A few people would disagree that the majority of what they associate Phuket with are big parties, luxury hotels, and high prices. To be honest, I personally didn’t know much about Phuket before flying into the island a few weeks ago and I definitely couldn’t have had any idea how transformed Phuket would be after Covid. To my surprise though, Phuket turned out to be a place I would happily spend 2 weeks despite initially wanting to use it as a landing base before venturing out and exploring the real Thailand.
I guess it was the pandemic effect but what I found on the island were very few tourists, a lot of locals happy to see foreign faces, sights that were pretty deserted and beaches empty of any humans or signs that there was ever mass tourism taking place in Phuket. Most places I scootered to were quiet, with only the occasional local tourist, and pretty chilled too compared to my kind of messy expectation.
In the 2 weeks I spent on Phuket, I explored pretty much the whole island and stayed in the two opposite sides of Phuket which, looking back actually, turned out to be a very good idea because the east and west part of the island are really so different that it’s worth spending a few days in each to get the vibe and find all the hidden local places.
Hike up to Monkey Hill
Unquestionably one of the most exciting things to do in Phuket is the trek to Monkey hill (aka Khao To Sae) in search of some mischievous monkeys. Alexis, boy friend, was particularly buzzing to see monkeys so it comes without saying that heading to Monkey hill was the first thing we did as soon as our 1 day quarantine was over and we could start exploring Phuket. Monkey Hill is literally what the name suggests, a hill at about 270m altitude which gathers an impressive amount of monkeys from cute babies to scary big dads and granddads haha. It’s free to visit the hill but be prepared for a sporty 30 min walk up until you reach a platform where you could stop and daze at the wild life or look down and around to catch the panoramic city views.
The hill is located on the east side of Phuket so you’ll most likely scooter to it so don’t be alarmed if you get asked to leave your scooter at the bottom of the hill (we were, hence the 30 min sweaty walk up haha). What we figured the reason we couldn’t drive up was because it was the monkeys’ feeding time, around 9 am., which meant that literally all monkeys were out filling their bellies completely undisturbed by Alexis and I who were going right in the middle of their feast. I must admit that I had never seen this many monkeys, probably over 100, at once and I was a bit terrified especially when one of them decided he/she liked my camera bag a bit too much and headed directly towards me … proper screamed that’s for sure haha! Alexis, however, had a blast and was super chilled and to be honest so were most of the monkeys around so unless you look for trouble (by carrying and offering food), then the monkeys probably won’t care at all that you’re hanging around. Ohh and it’s one of the things to do in Phuket that actually comes with a bit of a breeze in the end when you get to the top (with constant over 80% humidity and 32 degrees you’ll be gasping for a moment of fresh air haha) so definitely hike up, freshen up and see how many monkeys you can count (leave your answer in the comments haha)!
Khao Rang Viewpoint for Sunset
Very close to Monkey Hill is what I think is one of the best city viewpoints in Phuket. It’s only a short scooter drive away from Monkey Hill and is atop of the hill which means that when you get to the viewing platform, a beautiful wide-angel view opens up to towards Phuket town. When we visited we were actually in search for a restaurant called Tunk-Ka Cafe (which turned out to be our all time favorite in the area) so when we got to the top, right after sunset actually, I genuinely wow’ed when I saw a romantically enlightened Gazebo, two musicians insight it giving their everything to make the atmosphere relaxing, romantic and so special. What was also so special about this place, after sunset especially, is that there were barely any people up here when we visited and the views and lights over the city were simply spectacular. In all honesty, I was unexpectedly surprised by the amount of night lights there were in the area which really made up for a great panoramic view over the busy roads, bustling scooters and vender places welcoming the hungry locals to buy some fried rice or phad thai. This viewpoint is also on the list of free things to do in Phuket so it’s a must see regardless of budget or other sights ideas.
