Andaman Coast, Thailand
Phuket Thailand
Thailand's largest island — limestone islands offshore, jungle-clad headlands above, and the Andaman Sea turning gold every evening.
Phuket sits in the Andaman Sea off Thailand's southern coast: thirty-odd west-facing beaches, a Sino-Portuguese old town, mountain temples and a scatter of islands that made the place famous long before the resorts arrived.
This is where our first Resort Promo Stays escape opens — Absolute Twin Sands Resort & Spa, above Kalim Bay on the island's west coast.
Heritage
A little history.
Long before it was an island of resorts, Phuket was Junk Ceylon on Portuguese and Dutch sea charts — a stop on the trade route between India and China. The Chao Leh, the sea gypsies, were here first, living on the water and still keeping villages at Rawai and Koh Sireh today.
Tin made the island rich. From the 16th century, and in earnest through the 1800s, Hokkien Chinese miners and merchants arrived in their thousands, and their money built the Sino-Portuguese shophouses of Old Phuket Town — pastel façades, arcaded five-foot walkways and mansions along Thalang and Dibuk Road that are still lived in and traded from.
In 1785 a Burmese fleet laid siege to the island. Lady Chan and her sister Lady Mook rallied its defence — dressing the townswomen as soldiers to hold the walls for a month — and the Heroines' Monument on the road to the airport still marks the victory. The island's Vegetarian Festival, brought by Chinese settlers in 1825, remains one of the most striking street rituals in Asia.
Tin prices collapsed in the 1980s, and rubber and tourism took over. The first hotels rose above Patong Bay, the airport opened the island to the world, and Phuket became the gateway to Phang Nga Bay, Phi Phi and the Andaman's limestone karsts.
The Lay Of The Land
Where everything sits.
Every place below, mapped — with how long it takes to reach from Twin Sands. Hover or tap a point to trace the route, then open the area for its film and story.
Drive times are indicative and measured by road from Twin Sands, Kalim Bay.
- 1KalimThe bay Twin Sands sits above — a 2-minute walk down to the Kalim seafront2 minfrom Twin Sands
- 2Patong BeachA 5-minute drive (or 15-minute walk) from Twin Sands, about 2 km south along the bay5 minfrom Twin Sands
- 3Tri Trang BeachAbout a 10-minute drive from Twin Sands, around the southern headland of Patong Bay10 minfrom Twin Sands
- 4Merlin BeachAbout a 12-minute drive from Twin Sands, on the far side of the southern headland12 minfrom Twin Sands
- 5Paradise BeachAbout a 15-minute drive from Twin Sands, or a short longtail ride from the south end of Patong15 minfrom Twin Sands
- 6Old Phuket TownAbout 30 minutes' drive from Twin Sands (roughly 20 km)30 minfrom Twin Sands
- 7Phang Nga Bay & Phi PhiPhang Nga Bay is around 1 hour 15 minutes by road from Twin Sands; Phi Phi is a 2-hour ferry from Rassada Pier, about 40 minutes away1 hr 15from Twin Sands
- 8Kata, Karon & Cape PromthepKata and Karon are about 30 minutes south of Twin Sands; Cape Promthep around 45 minutes30 minfrom Twin Sands
- 9Bang Tao & LagunaAbout 35 minutes north of Twin Sands (roughly 25 km up the west coast)35 minfrom Twin Sands
- 10Kamala & Millionaire's MileJust 15 minutes north of Twin Sands (roughly 8 km)15 minfrom Twin Sands
- 11Big Buddha & ChalongAbout 40 minutes from Twin Sands (roughly 30 km)40 minfrom Twin Sands
- 12Similan & Surin IslandsA day trip north — about 1 hour 45 minutes by road from Twin Sands to Khao Lak pier, then 90 minutes by speedboat3 hr 15from Twin Sands
In Film
The places you’ll discover.
Two Of You
Made for romantic escapes.
