Phuket is Thailand’s largest island, and it’ll steal your heart right off the bat! This island offers a chunk of paradise for everybody who travels here, and with over a hundred villages to explore, you’ll ne’er be bored!
The beaches found here are some of the best in the world! find sprawling white-sand shorelines, shimmering blue waters, lush aquatic life, and soak up the vitamin d from the warm sun rays.
Along with the gorgeous beaches, Phuket is formed of thirty-three islands that each offer something unique! Dense rainforests, refreshing wild waterfalls, and native vegetation which will make you succumb to the magic of this memorable island paradise.
When getting from place to place in Phuket, one of the easiest ways to ensure you will not get lost is to catch a tuk-tuk, which is a common mode of transportation in Asia. Tuk-tuks are motorized rickshaws and provide you with open sides thus you’ll be able to enjoy the scenic drives and feel plenty of fresh air as you cruise! Tuk-tuks are found everywhere in Thailand, thus you will easily be able to rent one at any given time to get you from A to B. be sure your driver understands where you want to go, and check for an authentic license as well before you accept your ride!
Hiring out a bike is a wonderful choice when traveling in Phuket and is ideal for couples or single travellers. There are several businesses that rent out bikes, and most hotels offer this service or will know a company for you to arrange one from.
Taxis are found easily, so hiring one is a sensible option and the prices are usually very reasonable! The locals are also very used to tourists and can share some information with you on the best places to see and easy routes to get around town but expect most of them not to speak English.
Walking in Phuket is gorgeous, every place is pumping with vibrancy and culture! Meet the locals, realize new spots and enjoy the street food. plenty of places in Phuket are easy to steer to, and it is well worth taking a stroll in some of the more culturally rich and scenic areas
Places to Visit in Phuket
Phuket Big Buddha
- Why it’s awesome: You can see the Big Buddha from pretty much wherever you are in the south of Phuket!
- Cost: Entrance is free.
Phuket’s Big Buddha is one of the most important and revered landmarks on the island. The huge image sits on top of the Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata and, at 45 metres tall, can be seen from as far away as Phuket Town and Karon Beach.
Known among Thais as the Phra Puttamingmongkol Akenakkiri Buddha, the main statue was built in 2004 and is 25 metres across at the base. The whole body is made of reinforced concrete, layered with beautiful Burmese white jade marble that shines in the sun. The views and the actual image itself are breath-taking.
Next to the main Phuket Big Buddha is a smaller Buddha statue, which is gold in colour, though actually made of 20 tonnes of brass. There are also several much smaller statues of Buddha and of revered monks. Interested in Half-Day Jungle Trekking to Big Buddha, check this link.
Wat Chalong Temple
- Why it’s awesome: It is the most important of all the 29 Buddhist temples in Phuket!
- Cost: Entrance is free, but donations are welcome.
This gorgeous temple showcases the brilliance of Phuket’s architectural creativity as well as the rich cultural history of religion on this island. Wat Chalong Temple is formally known as Wat Chaiyathararam and is a huge part of Phuket’s heritage!
Wat Chalong temple is the largest and most revered. The temple complex was built in its current location in 1837. Some remains of older structures have been found; however it is unknown exactly how old they are. The large grounds of Wat Chalong that is officially named Wat Chaitararam contains a viharn, a mondop, a ubosot, a chedi containing a secret relic, a sala and a crematorium.
Phuket Old Town
- Why it’s awesome: This town is full of historical attractions!
- Cost: Entrance is free.
Old Phuket Town is a historical section of Phuket, Thailand, and should be placed on the must-see list of any Thailand tourist. Old Phuket Town is famous for its architecture, shops, museums, restaurants and hotels. Visitors can easily spend several days exploring this fun and interesting area of Phuket, where they can enjoy the illusion of being transported back in time to over a century ago. The Old Town region is primarily comprised of five roads and several small streets, and the quarter teems with culture and history following a major renovation.
