Things to do in Phuket

There’s plenty of things to do in Phuket, but the most interesting features are clustered in the Old Town conservation zone, a grid of streets between Thanon Dibuk and Thanon RatSada, whose colonial-style Sino-Portuguese shophouses date back to the19th century. A lot of effort has gone into restoring these handsome old neighbourhoods: the former red-light alley, Soi Romanee, now offers accommodation while you’ll find other renovated Sino-Portugese buildings, with their ornate gold-leafed windows, on Thanon Yaowarat and on Thanon Ranong.

Wondering what to do in Phuket that gives you a bit of rest and relaxation? Phuket’s longest and quietest beach, Hat Mai Khao, unfurls for 17km along the island’s upper northwest coast. It begins some 3km south of the Sarasin Bridge causeway and ends just north of the airport (around 34km from Phuket town). This beautiful, palm-shaded spot has had few developments and is protected in part by Sirinath National Park, because of the few giant marine turtles - they lay their eggs here between October and February.

The small but perfectly formed 500m-long gold-sand bay at Hai Nai Thon is backed by pristine hills, and snorkelling in the reefs is available via a short longtail ride. Shops, hotels and restaurants line the inland side of its narrow little shorefront road, but there’s still a low-key, village-like atmosphere here. And just 1km up the hill is Banana Beach, a secluded cove accessible only by foot, that sees few visitors despite its incredible location.

Phuket holiday packages offer it all - and there’s no way that nightlife should go amiss, either. Ao Patong is the most popular of all Phuket’s beaches, and after dark, everyone heads to pedestrianised Thanon Bangla for their own taste of Patong’s notorious nightlife. Open-air bar-beers and neon-lit go-go clubs packed with strippers and goggle-eyed punters pulsate through the night, like Phuket Simon Cabaret. Most joints are welcoming enough to couples and female tourists, though there are alternatives for anyone not in that kind of mood...

The reefs and islands within sailing distance of Phuket rate among the most spectacular in the world, and diving trips are both good value and hugely popular. It’s safe to say that diving is one of the best things to do in Phuket. Many trips operate year-round, though some of the more remote islands and reefs close during monsoon season (roughly June to October).

With your own transport, a visit to Wat Chalong works well with a pilgrimage to the modern-day Big Buddha of Phuket (officially Phra Phuttha Mingmongkol Eaknakakeeree), a towering 45m statue atop the aptly named Khao Nakkerd hill. It dominates many island vistas, including from Kata Yai to the southwest, and is easily spotted from aeroplane windows. Views from the base of the statue extend east over Ao Chalong to hilly Ko Lone beyond, while western panoramas take in Kata Noi; plenty of Instagram-worthy snaps.

You might come across a depressing number of pet gibbons on Phuket, but the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre aims to reverse this by rescuing, re-socializing and re-educating them for the wild before finally releasing them back into the forests. Visitors are welcome at the project, which is centered in the forests of Khao Phra Taew Forest Reserve, a ‘non-hunting area’.

With its cheerfully painted houses and absence of high-rises, the small, village-like tourist development at Hat Kamala is low-key, sandwiched between the beach and the predominantly Muslim town of Ban Kamala. Accommodation, shops, restaurants and other tourist services are mostly clustered either side of shoreside Thanon Rim Had (also spelt Rim Hat) which, despite its limited choice, is a much pleasanter place to browse than the big resorts. The beach gets prettier and quieter the further north you go, away from Thanon Rim Had, with restaurant shacks renting sunloungers along most of its course.