Things to do in Phuket

Everyone who comes to Phuket with kids ends up weighing the Phi Phi day trip, and I'll be honest: it's busy, it's a long day on the water, and Maya Bay gets crowded. But it's also the postcard — turquoise water, soaring limestone cliffs, the snorkelling stop at Bamboo Island that my youngest still rates as the best swim of his life — and with a bit of planning it's a genuinely great family day. This tour bundles Maya Bay, Phi Phi and Bamboo Island with a buffet lunch sorted, which takes the "what will the kids actually eat" stress off your plate. With more than twenty thousand reviews it's the well-worn, dependable option, and at around 1,599,600 VND (roughly USD 63) per person it's mid-range for what's a full, fed, guided day.

A few things I'd insist on as a parent. Confirm there are child-sized life jackets before you board — message the operator if it's not spelled out — and dose any travel-sickness-prone kids before the speedboat, because it can be bouncy on a choppy day. Sit toward the middle and back for a smoother ride, pack reef-safe sunscreen, rash vests and a dry bag, and bring motion-sickness bands for the nervous ones. Go for an early departure to beat the worst of the midday armada at Maya.

If you've got under-sevens who'll wilt on a long speedboat day, I'd actually steer you to a calmer Phang Nga Bay kayaking trip instead — but for families with school-age kids and up who want the iconic Andaman day, this is the one. It's the outing they'll picture when they think back on Thailand.