If you're planning a trip to the South East Asian countries of Thailand or Indonesia, you're probably wondering which island would be better suited for you to visit: Phuket in Thailand or Bali in Indonesia? Our writers Amy and Jo have been to both islands and are sharing their personal experiences with you in this article.
The answer to your question depends mainly on what kind of vacation you want, how much time you have and what time of the year you are going. Both destinations are very beautiful, and worthy of a visit. You really cannot go wrong visiting either way. Having said that, they each offer quite different experiences for travelers who want to explore their culture and learn about the area's rich history and the seasonal weather puts some constraints on when to go. Ideally, you want to avoid wet season.
What Phuket has to offer
Phuket is a province in Thailand located on the southeast coast. The island of Phuket was originally inhabited by tribal people, and its name means “the place where coconut trees grow” in Thai. Today, it's one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations due to its stunning beaches and beautiful scenery.
Phuket has many things going for it as a honeymoon destination: it's relatively inexpensive compared to other islands; there are plenty of nearby attractions like waterfalls and caves; there are plenty of activities available (from scuba diving lessons to snorkeling tours); and there are plenty of restaurants serving delicious food from around the world!
What Bali has to offer
Bali is a great place to visit for a holiday. Bali has many things to offer tourists, including: A wide range of accommodations, from budget hotels to luxury resorts.
An impressive array of attractions and activities that are sure to please everyone in your group. From cultural sites such as temples, museums and art galleries; beaches filled with water sports like surfing or snorkeling; tours through rice terraces; spiritual retreats at ashrams (monasteries); shopping malls selling souvenirs made by local artisans; nature walks along mangrove forests—you'll find something new every day!
Bali and Phuket compared:
There is a lot to see and do in both regions. They are very different from each other, so the choice depends on your priorities and mood for the trip.
Phuket has more beaches, but Bali has more culture. Phuket is more expensive than Bali, but it's also cheaper than Phuket (if you're looking for an affordable place to stay).
The weather and seasons are different
Forget spring, summer, fall and winter for either place. There are pretty much only two notable seasons in Bali and Phuket alike during the course of the year: The wet season and the dry season. Both of these occur during different times of the year in either place.
In Bali, the wet season usually occurs from November to March and the dry season from April to October. Since Bali is a tropical location, the temperatures ranges from quite warm to pretty hot year round. That is true for both wet and dry season.
Phuket has similar weather to Bali. It is also a tropical place and thus hot all year round. The rainy season, which is caused by a southwest monsoon is happening around May to October each year. The dry season from December to March.
Rainfalls during the tropical rainy season can be something else: It rains. A lot. And because of that, many activities are much harder to do. Hiking in tropical downpours is not advisable, mildly put (We're speaking from experience). Pesky Mosquito flourish during the wet season too and water activities such as surfing and diving can also be negatively affected. And monsoon is tropical rain on steroids.
That is why we suggest first time travelers to visit Phuket during the dry season between December and March. It is your best bet to come during these months and have the best weather for all activities. Likewise, a visit to Bali should happen during the dry months of April to October. Let us also compare the overall humidity and rainfall between the two places: Bali is overall more humid and oftentimes more cloudy. Overcast skies are not uncommon here. As a result of that and the local mountainous geography, there is overall more rain in Bali than in Phuket, together with more thunderstorms and more lightning.
Fewer mosquitoes in Phuket
Mosquitoes are less of a problem in Phuket than they are in Bali. That is because the mosquito population size on Phuket is smaller owing to the drier conditions there. Mosquitoes love humid conditions and there is more humidity on Bali which means that there are more of these pesky creatures there, on average. Additionally, there are many rice fields on Bali which are ideal mosquito breeding grounds.
Having said that, both places have mosquito borne diseases. In Bali, they include dengue fever, chikungunya and zika virus. In Phuket we see mostly chikungunya and dengue. Local authorities use mosquito control in public places and most hotels do the same especially upscale ones. In the end of the day, mosquito avoidance is the only way to prevent many of these diseases and that's another reason why we suggest visiting during the drier months of the year.
Is Bali or Phuket better for couples?
Phuket is a very popular honeymoon destination. It is in our judgment the better place for couples for a variety of reasons. There are some amazing spa hotels on Phuket which offer anything from relaxing couples massages to surprise date nights with sunset drinks. Keemala Hotel is one such place that comes to mind. Bali has these kinds of places too, of course but we've just found an excellent selection on Phuket and they are affordable here, which is why Phuket is the couples island.
Is Bali or Phuket better for families?
