Travel Bucket Far East

Your Holiday Guide to all Things in Phuket

Your Holiday Guide to all Things in Phuket

Phuket is one of the most desired holiday destinations, it exemplifies beach-related entertainment. Discover the various charms of the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’, with its series of spectacular beaches, bright green waters, historic temples, lively nightlife, the captivating old town, and an extensive range of things to do and places to visit.

From energetic to more tranquil ones, beaches in Phuket have something for everyone. True to its Thai-ness, this destination is traditionally wealthy and is home to numerous gorgeous temples – from the magnificent Wat Chalong and the tranquil Jui Tui Shrine to the popular Big Buddha on Nakkerd Hills, which is certainly a must-see. 

With its picture-perfect heaven, you could drive on the cliff roads and take in the magnificent coastline, get a kayak and explore the ocean, or select guided tours of the offshore caverns and concealed inlets—thrilling encounters in Phuket await you!

Shake up your adventurous side as you also treat yourself to exhilarating water sports such as windsurfing, and parasailing or try scuba diving to the depths of the ocean at the popular James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay. Travel Center offers cheap flights to Phuket so that you can explore the countless attractions that this destination has to provide!

Suggested Read: Done with the regular holidays in 2021? Here’s where your next trip should be

Top Must-Visit Places in Phuket

Phi Phi Island

One of the main places to visit in Phuket is the popular Phi Phi island where you could relish the lively discos and thumping music throughout the night. Recognized for its energetic ambience and wild get-togethers, the island is a sanctuary for party-goers. But if that’s not to your liking, you could also enjoy the sun, sand, and sea on the gorgeous beaches. Cliffs protruding out into the turquoise waters, perfect blue skies, and immaculate coastlines are the main features of the Phi Phi Islands. Take part in watersports activities, go shopping, and try tasty native curries. See tangerine sunsets above the ocean and submerge yourself into the unmatched pure charm of Phi Phi.

Hat Patong

Nearly 50 years of constant growth has converted Hat Patong from a private beach into a holiday destination famous for its dusk-to-dawn nightlife. Situated on Phuket’s west coast, the metropolis of Patong is filled with hundreds of restaurants, discos, bars, and clubs, many of which are positioned around Bangla Road. Quieter parts of the city consist of classy shops and distinctive boutiques. Despite the city’s development, with its picturesque half-moon shaped bay and extensive sandy coastline, the beach is still one of the loveliest in Thailand.

Hat Karon

Get your cheap flights to Phuket and visit Hat Karon situated only a brief drive away from the busy Patong, and Karon Beach is also known as the second most famous place to see in Phuket. With huge resorts bordering the shoreline, Hat Karon draws travellers who are looking for comfortable lodgings that make it easy to unwind and revel in the sun, sea, and sand. From idle walks on the island’s third lengthiest beach to snorkelling, and diving adventures amongst the coral reefs situated at the southern tip of the sand, activities in Hat Karon are based around the water. A range of brilliant seafood restaurants adds to Hat Karon’s charm.

Suggested Read: A Splendorous holiday in the Far East

Hat Kata

Recognized as Hat Karon’s sister beach, Hat Kata is positioned to the south of its sibling and consists of two expanses of golden sand divided by a stony headland. In the northern section, the transparent waters and comparatively secure swimming conditions of Hat Kata Yai make it a family favourite. Numerous resorts, restaurants, and stores are found across the road near the beach. The more private Kata Noi Beach is a tiny cove snuggled amid wooded hills. Thrilling waves draw surfers to Kata Noi in the monsoon season, and the beautiful setting lures travellers throughout the year.

Phuket Town

Grab your cheap flights to Phuket and visit the capital and biggest metropolis which provides a traveller an opportunity to go back in time and tour the island’s wealthy past. Tin mining made Phuket a flourishing town in the 19th century, and most of the city’s appeal comes from the marvellous Sino-Portuguese architecture constructed during this thriving time. With its lines of closely crowded and vibrantly painted stores, the Old Town is a must for shoppers searching for Phuket specialities such as pewter and batik attire. The spectacular Trompe-l’œil paintings of the Phuket Trickeye Museum make it a can’t-miss appeal as well.

