Maria's Guest House, Rawai

Air conditioning runs in all the rooms at Maria's Guest House, Rawai, and each room has a private bathroom with toiletries, towels and a walk-in shower. Rooms also come with a flat-screen TV with streaming service, a fan and a mosquito net.

The family room, which measures 30 m², has a mountain view and a single bed and a queen bed for up to three guests. The deluxe queen room measures 25 m² and has a queen bed for up to two guests.

Food and drink come from a bar and a coffee shop on site, which also has a happy hour and offers food delivery.

Free Wi-Fi covers all rooms and the public areas. The property also has daily housekeeping, safety deposit boxes, private check-in and check-out, soundproof rooms, on-site entertainment, car hire, and a Xerox and fax service in the business centre.

English and Thai are spoken. Rooms can have a balcony or terrace, a refrigerator, a coffee and tea maker and free bottled water, and they can be fitted with a fan, a mosquito net and a socket near the bed. The building is accessible by stairs, and the in-room safe box is part of the room equipment.

Rawai is a fishing village at the southern end of Phuket, where seafood stalls and restaurants line the waterfront and the fish market sells the day's catch. Its streets are quieter than the nightlife of Patong, and the main beaches and temples are a drive away.

Nai Harn Beach is a sandy bay 1.7 km away, and the village itself is small enough to explore on foot in an afternoon. The Big Buddha, a large white statue on the hills above the island, is 4.5 km away, and Wat Chalong, Phuket's best-known temple complex, is 7 km away. Kata and Karon, both popular beaches, lie further along the coast, and Phuket International Airport is 36 km away.

A good day could start with a swim at Nai Harn Beach, a stop at the fish market in the morning, continue at the Big Buddha, and end with seafood in Rawai. Phuket is joined to the mainland by a bridge, and a hired car or taxi is the practical way to cover the island's main beaches and temples in one day. Evening walks along the Rawai waterfront are an easy way to see the local life, with seafood stalls and the fishing boats along the shore.