London to Phuket, Thailand from £574

🌍 About phuket

Most people fly into Phuket for the beaches and never see the actual town. That's a mistake — Phuket Old Town is rows of Sino-Portuguese shophouses on Thalang Road, built by Hokkien Chinese merchants during the 19th-century tin boom, and the food still follows that lineage. Order moo hong, a dark, star-anise braise of pork belly that's pure Fujian comfort, or Hokkien mee — thick yellow noodles wok-fried in dark soy. Mee Ton Poe has been doing the latter since 1946. Come November to February for calm seas and dry days, but expect peak crowds and prices. May to October is monsoon — cheaper fares and quieter beaches, with rougher water and September the wettest.