Phuket located some few kilometres from Krabi is one of Thailand’s major Islands situated in the middle of the Andaman Sea. The Island is very popular in Thailand due to its amazing resorts, beautiful beaches, and some lovely restaurants and attractions. Outside Thailand however, Phuket is not so known but in recent years has begun to gain worldwide attention as one of the finest tourist destinations in Asia due to the increasing number of visitors it receives, with the number shooting up every year. While it may not be in your plans to visit this unique island anytime soon, you definitely would want to read more about this Island and some o.f the finest attractions it has and things you can do when you find yourself there.
Phuket Trickeye Museum
The Phuket Trickeye Museum is the first 3D museum in southern Thailand. The art museum makes use of 3d designs to create interactive and almost real images that stimulates your imagination and creativity, making it almost impossible to forget these paintings even after years of the visit. As the only 3D museum in the southern part of Thailand, the Phuket Museum is the most patronized public gallery in the Phuket province and one of the most sort-after by tourists who visit Phuket.
Khao Rang Hill
Khao Rang is the highest viewpoint in Phuket city and offers an amazing experience for tourists who love to go on hiking expeditions. The Khao Rang Hill also has some amazing restaurants where hikers and tourists can rest and grab dinner while viewing the landscape of Phuket. Aside from restaurants the summit of the hill also boasts of a children’s park, some wonderful bars and luxurious facilities. All these facilities are found in a particular section of the mountain’s summit called the VIEWPOINT and it is from that section that tourists get to catch a glimpse of the landscape of Phuket. The Viewpoint was built in 2014 to provide the needed services to tourists climbing the hill.
Phuket Weekend Market
Phuket Weekend Market is perhaps the weirdest market in not just Phuket or Thailand but also the whole of Asia as a continent. Unlike the everyday normal market where newly produced and unused products are put for sale, the Phuket Weekend market is a special kind of market that deals in the sale of only second-hand items. In other words, items which have been used before and no longer found useful or needed by the owner. From footwear to clothes to jewelry and even utensils, anything you can think of, as long as you have a little money on you, you can find a second-hand one to buy an take home. Aside the second-hand clothing the market is also known for its abundance of pirated goods which come at insanely cheap prices making it one of the most visited markets in Phuket for especially the average residence who cannot afford the luxurious and brand new products in the malls. Phuket weekend market is a must-visit for tourists who visit the city.
Phuket Fantasea Theme Park
The Phuket FantaSea Park is a modern theme park on the Island of Phuket famous for its beautiful night scenery. The park usually hosts nighttime entertainment events which showcase the culture and tradition of Thailand while at the same time entertaining patrons. Facilities at the park include a 3000 seater capacity state-of-the-art theatre where events like stage plays, magical shows, cultural dance and acrobatics are performed and also a 4000-seat dining hall where patrons can feast and eat special traditional Thai foods. The park currently measures 60 acres, making it one of the biggest theme parks in the tourism world.
Big Buddha
The Big Buddha is the most iconic statue in Phuket standing at 45 metres tall and overlooking the Phuket province from the Nakkerd Hills where it is situated. The location of the statue is approximately 6 km from Phuket and is connected to the city by road. The statue was built in 2004 by the Thai state to serve multiple purposes including increasing the tourism potential of Phuket. Big Buddha was constructed with concrete and layered with beautiful white marbles that gives the statue a shining colour especially under the scorching sun. Since the completion of the statue in 2004, it has become a major tourist attraction in Phuket where most Island visitors pass by before departing the small province.
Bangla Road
If you are in Phuket to have fun, there is nowhere to look other than the famous Bangla Road streets near the Patong Beach. Once the sunset, the entire Bangla Road is closed to vehicular movement and the party begins. All the best restaurants, fine hotels, nightclubs, bars, casinos and other entertainment events and centres can be found on this 400-metre road. For those not wanting to visit any of the nightclubs, open bars and casinos, there is something for you too as the street performance of music, and cultural dance events are common on the main streets of Bangla Road.
Elephant Sanctuary
Talk of real tourism and preservation of nature, then the Elephant Sanctuary on the Island is the real deal and a must-visit for any tourist who loves animals especially the good old gentle giants called elephants. The park was specially created by the Thai government to provide a safe haven for the increasing elephant population of Phuket. The government has over the years gone a great length to ensure the animals live peacefully in the park, away from dangers of poachers and human activities that could put their lives at risk. The park is opened to tourists and visitors even though interaction with the animals are limited to a great extent to ensure the elephants are not stressed or used as some form of exhibition and entertainment for human satisfaction. A trip to this sanctuary is a must-visit to anyone who visits Phuket.
Phuket Beaches
You simply cannot talk about Phuket and discuss the amazing beaches that this small town has to offer tourists. There are more than twenty beautiful beaches on the island of Phuket and it is impossible to even imagine a tourist visiting Phuket and not go to any of the beaches to soak in the sun and relax on the shores. The most popular among these beaches in Phuket include the Paradise Beach, Kata Beach, Kata Noi beach, Nai Harn Beach, Patong beach, Karong beach and Ya Nui beach. All these beaches together with many others which were not mentioned have modern facilities and safety equipment to give tourists the best experience of their lives.
Phuket Night Market
There is something about Phuket and night market and you only have to visit there to understand this strange love affair. The people of the Island are ardent lovers of night market and you may never meet any group of people who love night markets as much as the Phuket people. There are over 10 major night markets on the Island where foods, drinks, snack and clothing can all be purchased under streetlights rather than sunshine. What’s more beautiful about the night markets, they are filled with street performances of music, making shopping the more exciting and intriguing. The Phuket Indy Market, Malin Plaza Patong and Phuket Walking Streets are among the most popular of the night markets on the small Island.
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