Wat Sapam

Phuket is full of temples. If you haven't got your fill in Bangkok, it's worth checking out what Phuket has to offer. The biggest and most famous is Wat Chalong, and there are always lots of visitors there, but smaller local temples are usually overlooked by everyone except the locals, so these are the ones we like to visit.

We recently visited Wat Sapam, the local temple for Ban Sapam, a small fishing community on the east coast of Phuket, in Sapam Bay, just north of Laem Hin. We were heading for Laem Hin Seafood, and realised we had never visited this temple before. It was a pleasant surprise. The entry road into the temple is just off the main Phuket Town - Airport road and easy to miss. The temple is built on a small hill overlooking Sapam Bay, with the main temple at the highest point, the monks rooms on the hillside and the monks dining hall lower down. It's a beautiful location, and the temple and grounds are very well kept, with lots of plants and flowers.

• Wat Sapam location on Google Earth

Inside the main temple, you find a 10m gold Buddha, and some very colourful paintings around all 4 walls depicting scenes from the life of Buddha. Quite stunning actually. Highly recommended!

  

    

  

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Places to Eat in Phuket: Tesco Lotus

Er...Tesco Lotus? The big supermarket and mall? You gotta be kidding? Not at all, and as we live but a few minutes from here, and use it for shopping, banking, video rental etc., we find it very convenient. I would not say it's worth a visit specifically for a meal, but if you are passing by and feel hungry, there are lots of choices inside. Located at Sam Kong junction, one of the busiest bits of road in Phuket where the bypass road starts, the store is huge, being not just a supermarket but a mall too, with shops, banks, a post office..and places to eat.

Leaving aside the shopping, what can you eat in Tesco Lotus?


The place we eat most often is Texas Suki. The sukiyaki dish sits on every table, and you order the ingredients from a menu. Up to you what you want to add to the soup - lots of veggies, all kinds of meats, prawn balls, fish cakes, yum yum indeed. You don't have to eat suki, there are also noodle and rice dishes and the spring rolls are quite tasty. Also dim sum dishes available. And not expensive. We normally stuff ourselves for about 200 Baht all in - that's for 2 adults, 1 child, well and a baby boy too. Don't under estimate the amount a couple of kids can gobble up - our daughter had 2 plates of noodles last time we ate there!


We also eat at Pizza Company sometimes, though you can certainly get better pizza in Phuket. My daughter likes the spaghetti, and the Pepsi refill is a good deal if you're thirsty! Pizza Co also does delivery (call 1112). Actually the pizza is pretty decent for a chain/fast food joint. There's a also a salad bar where you can practice balancing as much food as possible on your dish to make the most of the deal. Some of the little snacks like cheese and bacon twists, bread sticks, chicken wings are good too. Must stop now, getting hungry.


Then for desert, or a little treat...Swensens Ice Cream. Yup, real authentic Thai food! BUT, no good getting all high and mighty like some travelers do. The place is always full of Thai families, so if Thai people are eating it, then you are eating local food, right? The current special - 59 Chocolate - is delicious, with 3 scoops of ice cream, whipped cream, banana, brownies, tiny peanut butter cups, and a truffle on top. Enough for 2 to share unless you're a greedy guts, and only 59 Baht. They always give crayons and paper to the kids, which is nice.

More? Well, there's a KFC and a McDonalds. I admit to the occasional Big Mac, yes it's true. There's a Dunkin Donuts too. Also Black Canyon Coffee, where the food is decent and they have about 50 different styles of coffee.

Then there's the food court upstairs above the supermarket. Noisy and crowded, but cheap. Buy your electronic card at the cashier and choose from a range of simple Thai dishes. I normally have Phad Thai or Roast Chicken on rice. Wife likes the Kao Ka Moo (rice with pork), they also do some basic breakfasts - eggs, toast, ham.

So there - Tesco Lotus has a wealth of dining opportunities! Same can be said of the Central Festival Mall, just a couple of km up the road. These malls were not here when I arrived in Phuket in 1999. Tescos was just a supermarket. Now you have Tesco Lotus, Big C, Central, and also the Index Mall. Great for shopaholics, bad for your bank balance!

• Tesco Lotus Website
• Tesco Lotus - find it on Google Earth
• Central Festival Mall
• Big C

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Phuket News, Events, Weather and stuff

Latest Phuket News



(update 2011)



Follow me on Twitter! I will post news, views, blog updates, weather, lots of Phuket related information.



There are 2 local Phuket print newspapers in English. The biggest and original is the Phuket Gazette. I also suggest you check The Phuket News which is now vying with the Phuket Gazette as the best online and print source of Phuket news. There is also the Phuket Post, which is more of a magazine with ads than a newspaper.



For more Phuket news sources, see here: Phuket News - Where to Find it







Old Phuket News, some things are not forgotten......





August 29th 2008



Anti Government Protests in Bangkok, Phuket and more.



Seems like this is the big news day of the year. Protests and huge gatherings of PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy) supporters were met by tear gas in Bangkok. Meanwhile in Phuket... I decided to kind of "live blog" for a while.. The situation in Bangkok continues even now, though Phuket is totally normal.



• Phuket Airport Closed by Anti Government Demonstrations





September 16th 2007 - The Plane Crash at Phuket Airport



• Plane Crash at Phuket Airport



December 26th 2004



The tsun... yeh, you know. Big wave. Not very pleasant.



In case nobody ever heard of Phuket, they sure as hell did after the tsunami. If you come now, you won't see any signs of what happened. Khao Lak and Phi Phi were hit harder, but are also looking healthy, if a little empty. My many thoughts below.



• 4 Years After the Tsunami (written December 2008)



• Living through the Tsunami

• Living through the Tsunami Part II

• Life After the Tsunami (Part III)

• A trip to Phi Phi in 2006





Everyone wants to know about the Weather in Phuket:



• Phuket Weather - General Information

• My Phuket Weather Blog - updated almost daily!

• The Wet Season in Phuket - What's it like?



19th September 2006 - Coup in Bangkok - All Quiet in Phuket



Nothing to worry about. Read more here - September 19th - Coup in Thailand. Or have a look at what a (rich kid) Bangkok Blogger had to say - Kitty in Bangkok.





Recommended Online Booking Phuket Hotels







Recommended Travel and Cancellation Insurance

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Phuket Festivals and Events

Phuket has way more happening than people realise, even as a local resident I find it hard to keep up. There are traditional festivals, there are music and food festivals, local street fairs, all kind of things going on year round! The most famous festival in Phuket is the Vegetarian Festival. Phuket is also a great place to be for Songkran (the "water throwing" festival / Thai New Year). Another popular festival is Loy Krathong. The dates for the vegetarian festival and Loy Krathong change every year as they are based on the lunar calendar. October and November are good months to come to Phuket :)

The vegetarian festival is my No.1 favourite thing in Phuket! Latest Photos of the 2013 Vegetarian Festival - check here:

• 2013 Phuket Vegetarian Festival Part 1
• 2013 Phuket Vegetarian Festival Part 2

Recent Phuket Festivals on the blog

• Phuket Baba Wedding Festival 2013
• Phuket Old Town Festival 2013
• Phuket Vegetarian 2012
• Por Tor Festival 2012
• Kathu Phuket Street Culture Festival 2012
• Phuket Old Town Festival / Chinese New Year 2012
• Chalong Temple Fair
• Por Tor (Hungry Ghost) Festival 2011
• Kathu Culture Fair 2011
• A night in Phuket Town for Japan 2011
• Phuket Street Show Festival
• Phuket Heroines Festival
• OTOP Fair in Phuket Town
• Phuket Halal Expo

Note: Most of these are annual events, I don't go every year!

Phuket Vegetarian Festival - My favourite thing in Phuket!

Links to all articles and photos on this blog related to the most bizarre festival in Phuket .. I love it, but it's not for everyone, and the "being vegetarian" aspect is just one part of the festival ... Dates for 2014, it will be 14 - 24 October. I think.

• 2013 Phuket Vegetarian Festival Part 1
• 2013 Phuket Vegetarian Festival Part 2
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival Schedule
• 2012 Phuket Vegetarian Festival
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival Introduction

And here's all the blog posts relating to the 2011 Vegetarian Festival - I went a bit festival crazy and did lots of posts compared to just one in 2012 :)

• Crossing the Bridge for Purification October 5th
• Piercings and Firecrackers October 4th
• Vegetarian Procession and World Photo Walk October 2nd
• Face Piercing at Sam Kong Shrine September 30th
• Procession for the Birth and Death Gods September 29th
• Opening Ceremonies September 26th

• At Kathu Shrine 15th October 2010
• Bang Neow Shrine Street Procession 2010
• First Days of the 2010 Vegetarian Festival
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2009 Photos
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival Videos

 

Since 2006 during the festival, I always go to see some of the ceremonies, take a lot of photos, and eat plenty of the great food on offer. I am not normally a veggie, but it can't hurt for a week or so!? My "local" is Kathu shrine, located in Baan Kathu. Sam Kong shrine is not too far from Tesco Lotus - loads of veggie food stalls in the Kathu/Sam Kong area during the festival. In Phuket town you find big shrines such as Jui Tui and Bang Neow which are very much the center of festivities. Phuket Town is the best place to be based if you want to see as much as possible.

Songkran Festival (Thai New Year)

Songkran is the Thai New Year, a real mix of quiet prayer and water throwing mayhem. We tend to mix it up - a bit of quiet at the temple, a bit of water... on April 13th 2007 (apart from the water fights) we went to a turtle release ceremony at Mai Khao beach. The next year we drove around taking photos. In 2009 we reckoned both our kids were were ready for a ride in the back of a pick up truck around Patong, throwing water at anything that moved - that's fun! n 2010 I was too busy throwing water and drinking beer to take photos! In 2011 I was not in Phuket, but took lots of photos in my wifes home town, Chumphon (about 400km north of here)...



• Songkran 2011 Photos in Chumphon
• Songkran 2009 - Patong Beach Phuket
• Songkran 2008 Photos
• Songkran - April 13th 2007
• Songkran 2006 in Phuket
• Favourite Songkran Photos
• About Songkran

• Phuket Bike Week - 3 days of big bikes and beachside concerts, April every year just before Songkran.

Loy Krathong

Every year, but dates vary according to the full moon. 2013 will be November 17th. The main element of Loy Krathong is giving thanks to the goddess of water. The "Kratong" are floated onto the water and many lanterns are lit to float up into the sky. It's all about giving thanks and asking for good luck.





• Loy Krathong 2008 Photos
• Loy Krathong 2007 - Part 1 - Making our Kratong
• Loy Krathong 2007 Photos
• Loy Krathong 2006 in Phuket

More Local Phuket Life

• Local Markets
• Market at Karon Temple
• Indy Market in Phuket Town
• Local Street Fair in Kathu District

 

• Phuket Butterfly Release July 2010
• The Weekend Market
• Buddha Shelf & Shrine in our house
• A Funeral in our village
• Caged bird singing competition in Kathu Village
• Buying a House in Phuket

Other Phuket Festivals

There are a number of small local festivals in Phuket such as the Blues Festival, Patong Carnival, the Phuket Gay Festival... Well, I hope over the next 10 years I'll have more time to visit some of these celebrations and get some photos!

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Places to visit close to Phuket

If you are coming to Phuket, no need to limit yourself to the confines of the island. Within a couple of hours drive or boat ride are some amazing places. Phuket has many beautiful areas, but just off the island are the amazing limestone karsts of Phang Nga and Phi Phi, and the huge Khao Sok National Park. Explore!



• Staying in Khao Lak
• Koh Yao Noi Island
• Koh Tachai Island
• Khao Sok National Park
• Phang Nga Bay Tour (2010)
• Similan Islands - best diving in Thailand!
• Cliff and River Jungle Resort (Khao Sok)
• Sri Takua Pa Town (near Khao Lak)
• Khao Sok National Park
• Phang Nga Bay (2007)
• Wat Suwan Kuha (Phang Nga) - temple in a cave with a big reclining Buddha and lots of monkeys!
• Day Trip to Phi Phi Islands
• Seaplane flight to Phi Phi
• Chumphon (400km from Phuket, my wifes home town)
• Prachuap Khiri Khan (another 150km past Chumphon)



Phuket is a great starting point for all kinds of trips. A great base for exploring this part of Thailand. So much is within reach of a day trip or you can stay in Phi Phi, Krabi, Khao Lak, Khao Sok for a night or 2 and head back "home" to Phuket!

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Islands Near Phuket

Phuket itself is only just an island (the largest island in Thailand), linked to Phang Nga province by the Sarasin bridge. All around Phuket are smaller offshore islands which can be visited for the day or a few hours. Some are quite big and have accommodation, some are just gorgeous little specks in the ocean. Some are good for diving or snorkeling. For all kinds of island tours, contact my friends at Easy Day Thailand.

Koh Yao Noi

I wish I had more time to explore Koh Yao Noi and it's larger neighbour Koh Yao Yai. These islands are officially in Phang Nga province, but easily reached from Phuket by ferry. Must get over there more often before the locals sell up their land to the resorts. At the moment, it's still gorgeous...

• Cycling in Koh Yao Noi (2010)
• Koh Yao Noi by Moped (2011)
• Exploring Koh Yao Noi Again (2012)



Racha Yai (Raya) Island

About 20km south of Chalong Bay and a popular destination for divers, especially beginners as the water is clear and there are rarely any strong currents. I must have been there 100 times on dive trips before first setting foot on the island and staying overnight in 2012! We did a weekend trip staying at Ban Raya resort. Great.

• Racha Yai Island (Raya Island) Weekend Trip



Koh Kaew Yai

Just 1km offshore from Phromthep Cape (the southwesterly tip of Phuket), Koh Kaew Yai is a small island and a place of worship. It is said that the Buddha first stepped ashore on this island before landing on Phuket at nearby Rawai beach. You can hire a longtail boat to Koh Kaew Yai and Koh Bon from Rawai.

• Koh Kaew Yai

Koh Rang Yai

Off the east coast, Koh Rang Yai is a private island, but you can get a longtail boat here from Laem Hin - nice place to stay for half a day. Nice sand, there is a restaurant but it's not cheap. In between is Koh Maphrao.

• Koh Rang Yai - More Information
• A day with speedboats and Helicam at Koh Rang Yai



Koh Sirey

Sirey island is on the east side of Phuket Town.. rather like Phuket Island, it's connected by a bridge, but has a different feel and has many quiet areas as well as being home to sea gypsies. You can find a few restaurants and also an abalone farm here.

• More about Koh Sirey
• Koh Sirey Temple



Further offshore...

Phi Phi is easily reached in a day trip, though it's better to stay a night or two. Can be crowded during the day with all the daytrippers. Scenery is beautiful. The Similan Islands are about 100km from Phuket and are better known for diving, but day trips for snorkeling are possible and you can even stay on the islands in national park accommodation. Koh Tachai is a bit further than the Similans and best reached by day trip from Khao Lak.

• Phi Phi Islands Day Trip
• Seaplane Flight to Phi Phi
• The Similan Islands
• Koh Tachai



More islands to come such as Koh Maphrao, Koh Bon, Koh Naka Yai ... Just give me time, I do work 6 days a week, so that leaves little time for exploring offshore islands. Oh, to be a full time blogger!

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Phuket Temples and Shrines

Hey, this is Thailand you know! It's not just Bangkok that has temples, though the Grand Palace and Wat Pho are pretty hard to beat. Phuket has many Buddhist Temples and if you want to see more than just a beach, get a taste of local life, a temple is a good place to start. The largest is Wat Chalong, which can be quite busy with locals and tourists, but every area has it's own small temple if you want more of a local flavour and a bit of history. In Kathu village close to where I live you find a Wat and a Chinese shrine. There are temples near all the main beaches too. My mission - to blog all the Buddhist temples in Phuket ... eventually... and the Chinese shrines... and maybe the mosques too!

Thalang Area

Thalang is a town right in the center of Phuket island, not near the beach, and was once the seat of government. In 1785, the people of Phuket rallied at Thalang to fight off a Burmese invasion, a date that lives long in the history of Phuket. Wat Phra Nang Sang was built on the battleground and a yearly festival celebrates the event. The Thalang area has some large and important historic temples...



(above) Buddha images at Wat Phra Tong



(above) reclining Buddha at Wat Sri Sunthorn

• Wat Phra Thong
• Wat Sri Sunthorn
• Wat Phra Nang Sang
• Wat Tha Reua Temple

Chalong Area

Wat Chalong is the largest temple in Phuket and the most visited. In the same area are other smaller local temples, not all blogged yet! I pass Chalong temple almost every day. It looks especially nice in the early morning.



• Chalong Temple (Wat Chalong)
• Wat Luang Pu Supha
• Wat Ladthiwanaram

And of course there's the Phuket Big Buddha which is also near Chalong sitting 400m above sea level. Not exactly a temple, but certainly a site of pilgrimage and a place to say prayers to the 4 winds.



(above) The Big Buddha, still not quite ready in 2012. But great anyway!

Temples near the beaches

Most of the beach areas of Phuket also have older local communities even if the old way of life has largely been swamped by tourism. Before tourism hit Phuket, hardly anyone lived by the beach except fishing families. If you get off the beach and look on the back roads you can find the older areas, and that's where you find the temples. More to come - it took me ages to go take some photos of Karon and Kata temples, even though they're just down the road from my work! I still want to blog a very nice one up near Nai Yang Beach.

• Nai Harn Temple
• Karon Temple
• Patong Temple
• Kamala Temple
• Kata Temple
• Wat Sawang Arom (Rawai)

Local Temples

All over Phuket, in every village or tambon you will find a temple. I like the feel of the local temples. Every one has it's little differences and they are little havens of peace away from daily life.

• Wat Kathu Temple
• Wat Khao Rang
• Wat Sapam
• Koh Sirey Temple
• Ket Ho Temple
• Sam Kong Temple
• Wat Kosit Wiharn
• Wat Thep Nimit
• Naka Temple
• Wat Manik
• Wat Mongkhon Nimit (in old part of Phuket Town)
• Wat Vichit Sangkaram (Phuket Town)



(above) Monk at Sam Kong Temple on the edge of Phuket Town

Chinese Shrines

Many Chinese shrines are important during the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival which has been a Phuket tradition since 1825. There are many more than those listed below, mostly in and around Phuket Town - I must get them blogged sometime!

• Shrine on Patong Hill
• Kathu Village Shrine - More of Kathu Shrine
• Sam Kong Shrine
• Jui Tui Shrine
• Shrine of the Serene Light
• Tha Reua Shrine



(above) at Kathu Chinese Shrine

Temples not in Phuket

Of course all of Thailand is a temple. Now and then we might visit a temple that is not in Phuket. We have stopped several times at Wat Suwan Kuha in Phang Nga province. Big reclining Buddha in a cave, monkeys, well worth a visit! And in Phang Nga town is Wat Thamtapan, a very odd place!

• Wat Bang Riang
• Wat Suwan Kuha
• Wat Thamtapan

The Phuket temples featured so far are all Buddhist / Chinese. I should point out that Phuket has a sizeable Muslim population (around 30%), and there are several quite large mosques around the island. There is also at least 1 Catholic church (in Phuket town). There's a street in Phuket Town that features a mosque, church and chinese shrine! There's also a Hindu temple and a Sikh Gurdwara almost next to each other in Phuket Town. In Phuket the different religions and beliefs mix together without any problems, a good example for the rest of the world...

Phuket Temples - Map


View Phuket Temples in a larger map

Phuket Chinese Shrines - Map


View Phuket Chinese Shrines in a larger map

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Phuket Restaurants - Some Phuket Restaurant Suggestions

You are really spoiled for choice when it comes to restaurants in Phuket. You want cheap local food, you got it, you want a juicy steak, you got it, you want Italian food, Mexican food, Arabic food, Indian Food ... whatever, you can find it. We tend to avoid the really touristy places, but even in Patong there are a few places I like. We do tend to eat local food, and tend to eat at home most of the time, but it can be cheap to eat out in Thailand, and it's very easy to be lazy! The following are some Phuket restaurants that we like... some are a bit out of the way, but in general we don't eat at the main tourist beaches.. to get good local food, you might just want to get out and explore the real Phuket. The majority of the Phuket restaurant recommendations here may need some exploring, which is what this blog is about!

Seafood Restaurants

Many people want to eat seafood when visiting Phuket, and you'll see seafood displays outside many restaurants on the main beaches. We prefer quieter places which are frequented more by locals. Laem Hin (in my opinion) has the best food. The restaurant is on the east coast north of Phuket Town. Bang Pae Seafood is way up in the north of the island, very quiet. Near Chalong you have Kan Eang and a bunch of others near the zoo, and there's also the new Kan Eang @ The Pier which is more expensive, but very nicely done - we have only stopped there for drinks so far, but I am sure will go for dinner sometime.

• Laem Hin Seafood
• Bang Pae Seafood
• Pak Nam Seafood
• Tha Sai Seafood (Phang Nga)
• Bang Mud Seafood
• Kan Eang 2 Seafood
• Batik Seafood (Nai Yang Beach)
• Samchong Seafood (just off Phuket in Phang Nga)





Eating by the sea

We like to find small local places that don't have tourist rip off prices, which normally means getting off the main tourist beaches. The Beach Bar at Cape Panwa is one of our favourite places to go and relax by the sea, watch the sunset and let the kids play on a beach devoid of jetskis and umbrellas. The views from Phromthep Cape restaurant or the After Beach Bar are great. There are several favourite places on the east coast like Bang Rong, Kruwit Raft. On Koh Sirey there are several small places which get almost no tourist business - inexpensive, by the sea, peaceful - just how we like it.

• The Beach Bar at Cape Panwa
• Kruwit Raft Floating Restaurant
• Phromthep Cape Restaurant
• The After Beach Bar (Kata)
• Bang Rong Floating Restaurant
• Thanoon Seafood at the Sarasin Bridge
• Nikitas, Rawai Beach
• Friendship Beach
• Haad Pleum Suk (Koh Sirey)
• Nakkerd Seaview (on Buddha Mountain)
• Nice Food Good View (Cape Panwa)





Around Phuket Town

Phuket Town has a lot of dining options - we try to go "into town" more often these days, and have found a few good ones recently like Rimtang and Kaewjai. A few of our favourite places are on the edge of town. Dairy Hut is near the Phuket Bangkok International Hospital and has indoor (aircon) and outdoor tables, live music, big screen TV's and tasty food. Tunk Ka is great - on top of Rang Hill with a very nice view. Chen Long is one of many all you can eat buffet places around town, you can find it in between Big C and Central. And there are little local restaurants all over the place around town - try eating at a place like this for some proper local flavour!

