Things to do...
The natural beauty of Phuket
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Phuket’s main attraction is its natural beauty. Its main show – the spectacular sunset view – is free. But what of man-made attractions? Unlike other Southeast Asian tourist destinations there aren’t that many pack-‘em-in parks although one of the better theme shows in the country is located here. If you turn East off the “Two Heroines” monument at the centre of the island you’ll come to the Thalang National Museum. This is an interesting hotchpotch of ancient Thai history and the island’s more recent history. A fine collection of tin boom-era Phuket memorabilia is to be found in Phuket Town’s Thavorn Hotel on Rasada Rd.
For sunset viewing do not fall for the “You must buy a trip to Phrom Thep” trick. Sure, Phrom Thep is a lovely viewing spot at the Southernmost tip of the island, but coach load after coach load of visitors heads down to the location at 6:00 PM daily, making it briefly the most crowded spot on Phuket! If you enjoy being part of the crowd, go for it, Alternatively, almost any West Coast beach or hilltop is a good sunset viewing spot. Better yet, why not enjoy the sunset and an aperitif during happy hour at one of Phuket’s West Coast hotels?
Phuket Old Town Walking Tour
The Sino-Portugese architecture of Phuket’s old town is definitely worth exploring. This tour is unusual in that it is entirely up to you when and where to do it. You are the boss, although we do have some suggestions:
Start your walking tour in the late afternoon if it’s a sunny day. The streets of Phuket’s old quarter run East-West and do not offer a lot of shade but at this time of day they are a lot cooler. You should start your tour on Krabi Road. at Khun Pracha’s house. There is no sign outside but anyone will direct you to this magnificent Chinese mansion. Khun Pracha will show you around and regal you with many amusing anecdotes. He will also show you the visitor’s book filled with extravagant remarks by people like Hollywood director Oliver Stone, who have filmed there. It is considered polite to drop 100 Baht (US $2.50) into the donations jar as you leave.
Heading due East and you will cross a junction into Thalang Road. All manner of enterprises, from wedding dress boutiques to printers’ shops, line the side of this road that time forgot. At the far end, take a sharp right and right again into Phang Nga Road. Here, a bank and a police station stand facing each other. The police station was built to protect the bank when disgruntled Chinese coolies threatened its security back when tin was king on Phuket. Further up Phang Nga Road, you can see the famous On On hotel which featured in the movie The Beach as the Bangkok flophouse where things took a turn for the unexpected for Leonardo. Turn left just before you reach the hotel and another left into busy Rasada Road. Just beyond the Phuket shopping centre stands the Thavorn Hotel. The Thavorn bills itself as being a museum and in a way it is, with an abundance of tin boom memorabilia, quirky period photos and typewriters and keyboards from way back when. Fascinating. As either luck or common sense would have it, there is a bar to wet your historical whistle in the heart of the hotel.
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Weekend Getaways
At heart of Southeast Asia, Phuket is an ideal staring point for short trips to neighbouring countries, especially Malaysia, Singapore and Burma. Check with your hotel front desk for details.
Tours & Weekend Getaways
There is a vast amount for visitors to see and do in Phuket and, for those with a bit of extra time on their hands, in neighbouring provinces and countries. There is no holiday destination that demonstrates clearer the gulf between mass tourism and class tourism than Phuket. Day and overnight tours go to destinations such as Phi Phi Island or Phang Nga Bay but the way in which people are transported there varies wildly.
Phang Nga Bay
The karsts or towering limestone islands and cliffs of this gorgeous national park are well documented on film. Many of the islands have a hollow centre or a “hong” (room) caused by water erosion over thousands of years. The “hong” is often a sanctuary for wildlife. Canoe trips visit these wonders of nature on a daily basis when the tide is low enough for the canoes to slip in. So far so good, but just how many canoe trips can this area stand? As in Central America, many “Eco” tours on Phuket tout their “commitment to the environment” and their “save the planet” ethics as part of their package. What they don’t mention is that there are a couple of dozen other companies doing exactly the same thing so that, by the time you arrive at the sea caves, don’t be surprised or disappointed to encounter 100 other people off rival tour boats.
