Destinations Thailand

Phuketmania

February 12, 2016
Koh Racha

So Phuket it was this time! After exploring many of the smaller and lesser known islands the previous years (like Koh Lanta and Koh Kradan), I came to the point where I wanted to give Thailand’s “queen” of islands and the “pearl of the Andaman” as they name themselves, another chance. Because Phuket and I didn’t have a good start. Back in 2009, when I visited Thailand for the first time as part of a university field trip, we could’t choose where we stayed, and our supervisors for some reasons, picked a hotel right in the busiest part of hectic, seedy Patong Beach. Probably not the worst location for a group of young students willing to party, but the masses of tourists in combination with all the go-go bars, tacky souvenirs and pushy ladyboys became a bit too much after 5 days. Not even the beach was that great. I know, the subject of our trip was the impact of mass tourism, however 1-2 days (or nights) would’ve been enough to recognize that 😛

Anyway, I knew there was a different Phuket somewhere – the one I heard of other frequent Thailand travelers. Luckily the island is rather big, so there’s plenty of space for everyone’s personal Phuket experience which has nothing to do with what I’ve described before. And we’ve found what we were looking for and even more – here are my hidden treasures of Phuket to avoid the island’s mass tourism:

1. Mai Khao Beach

We stayed away from Patong this time and found that Phuket indeed has some wonderful, quiet beaches. One of my favourite was Mai Khao Beach which is right by the airport and has become quite an attraction for plane spotters. Apart from aircraft noise here and there (which I found rather entertaining), this stretch of sand is the longest but also the least frequented of Phuket and therefore makes the ideal place for those who seek relaxation and peace. Click here for a list of hotels in the area.

Pure joy when I hit the beach after some time…

2. Phuket Town

The old part of Phuket Town is definitely worth visiting. Although Thailand never has been colonized (and they’re very proud of that), you can still feel the different cultural influences of Chinese, Portuguese and Arabian merchants thanks to the pretty architecture. Phuket Town makes a great base for those who like to go shopping, dining and/are culturally interested. Click here for a list of hotels in Phuket town.

Also there’s plenty of food options and we enjoyed some local specialties (like Hokkien noodles and shaved ice) and delicious seafood at some simple but popular restaurants.

Dinner at Ang Seafood in Phuket Town was outstanding, this simple but hugely popular restaurants knows how to do seafood right!

And there is this massive night market with tons of second-hand ware, souvenirs and of course, more food.

But this was where it must have happened… My bf and me suffered a severe food poisoning the next day. We’re still wondering whether it was that chicken or not :/ However it does look tasty doesn’t it?

Seafood Krapao (stir fried with Thai basil) – #nomnom

3. Koh Racha

Phuket has plenty of other, smaller islands with postcard-perfect beaches in close proximity. We went by speed boat to Koh Racha and were blown away by the turquoise water and white sand. The snorkeling was surprisingly one of the best in Thailand I’ve seen so far. If you wanna stay overnight you have the choice between only two resorts that are exclusively located on the island.

Racha7

4. Cape Panwa

We stayed at the southeastern tip of Phuket which wasn’t too far from Phuket Town. Cape Panwa’s hotels cater primarily to families and couples who aren’t looking for 24/7 entertainment. The beach isn’t ideal for swimming but almost every hotel comes with a pool and you’ll be rewarded with the prettiest sunset views! Click here for a list of hotels in the area.

5. Useful information

Do some research before you arrive in Phuket because location is everything there. The island has so many beaches and resorts catered to everybody’s taste but distances are far, so if you’re not motorized, you may be stuck in the resort/beach you’ve chosen. This is one of the places in Thailand where renting a car is almost a must, because taxis are expensive and public transportation is equal to zero.


Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. I may receive a little commission through bookings on this site. This doesn’t cause you any extra costs but at the same time you’ll support me to run this site. Thank you ❤️


Thai island fever? Join the club!

Overdose of beach on Koh Kradan

The lazy days of Koh Lanta

Visiting Mu Koh Surin National Park

You Might Also Like

26 Comments

  • Reply Romantiquely (@romantiquely) February 12, 2016 at 11:39 pm

    Wow! This is seriously paradise, this is what dreams are made of! Your photographs are glorious, what an incredible trip! Sad that you experienced some issues with your stomach though boo.. Beautiful post though! xxxxx

    http://www.romantiquely.com

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:00 pm

      Thank you dear, despite that little incident, we’ll still remember that as a beautiful trip. You’re so kind <3

  • Reply sommertage February 13, 2016 at 1:24 am

    Richtig schöne Bilder 🙂 Wir waren vor 3 Jahren auch in Phuket und haben ähnliche Erfahrungen gemacht. Patong ist wirklich abstoßend, aber wir haben einige schöne Ecken entdeckt. Extrem gut zu Abend gegessen haben wir am Strand in Rawai. Das erinnert mich daran, dass wir schon längst einen Blogartikel über Phuket online stellen wollten 🙂
    Liebe Grüße, Kathi

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:02 pm

      Das hört sich toll an, darüber würde ich nur allzu gerne lesen 😉

  • Reply SueT唐 梦 琇 February 13, 2016 at 2:29 am

    What a wonderful holiday – apart from the food poisoning of course. The beaches look incredible and so lovely and clean – lovely post.

