Phuket city is a prominent tourist destination in the Andaman Sea, located off the coast of Thailand. It’s a tourism hotspot, a lovely, tropical island with roughly 30 amazing white-sand beaches, an international airport, hundreds of resorts for every budget.
A plethora of activities ranging from gourmet dining to scuba diving. While Phuket city is an alluring tropical getaway destination, it is also highly urbanised, and getting away from the crowds and traffic jams can be difficult.
Despite its popularity, there are odd, distinctive, strange, and local things to do in Phuket city, as well as secret, off-the-beaten-path spots in Phuket city.
These are some possibilities for responsible travel that promote sustainable tourism.
Paresa Resort, Phuket City
It’s a five-star luxury resort on the coast of Phuket city, Thailand, near Kamala Beach, and it’s beautifully and gracefully designed, as I imagined. But what surprised me the most was how tranquil it is.
This felt like a puzzle that needed to be solved, and I spent my two nights / three days at Paresa Resort investigating the causes for the resort’s profound tranquillity.
The first and most evident explanation for the serene serenity is that each apartment is built on a cliffside as a distinct house: each ocean-facing villa has an infinity pool and creates a sense of isolation and seclusion. Infinity pools can be found, luxuriating in the natural setting of sea, sky, and jungle.
The idyllic setting on a lonely cliffside adds to the tranquilly. This neighbourhood near Kamala Beach is known as “millionaire’s row” since the only other structures nearby are big private homes or small, expensive resorts.
My taxi driver from the airport mistook us for lost because the road going to the Paresa is so remote. In Sanskrit, paresa means “home of the gods,” and it refers to the highest levels of the Hindu heavenly worlds.
The resort began as a retirement home for the proprietors, who live in Bangkok, but has evolved into a really special resort. The architects employed for the project were given a sacrosanct brief: they were not to tear down any of the old trees on the property, notably the large banyan.
They had to devise clever ways to cross the steep, ocean-facing ledge as well as build around the trees. I discovered Paresa Resort on the website Hidden Retreats, which features a collection of highly unusual, one-of-a-kind hospitality experiences in Asia such as resorts, hotels, restaurants, yachts, and much more.
Bangrong Community, Phuket City
What began as a protection effort for the area’s mangrove forests two decades ago has blossomed into a great community-based tourism project. The tours are controlled and guided by community members, and all revenues are returned to the community.
You can book half-day or full-day tours straight on their website, with no middleman taking a cut. Events are enjoyable, entertaining, and educational, with a focus on preserving local culture and wildlife.
We took a half-day tour that included a stop at a pineapple plantation where we learnt how to harvest some of the sweetest pineapples we’d ever tasted.
Additional activities included tapping a rubber tree and observing the process of producing rubber sheets, painting our own Batik bags, and learning how to husk and open coconuts before utilising the meat to make a delectable dessert.
A voyage through the mangrove forests, a visit to an isolated island, the release of rare crab, and a superb locally sourced lunch are also included in full-day tours.
Island hopping Phuket City to Maya Bay
Explore the islands off the coast of Phuket city, particularly the journey to Maya Bay. Maya Bay, a victim of overtourism as a result of the popularity of the film The Beach, was closed down by the Thai government for several years to allow its strained and delicate marine ecology to recuperate.
Maya Bay was recently reopened with a swimming prohibition and a limit on the number of people who can visit the mysterious cove.
At Phuket’s Rassada Pier, take a ferry for a two-hour ride to Phi Phi Don, the largest Phi Phi archipelago. A longtail boat greeted us at the ferry terminal to whisk us away to rustic accomodation further along the coast.
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, located in Phuket city, Thailand, is renowned as the island’s first and most ethical sanctuary. It is located in the lovely countryside of Phuket city and is easily accessible by cab via the Grab app.
One of my favourite aspects about Phuket Elephant Sanctuary was the intimate and personal experience it provided. Along from feeding and bathing the elephants, volunteers can also participate in a mud bath with them.
Make a medical lotion to apply to sections of their skin that have been injured by years of maltreatment. This was a wonderfully humbling and fulfilling event that gave me the opportunity to interact with elephants.
Another part of the sanctuary that I loved was the emphasis on ethical and compassionate elephant care. The sanctuary’s elephants are rescued from harsh or exploitative conditions and given the care and attention they deserve.
The sanctuary’s staff is extremely informed and passionate about elephant welfare, and it was inspirational to see their dedication to providing the best possible care for these animals.
Visitors should bring a bathing suit, towel, change of clothes, sunscreen, and a hat to protect themselves from the intense sun. The sanctuary supplies rain ponchos, lockers for personal things, and a waterproof phone case with a lanyard for those who wish to bring their phones.
Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Although vegetarian food is served, this is one of the most severe rituals I’ve ever witnessed.
Thousands of devotees walk on hot coals every day, scale ladders constructed of sword blades, dance in a sea of firecrackers, and force spikes, knives, swords, blades, and other objects through their cheeks – not easy to behold if you are easily nauseated.
This is done to express appreciation to the gods while also seeking to stave off bad luck. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which has Chinese origins, is more generally known among locals as The Nine Emperor Gods Festival.
The festival begins on the eve of the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (the date varies each year) and is celebrated by local Chinese populations throughout Southeast Asia. Participants are expected to achieve good health and peace of mind by consuming solely vegetarian meals.
Blue Elephant Cooking School
Attending a cooking class at the Blue Elephant Cooking School was one of the nicest – and most immersive – experiences in Phuket city. It was a pleasant and fascinating method for me to learn about Thai cuisine while also getting a taste of the local people and culture.
Overall, taking a cooking lesson at the Blue Elephant Cooking School was a terrific experience that provided me with the opportunity to learn about Thai cuisine and culture in a fun and immersive setting.
Wear comfortable attire if you plan on attending a cooking lesson at the Blue Elephant Cooking School. Because you will be standing for an extended period of time, comfortable footwear is essential.
Chalong Bay Distillery in Phuket City
Thailand is not the first place that comes to mind when thinking about visiting distilleries throughout the world. But it should, because Thailand is the world’s second largest exporter of sugar cane, trailing only Brazil, and its sugar cane is used to manufacture some of the world’s best rum.
The Chalong Bay Distillery tour begins with a lesson in making a Chalong Bay mojito from local rum, lime juice, and mint leaves. Devils Gold, a cheeky Chalong Bay Kaffir Lime Rum drink made with fresh mango, honey, lime juice, and a very spicy red chile, came next.
A tour of the distillery followed to allow the cocktails to settle before returning to try six different rums, gins, and vodka. The Sunset Kiss, prepared with watermelon, passionfruit, cinnamon syrup, and Chalong Bay White Spiced Rum, was the final product.
Yanui Beach
Southern Phuket city’s beaches are among the most stunning on the island. While many visitors flock to Nai Harn, one of our favourite beaches, Yanui, is only a five-minute drive up the coast.
Yanui is a little cove protected by another huge island located near offshore. It costs only 100 baht per hour per person to rent a single or double kayak from the beach.
Kayak along the coast or venture out to sea to get a better look at the yachts that populate the area. This is also one of the top snorkelling spots on Phuket city. You might even glimpse some tropical fish from your kayak due to the clear blue water.
The renowned Phuket city’s Windmill, located just above Yanui Beach, is one of the most popular sites to view the sunset.
Coffs & Burgh Cafe in Old Phuket City
As you arrive from the street, the front area is used for the coffee shop and has vintage furniture, aged ceiling beams, and cracked plaster on the walls: shabby chic. Make sure to look in the back section, behind the café.
The back room is a type of museum, with lots of interesting things related to the family’s past to look at. As these shophouses used to be both stores and houses, the original stairway runs up to what was formerly the family’s home; the family worked and lived there.
Make sure to check out the outside space behind the back room as well. The large burner, intended to hold three woks over a wood fire, remains in this chamber, the original kitchen.
The antique well stands in an open-air, sunken chamber that was once used to wash both people and whatever household objects needed to be washed.
Oasis Spa
After a four-hour treatment at Phuket city’s Oasis Spa, I am ready to declare that Thai spas are the best in the world. Oasis Spa is an upscale day spa that is architecturally constructed with indoor / outdoor flow and is reasonably priced – especially when you consider what you get for your money.
The longest treatment they received lasted four hours. This meant spending four hours in my own little villa, equipped with an outside rain shower, indoor bathtub, bathroom, and two massage tables.
They begin in the steam room, only wearing a sarong and a G-string that was about as useful as a knife in coconut soup.
I cleaned off in my personal shower once my pores were open and soft. After that, a sweet, greasy body scrub. Another rinse (and yet another useless G-string), and I’m back on the table for a mud wrap. I was allowed to marinade for 45 minutes before returning to the shower.
After all of this pampering, I had a milk bath. Fruit and hot tea were brought to me and I was left to soak like Cleopatra. Afterwards I returned to my massage table for a four-hand massage. Two therapists were choreographing their moves along my suddenly silky smooth skin.
But that’s not all; it concludes with a stunning facial. Four hours flew by. If there is a pampering heaven, it can be found among the tropical lushness of Phuket city and Thailand’s soft kindness.
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This brings the blog to a end. I hope you found the blog interesting. Thank you for sticking with me this far!