20 min
Karon Viewpoint is one of the most frequented viewpoints in Phuket. From here, it is possible to take in views of Kata Noi, Kata Yai and Karon beaches.
20 min
From Windmill Viewpoint, beneath the swishing rotor blades that generate electricity for the area (its official name is the ‘Phromthep Alternative Energy Station’), you can spot passing sea traffic, ranging from long-tail boats with their long converted truck motors, to fishing boats heading out into the Andaman, to oil tankers and even mega-sized cruise ships coming from and heading back to Singapore. Flying things Windmill Viewpoint is also a meeting place for model airplane enthusiasts as well as hang gliding types who ride the tropical thermals, eventually coming to a graceful landing down at Nai Harn Beach. Far above and sometimes parallel with the hill, Brahminy kites and sea eagles gracefully glide past. You could be forgiven for thinking that with all this airborne activity Windmill Viewpoint is a crowded spot: It’s anything but, mostly because there’s very little parking space. Still, it’s not only a premium sunset viewing point; it’s also an all-day attractive place with the sea especially azure at midday.
30 min
Promthep Cape is one of the island's most photographed and perhaps best-known locations. Every evening, large tour buses, scooters and private cars sweep through Rawai Beach and up the island's southernmost hill in order to watch the sunset at its peak. On the top of the hill stands a busy car park where vehicles disgorge crowds of people from every corner of the world.
40 min
Phuket's Big Buddha is one of the most important and revered landmarks on the island. The huge image sits on top of the Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata and, at 45 metres tall, can be seen from as far away as Phuket Town and Karon Beach. The lofty site offers the best 360-degree views of the island, with sweeping vistas of Phuket Town, Kata, Karon, Chalong Bay and more. Relatively easily reachable via a winding 6-km road leading from Phuket's main artery route, it is a must-visit island destination.
40 min
Wats - or Buddhist temples - are among the most important symbols of Thailand, partly because the majority of Thais are Buddhist and partly because they are so beautiful. In Phuket alone, there are 29 Buddhist temples spread around the island. Wat Chalong has been extending a warm welcome to visitors for over a century. Locals come to pray and Westerners come to learn something about Buddhism.
20 min
Unlike many Thai provincial capitals, Phuket Town fairly shines with personality and nowhere more so than its Old Town. In this historically rich part of town you will find shrines, temples (Buddhist and Chinese), ornate and beautifully preserved 'shophouses', quaint cafés, tiny printing shops, impromptu private and public museums and even a mini ex-red light district. Phuket Old Town was built on riches reaped from Phuket's tin boom of last century, when the metal was an extremely valuable commodity. In this quarter of the town you will see grandiose Sino-colonial mansions, once occupied by Phuket's tin barons of 100 years' ago. Phuket Old Town is compact enough to stroll around in. The best time to do this is early in the morning or after the day has lost its heat.
30 min
Khao Rang Hill is one of Phuket’s most famous viewpoints. Located to the northwest of the city centre, its summit offers views out over the town, to the south of the island, neighbouring islands and along the hills forming the ‘spine’ of the island, upon which sits the impressive Phuket Big Buddha. Featuring a nicely landscaped park with children’s playground, three restaurants and bars, a fitness park, and a panoramic terrace - built in 2014 - officialising the viewpoint status of Khao Rang’s summit, the place is attractive and offers its visitors a breath of fresh air in the capital of Phuket Island.
20 min
The Banzaan Market is the brainchild of a well-known Phuket family who sought to offer shoppers an alternative experience other than visiting a typical local market. The word ‘banzaan’ means fresh market in Hokkien, a Chinese dialect popular among many overseas Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia.
Admission not included30 min
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The hotspot for watching planes coming into land is at the western end of Phuket International Airport runway, at the southern end of Mai Khao Beach. The place is idyllic: Mai Khao Beach is up to 50 metres wide at low tide, and the turquoise colours of the sea, offer stunning photo opportunities.
Admission not included60 min
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Ma Doo Bua Phuket is a cafe and restaurant whose sole purpose is to provide an irresistible background to the new generation of selfie lovers. The main catch is an artificial lake covered with those unusual giant circular floating leaves called Victoria Amazonica, a species of flowering plant, the largest of the Nymphaeaceae family of giant water lilies.
