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Unusual and Unique Things To Do in Phuket
As a top tourist destination, Phuket undoubtedly has many activities and attractions around the island. While it’s normal to focus on beaches and islands, there are also less touristy activities available that are underrated. Read on to find out the different and unusual things to do around Phuket for a unique and memorable local holiday experience.
Visit Markets and Local Shopping Haunts
While Phuket does not have the famously massive and quirky markets of Bangkok, like the Chatuchak Weekend Market or the Maeklong Railway Market, it does have some interesting offerings for bargain hunters. If shopping is on top of your list of things to do in Phuket, the following are some of the must-visit places for unique finds.
1. Phuket Weekend Market
This is probably the most popular of the markets in Phuket, as well as being the biggest. A warren of covered aisles in Phuket Town, its size and bizarre layout makes it surprisingly easy to get lost. Noteworthy landmarks, however, include the food zone at the western end, the fashion zone at the eastern end and the mostly electrical bit along the northern edge. Being under a corrugated metal and with very little ventilation, it can get a bit stuffy, especially when it gets busy, so it’s best to visit just as it’s opening, around 4pm. As the name suggests, it only runs on Saturdays and Sundays.
2. Phuket Town Walking Street
The charming Phuket Old Town becomes a great place to find unique trinkets and local food every Sunday from about 4pm onward. The colorful Thalang Road, with its historical Sino-Portuguese buildings, contemporary street art and quirky eateries, makes a great backdrop to this open-air market. The size of this one is a little limited, however, as it basically consists of a row of stalls down the middle of the road. You can easily walk from one end of the market to the other within an hour, even allowing time to stop to enjoy the various live entertainments.
3. Karon Temple Market
The Karon Temple Market is probably the most “local” market in Phuket, running from about 16:00 hrs every Tuesday and Friday in the grounds of the intricately decorated Karon Temple or Wat Suwan Khirikhet. While you can find the usual touristy souvenirs and trinkets and a good choice of snacks, you will find more handicrafts and local wares, as well as a genuinely local atmosphere.
4. Malin Plaza
If you’re staying in a Phuket resort near Patong, Malin Plaza is an excellent place to enjoy budget meals. Located right at the southern end of the popular town, it has a fairly limited selection of clothes and souvenir stalls, but a massive choice of food vendors, serving up a huge array of dishes at extremely good prices. The market is open daily from 14:00 hrs and, not being as tightly packed as the Weekend Market, doesn’t get too hot or crowded.
5. Jungceylon Phuket
If you’d like to cool off while shopping, consider visiting Jungceylon Shopping Mall at Patong Beach, a shopping and leisure destination at the top of Soi Bangla. Jungceylon is a complete lifestyle center for shopping, drinking, dining, and entertainment. It houses international brands, a multiplex cinema, and various bars and restaurants. There’s even a shooting range bar, with real bullets! For the more faint-hearted, there’s the laser shooting range.
If you’re up for a unique experience, try the fish foot spas, where tiny fish eat the dead skin of your feet, leaving them smooth and exfoliated! In the evening, catch the beautiful water and light show, which runs daily.
Visit Religious Temples & Shrines in Phuket
Temples and shrines are the most notable attractions in Phuket. Two of the most popular religious sites on the island are in Chalong – Wat Chalong and Phuket Big Buddha, which you can enter at no cost.
6. Wat Chalong Temple
Wat Chalong in Phuket is the most popular Thai Temple on the island and is one of the cultural highlights to see. Wat Chalong is an 18th-century temple. Its centerpiece is a 60-foot grand pagoda, which houses many Buddhist statues and images. A staircase takes you to the top of the pagoda, where a viewing platform offers great views over the entire site. As a place of worship, you’ll observe many locals offering prayers and lighting candles. A visit is generally a very peaceful experience, but one that is often interrupted by Chinese firecrackers to ward off bad spirits.
7. Phuket Big Buddha
Close to Wat Chalong stands the Big Buddha, another of Phuket’s top religious spots. To visit Big Buddha, you must drive up the mountainside to see the stunning 45-meter-tall white marble Buddha statue at the summit. Seeing this Buddhist symbol and landmark up close is a great experience as it also offers some of the best panoramic views in Phuket.
Visit Historical Spots
8. Phuket Old Town
Phuket’s beaches and stunning natural surroundings have paved the way for the island to become a lucrative and famous tourist destination, but before this, it was other natural resources such as tin and rubber that attracted Chinese migrants to the islands in the 19th Century.
Whilst much of the evidence of this booming industry around the island has been lost, it is within the densely packed streets and sois of Phuket Old Town that you can experience glimpses of the Chinese culture known as “Baba” and in the beautifully restored Sino-Portuguese buildings and Chinese shop-houses you can gain a sense of what that culture must have been like during this period.
In some ways, the lifestyle of the inhabitants of Phuket Old Town has remained unchanged. Amongst the trendy cafes and modern bars that cater to the island’s expanding local and expat population, you’ll find traditional businesses such as printing, textiles, hardware, and wholesalers as well as traditional local-style restaurants and noodle shops.
