20 Things To Do In Phuket
If you’re looking for some fun things to do in Phuket then check out this list of “20 Things to do in Phuket“. This isn’t in any particular order but I have put together some of the local attractions I have enjoyed the most.
If you come from other places in Thailand like Chiang Mai you will notice that things are quite more expensive here than anywhere else. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time, it just means you’ll be paying 100 baht for local dishes that are usually like 50 or 60 baht anywhere else. Phuket is the largest island in Thailand and would honestly just be a peninsula is it wasn’t for the narrow waterway and bridge to the north.
There are also a ton of tourists here as well as many farang (foreigners) living here, particularly Russians. I live in a condo in Kathu in the middle of the island, so I can get to most places relatively easily from my central location. If you’re just coming as a tourist I would recommend staying around Patong because that is close to most of the nice beaches on the west side of the island as well as the most exciting nightlife scene. There are other worthwhile things to do in Phuket in the old town and further south on the island which I will mention below.
1) Laem Promthep Viewpoint
Promthep Cape viewpoint is the most popular viewpoint on the island where masses of people come to take sunset pictures. This beautiful viewpoint overlooks the Andaman Sea and the small island of Ko Pu.
2) Patong Beach
Patong beach is the most popular area for tourists and most widely known beach on the island. You can hangout with friends and catch a tan, go jet skiing or parasailing or swimming. This is a fun beach to hangout at with friends if you don’t mind all the people around.
3) Freedom Beach
Freedom Beach is bar far the most difficult thing to do in Phuket on this list. It is located south of Patong on your way to Karon Beach on this terrible road (which I assume they will fix and pave one day), then, once you arrive at the parking lot, its a pretty steep and tough hike down about 700m to the beach. The beach is beautiful, far less touristy than many of the other places here and I especially enjoy snorkeling here. There are also these little mudskippers and crabs all over the rocks on the sides of the bay, if you’re into that sort of thing. Otherwise, it’s a great place to take pics and relax. Entry is 200 bath if you take a taxi because they’ll bring you to a private property entrance. If you drive your motorbike or walk from the road then you can enter another way for free.
4) Kata Beach
Kata Beach is a nice family friendly beach located south of Karon Beach. It has great waves for surfing and nice restaurants and quiet nightlife for those who come to Phuket to relax and not to party.
5) Wat Chalong
Wat Chalong is Phuket’s largest and most revered temple, containing history dating back to the 1800s and also posessing a relic bone of Buddha which is displayed in a glass case in the top of the temple tower. Her you can provide offerings, release fish and other marine life into the lake for good luck, attend a monk prayer healing, have your fortune told by using the numbered stick drawings or just explore the temples. This is a really cool pace to visit.
6) Big Buddha
Big Buddha or Phra Putthamingmongkolekanagagiri is another one of the most popular things to do in Phuket since they began construction in the early 2000’s. The views up on the Nakkerd Hills provide very pleasant scenery of the surrounding areas and the 45m tall statue can also be seen from several other points on the island.
7) Khao Khad Viewpoint
Khao Khad road and viewpoint are located on the Southeastern side of the island on Cape Panwa. The views overlooking the bay are exceptional and the area is very clean. Great for bike rides and sunsets. You can also see Big Buddha on the opposite side on top of the hill.
8) Cafe Del Mar
Cafe Del Mar is located on Kamala beach and is one of the best things to do in Phuket if you are looking for an awesome scene, good music, nice beach, great food and drinks. This place is one of my favorite spots for day drinking or pool parties. They always have great dancers and events as well as the occasional storm trooper performances.
9) Illuzion
Illuzion is a famous nightclub located on Soi Bangla. They have 4 international djs, enormous multi-level bars and dance areas. Over 300 vip seats and tables as well a capacity of over 5000, this place is always busy, always playing good music and is a great place to party until 4 or 5am.
10)Kamala Beach
The amazing theme park Phuket FantaSea is located at Kamala Beach, an experience you won’t want to miss. Kamala Beach is very clean and peaceful located in a relatively undeveloped part of Phuket which is still more like a village than the rest of the island. This beach is great for sunsets or laying out during the day.
11) Bangala Walking Street (Soi Bangla)
Bangla road is the heart of Phuket nightlife where you can find no shortage of bars, girls, shops and restaurants. In this area you can watch ping-pong shows, party til 5am, pick up a working girl or ladyboy if that’s what you’re into. This is the place everyone wants to be at night if you are looking to have a good time then pull up a seat and share a bucket with a couple friends because its going to be a fun and interesting evening.
12) Laem Singh Beach
Laem Singh Beach is one of Phuket’s most beautiful beaches and hides on the west coast between Kamala and Surin beaches. Being nestled in a steep-sided bay, lined with nodding palm trees and dotted with giant boulders, it has the feel of a secret beach.
13) Surin Beach
Surin Beach is naturally beautiful and has a ton of parking space. The rows of palm trees make it an excellent place to lounge around for a day and there are still a few restaurants located here to dine at. This was apparently a much more lively part of the island until older clubs and restaurants closed down making a more peaceful place to visit.
15) Khao Rang Hill
Kaho Rang Hill is the best place to view Phuket town during day or night. It has a nice platform viewpoint overlooking the “city” but I would recommend heading up there for the food and view at Tung Ka cafe. There are a bunch of friendly soi dogs living up there you can visit and feed and there are rumors of monkeys around sometimes too.
15) Paradise Beach
Paradise beach is a private beach located south of Patong, it has its own outdoor performance area, bars and restaurant as well as volleyball and other beach activities. It costs 200 baht per person unless you are a Thai National. The view is opposite of Patong and although its a private beach, there are usually still quite a few people here. When you get to the top parking area there is a free shuttle down to the beach.
16) Windmill Viewpoint
Windmill Viewpoint is located between Ya Nui and Nai Harn beaches in south Phuket. Not far from Cape Phromthep, it has several windmills facing out to sea that look like airplane propellers. This hilltop viewpoint features west coast vistas similar to Phromthep but is much quieter and way less crowded. I honestly prefer the view here better.
17) Chillva Night Market
Chillva Night Market is an exciting and entertaining little nightly market you can visit just outside of Phuket town. It has live music, bars, many cheap food stands and a bunch of shopping from clothing, to stickers and even gadgets. This is a place I bring many of my couchsurfers and friends that visit, plus you can get pad thai for like 25 baht!
18) Karon Beach
Karon Beach is one of the longest beaches in Phuket and the 3rd in beach popularity. Karon enjoys a huge stretch of white sand with a decent choice of dining and nightlife. And yet it never seems to draw crowds of tourists (which might actually be a good thing).
19) Rawaii Beach
Rawaii Beach is nice to look at but is not a place for swimming. That being said, it’s an excellent place to visit if you are already in the area visiting Promthep Viewpoint. Ther are a TON of restaurants and bars to eat and drink at, the atmosphere is nice and nowhere near as noisy as Patong. During low tide its an excellent place to walk around and check out the marine life, especially if you have kids and you’re looking for family-friendly things to do in Phuket.
20) Bang Tao Beach
Bang Tao lies between Kamala/Surin and Nai Yang Beaches and is where some of the most luxurious hotels and resorts on Phuket are found at Laguna Phuket. If you’re planning on staying at a high end resort chances are you may be around here.
20 Things To Do In Phuket
Phuket is so big and has so many things to do I could have written for days but chose these places just because I like them. There are plenty of other things to do like Sunday night market in Phuket town, Muay Thai fights and more!
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