Exploring Phuket and Phi Phi: From Tin to Tourism

Exploring Phuket & Phi Phi is a fresh, frank, and colorful look at two of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations. In spite of rising prices and overdevelopment much of this former paradise remains natural and delightful. This guide takes the independent traveler on a tour of the islands' history and natural attractions as well as pointing the way to the best places to stay—from charming huts on secluded beaches to swank villas with infinity pools. Detailed maps, color photos, and an engaging insightful text make this post-tsunami guide an indispensable companion for anyone visiting or thinking of visiting these islands.

• Behind the hype of Thailand's most popular tourist destination
• The history of Phuket: from early European navigators to Chinese tycoons
• Detailed information about the beaches, national parks, temples, and cultural attractions
• Where to enjoy diving, kayaking, and other aquatic activities
• The best of the islands' accommodation and restaurants
• 300 color photos and 20 maps

Oliver Hargreave graduated with a B.Sc. from the London School of Economics, majoring in International Relations. After some years of travel, which saw him teaching English as a foreign language in Japan and Thailand, he returned to his native England to study for an MA in TEFL from the University of East Anglia. After further stints as a teacher in Saudi Arabia and Thailand he retired from teaching to take up writing and photography in 1995. Now he works as a writer full-time from his home in Thailand.