The third season of The White Lotus is set to drop next year with Thailand as the backdrop and according to Webjet, bookings to Phuket have jumped 37 per cent YOY. You keen? We’ve got your (suntanned) back.
Scented by fresh curries, teeming with designer goods (ahem) you’d never be able to afford back home and with neon/Thai pop everywhere, Phuket’s night markets are an absolute must. The Bangla Night Market on Patong Beach is a people watcher’s but for boho fashion, we suggest the Chillva Market and for food, the Naka Weekend Market is the go.
While the island is justly renowned for its beach bars - more on that in a second - it’s Phuket's rooftop drinking establishments that have hit warp speed in recent years. We love Baba’s Nest in the Sri Panwa Phuket Resort. Or should that be on. Either way, it’s cushions as seats with 360 degree views amid an island sitting in an infinity pool. Add a staggering (quite literally if you don’t pace yourself) 13 pages of drinks and you’ve found a recipe for rooftop bliss. If you want to be on the beach though, Catch Beach Club is party central.
If you’re in the mood for something a little fancy, make a booking at Surf & Turf by Soul Kitchen. The place looks like many other small restaurants in the area but chef Tom Koffers manages to knock out a cavalcade of exquisiteness from his tiny kitchen. One of his creations is pictured here and the sea bass is next level. That said, Phuket is awash with the most excellent street food. Try Metro Roast Duck for Cantonese classics, Chuan Chim for second-generation skills and uber-fresh stir-fries and Go Ang seafood for its mastery of crab dishes.
Look, here at escape.com.au, we are all for a fly and flop. Some of us have made whole careers out of it. But if you do want to set the pulse racing, hop on an ATV through the jungle trails as you make your way to the Big Buddha and its views. You can even add a 10 station zipline option if you’re still thirsting for more adrenaline.
Any hotel worth its five stars will have a lush day spa and charge roughly the same as you pay back home. If you have the cash, we highly recommend The Six Senses. But you really don’t have to spend that much for comparable quality experiences. Thailand is day spa central and Phuket is one of its epicentres. The Turquoise Cove Spa in Kathu is a monochrome Moroccan daydream centred around a private garden and pool. Hello Instagram! We also rate the Santosa Detox and Wellness Centre in the Kata hills, with its 60 treatment rooms, vegan restaurant and residency programs.
Where to start? If you want the air-conditioned mall experience, head to either Central Phuket or Jungceylon. There’s even a Premium Outlet Centre. But for the real deal, it’s gotta be a night market such as Phuket Sunday Street Market, Chillva Market or the Phuket Indy Market. Haggling is okay on the street but mind your manners.
The islands which surround Phuket provide a glimpse into what Thailand may have been like before it became an international tourist mecca. The most striking of its outer islands are Phi Phi and Khai. Find a tour operator who will allow you to hop between both and provide snorkelling gear. Also be sure to check out Monkey Island but hold onto your gear as these little bastards find it hilarious to run away with sunnies.
The Phuket Thai Cooking Academy gets our vote because of the ease of instruction and the versatility - you get to create either five or ten courses from a list of 27 dishes. Bonus points for shopping at a local market for ingredients.
Okay, how do you quantify 'best' here? You can’t. But, we love our dogs here at Escape and the Soi Dog Foundation offers minimum two night stays where volunteers do their part to end the dog and cat meat trade, help walk the pups and cuddle the cats. Over 500 volunteers donate their time every year and emerge all the richer for it.
Buddhism is intrinsically tied to the rhythms of daily life in Phuket, so it’s fitting to start a cultural tour above the town in the Wat Koh Siray temple with its famous reclining Buddha. Then it’s on to Phang Nga Road and a peak at the historic On On Hotel - the city’s first. There’s plenty of time for wandering through the galleries, shops, gardens and cafes before a squiz at the Chinpracha House museum. They’ll even throw in a Thai dinner.
This will inspire fierce debate, so - in no particular order. Freedom Beach (pictured): yes it’s near Patong but the steep trail down to the beach puts many people off. All the better for you though. We also adore Karon Noi Beach but you have to be a guest of the Le Meridien hotel to put your toes in the sand. Finally, the trek to Banana Beach in the north-west of the island is always worth it.
Any elephant-centric tourism rightly throws up the odd red flag. The Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is, however endorsed by National Geographic and World Animal Protection International (do not under any circumstances Google WAP). Its best feature is a 600-metre-long, six-metre-high walkway that gets you way above the herd so you can see them roaming, foraging, bathing and socialising in the forest below.
November to February are generally the best conditions as it can get up to 40C between March and April. Heavy rainfall is often around in September and October.
Yes. Jetstar offers direct flights from Sydney.
The currency of Thailand is the Baht. A$100 is around 2300 Baht. A plate of noodles starts at around 100 baht.
Right now, Smarttraveller.gov.au advises “exercising a high degree of caution to Thailand overall due to the risk of civil unrest and the threat of terrorism, including in Bangkok and Phuket.“
See also:
Never break these etiquette rules in Thailand
7 awesome experiences you can have in Thailand
20 most amazing resorts in Thailand
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