Phuket is so large, it's quite easy to forget that it's an island, but easy to see the beautiful beaches all around. Unfortunately the beautiful beaches are such a large draw that the island is extremely commercialized to the point that it's hard to get anywhere without someone trying to milk you of your money. Worse yet is the taxi mafia, charging rates that rival New York City (about US$15 just for a 5 minute trip to the supermarket) and coercing the government to push out any competition, including public transportation.
5-star hotel
5-star resort