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:04 pm

      I’m still fascinated when I look at the beach photos, it brightens up the cold days Austria. You’re right, at the end it was an awesome holiday!

  • Reply annie lee February 13, 2016 at 6:36 pm

    railay is another beautiful beach nearby! have you been? your photos are soooo gorgeous makes me want a beach getaway soon!

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:06 pm

      Aww thank you! I’ve visited Railay couple of years ago and I loved it! One of the best beaches of whole Thailand!

  • Reply shootingvienna February 13, 2016 at 11:00 pm

    Das Foto mit dem Tieffliegenden Flugzeug gefällt mir echt gut! Ich würde das auch eher witzig als störend finden und mir denken, dass die Leute um Flugzeug ganz interessiert die Badegäste ansehen und sich wünschten, sie wären auch schon am Strand 😉

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:07 pm

      Genau so ging es uns bei der Landung! Ich wusste sofort: Da muss ich hin 😉

  • Reply Vicky T. February 14, 2016 at 7:21 am

    I’ve never been to Phuket but I really want to visit one day. All those culturally different architecture is so interesting and those clear blue waters… so jealous (except for the food poisoning)!

    Vicky
    http://vickysscrapbook.com/

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:10 pm

      Thanks Vicky! It’s such a memorable experience to swim in this beautiful water, so I really hope you can do that one day too!

  • Reply Paleica February 15, 2016 at 8:46 am

    abgesehen von seafood, mit dem ich mich einfahc nciht anfreunden kann, sieht das alles wundervoll aus. das türkise wasser ist der hammer und die bilder mit den flugzeugen sind wirklich genial.

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:12 pm

      Hehe die Muscheln kosten mich auch jedes Mal ein bisschen Überwindung und die hat mein Freund bestellt 😛 Das Highlight waren für mich auch die Flugzeuge, die gaben dem Strand das gewisse Etwas 😉

  • Reply Jessica @ Boarding Pass February 15, 2016 at 8:44 pm

    What beautiful beaches!

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:14 pm

      Right?! I wish I could teleport myself there now!

  • Reply rae tashman (@lovefromberlin) February 15, 2016 at 9:38 pm

    These photos are just absolutely beautiful and Phuket looks absolutely amazing! I would really love to go to Phuket sometime this year as well. I love the beach so much, and although I do like going to places where there are surfable waves, I have been dying to go to a calm beach like the ones in these photos!

    Rae | Love from Berlin

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:18 pm

      The ocean indeed was calm, at least at that time of the year! I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you make it there soon, also because I’d love to read about it in your blog 😉

  • Reply Tiffany. Yang February 16, 2016 at 2:07 am

    your photo makes me miss the beach, especially now its so cold in London. and the food looks so tasty! 🙂 have a great day!

    http://www.thelookingglassbyty.com

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:21 pm

      I totally feel the same, the weather here is really bad right now. Have a wonderful day too!

  • Reply SLAYDELE (@DreamForAdele) February 16, 2016 at 4:24 pm

    It’s so good to hear that you enjoyed your trip this time round. Phuket definitely looks amazing on travel blogs and I hope to experience that side of the place in real life one day. The food looks amazing, too!

    May | THE MAYDEN | bloglovin’

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:25 pm

      Thank you May! It truly is an amazing holiday destination with all the great beaches and food! I can just recommend to plan a trip there 😉

  • Reply mintnoti February 17, 2016 at 3:36 am

    Your Thailand posts really make me want to visit there! I’ll take your tip though and definitely do some research before heading to Phuket. I would like to see the non-touristy side of there. Great photos, have a nice day 🙂

    http://www.mintnotion.com

    • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 2:27 pm

      Eden, I’m always delighted to read your comments 🙂 I’d be so happy to see you being in Thailand!

  • Reply sileas February 17, 2016 at 1:57 pm

    Thank you for stopping by and say hi 😉

  • Reply Charlotte Vanassche January 12, 2018 at 4:23 pm

    I recently visited Phuket and I am glad to read that other also find beauty and peace in Phuket. Yes some places are overly crowded with tourists, but the Island still have a lot to offer. Love you pictures!

  • Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    %d bloggers like this: