10 Things to do in Phuket – Thailand – TREKwithBECK

Phuket is undoubtedly a spot that will be on your Thailand itinerary! Whether you plan on mainly visiting here or just passing through, Phuket is worth a few days of your time. When you think of Phuket you are probably thinking, tourists, busy and partying! Yes, Phuket is all of those things, but there are few off the beaten track things you can do as well. I have been to Phuket twice now, once when I was younger and for partying (it is good fun). The second, a little older and looking to explore a bit more. Either way, this town does have something for everyone.

I would recommend spending at least 2 days here – I only say this as I know Phuket is a love or hate designation for a lot of travellers! However, if you are flying to southern Thailand internationally, it is most likely going to be the airport you fly into – so it’s worth checking out for a few days.

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How to get to Phuket

The best way to get to Phuket if you are coming from an international destination is to fly straight into Phuket airport. This airport is fairly large and has multiple international flight paths. It is then about an hours drive to Phuket old town or Patong Beach. If you are travelling internally through Thailand, there are multiple buses and minivans which operate, dropping you off at either Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 bus station.

Looking for cheap flights? I used Skyscanner to book and look up all my flights for my travels – for the best travel deals!

Where to say in Phuket?

There are several areas you can stay in Phuket the three most popular being; Old Town, Patong Beach and Karon Beach. Phuket is very easy to get around, so it doesn’t really matter which area you stay, it depends on how close you’d like to be to certain attractions.

If you are looking for beach clubs, partying, beaches, markets and shopping – I would stay in Patong Beach.

For shopping, culture, night markets and to be closer to the airport – I would stay in Old Town.

If you want something quieter and away from the busy tourist spots – I would stay in Karon Beach.

If you stay in Patong Beach and are a backpacker I HIGHLY recommend staying at Lub D Patong Beach. This is the nicest hostel I have ever stayed out – it barely feels like a hostel. It’s in a central location, 5 min walk to the beach and markets. It has a pool, restaurant and the hostel has activities each day. It’s worth checking out!

As I said above, getting around Phuket is very easy. There are plenty of tuktuk drivers and taxis on the streets, waiting and offering tours/pickup/drop offs. You will need to negotiate prices with them. If you want to explore Phuket on your own, I would say rent a scooter. It is a busy town with lots of hills/sharp corners. So I don’t recommend this for newbie scooter drivers. The other option is to complete a lot of the activities via a tour, they will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. OR download Grab and catch taxi motorbikes/cars around without hassle.

1. Party on Bangla Road

If you are a party person or not, you have to check out Bangla Road in Phuket. It is chaotic, beautiful, interesting and overall a unique place. Most of the time when people think of Phuket they think of this famous road. Bangla Road is located in Patong Beach, which is the party central of Phuket. Bangla Road is filled with bars and clubs, loud music and people pressuring you to go into their establishment. It can be overwhelming but can also be a good time!

There are night markets and food stalls that line the outskirts of the road, so you can walk down the street to check it out and also do a bit of shopping. Bangla Road operates to the early hours of the morning, so if you like to party, this is the place for you! Your hostel will most likely have a pub crawl as well, which will take you along this strip.

The Khai Islands are three small islands located off the coast of Phuket. I did a half day tour here and although it was busy, I loved them! All three islands have beautiful beaches – some bigger than others, crystal clear waters and okay snorkelling. You will need to book a tour to visit these islands, which is why they get so busy. The tour I went on was 4 hours, which was plenty of time to explore, this included transport to and from my hotel.

These islands are still relatively unknown, but unfortunately they have been renovated to accommodate tourists. By this I mean the beaches are filled with beach chairs, where you have to pay to sit, leaving very little beach. There are a few restaurants and you will most likely be ambushed by people trying to sell activities like jet skiing and banana boats. Nevertheless I liked this islands and it was a nice little day trip. I would recommend this to be high on your list, but if you have extra time it’s worth checking out!

3. Day trip to Koh Phi Phi

If you are short on time, but still want to visit Koh Phi Phi, you can book a day tour from Phuket! These tours include hotel pick up, lunch and visiting the popular destinations such as Maya Bay. This is a great option, which I would recommend you check out. The tours run for about 8-10 hours. I would honestly recommend this over visiting Phi Phi for a few days. I have been to Phi Phi twice and it is an overhyped island, there isn’t the best beaches there and the best thing to do is a day tour (which is the same activities included in the one above). Koh Phi Phi is party island, so if you like partying visit and stay. If you don’t I would book this tour from Phuket!

