Sights in Phuket Province
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Phuket Fantasea
Interested in a US$60 million ‘cultural theme park’ located just north of Hat Kamala? This ain’t Disneyland, but there is a show that takes the colour and pageantry of traditional Thai dance and combines them with Vegas-style production value (think 30 elephants). All of this takes place on a stage dominated by a full-scale replica of a Khmer temple reminiscent of Angkor Wat. Kids may be captivated but it’s over-the-top cheesy. Tickets can be booked through most hotels and tour agencies. No cameras allowed.
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Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park
The 125-sq-km Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, just south of town, is a splendid collection of sea cliffs, mountains, beaches, estuaries, forested valleys and mangroves. The park is home to hornbills, drongos, tapirs, gibbons, monkeys and the seldom-seen Asiatic black bears. Guided treks along the coast or inland can be arranged through many tour agencies in town, as can long-tail boat trips up the scenic Khlong Thap Liang estuary. The latter afford opportunities to view mangrove communities of crab-eating macaques. Just north of Khao Lak is a network of sandy beach trails – some of which lead to deserted beaches – which are fun to explore on foot or by hired motorbike. Mos…
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Khao Phra Thaew National Park
The last of Phuket’s virgin rainforest is within the boundaries of this reserve, which includes the Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre and two waterfalls. There once were tigers and Malayan sun bears here, but today it’s a habitat island that still suffers from timber poaching. It isn’t lifeless, however. There are monkeys, langur, civets, flying foxes, cobras and wild pigs in the bush, and there are some wild and semi-wild gibbon families thanks to rehab. Khao Phra is the park’s highest peak at 442m. There are guided 6km hikes available from Ton Sai falls to Bang Pae falls. Guides gather at Ton Sai (the park’s HQ) in the morning and charge about 1000B for the day. This …
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Wat Phra Thong
Phuket’s ‘Temple of the Gold Buddha’ is half buried so that only the head and shoulders are visible above ground. According to local legend, those who have tried to excavate the image have become very ill or encountered serious accidents. The temple is particularly revered by Thai Chinese, many of whom believe the image hails from China. During Chinese New Year pilgrims descend from Phang-Nga, Takua Pa and Krabi. In addition to Phra Thong there are 11 other Buddha images, including a Phra Praket (an unusual pose in which the Buddha is touching his own head with his right hand). Each promises a different virtue (success, health, wealth etc) to those who make offerings.…
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Hat Mai Khao
Hat Mai Khao is Phuket's longest beach. Sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach here between November and February each year. A visitors centre with toilets, showers and picnic tables can be found at Mai Khao, from where there are some short trails through the casuarinas to a steep beach. Take care when swimming at Mai Khao, as there's a strong year-round undertow.
Except on weekends and holidays you'll have this place almost entirely to yourself; even during peak periods, peace and solitude are usually only a few steps away, as there's so much space here.
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Thalang National Museum
The museum contains five exhibit halls chronicling Phuket’s history and tracing the various ethnicities found in southern Thailand. The legend of the ‘two heroines’ (memorialised on the nearby monument), who supposedly drove off an 18th-century Burmese invasion force by convincing the island’s women to dress like men, is also recounted in detail utilising backlit display panels and touch-screen electronic presentations. The prize artefact is a 2.3m-tall statue of Vishnu, which dates to the 9th century and was found in Takua Pa nearly 100 years ago.
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Laem Singh
Local beach boffins will tell you that Laem Singh is one of the best capes on the island. Walled in by cliffs, there is no road access so you have to park on the headland and clamber down a narrow path. You could camp here and eat at the rustic roadside seafood places at the northern end of Singh or in Ban Kamala, a village further south. If you're renting a motorbike, this is a nice little trip down Rte 4025 and then over dirt roads from Surin to Kamala.
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Phra Phitak Chyn Pracha Mansion
The namesake of this once abandoned, ochre-tinted mansion owned a number of tin mines in the early 20th century. The mansion sat forlorn for decades, its hanging shutters, overgrown lawn and friendly ghosts offering an eerie tumbledown grace to anyone who dared cross the creaky gates. At research time it was under major renovation and being converted into a tony Thai eatery, a sister to London’s famed Blue Elephant.
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Secret View Point
If you veer up the rise on the left instead of following the road to its end at Hat Nai Han, you will remain on Hwy 4233 towards Laem Phromthep. But you don’t have to go that far for a sensational view. At the top of the hill there is a turn-off and a small gazebo to the right. Pull over here – you’ll see a vendor and a few tourists, and you’ll have an outrageous north-facing panorama sans tour buses.
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Khao Rang
Savour the spectacular views of the city from this public park situated northwest of the town centre. You can drive up the paved road, although if you want the exercise you can walk. It’s a nice workout, even if you have to dodge the snarling mob of dogs. (You’ve heard the expression about barks and bites. It applies here.) The shade and the view will make it hard to leave once you’ve arrived.