Get local at Chillva Market
If you don’t stop at Tunk-Ka Cafe for dinner, a super local, cheap and fun place to have dinner is Chillva Market which is just a short drive away from Khao Rang Viewpoint. It’s the place to grab a few local bites, to have either on the go or right there as you walk around the different food stalls. If you’re into experimenting and trying new things, Thai markets and this one especially are the perfect spots to savour a lot of different types of food at small bites and at a super cheap price. Chillva was actually a place we headed to often (we lived very close by for a while) for flat glass noodles, dumplings, seafood skewers, thai sushi (yup, that’s a thing), and Alexis’s favorite pandan mini cakes. Unlike some other markets in Thailand, this one is open 6 days a week (Sunday is off) and the feast starts at 5 pm until late. Having dinner at a local market is a must-do in Thailand and compared to some of the markets I have been to both in Phuket and up north in Thailand, this one is definitely super nice and rich in choice so don’t miss it.
Try the best sticky mango rice on the island
OK, I’ll let you into a little foodie secret. Thai food is so abundant and so flavorsome and that’s world known, but one thing that got me fully obsessed the moment I tasted it was the sticky mango rice. It is what it says on the box, i.e. mango and rice, but OMG! it’s soooo much more than that or I’m just THAT obsessed (which is possible haha). Whether you’ve tried sticky mango rice before or you’ll be discovering it for the first time, head over to this place. I know when you look at the Google result, you could be like “WTH” but trust the expert haha this lady, who prepares her sticky mango rice just in front of her living room, is doing miracles with her rice. It’s so delicious and it’s such a local experience that you simply cannot miss this even if you’re in just for the experience. Also, it won’t set you back by a lot because a single portion is just 60 THB (although of course I always get a double haha for 80 THB).
Explore Old Phuket Town
Probably one of the most popular things to do in Phuket is to search for the colorful houses of the Old Town. The street to look out for is Thalang Road and once you get close there’s no way to miss it because the color of its buildings stand out so much when compared to the rest that it’s unmissable. This part of the Phuket surprised me probably the most because it was such so different from anything I had seen on the island, both in terms of architecture, history and true charm. This part of town dates back to Phuket’s tin boom of the last century when the island’s tin barons accumulated impressive wealth some of which funded the Old Town and its charming quaint look today. We explored the streets early in the morning which I think is the perfect time to see Old Town because the heat tends to be a bit more forgiving and you can casually stroll and stare at all the details of the shophouses, tea places, clothes shops and shrines. If you’re curious to see what a bit of a European feel in Phuket feels like, head over to Soi Romanee street where you’ll dive into an eye-popping mix of colors and cultures, intertwining Sino-Portuguese style shophouses and Chinese Shrines, often put up in front of the houses of Chinese families. This really is an authentic part of the island and one you shouldn’t miss if you wish to really get a feel for what Phuket really is like … because it most certainly is not all about beaches and parties like I was mistakenly believing before visiting.
Chaithararam Temple
To be honest, one of the main reasons why I wasn’t particularly looking forward to Phuket was that I thought it was missing authenticity and culture. And sure, Phuket is no Chiang Mai but to my delight, Phuket still has a few temples which give you the real proof that you’re in Thailand. I mean what’s a Thai place without a gorgeous colorful temple to explore. Luckily, we didn’t have to search long to find one in Phuket as we bumped into the signs for Chaithararam temple, aka Wat Chalong, on our way from the east side of the Phuket to the west. We didn’t know this prior to visiting, but Wat Chalong is the largest temple in Phuket and apparently its most recent building, which is a 60 meters tall ‘Chedi’, houses a splinter of bone from Buddha 😳 We didn’t see it though so I’m not testifying to that haha! I’ve visited a lot of temples up north in Thailand but this temple, was the first one where I could go to the top floor of the temple, and get a 360 degrees view over the grounds from the temple’s rooftop open floor. When we visited the temple, there was an ongoing ceremony so we were able to not only enjoy the beauty of the different temple buildings but also have a very cultural experience which was an interesting insight into the daily life of Thai people. The temple is free to visit and you can walk around the building without any special permit, just make sure to take your shoes off before entering a temple building, which in Buddhism is a custom expression of respect to the Gods.
