about 45 minutes on route 402. Stop at Wat Chalong, the largest temple on the island; there is a free car park and shoulders must be covered.
• Big Buddha, 20 minutes up from Chalong. The road is steep and narrow near the top; use a low gear and take the bends slowly.
• Karon viewpoint, 25 minutes west, looking over the three bays of Kata Noi, Kata and Karon.
• Promthep Cape for the sunset, 15 minutes further south. In the high season the car park is full by 17:30, so come early and have a drink at the top.
• Dinner at Rawai seafood market: you buy the fish at the stalls and a restaurant behind them cooks it.

Day 2 — the west coast beaches

• Nai Harn and Ya Nui in the morning, before the sun is high.
• Kata and Karon, 20 minutes north along the coast road. Both have free parking near the sand.
• Patong for lunch, another 20 minutes. Park in a paid car park rather than circling the beach road.
• Kamala and Surin, 20 and 30 minutes north — quieter, with the viewpoint over Laem Singh on the way.
• Bang Tao and Layan to finish, with a stop at Boat Avenue in Cherngtalay, where parking is free and there is a market on Friday evenings.

Day 3 — the north and the old town

• Phuket Old Town in the morning: Thalang Road, the Sino-Portuguese shophouses and coffee. Park in a public car park and walk.
• Khao Rang viewpoint, ten minutes above the town, for the view over the whole bay.
• Bang Pae and Ton Sai waterfalls in Thalang, about 40 minutes north, best right after rain.
• Bang Rong pier, 15 minutes further: longtail boats to Koh Yao Noi leave from here, and the seafood restaurants on the water are the reason many locals drive up.
• Mai Khao or Nai Yang beach for the last evening, 20 minutes from the pier and 10 minutes from the airport for the flight home.

Driving notes for this route

• Route 402 runs the length of the island and is the fastest way north or south; the coast roads are prettier and much slower.
• Petrol stations are on route 402 and around Chalong; fill up before the hill roads rather than after.
• Rain turns the hill roads slippery in minutes. If a downpour starts, slow down and let the motorbikes pass.
• Google Maps works well in Phuket, but it will happily send you down a dirt track to save two minutes — if a road looks wrong, it is.

If you have more days

With a fourth day, drive to Khao Lak — an hour and a half north over the Sarasin Bridge, with a long quiet beach and the Khao Sok national park another hour beyond it. Tell us if you plan to take the car on a ferry to Koh Yao or Koh Lanta, so we can confirm the insurance covers the crossing.