Phuket used to be a beautiful crystal blue water, clear sand beach, adorable destination but unfortunately we were a little disappointed in what we found when we got there. Yes the water is beautiful blue and the sand super smooth so if you are only looking for beaches, hot weather, and resorts, you may love it. The shops and restaurants lining the streets left a lot to be desired. We spoke with local business owners who all expressed a huge change post COVID. We weren’t here before so I can’t speak to it firsthand but the shop owners said the clientele has changed and so have many of the stores who sell what people buy. We found way too many trinkets, beachwear, dirty bars with cheap liquor, weed stores, and pushy salespeople at subpar seafood restaurants.
Transportation seems to be a big problem. There is only one main road connecting a lot of the beaches on the west coast which gets clogged with traffic. Cabs and taxis are expensive. Beware – Bolt and Grab apps don’t work in Phuket. Well I guess they work but there is some shady collusion happening so locals recommended we use inDrive app instead. We had to leave super early the day of our flight and paid 1,200 baht for a taxi which seemed steep but was our only option at that time.
On arrival, we took the smart bus from the airport to Karon Beach which was 100 baht a person but took 1.5 hours. We also rented a scooter for 250 baht per day which was a nice way to see more of the island. Other than that, walking is about your only option but it’s crazy hot out and sidewalks aren’t always guaranteed.
Renting a scooter was the best way to see more. We had to leave a $100 or 4,000 baht deposit which we got back when we returned the scooter. These stores are literally everywhere so no need to book in advance. There are a few beaches to the south with some overlooks which were nice. Yanui Beach and Nai Harn Beach with Windmill Viewpoint in between Karon Viewpoint.
Old Phuket City definitely leans to the cuter boutique stores, funky coffee shops, street art, and historic feel. It’s not very big but you can spend a few hours meandering the alleyways and finding some cute things. I’d definitely recommend a stop at Thaihua, an adorable coffee and tea shop with tons of seating, great prices (all drinks just 50 baht), and an old Chinese funky atmosphere where old local Chinese men were having their tea and playing cards. It was a great find.
If you’re in the area, Monkey Hill is a fascinating stop. You cannot drive to the top anymore so park at the bottom and walk up the paved road. There is a security check before you enter to make sure you don’t have any food. If you do, you can leave it at the checkpoint and get it back when you leave. We saw super aggressive monkeys steal water bottles out of people’s pockets so they are pretty serious about not taking food in. There are hundreds of monkeys just wandering the trees and street. It’s a short stop but a fun walk. Don’t get close to them as they are wild animals and there are many signs warning of scratching or biting.
Google reviews are very hard to trust here. So many restaurants we went to that had 4.5-5 star reviews with many saying “best Thai food ever” but we found them to be just okay. One restaurant that was fun due to its history and staple on the island is The Pad Thai Shop in between Kata and Karon beach. You order at the counter, no payment, no number and she just remembers you when she calls out your order. The Pad Thai was good and the Thai Iced Tea is only 30 baht. Well worth it!! Then after you’re done, you walk up to pay and she remembers your order again. It’s rather impressive considering how crowded it was.
Communication was no problem at all on the island. All signs are in English, Chinese and Russian to cater to the many tourists.
We did find a nice hike to the top of Big Buddha. Search “Trail to Big Buddha” in GoogleMaps. It’s quite steep but there are ropes to help you climb. The way up wasn’t too bad, just super hot. But the way down was much more slippery. There are no bathrooms or stores until the very top so bring lots of water with you as it gets crazy hot. At the top you can visit the Big Buddha. It’s free but if you don’t have proper temple clothing they won’t allow you in.
All in all, if you love extra hot beaches, this place is for you. It’s not somewhere we’ll go back to as depending on our current location, there are other, nicer beach destinations that aren’t as expensive to get to and offer more to do.