Scooter to the Big Buddha
Phuket definitely exceeded my expectations. Maybe because I visited post pandemic. Or maybe because I intentionally didn’t stick around too much on the party side of the island and truly explored. Either way, if I had to point out at one single thing that truly made me appreciate Phuket the most that would be the scooter trip and visit of the Big Buddha. Standing on top of the Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata, the Big Buddha almost serves as the safeguard and symbol of the island and sure I maybe made that up but it honestly felt like it so much as soon as we started nearing Big Buddha. At a height of 45 meters, the Buddha is definitely called “Big” for a good reason. It truly is huge! In fact, it can be seen from as far as Phuket town which is about 14 km away. Super impressive! Before we got to the Big Buddha, we set off on a 6-km jungle-y road which was honestly the most beautiful, most Asian-like road I discovered on the island.
Unfamiliar, a bit creepy, noises could be heard the whole way up, the air was far fresher now, there was no construction anywhere around and barely any people were headed that way. It honestly was one of the best moments only because of the unique feel of it! When we got to the temple, it was a few minutes before sunset which, honestly, is the best time to visit Big Buddha. Sure that’s a peak time that could gather a few more people but it’s totally worth it because the views over Phuket town, Chalong, Karon and Kata were simply phenomenal. It’s definitely the most impressive temple on the island and the best place to head to if you’re looking for a 360 degree of completely undisrupted views. Walking up the stairs and around the Big Buddha transported me for a moment to the Big Buddha in Pai which I visited a few years ago and even though the views are very different, they’re both such mesmerizing experiences. Ladies, work of advice … bring a sarong or dress and cover up your shoulders and knees. I had completely forgotten to bring my sarong so when I got to the temple, the guard kept on repeating at me: “You too sexy, you too sexy”. Hilarious! Sure, it was funny but also it didn’t quite click at first wat he meant haha so eventually I had to purchase a 120 THB sarong to cover up my “sexiness” a bit 😂.
Enjoy a coconut at Ra Wai Beach
Phuket is clearly not short of beaches so if you scooter from east to west you will stumble upon a lot of long popular beaches and a few smaller hidden ones but one of the more secluded ones to head over to is Ra Wai Beach for sure. It’s a pretty small beach set alongside a street of a lot of cool local cafes and restaurants which are the perfect spot to relax after a day of exploration and have a coconut or one of the island’s famous smoothies. We headed to this beach to get some work done actually but definitely couldn’t stop distracting ourselves by the intriguing fishing boats and handy fishermen going about their jobs, the kids playing about and all the curious dogs that could be spotted from all sides. If you’re near and your tummy starts asking for food, there’s a little local place called Coming Home which is the perfect spot to grab some fried rice and coffee (or steal some good free Wi-Fi).
Bang Tao Beach for Sunset
What I love about the Phuket beaches is that they’re actually quite different. My expectation was that they’ll be packed and, frankly, a bit dirty but actually I was well surprised on that, especially at Bang Tao beach. I didn’t know anything about this beach 30 min before we headed there so I didn’t really have any expectations. When we got there and found a super long, quiet, pristine beach I was impressed instantaneously. The beach honestly was so long we could probably walk 35 min from one end to the other so it was perfect for an evening stroll and a swim. However, I simply can’t recommend this beach enough especially for sunset. Honestly, round 6pm the whole sky turned absolutely gorgeous pink and it was just such a show to look at the colors changing whilst we were casually floating about in the hot sea. Which reminds me, if you’ve never swam in the Andaman sea, then you’ll be shocked by the heat of the water. Alexis is a big swimmer so he jumps in the water wherever he can haha and Bang Tao was the first time he would swim in the Andaman sea, or anywhere in Asia, and he was shocked 😀 He later checked that the water was crazy 28 degrees so pretty nice tea haha
Have a walk by Nai Han Lake
The west of Phuket is unquestionably known for the long sandy beaches and bars and cafes scattered right on the shore just a few shy meters from the water. That’s why when a friend of mine who’s living in Thailand told me there’s a big lake on the west we should check out, it only took me a few seconds to get excited for it. We see a lot of lakes in Europe but apart from the Tamblingan lake in Bali and the Pokhara Lake in Nepal, I couldn’t remember seeing any other big Asian lake so the mission was on. As soon as we got near the lake, I actually kinda lost the feeling I was in Asia. The lake was beautiful and on the side of a pretty large park so it was a beautiful area for sure. It just reminded me more of Europe than of something I would associate with Thailand which is exactly the reason why I’m including it in the list here as it’s cool to still check it out, for the lake but also the beach right next to it.
