Phuket TRAVEL FRONTIER
It’s one of Australia’s most popular Asian travel destinations, but few know there’s a way to see this jewel off the beaten track
There’s no denying it — Aussies are in love with Phuket. A year-onyear holiday favourite, we’re flocking to Thailand’s biggest island in ever-increasing numbers for its sun and sand.
But you can escape the crowds — you just need to know where to look.
From artsy fare and empty beaches, to magical aquatic life and traditional culture — venture off piste and discover there’s 10 hidden gems, no crowds guaranteed. Find your perfect beach
Patong, Kata and Karon are the most crowded on the island and unless you like your sun baking with a side of bogan, opt for a more secluded beach instead.
A favourite with locals on weekends, Ao Yon offers white sand and clean, turquoise water and it’s pretty much deserted through the week. Bang Tao is similarly uncrowded.
Relaxed, long and with a decent of amount of sun beds and umbrellas, it’s the perfect spot to while away a day.
But the best for Robinson Crusoe wannabes is Freedom Beach.
Though the least accessible (you’ll need to get there by hiking through jungle or by boat) its tropical nodding palms and shallow pristine waters are beach bum heaven.
Take in Phuket’s old town
While bars and beaches are the chief drawcard in Phuket, culture vultures can still be appeased. In Phuket Town — the historical centre of the island — the colourful SinoPortuguese architecture is a feast for the eyes and exploring the old shophouses, shrines, museums and stylish cafes and art galleries will keep you busy for a good few hours.
In recent years, the art has spread out onto the streets.
Reminiscent of Melbourne’s laneways, street art masterpieces now decorate buildings all over the town centre. Psychedelic murals by visiting French street artist Noe Two have become new landmarks.
Indulge in a herbal cure
Many of Phuket’s residents claim Chinese ancestry and the culture these early settlers brought with them still permeates. This can be seen nowhere better than at traditional Chinese herbal shop, Nguan Choon Tong, on Thalang Road. You’ll likely smell the store first. It’s pungent wares comprise a Harry Potteresque array of lotions, potions and herbs, with small wooden boxes containing barks, dried insects and exotic frogs and scorpions. Ran continually since 1917 by the same family, this place even got some screen time in the American version of The Amazing Race.
Sail away
Despite there being more than 200 islands off the coastline, the masses generally make a beeline for James Bond Island and Phi Phi. The latter became a stop on the tourist trail after being used as a filing location for the blockbuster movie, The Beach.
However, Phuket Sail Tours do a great job of avoiding the crowds.
Their Kho Phanak Sail Caves and Hongs Tour deliberately veers away from the usual go-tos taking passengers to deserted beaches, hidden lagoons framed by soaring limestones cliffs, and stalagmite and stalactite-filed sea caves (known as ‘hong’) which can be explored by flashlight. The all-day experience includes a yummy freshly prepared Thai lunch (prepare by the on-board chef) on a pretty beach. phuketsailtours.com.
Visit lesser known temples
Forgo the Big Buddha and its selfie-stick wielding tourists and instead hire a car to see a few of the lesser known religious sites. The temple cave of Wat Tham Suwan Khuha is a
great place to start. Known for its figure of the reclining Buddha, there are more monkeys here than people. Back in town, the 130-yearold Chinese Sang Tham Shrine — nestled between two old shophouses — is also definitely a look.
Get your hands dirty
The first ago-tourism attraction on the island, Vanich Farm offers visitors a taste of traditional Thai farming at its hands-on-based agriculture and cultural based learning centre.
An hour from Patong beach, the recently opened organic urban farm offers guests a variety of ‘pick your own’ experiences and kids will love the resident miniature cows, sheep and albino buffaloes. vanichfarm.com.
Take the plunge
If you really want to escape the masses, diving 18-plus-metres down to the ocean floor is a sure-fire method.
And the clear turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea are a diver’s dream.
Two of the best locations are Shark Point — aptly named considering the plethora of leopard sharks here — and Koh Phi Phi, where rocky outcrops offer both cave and wall dives, which play home to eagle and sting rays, moray eels and octopus. Also, 84km northwest from Phuket lies the Similan Islands, which are consistently ranked in the world’s top 10 diving locations. elixirdivers.com.
Get a glimpse of village life
A world away from the five-star resorts, busy bars and packed beaches, on the tiny island of Koh Sirey (connected by a bridge), encounter one of the smallest ethnic minorities in Asia. Close to 2000 sea gypsies — known locally as “Chao Ley” — live in the beachfront village of Laem Tukkae on the island’s southern end.
The once-nomadic people are said to be the original inhabitants of Phuket and retain their own language and distinctive culture and animist religion.
Visit the friendly locals and watch them construct their traditional mangrove-wood fishing traps.
Roll with the punches
If you’re up for a spot of cultural immersion — and a hardcore workout — put Muay Thai (Thai boxing) on your list. Phuket is home to Tiger Muay Thai, the world’s biggest training centre for Thailand’s national sport.
Though a training ground for the world’s most elite, this dedicated camp is open to newbie holiday-makers too, with daily classes broken down into beginner, intermediate, advanced and professional only sessions.
tigermuaythai.com
Island hop
If you’re still finding it hard to escape the tourist trail then try a nearby island. A quick and easy speedboat ride away, Koh Yao Noi is a small island that ticks some pretty big boxes. No crowds, pristine beaches, minimal facilities (there isn’t even an ATM) and populated by islanders that are intent on preserving their traditions, this is the antithesis of Phuket.
And the best place to experience the serenity is the Six Senses Yao Noi resort.
Perched on a cliffside, surrounded by lush jungle and boasting views over Phang Nga Bay this chichi hotel is all barefoot luxury with an epic spa, in-villa butlers, gorgeous infinity pools and eco-friendly, plush accommodation peppered among the rainforest and shoreline.
sixsenses.com