And while its beaches are a huge draw with holidaymakers, Phuket is also home to lush national parks, colourful markets and a vibrant nightlife. For a taste of culture and history, a spin around Phuket Old Town – where you’ll find heritage mansions turned restaurants and hotels – is a must.
With so much to offer, the possibilities for fun and adventure on this island are endless.
Bliss out at the beach
In Phuket, there are plenty of sandy, palm-shaded stretches to suit every type of beach bum, starting with Patong Beach, a bustling beach town famous for its heaving nightspots.
If you’re looking for more family-friendly fun, the 5-kilometre-long Karon Beach is great for activities like beach volleyball, kayaking and parasailing.
Neighboring Kata Beach and its tinier twin, Kata Noi – reputed to be one of the most gorgeous stretches of sand on the island – are equally lovely for a day with the family.
If secluded bliss is what you’re looking for, Banana Rock Beach – a tiny cove flanked by towering palm trees – on the island’s northwestern coast has your name on it.
Just a few minutes south of Patong is the picturesque Freedom Beach, a 300-metre sandy crescent sheltered by jungle-clad hills. This hidden beach is only accessible via long-tail boat between December and June.
Find your Zen
Phuket is home to some of Thailand’s most stunning Buddhist monuments and temples located in serene settings that inspire spirituality.
The most famous of these is The Big Buddha, a majestic, 45-metre tall seated Buddha statue perched atop Nakkerd Hill.
With its white jade marble exterior, the statue – visible anywhere in southern Phuket – is a sight to behold, especially when the Buddha’s face sparkles in the sunshine.
Another oasis of calm is Wat Chalong, a temple complex famed for its 60-metre tall stupa, which is said to house a fragment of the Buddha’s bone.
Make merit the Thai way by offering lotus flowers, lighting joss sticks or, if a wish has been granted, setting off firecrackers.
Walk down memory lane
Phuket prospered from the tin mining boom of the 19th century, and Old Town is a stunning architectural testament to the wealth of the era.
In the heart of Old Town is Soi Rommanee, a quiet street of century-old Sino-Portuguese shophouses – once home to brothels and opium dens – which now house cool cafes, bars and guesthouses.
A little farther afield at the edge of Old Town is where you’ll discover sprawling Sino-Colonial heritage properties, including one of Phuket’s best boutique accommodations, Little Nyonya Hotel.
You can also visit Baan Chinpracha, a two-storey Thai Peranakan mansion built in 1903 by tin tycoon Phra Pitak Chinpracha. The Thai Peranakan, known locally as Phuket Baba, are the island’s Peranakan Chinese community, descended from the union of Chinese immigrants and local women.
For more insight into Thai Peranakan heritage, make a stop at the museum on the mansion’s ground floor, which showcases antiques like carved teak furniture, decorative ceramics and enamel tiffins.
Indulge your appetite
While Phuket’s many night markets are the best spots for quick eats like banana pancakes, barbecued seafood and deep-fried insects, there’s one style of cooking that sets the island apart from the rest of Thailand – Thai Peranakan cuisine.
The Peranakan Chinese legacy makes the cuisine a delicious medley of Chinese and southern Thai flavours.
Popular dishes include moo hong (stewed pork belly), gang moo sapporod (pork and pineapple curry) and khanom chin kang poo or fermented rice noodle balls served with yellow crab curry.
To savour these specialties, book a table at Phuket’s best Thai Peranakan restaurants, such as The Charm Dining Gallery or One Chun Restaurant and Cafe.
Shop for souvenirs
For souvenirs at bargain prices, the best deals can be found at Phuket’s many night markets.
Encompassing 30,000 square metres, Phuket Weekend Market or Talad Tai Rod is the place to score those Chang Beer T-shirts, cheap jeans, bags, perfume and even second-hand shoes.
If you prefer handcrafted gifts like soap flowers and various bric-a-brac, you’ll find them at the Walking Street Night Market that takes over Thalang Road in Old Town on Sundays.
And if you’re willing to splurge, you can’t go wrong with Thai silk scarves, linen shirts and kaftans at one of three Jim Thompson outlets on the island.
You can also purchase strings of cultured South Sea, Akoya and Mabe pearls at Phuket Pearl.
According to airasia.com