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Romadon Gallery
Surrealism lives on in the anthropomorphised animals gleaming on Romadan’s canvases. He’s painted here since 1975, and originality is the keyword. Our favourite was the canvas of night-blooming flowers, a Muslim crescent moon, leaf-shaped clouds and a spaceship. His version of Pan, the human-goat God, is also unique. The doors are always open, but if you want to buy something, call the man.
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Hat Ya Noi
Tucked between Hat Nai Han and Laem Phromthep, where the road dips back down to the sea, is this lovely cove with a healthy rock reef that is ideal for snorkelling. You’ll have to watch your step to get into the ocean, but once you’re there you’ll want to stay a while. This is the quintessential turquoise bay, with lush mountains behind and an island dominating the horizon.
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Shrine of Serene Light
Built by a local family in 1889, but tucked away behind Wilai restaurant and accessible via a narrow walk marked by a red arch off Th Phang-Nga, is the Old Town’s most striking Chinese shrine. You’ll see Taoist etchings on the walls, as well as the vaulted ceiling that is stained from incense plumes. The altar is always alive with fresh flowers and burning candles.
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Wat Pho
Second on the tourist itinerary after Wat Phra Kaew, this temple has many curious corners (and traditional massage pavilions) to explore beyond the crowd-pleasing reclining Buddha, a 46m-long and 15m-high figure illustrating Buddha’s passing into nirvana. It’s also home to Thailand’s largest collection of Buddha images and the earliest centre for public education.
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Sirinat National Park
The former Nai Yang National Park and Mai Khao wildlife reserve encompasses 22 sq km of coastal land, plus 68 sq km of sea. It runs from the western Phang-Nga provincial border south to the headland that separates Nai Yang from Nai Thon. The beach is absolutely pristine. Sea turtles patrol the reef and lay eggs on the park’s northern beaches and on Hat Mai Khao.
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Hat Nai Thon
Improved roads to Hat Nai Thon have brought only a small amount of development to this otherwise pristine coast backed by casuarina and pandanus trees. Down on the beach, umbrellas and sling chairs are available from vendors. Swimming is quite good here except at the height of the monsoon, and there is some coral near the headlands at either end of the bay.
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Wat Nai Han
During research a new temple was nearly complete at this monastery compound. But it isn’t the architecture that’s interesting. This is a working monastery, so if you show up at dawn you can watch, or even join in, as the monks chant scripture. There are worse ways to begin a day. Ask permission from a monk the day before.
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Hat Nai Yang
Hat Nai Yang is good for snorkelling and is popular with Thai tourists. About a kilometre off Nai Yang is a large reef at a depth of 10m to 20m. Snorkelling equipment can be hired at many of the hotels. Judging from the lie of the reef, there could be a surfable reef break here during the southwest monsoon.
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Wat Suwankhiri
Unlike some of the more tourist-friendly temples, this overgrown compound sports rambling roosters, sleeping dogs and (usually) locked temple doors. But the tiered roof of the cremation shrine is lovely, and the warbling voice of a monk reciting scripture over the PA lends the scene some poetry.
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Phuket Boat Lagoon
Located at Ao Sapam, about 10km north of Phuket Town on the east coast. It has an enclosed marina with tidal channel access, serviced pontoon berths, 60- and 120-tonne travel lifts, hard stand area, plus a resort hotel, laundry, coffee shop, fuel, water, repairs and maintenance services.
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Bang Pae Falls
The waterfall is a 300m walk up a jungled earth and concrete path from the gibbon rehab centre, and you can hear the gibbons’ haunting songs all the way. During the dry season, the waterfall isn’t exactly spectacular, but there are swimming holes deep enough for daring jumps.
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Wat Chalong
This bustling, tiered temple has 36 Buddhas seated, reclining and meditating on the first two floors. Concrete serpents line the banisters and the lotus pond outside. It’s not an antique, but it possesses a spiritual vibration, especially when worshippers pay their respects.
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Wat Karon
Set back from the road is a relatively new temple complex with a small shrine occupied by a seated, black-stone Buddha. Behind it is the striking crematorium with its tiered roof – which only opens on ceremonial days. The grounds are lush with banana, palm and mango trees.
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Jui Tui Tao Bo Keng Shrine
This shrine attracts those wishing to bolster their physical health through prayer. It’s also a base for serious (read: violently pierced) participants during the Vegetarian Festival, which makes it a great place to stake out and snap photos like the cultural paparazzi.
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Karon View Point
Further along the highway from After Beach Bar is this majestic viewpoint. From here, your view extends from the northern reaches of Karon to the Phromthep Cape. Come for sunset. But don’t linger late at night. There have been attacks and robberies in the wee hours.
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