Religion, festivals, the island's history, and how to be a respectful guest.
Temple etiquette and the role of Buddhism in daily island life.
Read guide →Practical do's and don'ts for visitors, from dress codes to the wai.
Read guide →The Vegetarian Festival, Songkran and other dates worth knowing about.
Read guide →From tin-mining boomtown to Thailand's biggest island destination.
Read guide →The building style behind Old Phuket Town's most photographed streets.
Read guide →The indigenous seafaring communities that predate the island's tourism industry.
Read guide →What the water festival actually involves, day by day, and how to plan around it.
Read guide →The meaning behind the bamboo-tattooed designs you'll see across the island.
Read guide →Where the practice comes from, and how it differs from a standard spa massage.
Read guide →The traditional dance forms behind many of the island's cultural shows.
Read guide →What the daily monk almsgiving round is, and how to observe it politely.
Read guide →Batik, woodcarving and the craft traditions behind souvenir shopping.
Read guide →The small shrines you'll see outside almost every building, explained.
Read guide →The pre-fight ceremony you'll see before every Muay Thai bout.
Read guide →The murals that have turned the old quarter into an open-air gallery.
Read guide →Where the island's mining history is still visible today.
Read guide →The temporary monkhood tradition you may see being celebrated locally.
Read guide →A genuine part of everyday belief, distinct from tourist novelty fortune-telling stalls.
Read guide →The Chinese-Malay-Thai identity behind the island's food, architecture and traditions.
Read guide →This department has 20 guides live so far, with more added weekly as we expand across the whole island.