4. James Bond Island

Another extremely popular tour to complete while in Phuket! The famous James Bond Island – an island in Phang Nga Bay where a James Bond movie was filmed. Most of these tours include kayaking around Phang Nga Bay which is a beautiful spot, with breathing scenery. I didn’t complete this on my recent travels, as I visited on my last trip to Thailand in 2017. This tour is worth doing, it is busy and crowded, but what isn’t in Phuket! You can also complete a hiking tour in the Phang Nga Bay for sunrise, if you want something a little bit off the beaten track.

This is a tour I would recommend.

Photo by Satheesh Cholakkal on Pexels.com

5. Coral Island

By far one of the best beach I have visited in Thailand. This island is located 20mins via a speed boat off Phuket. I did a half day tour but you can book full day tours if you wish. The half day tour gave me 3 hours on this island, which I think was plenty of time. What I loved about Coral Island was that is was quiet. It is busy, don’t get me wrong! But if you walk down to the end of the beach, you can have a private spot all to yourself. The water here is crystal clear and the snorkelling is incredible.

There are beach chairs and restaurants along the beachfront, you do get a beach chair included in the tour but can book a private one for extra. If you want to escape the hustle of Phuket, I highly recommend booking a tour to come to Coral Island!

6. Similan Islands

Somewhere I WISH I had time to go! The Similan Islands are a continental archipelago in the Andaman Sea ,part of the Phang Nga Province. These islands look beautiful, with crystal clear waters and magical coastlines. This was very high on my list – but there was a catch!

These islands can be visited from Phuket but it is going to be a long day. Do expect a day trip from Phuket to take anywhere between 10-14 hours. This is because the islands are off the coast of Khao Lao (better to do the tour from here), which is a few hours north of Phuket. As Phuket traffic can be horrible, you need to factor in you may be stuck in traffic for a long time. I would also check the weather before booking this tour, as the speedboat out to the islands can be a little rough! I have also been told the islands shut at certain times of the year.

Nether the less, these islands are very high on my bucket list and I would recommend visiting them if you have time and the chance. I have put a few tours to the Similan Islands from Phuket below.

An iconic attraction in Phuket – the Big Buddha. This activity can easily be completed by yourself, and you don’t need to book a tour to visit here. This is a statue of the Maravija Buddha, this 45 metre high statue can be seen from most places in Phuket. It is free entry to visit the Big Buddha, and has 94 steps to reach the top.

To get here you can catch a taxi, tuk tuk or grab from anywhere in Phuket. I would recommend grab as its a set price and your don’t need to barter – you can also catch a grab motorbike which will get you there quicker. This is best listed for sunrise or sunset – plus its a lot cooler which will make those steps a bit easier (let’s hope!)

Photo by Phakchira Sukcharearn on Pexels.com

8. Old Phuket Night Market

There are many night markets in all areas of Phuket, including Old Phuket, Karon and Patong Beach. I believe the Old Phuket Night Market is the best! This market runs every Sunday, and is located in old Town Phuket. Here you can buy souvenirs, clothing, local street food and much more. There is also entertainment spread out across the street. The street itself is beautiful, with coloured painted houses which line the strip. It really is quite beautiful, especially at sunset. The food is cheap too! For 200 Baht (about $9 AUD), I was able to get a mochi, fruit smoothie, Thai basil chicken, cookie and corn dog. Highly recommend if you are in Phuket on a Sunday.

9. Beach hopping

There are plenty of beautiful beaches in the Phuket area, which would make great little day trips. Whether you are staying in Karon, Patong or Old Town, there will be a beach nearby! As I recently stayed in Patong Beach, I can recommend Freedom Beach and Patong Beach. You will have to organise transport to Freedom beach, wither grab taxi or taxi boat (200 baht return). I have also been told that sometimes locals try to charge you for entry to Freedom Beach, and honestly this is a small cost which isn’t worth arguing about. Patong Beach is a great beach for watching the sunset, getting a meal or having a drink!

10. Thai Cooking Class

If you have some spare time or simply love cooking/Thai food – why not do a cooking class! This is a fun way to learn how to make some of the most popular Thai dishes from scratch and the authentic way. For example the one below you will make Tom Yum Soup, Pad Thai and Mango Sticky rice. This is a fun half day activity and a good way to test your culinary skills!

I would recommend this one, as it has excellent reviews and includes hotel pick up.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Pexels.com

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