Then there’s the ubiquitous James Bond Island tour. Typically, this day tour will pick you up from your hotel, drive you to a waiting bus and take you up to the mainland province of Phang Nga where you will visit a wat, or a temple. Then you’ll be driven down to a larger version of a long tail boat and ferried out to James Bond Island. Hawkers, shell vendors and children selling postcards descend on you for the next 30 minutes while you gaze at a curiously shaped rock that featured in the Bond movie "The Man With The Golden Gun". After being bundled back on board you’ll be taken for a lunchtime visit to Koh Panyi, a Muslim village on stilts. Back to the mainland, then the long drive home. This tour will cost roughly US $10 and for the time it takes, it’s pretty good value, although a disproportionate amount of time is spent on the bus. If mass tourism is your thing, go for it, but there are better alternatives.
One option is to rent an individual long tail boat at Bang Rong pier on the East of the island for US $70-100 a day (maximum 6 people). Another is to tour the area in a Junk and enjoy outstanding (TK what kind ??) cuisine.
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Speedboat and Yacht Chartering
Yacht chartering comes in so many sizes, models, and combinations that it is best to contact the chartering companies for details. Speedboats consume a lot of fuel and are expensive. A day out around Phang Nga Bay or to Koh Phi Phi will cost you up to US $400. Still, it is an exhilarating experience to skim over the waves to places where the normal tourism runs do not go. The main trouble is few visitors know where these infrequently visited places are and local speedboat boat crews aren’t renowned for their energy or industriousness. Best to take a local or someone who knows the area. Book through a travel agent or, better still, contact us here at SportMania.
Phi Phi Island
Like James Bond Island, Koh Phi Phi featured in a major movie and has been harvesting the dubious results ever since. Strangely enough, Phi Phi has, in spite of daily invasions for years now, retained most of its charm and is often cited as being in the list of the top 10 most beautiful islands in the world. Maybe this is because there are no cars on Phi Phi. By day, it’s a bustling tourist trap with boats arriving hourly from Phuket and neighbouring Krabi Town. By night, it morphs into a gentle and sometimes mystical location, although new bars keep popping up yearly; a development that will eventually spoil the magic. All in all, staying overnight or longer on Phi Phi is a worthwhile experience. To get there, simply book through a travel agent and they’ll do the rest. Morning picks up from your hotel and a lift to the port is included in the price of the ticket: Usually about US $ 12 upwards. Once on Phi Phi you can shop around for further tours and activities of which there are many, but the best centrally-located tour and hotel service seems to be Charlie’s Bungalows. If you want top-end accommodation please check with your travel agent as demand is high and rooms are few. Shaped like a dumbbell, the island’s centre of activity and pleasure is in the “handle” so finding your way around is fairly simple, although many lose their bearings down the dusty alleys after a few drinks too many.
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Koh Racha Island
Racha (or Raya as the locals call it) lies some 12 kilometers South of Phuket. It’s only about a 30-minute crossing and the snorkeling is superlative, once there. Rent a long tail boat from Rawai Beach for about US $30. Do not rent from Chalong Bay as prices there are unrealistic.
Dinner Cruise
There are two dinner cruise companies operating from Chalong.
Sports & Recreation
It’s been said that Phuket is one enormous playground. Certainly, there are plenty of sporting facilities available but it’s more the spirit of carefree fun that dominates sport and leisure on Phuket rather than the iron will to win.
Mountain Bike and Cycling Tours
For the fit only. Phuket’s terrain is hilly and demanding on cyclists. However, almost every visitor who’s experienced this activity has spoken highly of it. Tours are adaptable, in that you can ride along in the service van if you’ve had enough. You can choose different routes to suit your level of fitness.
Tennis
Tennis courts are to be found either in the many villa complexes that feature around Phuket Town or in hotels themselves.