Hat Rawai

Although Hat Rawai was the primary tourist beach established on Phuket, it’s better identified today as a starting off point for island-hopping excursions. The southern-facing beach is mainly used as a port for long-tail, speed boats, and fishing boats. A newly constructed pier offers relaxing walks, but it’s the Sea Gypsies Fish Market located near it that makes a tour to Hat Rawai worthwhile. Fishermen hawk an extensive collection of recently caught seafood. Across the road is a line of family-owned restaurants that will prepare the purchased fish.

Hat Surin

For a classy beach holiday in Phuket, it’s hard to defeat the facilities provided at the extravagant resorts situated amongst the stunning homes on the island’s alleged Millionaire’s Row. Expensive resorts in the region provide everything from spa treatments and Thai cooking classes to elephant rides. Bordered with slightly swaying casuarina trees, the west coast beach has gorgeously groomed sand and transparent water. For most of the year, Hat Surin’s tranquil waters make it perfect for snorkelling and kayaking, so book your cheap flights to Phuket right now. Keep in mind though that powerful currents in the offseason could make swimming dangerous.

Hat Kamala

Situated to the north of Patong, Hat Kamala is a serene, charming beach that’s perfect for swimming, snorkelling, and sunbathing. The north part of Hat Kamala has a coral reef that offers undersea adventures while the rest of the beach consists of a sandy seafloor that’s ideal for wading. Found at the south end of this vacant beach is Wat Baan Kamala, a Buddhist temple, which has images and figurines portraying the Buddha’s life. With dramatic productions displaying the folklores and legends of Thailand, the neighbouring Phuket Fantasea theme park is a brilliant place for families to see the country’s traditional heritage.

Hat Nai Han

Frequently known as Hat Nai Harn, Nai Han is an isolated beach situated at the southernmost point of Phuket Island. As home to the Nai Han abbey, this serene beach has freed itself from overdevelopment, even though there are numerous luxury resort hotels beside the shoreline and also a dock for travelling yachts. Hat Nai Han is also next to Phromthep Cape, one of Phuket’s most famous viewpoints. Every evening, travellers from all around Phuket come to view the sunset. Daring tourists climb down a stony path to the brink of the headland to enjoy the best scenery.

Cape Panwa

The cape that extends out from the southeastern point of Phuket is home to plenty of appeals worth exploring, which include Khao Khat, or Panwa Beach. While the sand is rougher than beaches elsewhere on the island, a couple of locations in Phuket are as unharmed by development as Panwa. While there are a couple of amenities on the beach itself, a stay in one of the coastal villas provides travellers with an opportunity to take delight in a calm and serene holiday in ideal comfort. Close by is the newly refurbished Phuket Aquarium where tourists could walk across a long underwater tunnel for up-close looks at aquatic life varying from sharks to stingrays.

Hat Mai Khao

Grab your Cheap Flights to Phuket and make sure you take a trip to Hat Mai Khao, which is a beach on the northwestern point of Phuket. It’s also recognized as Airport Beach, as its nearby the airport. The northern part is famous as Hat Sai Khao, an extensive sandy beach with thickets of Casuarina trees beside the coast. The region around Mai Khao is still very tranquil and undeveloped as it is a portion of the Sirinat National Park. On quieter days it is still possible to take a stroll for several kilometres without seeing another person. A brief distance out into the water, there is an abrupt drop off into the Andaman Sea, making swimming treacherous from May until November.

Suggested Read: Top 5 Bioluminescent beaches in Thailand that will blow your mind

Best Things to do in Phuket

Take a Trip to Kata Noi Beach

Book cheap flights to Phuket and take a trip to Kata Noi beach which is a tiny cove just a short distance from Kata beach, it’s small but the landscape is magnificent, take some time to unwind, stroll down the gorgeous sands or perhaps go for a swim. From the Kata viewpoint you could look over at the coves of Karon, Kata and Kata Noi, the ideal time to explore the beach is amid November and April as swimming could occasionally become treacherous in the monsoon season.

