Chalong

Chalong spreads inland from Chalong Bay on the island's southeast, centred on the busy Chalong Circle roundabout where the main roads from Phuket Town, Rawai an…Chalong spreads inland from Chalong Bay on the island's southeast, centred on the busy Chalong Circle roundabout where the main roads from Phuket Town, Rawai and Kata meet. It is more a working district than a resort, and it carries several of the island's most-visited fixtures.

Chalong Pier is the main departure point for island day trips and liveaboards, and the surrounding roads hold the bulk of Phuket's dive operators, boat charter offices and tour agencies. Wat Chalong, the largest and most visited Buddhist temple on the island, is a few minutes north of the circle. The road up Nakkerd hill to the Big Buddha, a forty-five metre marble-clad statue visible from much of the south, leaves from Chao Fa West.

Around the circle and along Chao Fa there is a dense spread of restaurants, bars, hardware shops, vehicle rental offices, clinics and supermarkets serving both residents and visitors. Chalong is not a beach base, but it is a practical one, roughly fifteen minutes from Rawai, Kata and Phuket Town.