It would be easy to think of Phuket Town as merely a travel hub for those heading to the beaches, but unlike it's kindred city to the east, Chumphon, it's actually a great place to stay in its own right.

Since most of the roads and transportation for Phuket province pass through this town in the island's southeast, you're likely to find yourself staying 'in town' more than once, but your time here needn't be wasted. From an architectural standpoint, it's one of the most interesting towns in southern Thailand, featuring some lovely Portuguese-Thai buildings, as well as a handful of great eateries and reasonably-priced hotels and guesthouses.

Given that prices here are much lower than what you'd pay at the beach, many travellers find themselves hunkering down in Phuket Town just to balance their budget, and jumping on a cheap songtheaw when they need to tuck their tootsies in the Andaman.

Although the town is quite sprawling, most of the stuff attractive to travellers is within the area circumscribed by Ratsada, Yaowarat, Thung Kha and Thepkasatri Roads. If you're staying in this area, it's easy enough to walk to most places, which gives you a chance to lazily observe the charming architecture. At the same time, while there are quite a few worthwhile places to visit, they're spread out across the entire area -- it's not a place where you can just wander around hoping to find a good bar or restaurant by chance. Ask around, get yourself a map, and try to know where you're headed in advance.