Regattas/Yacht Racing
There are two regattas every year on Phuket. The King’s Cup Regatta falls at the beginning of December and boats from all over Asia congregate for this impressive event. Results are obtained through a daily newsletter and nightly parties.
The Phuket Phang Nga Bay Regatta is a entirely different kettle of fish. The whole event is much more lighthearted then the K.C.R. and it falls at the Lunar Chinese New Year, around the end of January/beginning of February. Visitors can join in. It’s best to go along to the Ao Chalong Yacht Club on the seafront at Chalong (just North of The Lighthouse) for information or contact with the yachting community. There, you’ll find out where the opening party is and you can generally hitch a lift on a yacht from the Yacht Club itself or from Laem Prow (Yacht Haven) in the North of Phuket on the opening day of the event. It’s odds-on that you’ll find a skipper willing to take you on as crew at the opening party.
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Diving
Mostly a seasonal affair due to decreased visibility from May to October, the diving off Phuket is nevertheless some of the best in the world. Live-aboards will take you to the Similin Islands where the underwater sights and sites are incomparable. Closer by, some dive sites are only an hour away. You can choose where you wish to learn to dive; in a pool or on location.
Snorkeling
The snorkeling off the islands surrounding Phuket is superlative. As a general rule, the further South from the island you go the better it gets. If you wish to snorkel directly off Phuket, then the months of December through March are the best. Most West Coast Beaches except Karon and Surin have good snorkeling sites and the small island off Kata Beach “Koh Pu” is a favorite with moderate swimmers. The stretch of water between Nai Harn Beach and Phrom Thep is another beautiful spot but is a lot more challenging. Best to tackle it in a canoe. There is practically no snorkeling off the East Coast due to poor visibility.
Game Fishing
There’s a variety of good game fish in the waters surrounding Phuket. Sailfish, tuna, marlin, bottom fish and wahoo all abound.
Beauty, Spas & Health Farms
New spas are springing up on Phuket all the time. From the lowliest roadside massage and saunas to the corporate behemoths, you’re spoilt for choice.
210-minute package treatments in higher-range hotels/resorts will cost around US $125 +, 90 minute sessions $55 +. 60-minute scrubs will cost $30 and a facial goes for $50. Of course these prices drop if you wish to go mid-range but there’s nothing quite like being pampered in the luxurious surroundings of a hotel/resort. Some resorts offer a free treatment as part of their room package. Please see our spa listings in the Sports & Leisure section.
For those who like to try out local tastes, roadside herbal saunas are a bargain at $1-2. You’ll pay extra for towel/sarong hire. But, be warned, the massages at these establishments leave a lot to be desired, though. Amateurish at best, painful at worst.
For the perfect combination of a day out and relaxation, try a beach massage. Usually charging around $7.50 an hour, your masseuse will be a middle-aged lady with an easy laugh and a sense of humour. Not only will she massage you but she often is adept at braiding hair and some even administer temporary tattoos! Found on all major beaches. Look for the ladies in yellow and black shirts.
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Spas
Nowadays on Phuket, it seems that any resort or major hotel is incomplete without a spa. Some, such as the Mandara Spa in JW Marriott, are the last word in opulence and good taste and in such demand that it is being expanded after only a year in business. Others, such as the rather unimaginatively named ‘The Spa’ at the Royal Phuket City Hotel are set in more simple surroundings but still deliver the goods, massage-wise. Here’s a list of most of the best on the island.
Cosmetic Surgery & Dentistry
Thailand has some of the best cosmetic surgeons and dentists in the world. Body Enhancement is very common and well practiced.
Laser eye surgery has now come to Phuket. For simple corrective surgery, expect to pay around US $445 per eye. For those with astigmatism you should count on $111 more per eye.
Dental Care is a bargain. If you want your teeth cleaned, scaled and polished you should be paying around US $18. Simple cleaning will cost $12. A crown will cost between $135 to $270 and a partial plate is $178.
Cosmetic surgery. Breast enhancement runs from US $1,778 to $2,500. A full face lift is $ 2,667, including your hospital stay. |
