Phuket (pronounced Poo-Ket) is the tropical southern part of Thailand. This large island/peninsula is home to white sand beaches, turquoise waters, some phenomenal National Parks and some cool little towns with great markets. Included in this section are the islands off the coast of Phuket in the Andaman Sea where we spent some time on our trip, Ko Yao Noi, Ko Yao Yai and the Phi Phi Islands. Not included here is Ko Samui an island on the other side of the Thailand/Malaysia land bridge in the Gulf of Thailand.
Where to stay in the Andaman Sea
While Phuket is great and has tons to explore and our hotel in Phuket was INCREDIBLE, we actually really enjoyed our time on the island of Ko Yao Yai at their absolutely stunning hotel Santhiya.
Santhiya is one of the nicest hotels we’ve ever stayed it. The entire thing is intricately carved out of wood, which provides a stunning appearance. The rooms are built into the side of a cliff overlooking perfect beaches and crystalline water. The restaurants at the hotel are fantastic as are the spa services. And, besides amazing pools, beaches and activities they even have a Thai boxing gym where you can take lessons from a Muay Thai master. If you are traveling to this part of the world, I can’t possibly recommend staying at Santhiya enough. It’s rare that a hotel is a highlight of your trip, but this place is that cool.
When we moved over to Phuket we stayed at The Vijitt Resort. It would be hard to compare to Santhiya. After staying at that hotel the chances were that no matter where we ended up we’d be disappointed. Surprisingly enough though that wasn’t the case. Vijitt was an absolutely fantastic hotel. The grounds were even more stunning than those at Santhiya, and while it lacked the unique magical quality that Santhiya’s intricate wood carvings provided the intimate, private bungalows, surrounded by palm trees were stunning and their restaurant was top notch. If you plan on spending time in Phuket just book your spot at Vijitt and call it a day. It’s close by Phuket Town and their awesome little market and it’s fairly easy to get to anywhere else from the hotel.
Things to Do In and Around Phuket
Phuket Town
On any trip to Phuket, make sure to spend a day walking around Old Phuket Town. Small, colorful shops line the crowded streets, dotted with excellent local Thai restaurants, cute coffee shops, hidden Thai temples and some beautiful old mansions. The city centre and the famous Thalang road, where you’ll find the Sunday Walking Street Market, are the most exciting part of Phuket Town, but don’t neglect the other small lanes that branch off in every direction. This small municipality is an instagrammers dream. Everything in every direction is stunningly photogenic, particularly Soi Romanee, the famously colorful road one block off Thaland Road that is considered to be the most photographed street in Phuket.
Places to stop in Phuket Town: Chino Cafe Gallery has wonderful coffee and delicious, sweet Phuket round cakes. Wilai and Kopitiam are two small local and affordable restaurants for wonderful Thai food and the famous China Inn Cafe provides an excellent high end dining experience.
A great resource for a self-guided walking tour around Phuket can be found HERE.
Phang Nga Bay
In the area to the east of Phuket and just north of the two satellite islands of Ko Yao Yai and Ko Yao Noi is Phang Nga Bay. There’s plenty of ways to explore the bay either via kayak trips, private boat tours, and tourist packed long tail boat tours, but our favorite way we traveled around the bay was via Ancient Chinese Junk Boat. There are some tours that offer a full day itinerary on a Chinese Junk Boat with kayaking, stops at James Bond Island and the floating town of Koh Panyi with a return to the dock at sunset. I’d highly recommend one of these if you want to knock out all this stuff in one day. Check GetYourGuide, Viator and Airbnb Experiences to see what is available when you go.
While traveling in Phang Nga Bay there are a few places that you’ll want to make sure you stop:
James Bond Island
This is one of the best known sites to see in Thailand and provides an absolutely can’t miss photo opportunity. Made famous by the James Bond film, “‘The Man with the Golden Gun,’ this monolithic natural rock formation juts straight out of the water seeming to balance precariously on its narrow base.
Koh Panyi
The floating city of Koh Panyi is entirely built on stilts on the water. The inhabitants make their living off the sea in which they live, as fishermen, as well as through the money that tourists spend on day trips during boat tours. It’s a stunning scene to see the unique way these people live.
Laem Haad Beach
Laem Haad Beach is a beautiful strip of sand at the very north of Koh Yao Yai. Most private cruises will stop here on the way back from Phang Nga Bay for a short time, allowing you to enjoy the soft sand, coconut trees and amazing views.
The Cave of the Reclining Buddha
Known for it’s giant golden reclining Buddha, Wat Suwan Khuha, is a Buddhist temple built entirely within a large cave. This cave is located in the far north region above Phang Nga Bay a little ways inland from the shore. If you travel by rental car, be aware of the pesky monkeys that attack your car and pull off antennas and such.
Big Buddha
This iconic 45-meter tall white marble statue can be found in the southern part of the island atop Naked Hill. This isn’t some ancient monument as construction was started in 2002, but it is incredibly photogenic. The entire statue was made via donations. You can still contribute to the statue by sponsoring the site via small white marble tiles with your name on it. Your name will be on display at the site forever and the proceeds go to the maintenance and eventual restoration of the monument. While this is a tourist attraction it is also a religious place of worship and as such you are bound to be in modest clothing, including long pants and shoes. If you are not appropriately covered a sarong will be provided by security at the entrance.
Island hop in the Andaman Sea
Off of Phuket and Krabi you’ll discover white sand beaches and abundant snorkelling on Ko Phi Phi Lee and Ko Phi Phi Don. Some of the smaller islands in the north of the sea like Koh Panak, Koh Hong, Kudu Yai and Koh Yao are great for short stops if you’re on a boat or part of a tour group.
Similan Islands
For the most impressive set of islands that you can get to from Phuket, with some of the whitest sands and the most crystal clear water anywhere on earth, head for the Similan Islands. They are only open from November to May and the trek out to see them is a bit far as they are about 60 miles north-west of Phuket. You can book these tours through your hotel. Typically, a van will drive you to the dock across from the island and then shuttle you out there via speed boat. If it’s possible for you to add this to your stay in Phuket, GO! If not, Phi Phi Island is a very decent alternative although it’s a lot more touristy and crowded.
Discover the Island of Maiton
Only 15 minutes by speed boat from Phuket is a little known island that used to be an exclusive private island. Maiton is the perfect place to spend a relaxing day on a secluded island.
Phuket Wake Park
One of the most exciting and challenging activities you can experience in Phuket. This fun park is designed to thrill you with super fun wake boarding.
Patong Go-Kart Speedway or Phuket Racing Kart
If you’re tired of doing beach related activities and want a little adventure, check out Patong Go-Kart Speedway or Phuket Racing Kart where you can race go-karts or rent buggies.
Siam Niramit Phuket
Soam Niramit combines a stage performance with a park that is designed to recreate small local villages from around Thailand. Here you’ll witness a show that tells the story of Thai history and mythology put on by a hundred talented performers.
Simon Star Cabaret Show
Another stage performance, located on Patong Beach is Simon Star Cabaret where you can watch a Las Vegas-style cabaret production put on by the areas ladyboys.
Plane Spotting on Mai Khao Beach
You all have undoubtedly seen those photos or videos of people standing on a beach where planes come in to land at the airport directly behind the beach and seem to coast within arms reach over the sunbathers head. Well, this is that spot. You’ll get the craziest selfies here for sure.
For additional advice on things to do in Phuket check out this wonderful resource. Also check out this post about hidden places to check out in Phuket. They also have an excellent post about the most photogenic spots in Phuket.