Other unique things to do in Phuket Town include numerous beautiful Chinese and Buddhist shrines, colonial style museums and mansions and Thavorn’s own Phuket History Museum located in the beautifully restored lobby of the Thavorn Hotel.
Visit the Jungle and an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary
One of the most exciting and unusual things to do in Phuket is the jungle trekking experience. Elephant trekking tours take you through thick jungles and on various adventures, including white water rafting, zip line, and ATV-riding. Tours may also offer elephant feeding, buffalo cart rides, and rubber plantation tours. While some tours are based in Phuket, others offer excursions in Phang Nga province and Khao Sok National Park.
9. Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
We support ethical tourism and recommend ethical elephant sanctuaries that serve as the final home for retired elephants who have suffered from working in the logging and tourism industry. As the first ethical elephant tourism experience in Phuket, the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary rescues sick, injured and old elephants, welcoming them back into their indigenous habit. Your visit will include venturing into the sanctuary and exploring the canopy walks, learning about the elephants and interacting with these majestic animals.
Visit Phuket's Viewpoints
Viewpoints are the best spots to take pictures with no cost, so visiting them is certainly a must.. There are many viewpoints to choose from; explore popular spots and hidden gems in Phuket.
10. Karon Viewpoint
Standing at the top of a hill, you can enjoy panoramic views out over the Andaman Sea, which, from this elevated viewpoint, stretches endlessly towards the distant horizon. What’s unique about this spot is the view of the three-bay cove with Kata Noi, Kata, and Karon beaches.
11. Promthep Cape
Promthem Cape or Laem Promthem is one of the top sightseeing destinations in Phuket, offering iconic sunset photo opportunities in all directions. For this reason, Phromthep Cape is often crowded with tour buses and motorbikes, but it’s nevertheless a must-see destination in Phuket.
Visit Local Dining Options
Trying Thai cuisine is one of the highlights of any trip to Phuket. From street food stalls in markets to heritage restaurants in Phuket Old Town, there are so many to choose from! Discover hidden gems and dining spots serving tasty local fare anywhere you go in Phuket.
We recommend trying the most popular local breakfast places in Phuket:
12. Boon Rat Restaurant and Juan Heng Restaurant
Dim sum is one of the most popular Phuketian breakfasts! Many places are easy to find in Phuket Town, such as Boon Rat Restaurant and Juan Heng Restaurant. Ready-made dim sum comes in small dishes, with a few pieces per serving. Enjoy a variety of dim sum with sweet and spicy sauces or black vinegar sauce.
13. Kanom Jeen Saphan Hin and Baan Bang Kan
Kanom Jeen are fresh, thin rice noodles eaten with various kinds of curry. Among the most popular versions in Phuket are Kanom Jeen Nam Ya, served with a hot and spicy fish-based sauce, Kanom Jeen Tai Pla, a southern Thai spicy soup, and Kanom Jeen with Green Curry. Head to Kanom Jeen shops like Kanom Jeen Baan Bang Kan and Kanom Jeen Saphan Hin, which are long-time local favorites.
14. Roti Nam Kaeng
Another classic breakfast restaurant, Roti Nam Kaeng (Taew Nam), has been serving roti with curry for more than 70 years. Choose from various curries, such as chicken, beef, fish, beans, or mussaman curry for a filling and tasty meal.
Visit a Botanical Garden in Phuket
15. Thavorn Palm Beach Resort
The tropical gardens at Thavorn Palm Beach Resort in Karon Beach boasts of exotic plants with flamboyant blooms. Our 12 acres of lush tropical botanic garden is the perfect destination to get closer and enjoy nature’s beauty, including:
- Bird of Paradise: The Bird of Paradise enjoys the full sun and good drainage. They’re excellent for decorating in large areas at the base of large trees or the walls.
- Bougainvillea or Paper Flower: The Bougainvillea can grow in all weather conditions, needing very little water to bloom in the bright sunshine. Bougainvillea has colorful flowers, usually pink, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow.
- Orange Jasmine: Orange jasmine flowers are brilliant white which stands out against glossy green foliage. It’s often planted along fences, as the plant can tolerate a wide range of conditions but prefer the sun.
- Jasmine: One of the most popular flowers in Thailand, the Royal Jasmine native to Thailand. It has an evergreen vine with aromatic white flowers.
- Orchid: The orchid is one of the two largest families of flowering plants; there are around 2000 species in the world. Depending on the variety, it can grow in the air and the soil. But most tropical orchids grow in the air.
An Unforgettable Experience in Phuket
After exploring Phuket’s most popular attractions and discovering hidden gems, unwind at Thavorn Palm Beach Resort in Karon Beach. Just steps away from the beach, our 5-star resort provides a serene escape with luxurious accommodation, complete amenities, gourmet dining, and world-class service. Plan your Phuket trip today.
Discover our Karon Beach Hotel
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Seaview Infinity Pool 2-Bedroom Duplex Suite
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