The dream of an idyllic escape into a tropical island world becomes a reality on Phuket, Thailand's southern paradise isle. Shaped like an irregular pearl and measuring approximately 21 kilometres wide by 48 kilometres long, Phuket is Thailand's largest island, a province in its own right. Sparsely populated outside Phuket town, the landscape is one of lush green hills, coconut groves, rubber plantations and a coastline dotted with a dozen spectacular beaches.