Simply walking the roads of this town will fill your heart with wonderment, as Phuket Town displays attractive and aesthetic buildings that date back to the 1800s. There is a unique blend of colonial and Chinese architecture, joint with a tangible quaintness. This makes for a fascinating and eye-opening morning spent sauntering around Phuket’s Old Town. Expect the unexpected and don’t forget to take plenty of pictures!
Bangla Road
- Why it’s awesome: This is the absolute epicentre of nightlife in Phuket!
- Cost: Entrance is free.
Bangla Road or Soi Bangla is the hub of nightlife in Phuket. It is a merry 400 metre stretch of road close to Patong beach that has been cordoned off from traffic and is reserved for only walking. It has a vibrant display of bright lights, street performances, street vendors, Ping-Pong shows and much more. Loud music and cheap booze shops lend it a happy vibe. Restaurants and pubs compete for customers, as do entertainers. Bangla Road is also packed with a ridiculous amount of vibrantly lit bars, go-go bars, girly bars, and relaxed expat bars – think lots of drinks, women, and music!
As the sun goes down, Bangla Road comes alive. Many things make nightlife in Bangla Road an outrageous yet fun affair. The neon lights and bars start to come alive and the music from all the bars starts to intertwine with each other.
Tips:
- If you are going to any ‘Free’ show, be it a Ping-Pong show, a Cabaret, or a dance at a Go-Go Bar, know that the price of the drinks will be pretty steep to make up for the lack of an entry fee.
- If any Bar Girl or Ladyboy approaches you to buy a drink, the cost of the Bar Girl or Ladyboys drink may be much higher than your drink. Some places even openly add a 30% Bar Girl or Ladyboy charge to the bill for such a drink.
- If you click a picture of a Ladyboy or get a pic clicked with them, they expect a tip. So be ready to shell out the same, or don’t click their pic.
- If you are getting a massage at one of the cheap places along this stretch, remember there can be some hidden charges for ‘extra services’ here.
Phuket Aquarium
- Why it’s awesome: There is a huge variety of exotic and indigenous aquatic life for you to see in a truly one-of-a-kind way!
- Cost: Entrance fee is THB 180 ($5,71) per adult and THB 100 ($3,17) per child.
The Phuket Aquarium is a haven of many different types of colorful fish & vibrant coral reef displays! Some of these pools are interactive, and there is even a ‘touch pool’ where you can put your hands in and feel these marvellous creatures.
The Phuket Aquarium is in Cape Panwa and one of its defining features is a beautiful tank that is also a tunnel! The tunnel may only be a few meters long, but its effect is enormous and gives quite the ambiance when you walk through and see majestic sea life surrounding you
There are Several sea-themed rooms displaying aquariums of various sizes. Starting with the smaller tanks that have gorgeous seahorses floating about, cheerful clownfish, the funny looking longhorn cowfish, or even some squarish box-looking-fish, and then moving onto enormous tanks. These impressive tanks are the home of the local species, such as the giant grouper, sea turtles, leopard sharks, moray eels and so many more!
Paradise Beach
- Why it’s awesome: Just look at the name, I think that says it all!
- Cost: Entrance fee is THB 200 ($6,34) per person.
This magnificent and rather private beach is less than 200m in length and hosts a little rocky headland that kind of makes it two beaches if you want to get technical. Paradise Beach is a cozy and tiny cove near Patong and is famous for having lush and calm waters that feature a soft seabed mostly throughout the year.
Sunbathe or stroll the pristine white sand and be shaded by nodding palm trees, you will feel as if you are apart of a photo shoot for a holiday brochure! Laze and allow yourself to emerge into the peaceful, picturesque environment that Paradise Beach provides.
Being the home of Paradise Beach Club, this magical cove even has a great choice of facilities, including upbeat restaurants, bars, sea kayaks, beach chairs and so much more. You can even get your party on and join one of Phuket’s only Koh Phangan-style beach parties!
The Banzaan Market
- Why it’s awesome: Everyone who takes a trip to the Banzaan market will have a fantastic time and make plenty of lifelong memories!
