Go West Coast, weather in Samui could be ferociously bad. Two years ago Samui airport was closed for 2 days in November due to torrential flooding!

Think beyond Phuket though - you also have Krabi, Khao Lak, the islands off Phang Nga etc...

We prefer Phuket over Samui - even though we have seen too much development take place over the years. The beaches are better and you have access to Phang-Nga bay and Phi-Phi island on day trips, its also well placed for combining with Khao Lak or Krabi. This year we combined Phuket with Koh Lanta which had a nice vibe and was a beautiful island.

Phuket has numerous resort areas, the busiest Patong we avoid and we don't visit Kata or Karon much these days as they have developed into resorts that are too lively for our tastes - but then we like it quiet with just a handful of local restaurants ouside the hotel satisfying our needs

Is Phuket an ideal place for couples? I have been reading on different websites and it seems that the sex trade in the Patong area is rife. We are not at all interested in this however we are not offended by it going on around us as long as they don't bother us.

Also what is the weather like in Phuket in November?

Phuket is a large island with a number of resort/beach areas. Some are lively and built up, some less so ,and some very quiet. Patong is the best known resort on the island with a lot going on - including the sex trade. Karon is a short drive south a smaller resort but still quite lively on a long curved bay, and just further south is Kata again a crescent shape beach. Of these two we prefer Kata, just south of Kata main beach is Kata Noi which is a nice quieter beach area.

You could also look at Bang Tao area which has a collection of hotels based around the Laguna complex. Top end is the Banyan Tree a six star hotel, but theres others like the Sheraton and Dusit for example.

The north end of the island is being developed by some five stars resorts like Marriott and Anantara.

If you like really quiet then you could pick a resort like Nai Thon one three star hotel and number of restaurants and cottage resorts by a lovely beach lined with Casuarina trees.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of beaches. Have a look at http://www.phuket-photos.com/ for more ideas and some nice pics.

As for weather November is high season for Phuket, the rains should have passed and the sea setlled down.

We're off to Phuket next year, having been to Samui amongst others before. Personally, we like a bit of nightlife so will be staying on the edge of Patong so the nightlife isn't far away in the evening. I would hate to go to a place that had nothing going on at night apart from the odd bar or restaurant.

TC