Nowadays, travellers are trying to break away from the normal sightseeing spots; to experience a different, not-so-typical side to a destination; to find out what makes a destination entirely unique and worth (re)visiting. With thanks to social media and apps such as Google Maps, even the hidden gems we discover are not-so-hidden anymore!
However, whether you belong to the category of a traveller or a tourist, it is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to see all the main sites, especially if you are visiting a destination for the first time or believe it might be the only chance you get to visit in your lifetime.
By now you should know that I always urge you to go beyond the norm and seek out alternative experiences that will allow you to get some interaction with local and gain a better understanding of the destination you are in, and Phuket is no different – even my list of 10 popular places to visit in Phuket encompasses all that and more!
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Siam Niramit Show
The best way to learn about the history and culture of Thailand is by spending an evening at Siam Niramit Show (Phuket). Fill your belly with some delicious choices from the Thai-Western buffet and then allow the magic of Thai culture to come to life before your very eyes as you stroll through the captivating 100-year-old Thai village exhibit; a dynamic portal into the diverse lifestyles, stunning architectures, and rich culinary traditions of different Thai regions. You can also watch a demonstration of Muay Thai or Thai boxing before being amazed by the performances leading into the night. I loved the show and pop-up cultural village so much that I actually attended the show in Phuket on both my trips to Thailand (2017 & 2019)!
Phuket Old town
Strolling through the streets of Phuket Old Town is a must to see the old Sino-Portuguese brightly-coloured buildings and street art. It’s a perfect glimpse into the past where old meets new; the architectural buildings retain Phuket’s history, whilst the vendors and restaurants thrive on bringing the most fashionable and trendy customs to the street.
It won’t take you too long to cover the well-preserved area, but is definitely a place to take your time visiting in Phuket.
Big Buddha
The infamous Phraphutthamingmongkhol-akenagakhiri Buddha, "Happiness on Top of Nagakerd Mountain" aka Big Buddha, is a statue of the Buddha in Dharma chakra mudra.
The 12m high Buddha is composed of reinforced concrete and adorned with white jade marble. Following the principles of Buddhism, one of the objectives behind the structure and the land which surrounds it is to be a capital foundation for society that reflects the pride of participants and worshippers, being free from miseries, cultivating the path of Nirvana. And what a sense of peace being on top of the mountain brings! As busy as it gets, as you start to walk around and even join in meditation or prayer being held inside, you instantly feel a wash of calm take over.
Chillva Market
Not one of the well-known markets, Chillva Market is a night market that resembles an open version of Boxpark, UK (in my opinion!)Expect to find a variety of seating areas, a live band and many market stalls selling all sorts from clothes to gadgets, as well as food and drinks. It’s a great spot to literally ‘chill’ with FRIENDS! - get it?
Elephant Sanctuary
Visiting an elephant sanctuary in Thailand was one of the most memorable experiences I took back with me. These sanctuaries tend to care for sick, old, disabled, abused and rescued elephants. Visitors get educated on the gentle giants before being able to interact with them, this usually includes feeding and bathing the majestic creatures. Don’t be too alarmed if you see a pile of poop floating around whilst you’re bathing them – they do defecate around 12 times a day!
Avoid supporting activities that exploit wildlife, such as riding elephants or participating in photo opportunities with drugged animals. Please opt for responsible and ethical tourism activities that promote animal welfare!
Wat Chalong Temple
Of course, like the rest of Thailand, Phuket has a vast amount of temples to visit, but for the purpose of this post, I'm going to focus on Wat Chalong - Phuket’s most admired temple; it isn’t too hard to see why! The interiors of the main building are beautifully decorated with paintings that portray the most significant steps of Buddha’s life and each floor has large donated golden statues. Be sure to make your way to the top of all 3 floors to get a birds-eye view across the entire temple grounds and to see a hidden treasure... A sacred fragment of a bone of Lord Buddha, named Phra Borom Sareerikatat is kept inside a glass case on top of the 60 meters high Phra Mahathat Chedi.
P.S. If you’ve ever wondered around a temple in Thailand and suddenly hear fireworks going off? Well, the sound is coming from those little huts situated nearby the temple. The firecrackers are set off as a way of showing gratitude for prayers that have been answered.
Beaches
As always, no holiday to a tropical destination is complete without at least one day on the beach – relaxation is one of many reasons to go on holiday after all!
There are more than 30 beaches in Phuket, which means you are spoilt for choice! Phuket has something for everyone, from the liveliness of Patong Beach, to the family friendly Karon. Chances are, even if you’ve been to Phuket before, you won’t have seen all that Phuket has to offer:
Patong is Phuket’s best-known beach and the busy centre of the island’s tourism and nightlife district located on the west coast of Phuket. It has restaurants for every taste and budget, a colourful night market and a thriving nightlife scene on Bangla Road.
Karon, Kata and Kata Noi – beaches south of Patong are more peaceful and suitable for swimming, snorkelling, wind surfing and sunbathing.
Kamala – North of Patong, this Muslim fishing village is popular amongst expats. The beach is very beautiful and spans over 2km.
Cape Panwa – Located on the South East Coast of Phuket, eight kilometres from Phuket Town is
Panwa Beach or Khao Kad. It is quiet and peaceful and offers a shallow beach with scenic views out across Chalong Bay and Lone Island.
Bangtao - This four-mile beach is used by guests staying at one of Asia’s largest resort complexes, Laguna Phuket. There are several hotels on the complex and the beach is relatively busy during the high season.Surin – A coastal village with white sand and turquoise waters.
Mai Khao – close to Phuket International Airport, an 11km undeveloped beach.
~ Okay, so the next few popular places to visit technically aren’t in Phuket or on mainland, but they are must do day trips from Phuket! ~
James Bond Island
Before gaining fame from the James Bond movie ‘Man with The Golden Gun’ which was filmed in 1974 - what is now known worldwide as James Bond Island, was once known as Koh Tapu, which means ‘Nail Island’ for the pointy rock. It is located in the Phang Nga National Park, where secret lagoons open in to amazing majestic caves with the most spectacular scenery. Although it is a popular tourist attraction, meaning the island can get very crowded very quickly, it is a must visit whether you’re a James Bond film fanatic or not. Oh, and don’t forget to take the iconic shot of yourself (trying to) holding the rock formation!
Koh Phi Phi Don
The Phi Phi Islands (pronounced ‘Pee-Pee’, not ‘Fee-Fee’!) is a popular archipelago 40 km south of Phuket. Visit Phi Phi Islands on a day trip and see Maya Bay, where Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the ‘The Beach’ movie, you can also discover the rest of the island has to offer such as shops, restaurants and hotels – yes you can stay on the island too!
The famous Phi Phi Islands can be visited on day trips from Phuket, Ko Lanta, and Krabi via either a speedboat or express ferry. Such day trips usually cover Phi Phi highlights such as Maya Bay, Bamboo Island, Monkey Beach, Viking Cave, and James Bond Island in Phang Nga National Park.
Maya Bay is closed off periodically to the public due to the damaging environmental effects caused by visitors – so be sure to check in advance if it is one of the popular places on your list to visit whilst in Phuket!
Koh Panyee Island
Within Koh Panyee resides a large Muslim community. They are super friendly and will proudly show you around their village, which has its own school, mosque, health centre, restaurants and lots of small souvenir shops - all built on stilts over the surrounding shallow sea. A trip to this floating village is a must when visiting Phuket! It's so humbling to see a community thriving so well, even though they are isolated away from the main land, they make the best out of the simplicities of life (they do now have electricity and internet connection) but it is a location where you can love, live, life in all its purity.
As they are surrounded by water, the community of Koh Panyee are environmentally cautious and have implemented their own recycling programme: bottles and cans are collected and sold to benefit the school, whilst keeping the village cleaner. There’s even a floating football pitch, built by the children using old scraps of wood and fishing rafts - how clever!
If you’ve managed to follow along all of my Thailand posts, thank you!
I hope you find each one useful in deciding where to go or if you have enough time, to combine the 3 cities as I did in one trip!
I still have so much more of Thailand to discover, when I do, I’ll be back to share it with you!
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