- Cost: Entrance is free.
Get swept into the energetic and vibrant mass energy here and explore a new way of shopping. The Banzaan Market is a modern-looking Thai fresh market found on Sai Kor Road, behind the Jungceylon.
You will basically come across all kinds of produce and crafts that you could expect at any other street market, but the Banzaan Market is hosted in a much more pleasant envious mentioned and is famous for being so well organized.
The locals go all out to showcase their best products, and you will be amazed at the bargains you can hunt for!
Phuket Simon Cabaret
- This show is a huge attraction to both locals and travellers alike!
- A once-in-a-lifetime show experience that you will remember forever!
- Tickets are THB 600 ($18,83).
Experience something that you have never seen before with this intimate theatre extravaganza! The show is a must-see attraction during your travels in Phuket! Witness an extravagant cabaret show with dancers in sparkly attire and even sparkier headdresses.
One of the oddest aspects that makes this show unusual is that it is probably the biggest “transvestite” cabaret show to be found in Phuket. This show features a spectacular musical floor show being performed by the world famous “ladyboys” of Simon Cabaret.
You will be surprised how elaborate the costumes and makeup are, and how hard it becomes to tell the difference! Stunning costumes, bright lights, an excellent sound system, and expensive decorative sets are all part of this theatrical event that is not to be missed!
One of the best things to do in Phuket is have a glamorous night out at the Simon Cabaret Show. See a variety of acts by dazzling men dressed as beautiful women complete with eye-catching costumes! Searching for discounts for this show, check this link.
Baan Teelanka – The Upside-Down House of Phuket
- Expect something unique and wacky, this is a huge attraction in Phuket! It is open daily 10am-6pm.
- Try not to go here after a few drinks, as the effects of this house will have you falling over!
- The entrance fee is THB 306 for adults and THB 190 for children.
This eccentric and eye-catching venue hosts a bunch of fun interactive attractions, one of which is the uber fantastic inverted house! The famous Upside-Down House is one of Phuket’s most unique tourist attractions and one of the Top must-see places when visiting the island.
Experience a great and very quirky house that offers you a chance to take some goofy photos with your travel buddies! It really is an unforgettable setting and you will create memories all generations can enjoy.
The grounds also offer other fun attractions and activities, such as A-Maze-in-Phuket which is a well-designed garden maze, and The Chamber of Secrets that provides you with an enthralling escape room game! All of this and more at this amusing and exciting venue! Seaching for discount, check this link.
Phuket Sunday Night Market
- This market is on every Sunday from 4 pm to 9 pm.
- The weekend street market is a huge success, adding a very much-needed event to this well-known historical part of Phuket Town!
- The entrance is free.
The Phuket Sunday Market is known for having a hugely varied selection of curios and second-hand items on sale in a bustling market atmosphere! This is very different from the usual local markets where you can find copied T-shirts and cheap jeans. Hosted from the starting point at Thepkasattri Road and stretching all along the streets to Phuket Road
All of the old Sino-Portuguese houses along Thalang road are brightly lit with ever-changing colours that add an extra spark to the festive mood created by this one-of-a-kind market! This beautiful historical street is very proud to be the first road on the entire island that is completely free of any large and ugly electric cables hanging around looking like a gigantic mess.
The market is an opportunity for you to try one of the Phuket specialties and explore your boundaries with cuisine! You can find a good mix of sweets and snacks to nibble as you walk. One of the strangest things is the horseshoe crab salad, which is not for the light-hearted!
ATV, Zipline, Temple, and River Rafting
Wanting to fill your day with zest and exhilarating outdoor activities? Then look no further. Spend your day experiencing four awesome and exciting adventure sports all in one day!
Venture through an eerie and ancient temple, river raft down a vigorously flowing river, zoom over the rapids on a 150-meter zip line and complete your day by taking an off-road drive on an ATV for 30 minutes.
Each of these experiences offers you a look into the vast beauty of Phuket, be it the old history or the magnificent wildlife!
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