Bali has some great attractions for children, which is why we think that it is better suited for families. For example, the waterbom in Kuta is a very lively water park with amazing rides for all ages. It also has a swim-up bar for adults off duty. Other activities include the Rip Curl School of Surf, the Bali Safari and Marine Park, River rafting along Ayung River, the Bali Wake Park for Wakeboarding on a cable and Banana boat rides. There's something here for the entire family. How does Phuket compare to that? It falls a little short. Yes, there are also many great activities here for children and adults but Bali just comes out on top.
Is Bali or Phuket better for solo travelers?
For young single travelers who are ready to mingle (please excuse the dad joke), Bali is the better place. There's just more night life here and many people travel to Bali for that purpose alone: To celebrate and have a good time with inexpensive alcohol and good clubbing. It is a good place for single people to connect with others and make new experiences. These kinds of activities are also available on Phuket but not the same way. Bali is way more developed in terms of clubs, bars and nightlife and draws a crowed looking for that kind of thing. Phuket is a little more tame on average. Of course you can still go out here and have a good time, just don't expect Bali levels.
And if you're over partying and want to find some relaxation with peace and quiet, it is as easy as leaving the city for Ubud or Uluwatu and staying there for a while to recover.
Bali is more touristy overall
Overall, Bali is the more touristy place of the two. For both of them, tourism is an important part of the local economy but on Bali, it is much more pronounced that way. Bali is more developed than Phuket when it comes to tourism (and other things): There are more night clubs that cater to tourists and also more restaurants on Bali. That should not surprise us if we look at the overall size: Phuket has a population of 420,000 people. Bali has more than ten times that with 4.4 million calling the island their home. So, if you like to go out and Party and don't mind a busy place, Bali is for you. You can find relaxation there too if you look for it, but maybe Phuket is overall better suited for a Spa retreat
Culture and history
Bali has vibrant spiritual culture that dates back many centuries. The place is full of temples. They are literally everywhere. Most Balinese people are Hindus and the local form of Hinduism is known as Agama Hindu Dharma. Spirituality is very important to most Balinese people so much so that religion impacts almost all parts of everyday life on Bali. For that reason, people from near and far come here to learn more about Balinese Hinduism and experience the spirituality for themselves here. Arguably, Balinese culture and spirituality are better known abroad.
In contrast, Phuket is generally not as well known for its culture and history, even though there is a fair bit of it. In the 16th century, tin was found and harvested on Phuket making it a vital part of the Thai kingdom for its tax revenue. Soon thereafter, a trading post developed here and the first Europeans arrived to establish trade. So there's a lot of history on Phuket too but the local culture pales in comparison the the richness of the Balinese traditions.
The beaches
Where can you find the better beaches, in Bali or in Phuket? Well, it's pretty much a draw here. The beaches are very beautiful in both Bali and in Phuket. Both islands have sandy and very beautiful beaches. There might be a slight advantage for Bali here in terms of variety though, because by sheer number, Bali has more beaches overall than Phuket. That should be no surprise: Bali is around ten times bigger than Phuket. For surfers, Bali is the better island to visit because the waves are just better here.
The food
You can find excellent food options for all wallets on Bali and on Phuket, but you can eat more cheaply in Phuket. Thai food is excellent and probably marginally better than balinese cuisine on average. Having said that, there's not much between the two and flavours vary anyway between folks: You might like balinese food better than us after all. So it is a good thing that both cuisines are excellent. Bali offers a wider variety of cuisines given that it is about 10 times bigger than Phuket. For that reason, there tend to be more international options available especially around the very touristic areas.
Fly direct?
Thai airways operates a direct flight from London Heathrow to Phuket. A similar flight does not exist to Bali. Although it's often cheaper to connect from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, especially for travelers coming in from the United States who need a connecting flight in either case anyway. Australians are lucky because their country is located much more close-by. They have direct flights to Bali from all major cities whereas Phuket is only available from Sydney and Melbourne. Going there means a lay-over from the other cities.
Accommodations
In general, there's a greater range of accommodations in both price and quality in Bali than there is in Phuket.
Again, Bali is about ten times larger and has currently 8737 available accomodations on booking dot com, whereas Phuket has only 318 in total. In Bali, you can choose between a plethora of entire villas, guest houses, hotels, resorts and home stays. There is something here for every wallet.
Conclusion
In the end of the day, what matters for chosing between Phuket and Bali are mostly are your circumstances. What are you looking for and what time of the year are you going? Would you end up in the wet season? Consider reevaluating if that is the case. Are you traveling alone (Bali is better), as a couple (Phuket is better) or family (Bali)? Do you want culture (Bali) or cheap accomodation and food (Phuket)? It is a tough decision to be sure, but I think that you can visit both Phuket and Bali and not be disappointed.
In fact, they are very different from each other and offer a lot of things to see and do. Both have many beautiful beaches, great food and culture, interesting places to stay.