• Tunk Ka Restaurant on Rang Hill
• Kopitiam (in old town)
• Route 68 (in old town)
• Dairy Hut
• Rider Cafe
• Abduls Roti Shop
• Yellow Door
• UpTown Restaurant
• Rimtang Restaurant
• Since 1892 Cafe
• Kaewjai Bakery and Restaurant
• Naowarat in old town near the market.
• Moo Grob Khun Yai
• Khao Yam and Dim Sum in Kathu
• Chen Long Kung Kata (Buffet)
• Leelawadee
• Farang Restaurant
• The Big Chicken
• The Lunch Room - now called Eddie's
• Phuket Brewery - closed now unfortunately





Main Phuket beaches

I don't eat much around the main beaches, except for lunch in Karon, often at Sala Bua, otherwise street food or cheap local / noodle shops which are all over the place (don't be scared!). In Patong, if you want a great burger or Mexican food, try BBQ Hut, for a treat - the Ninth Floor. Otherwise, I rarely ever go to Patong.

• Sabai Sabai Indian Curry (Kata)
• Mom Tri's Kitchen (Kata Noi Beach)
• Mama Noi (Karon Beach)
• Sala Bua @ Karon Place Hotel
• The Ninth Floor (Patong)
• BBQ Hut (Patong)
• English Food in Phuket (Pineapple Guesthouse)





Out in the Sticks

Lots of little restaurants in the center of Phuket away from the beaches and away from the town. We tend to eat around Phuket Town as it's near our house, but we are always exploring. Most recent discovery was Peang Prai, near Bang Pae Waterfall.

• Dairy Hut Seafood in Phang Nga
• Kin Dee
• Peang Prai Restaurant
• Krua Maireab (near Kathu Waterfall and now closed)
• Andaman Viewpoint - 360 Degree Coffee (just off the island, over the Sarasin bridge)
• Krua Guilin in Khao Sok National Park
• Lakeside Restaurant - now closed :(



Noodles!

If you just want a snack - a bowl of noodles does the trick and normally only costs about 30 - 40 Baht. There must be a noodle shop on every street and every corner. We have several favourite noodle shops. Another noodly favourite is Phad Thai, fried noodles rather than soup. Always a good lunch!

• Noodles in Phuket
• More Noodles in Phuket!
• Best Phad Thai in Phuket!
• Kuay Jap restaurant near Phuket Town
• Spicy Noodles for Breakfast!





There are also plenty of food options in the Phuket Town shops, supermarkets and malls such as Tesco Lotus or Central festival (we like Fuji Japanese). The food courts in the big stores do decent local food. Restaurants everywhere and I can't review them all... this blog does not do the main beaches as much as the more local places.

Street Food

I will start writing more about street food, which is mainly snacks rather than full meals. You can find fruit stalls, fried chicken stalls, somtam stalls, sticky rice sellers etc. all over Thailand. Street food is well worth a nibble! If you head to any market area in the evening, lots of food stalls to try.

• Street Food - Pa Tong Go
• A Working Lunch
• Fruit Stalls
• Weekend Market (lots of food here)

More to come, may include some cheap local restaurants in Karon and some more seafood places... Of course, nothing compares to good home cooking (see: Thai Food: Home Cooking), but we have vowed to try and keep trying new restaurants for the blogs sake!

More Phuket dining options can be found on the Where to Eat in Phuket web site, or the Phuket Dining web site.

"Is the food safe to eat in Phuket?" is a question I get asked.... Answer : yes, 99% of the time. I eat mostly in local restaurants, not expensive ones, street food, small roadside local shacks ... they may be the safest food - high turnover, always fresh and cooked right in front of you. I've had a bad belly a few times, and a couple of times I am sure it was from old chicken or coconut milk that had gone bad, and from tourist restaurants not local places. Basically, I would not worry, and don't worry about ice either, it's made from purified water.

In 2008 the Travel Channel made an episode of Bizarre Foods here in Phuket. Well worth watching - see Bizarre Foods : Phuket.

I also check other people's blogs for good restaurant tips and reviews - after all, as a resident I do tend to eat in most of the time, whereas tourists and visitors will be eating out... Try these for starters:

• Tina's Phuket Restaurant Page
• Cathy and Gary's Phuket Travel Pages
• Mala Dimsum, Kata Beach by Camille
• Thalay Tong

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Hills and Views in Phuket

We like hills, we like views. Phuket is pretty darn hilly, with the highest point at over 540m (1600 feet) and several other 500m hills. The hills stretch right from south at Phromthep Cape up to the northern hills around Bang Pae and Tonsai waterfalls. There are great views to be found all over the island... Just get off the beach and explore!

Buddha Mountain (Phuket Big Buddha)



In the Nakkerd Hills overlooking much of southern Phuket, a 45m high Buddha has been under construction for several years. We first went up here before the building started. The main Buddha statue is complete, and the whole area was supposed to be complete sometime in 2012 ... This is one of my favourite places in Phuket and I am sure Buddha Mountain will be blogged yet again! You can hike up from Karon Beach (see links below). It's not just the Buddha, it's the views! It's a lot busier than it used to be. We first went up there before they even started building! Now it's on the route of just about every tour!

• Big Buddha - Latest Photos
• Hiking up to the Big Buddha (Feb 2010)
• Big Buddha May 2009



(above) View from the Big Buddha over the hills of Phuket

Karon Viewpoint and Phromthep Cape

Probably the two most visited viewpoints in Phuket. Karon viewpoint has a view across Kata Noi, Kata and Karon beaches and the picture is found on just about all Phuket websites, this one included! It's basically "the" Phuket viewpoint. Phromthep cape is the rocky headland in the south west of Phuket, great for views, great for sunsets, and don't miss the lighthouse... and recently I hiked for the first time right to the end of the cape!

• Karon and Kata Viewpoint
• Sunset at Cape Phromthep
• Hike to the end of Promthep Cape



(above) The Phuket Viewpoint over Kata and Karon Beaches

Naiharn / Wind Turbine Viewpoint

Just North of Phromthep Cape, in between Yanui and Naiharn beaches is a big white wind turbine, and there's a viewpoint here too where people sometimes go paragliding off the steep cliff.

• Naiharn / Yanui Viewpoint



More Great Phuket Views

Radar Hill (with the round radar dome on top) overlooking Patong Beach has some fantastic views on the way up, and nobody ever seems to come up here. Khao Khad is a viewpoint in Cape Panwa, one of our favourite areas of Phuket - there is a view tower and a superb view across Chalong Bay. Rang Hill and Monkey Hill are both in Phuket Town - good views and monkeys too!



(above) View from Rang Hill (Phuket Town)

• A walk up Monkey Hill (2011)
• Khao Khad Viewpoint
• Radar Hill
• Rang Hill
• Tunk Ka Cafe on Rang Hill



(above) View from Khao Khad Viewpoint

Some back roads in the hills can lead to great views. I have done a (hard!) hike up to the highest point in Phuket which sits between Kathu waterfall and Kamala Beach. Any back road is worth a follow in Phuket to get an unexpected view!

• Hiking to the Roof of Phuket
• Back road over the mountain above Patong

You can also get nice views from some of the temples in Phuket, such as Koh Sirey Temple which is built on a hill, Wat Sapam on the east coast, or from Chalong Temple. And all along the west coast especially between the beaches on the rocky headlands there are great sea views.

And get your camera out when flying in to Phuket, oh and make sure you have a window seat to get views of Phuket, Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay... See Phuket Views from the Air, and Seaplane Flight to Phi Phi. The seaplane flight was particularly amazing! Check out the view below over Maya Bay!



Get up a hill! It's good to get some fresh air and see Phuket from another angle. In fact.. did you know? Phuket got it's name from the Malay word "Bhukit" which means, yes you guessed it, hill.

Hills and Views in Phuket - Google Maps


View Phuket Hills and Viewpoints in a larger map

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