The Best 7 things to do in Phuket
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Phuket is an island located in southern Thailand where thousands of tourists flock to every year.
And it is easy to understand why. This island boasts incredible mountain landscapes, stunning beaches, and is an entry point to visiting the many nearby islands in the Andaman Sea.
The first thing you will notice about Phuket is the laid-back beach vibe and how relaxed locals are. You will commonly see tourists in their beach-ware enjoying fresh fruit juice in local restaurants. Or locals walking around with their flip flops.
While there is so much to expereince in Phuket this guide will provide …
The top 7 BEST things to do in Phuket:
Table of Contents Show
Visit stunning beaches
Now I will say, there are SO many beaches to choose from and I will create a separate post to talk about each beach of them.
But my favorite beach is Kata Noi Beach.
I distinctly remember when I was walking down the steps towards the beach for the first time, I had to catch my breath because of how beautiful the beach was.
It was honestly right out of a movie beautiful.
To see the beauty of Kata Noi Beach and for more details click here.
There are certainly other beautiful beaches around the island, and this list offers my top picks:
Kata Beach
Patong Beach
Karon Beach
Nai Harn Beach
Surin Beach
Mai Khao Beach
Kata Noi Beach
2. Day trip - Phi Phi Islands
There are plenty of islands to visit in the Andaman Sea, with the most iconic island being Phi Phi Island.
Phi Phi Island is best known for its towering limestone cliffs, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and vibrant coral reefs.
The most common way people get to the islands is by booking a day trip online or in person at a local vendor. The boat ride takes about 1-2 hours to get from Phuket to Phi Phi - with most tours stopping by multiple nearby islands along the way.
Pro tip: Book ahead online
I’ve been to Phuket twice. The first time I booked ahead online. The second time I booked in person at a local vendor. My experience from a local vendor was vastly different. We were picked up early from the hotel (and almost left behind) because of the lack of the communication. And the boat ride itself was wild. Truly wild - it felt like something out of Fast and the Furious. Booking ahead allows you to vet vendors by looking at reviews.
Book ahead here
3. Day Trip - Koh Panyee (Floating Fishing Village)
Koh Panyee was established over 200 years ago by fishermen who migrated from Indonesia. The founding families of this small island built their homes on stilts over water, creating a community of families that work, play, and are largely of Muslim faith.
You will often find Koh Panyee paired with a visit to James Bond Island.
To see more of what Koh Panyee looks like click here.
Pro tip: Book ahead! (see the above mentioned story).
As mentioned above, my experience booking with a local vendor was not the greatest. I recommend vetting reviews online and booking in advance.
Book ahead here
4. Visit Big Buddha
Big Buddha sits on top of Nakkerd Hill near Chalong. This Buddha is 150-foot-high and is made of concrete with a marble overlay. The official name of Big Buddha is Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Eknakiri, or Ming Mongkol Buddha. The viewpoint of Big Buddha offers panoramic views of Phuket and is truly a sight to see.
A couple of things to note during your visit:
To enter the grounds, you must dress appropriately.
Covered shoulders, covered thighs, and remove your shoes.
If you are uncovered, a sarong can be rented on-site.
5. Kata Night Market
Address: เมือง Patak Rd, Tambon Karon, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83100, Thailand
If you are staying on the southern portion of Phuket - a vibrant night market is located near Karon Beach. Kata Night Market is the perfect place to grab an easy dinner after you have spent your day on Karon Beach.
You can find so many Thai staples here like satays, pad thai, seafood, fruit drinks, and other delicacies.
Pro tip: bring cash! Dishes are a few hundred thai baht each and you may see that most vendors do not take cards.
There are other Night Markets in Phuket you can enjoy linked here:
6. Visit Phuket Old Town
Phuket Old Town is an area of Phuket with beautiful with brightly pastel painted townhouses that are over one hundred years old. Thaland Road is the main street in Old town and you can find a large variety of both restaurants and souvenir shops here.
Pro tip: I will say Old Town Phuket is a bit of a trek away from all of the beaches down south. A great time to stop by Old Town Phuket would be the day of your arrival in Phuket - plan to make a lunch stop in Old Town Phuket if you can!
7. Samet Nangshe Viewpoint
This stunning viewpoint rounds out my top 7 picks of the best things to do in Phuket. From Samet Nangshe viewpoint you can see the most beautiful panoramic views of Phang Nga Bay with striking limestone formations peaking out of turquoise water.
This breathtaking view offers both stunning sunrise and sunsets.
I mean look at this view!
You may have noticed I only included 7 best things to do (instead of my usual 9).
The reason why is - Phuket is a beachy town. If you are not slowly traveling and enjoying the plenty of beaches there are to enjoy - you may very well be losing the essence of Phuket.
My best recommendation is to take it easy. Relax. Pick items that you ACTUALLY really want to see or do. And do one or two of those items per day. Outside of that soak up the sun, the water, and the fact that you are in Thailand!
Noticeable Omissions
You may have noticed I did not mention:
Tiger Kingdom
Elephant Sanctuaries
Monkey Island
Throughout my visits to Phuket, I did go to all of the above and was so sickened by what I saw.
In Tiger Kingdom, the large adult tigers must very well be drugged to be as docile as they are.
If an elephant in any way shape or form is taught how to behave in a human’s presence it may be done by questionable training methods.
And Monkey Island was such a horrible experience. As soon as we docked and stepped onto the island, we turned around got back into the boat immediately. These monkeys are isolated on their island when boatloads of humans get dropped off to take photos to see this once-natural habitat. Tourists do not behave themselves and instead taunt the monkeys. Monkeys in turn jump on, bite, scream, and are afraid the entire time.
All I can do now is warn others and hope that you may be inspired to not witness this for yourself.
Phuket offers a diverse range of activities from lounging on the world’s best beaches to living like a local exploring local shops, markets and nightlife to island hopping in what feels like a dream.
With Phuket’s stunning beauty it is easy to see why people return again and again.
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Meet Priscilla Wanders
A Texas-born traveler exploring life abroad and documenting all the travels in between.