Check out Nai Han Beach
Between the lake and the beach, the beach definitely wins all the points. It’s one of the few beaches in Phuket where you don’t have a road right next to the beach, instead there’s a cool palm garden and a little path that make up for a pretty chilled vibe as soon as you park your scooter and wander off to the beach. The beach itself was so beautiful and quiet when we visited. It was, however, the beach that seemed to have been the preferred one by a lot of the Westerners in the area as it was surprising to see so many Westerners when the whole island was pretty void of tourists. Just a few meters off the beach, there’re a few places for food and coffee so it’s easily a place you could hang out for a few hours if you’re in search of simplicity, i.e. sun, white sand, coconut and warm sea water <3
Look down and around from the Windmill Viewpoint
We headed from east to west as we were stopping at various places along the way and the next stop after Nai Han was supposed to be Prom Threp Cape, which we later scootered to too, but completely unexpectedly as we drove away from Nai Han in the direction of Prom Threp Cape, we saw a road going right off the main street and we immediately got curious what’s there. What we found was an amazing undisrupted, unpolished and absolutely stunning viewpoint looking towards the horizon, the limestones scattered in the Andaman sea and a secluded little beach which we thought was private because it was quite deserted. The viewpoint itself (which we later found out was called Windmill) was also appreciated only by us and a couple of other people at the time so it felt like we had the view all to ourselves. Even though this place is far from popular, there was a little stand where we could buy juice and coconut; there was also a beautiful Gazebo which made Windmill a perfect spot to relax for a few moments before hitting the road again.
Find the hippie Yanui Beach
As soon as we saw the view from Windmil we got intrigued to find the mysterious little beach we were seeing from above. And we didn’t have to drive long before we got to the most hippie beach we saw on Phuket called Yanui. Located right off the side of the main road, the beach invites you to spend some time by the amount of gorgeous palms that cover its “entrance” as well as the swings that urge you to swing yourself into a swim, a bit of sunbathing or some kayaking for the active ones. It’s a small beach but unlike when we originally thought, it’s most certainly not private so anyone could lay down and enjoy it! We visited at noon and despite its modest size, the beach was nearly empty with only a few people chilling about. It’s the perfect place if you’re looking to be a bit more secluded, but still have super easy access.
Experience Patong
Lastly, I have to mention Patong. Patong can be a lot of things and it surely should be visited even just for the experience. With its popular Thanon Bangla party/ walking street , this is probably the most densely populated part of Phuket as far as Westerners go. It’s the place to grab a drink with a loud music on the background, hit a nightclub, get into all kinds of night live adventures haha or if you’re a bit like us it’s the place to come, see and get away from 😀 In our case, we strolled down the street, took in the noise and buzz and turned right in search of Eurasion which was our dinner spot for the evening. If you’re not in to the party side of Patong though, have a walk on the beach, join the locals at their evening zumba session or take some pictures of the many locals laying down their fish catch of the day right on the pavement for customers to get tempted and buy. For our short stay at Patong, we stayed at Baan Yin Dee Resort which was a bit further up on the hill which actually made up for a very beautiful walk and view down as we headed toward Patong beach so unless you’re staying a bit further and up in Patong, I’d recommend you explore up a bit because the views are pretty awesome.
I hope you found this post helpful and hope to see you in the next one 😊
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