Have a Tour of the Chalong Bay Rum Distillery

For any ardent rum drinkers, the Chalong Bay Rum Distillery is sure to arouse your appetite, they make high-end white rum which is now beginning to be noticed all over the world. There’s plenty to do when you visit the distillery, begin by going on a tour where you will discover more about the way the rum is made before taking a look at the work that happens behind the scenes. The last portion of the trip is in the cocktail workshop and bar, where you would learn how to prepare numerous cocktails that all consist of Chalong Bay Rum and then unwind while you taste them.

Come and See the Phuket Big Buddha

This enormous Buddha is one of the most popular monuments in all of Phuket, resting at the summit of the Nakkerd Hills, and standing at forty-five meters in height, it is very hard to miss. From the summit of the hill, you can get a sweeping view of the island. When you are at the Buddha, you would see that it is very quiet here aside from the sound of dharma music and some tiny bells. The Buddha is created from white Burmese marble and sparkles stylishly in the sun.

Visit the Nai Harn Beach

Located in the south of the island is Nai Harn Beach, it is a famous beach with thousands of travellers each year, but it is still somewhat intact and upholds a lot of its uniqueness. With gorgeously soft sand and sparkling water, you would straightaway see why the beach is so well-known. Set-up beneath the shade of the huge trees you would find several restaurants selling famous Thai cuisines, and also numerous souvenir stores selling native novelty products, beachwear and floats.

Take a Stroll to Karon View Point

Found just to the south of Kata Noi Beach is Karon View Point, it is the most famous viewpoint in Phuket and is usually packed with tourists every day. The viewpoint looks out above the Andaman Sea in one direction, and the other direction points to the three west coast beaches on the other part of the island. If you enjoy looking at white sandy beaches and gorgeous blue seas, you would understand why it is so crowded at the summit.

Take a Trip to Wat Chalong

For over a century, Wat Chalong has been open to tourists, when you arrive there’s plenty to see, beginning with Poh Jao Wat which has two figurines of elderly men, one is Ta Khee-Lek (a native who won numerous lotteries after he had gone to see the Poh Than Jao Wat statue), the other is known as Nonsi. Perhaps the main feature of your trip would be the Grand Pagoda which has a tiny piece from the bone of Lord Buddha, the pagoda is stunningly adorned with Buddha images and pictures that show his life story.

Go Shopping at Phuket Town Weekend Night Market

Recognized by the residents as Naka Market and located just a short distance away from Phuket Town is a night market like no other. There are all kinds of things to buy like fruits, old curiosities, animals and clothes. This is quite a famous event with both the natives and tourists, and it is ideal if you could visit during the late afternoon to make sure you get a good look around before it becomes crowded. Make the most of the cheap native foods on sale such as the golden buttered corn on the cob.

Hang Out at the Tiger Kingdom

If you have ever craved to get close up to a tiger, this is the place to do it, the Phuket Tiger Kingdom hand raises Indochinese tigers in confinement from birth until their last days. The tigers normally get fed at about 19:00 hours, but it is also worth a visit when they open first thing to evade the crowds. The kingdom has two restaurants on-site in case you get hungry, one of which lets you look out at the tigers.

Learn to Cook at a Thai Cooking Class

Phuket has so many diverse places that provide cooking classes that it is worth taking a lesson while you are there. You would see that a lot of the native food you have in Thailand is distinctive to the Thai food you have in your home country; it somehow doesn’t have the edge that it does when prepared in Thailand. By taking a class, you would learn about the ingredients and gather up the useful skills to continue cooking when you go back home. Several places provide morning, afternoon, or entire day packages, and you always get to eat what you have made.

Spend a Night Out on Bangla Road

When the sun goes down, the Bangla Road closes to traffic, and the road comes alive. The street is filled with bars, most of which are outside as you effortlessly travel from one bar to the next. There are usually street entertainers looking for you to part with your hard-earned cash in return for a couple of minutes’ entertainment, and also vendors trying to get you into their ping pong shows or tailor shops.  A positive atmosphere fills the air as you walk down the street, all the beer girls and restaurant proprietors contest for your business keeping the prices cheap and offering endless fun.     

So if you’re searching for a sultry Thai island that could do it all – family-friendly resorts to smooth extravagant sanctuaries, beers in a hammock to cocktails at classy beach clubs – you couldn’t be better placed than on Phuket.  

Get in touch with Travel Center today and book your cheap flights to Phuket and experience all that this stunning destination has to offer!

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