- Phuket parks and gardens
- Islands: in the footsteps of Leonardo
- Phuket landmarks
- Religious buildings
- Shopping lovers
- Where to go with children
Province and Thailand's largest island, Phuket leads the kingdom's most popular beach resorts. Every year, thousands of Russian tourists come here to relax on the beaches with perfectly white sand and taste the best seafood delicacies. In terms of noisy entertainment, the island is slightly inferior to Pattaya, but the answer to the question of where to go in Phuket, its guests find instantly: restaurants and entertainment centers, national parks and shows, water parks and temples are waiting for everyone who wants to diversify their beach vacation. The small islands surrounding Phuket are of great interest to divers and fans of secluded relaxation.
Phuket parks and gardens
Phuket, as befits a tropical island, looks very fresh and green from a bird's eye view. Lush vegetation feels great in the local climate, especially during the rainy season. Tourists can also enjoy the natural freshness, for whom walks in parks and gardens are part of the obligatory program of any vacation:
- The Orchid Garden is a wonderful place to go with the whole family in Phuket. More than one and a half thousand species of magnificent flowers meet amazed guests, and the guides are happy to acquaint visitors with the secrets of growing exotic beauties. Particularly impressed by what they saw, the tourists take the seedlings with them, the rest - a sea of vivid photographs and jewelry made of flowers with gold plating.
- A walk through the botanical garden is no less delightful. Hundreds of palms, cacti, lotuses, lilies, fruit trees and flowering bushes grow on an area of 10 hectares. The park is divided into several zones, each with plants from different parts of Thailand and other countries of the world. In the park, there is a farm exhibition, where you can get acquainted with the peculiarities of local agriculture, and cafes offering national dishes.
- The adherents of the perfectly clean sea love to relax in Sirinath National Park. Local beaches are pleasantly different from the recreation areas in large resorts and seem completely untouched by civilization. But for fans of the modern achievements of the tourism industry, there will be activities to their liking in the park. Sirinath is home to the island's largest water park with the inspiring name Jungle Splash. Dozens of water attractions will help its visitors to cheer up: slides, including extreme slides, children's playgrounds and paddling pools, wave pools and other active entertainment.
Another popular park to visit in Phuket is called FantaSea. It lives up to its name one hundred percent, and you will find all kinds of shows and attractions on its territory. In "Fantasy" tourists will ride on elephants, feed them with real Thai food, show exotic inhabitants of the island - from butterflies to reptiles, offer to buy products of folk craftsmen as souvenirs and, finally, present a show in the national style with pyrotechnic effects, tricks of illusionists and elephant tricks …
Islands: in the footsteps of Leonardo
DiCaprio and the Phi Phi Islands near Phuket are like Siamese twins: the mention of some immediately evokes associations with the other, and vice versa. If you remember the ideal landscapes from The Beach movie and think that they came out this way only thanks to the cinematography, you are wrong. An excursion to the Phi Phi Islands in the Andaman Sea will prove to any skeptic that heaven exists on Earth.
Inhabited among the islands of the Phi Phi archipelago, there is only one, and its beaches look just like the perfect advertising posters for your dream vacation. The island has the opportunity to take a break from civilization. Despite the developed infrastructure, you will not find noisy entertainment on Phi Phi. Most tourists here just prefer to enjoy the sea and the sun, but active hotel guests can count on deep-sea fishing, long walks in the picturesque surroundings, sightseeing and snorkeling with diving.
Another archipelago where you can go by boat or get from Phuket by ferry is called Similan. The small group of islands has been declared a national park and is ideal for secluded beach holidays and diving. The dives at Similan are considered the most spectacular in Thailand. Particularly prominent are the reefs in the waters of the N8 island, where everything - from the bottom topography to the inhabitants - delights experienced divers. For new diving practitioners, the underwater sites near islands NN6 and 9 are more suitable.
Phuket landmarks
Sooner or later, any tourist gathers to put a tick in front of the point "attractions" and replenish the photo album with vivid pictures of the most popular places in Phuket. Sea and sun baths in a few days seem monotonous, and the soul needs something interesting. In the list of such places on the island, the first thing is an aquarium, several farms, a couple of museums, observation decks and even markets:
- The Nakha Pearl Farm is a vivid example of how a person learns from nature and uses the knowledge gained in his own economic interests. The farm grows pearls by implanting grains of sand inside the shell, overgrowing with mother-of-pearl and turning into real treasures for several years. An excursion to Nakha will allow you to see the whole process of obtaining pearls, and those who are not indifferent can buy beads they like.
- The complete opposite of the previous attraction of the island is a snake farm, where it is not recommended to touch anything with your hands and look closely. If you keep your distance, the show on the snake farm will remain just a safe entertainment, although the local artists know how to tickle the nerves of the guests. After the show is over, you can buy snake venom medicines and tinctures from souvenir shops.
- Ideal views of the sun falling into the sea can be enjoyed at sunset from Promthep Cape. It is also worth coming here for the wonderful seafood restaurant. It is best to choose a table overlooking the lighthouse, which houses a museum that tells about Promthep Cape. Another attraction worth visiting during the excursion is the Brahma Temple. The famous building in Phuket is famous for dozens of elephant figurines installed around.
- In the town of Thalang, a local history museum is open, where tourists interested in the history of the island and Thailand can get acquainted with a variety of exhibits. The National Museum displays folk costumes, jewelry, tools, and even Thai dwellings.
If you love animals, and elephants seem to you not just a symbol of Southeast Asia, but also intelligent creatures, visit Phuket Elephant Sanctuary. The reserve is home to elephants who can no longer work in shows or on plantations. Here they receive the necessary care and treatment, and the nursery staff introduce guests to the peculiarities of the biological species and allow them to feed the most peaceful guests of the elephant nursing home.
Religious buildings
Big Buddha in Phuket is a place where you should go to enlist the support of the gods and ask for the well-being of yourself and your loved ones. The huge sculpture rises above the temple on Mount Nakaked and is clearly visible from many parts of the island. There is a hiking trail (about two hours one way) and a road where tuk-tuk are running to the Buddha. The observation deck on Mount Nakaked offers an amazing view of the sea and Karon Beach.
Another famous religious building of the island was built a century and a half ago. Temple Wat Chalong is a complex of buildings, some of which are accessible to tourists. Wat was built in full accordance with the canons of Buddhist architecture. It is decorated with skillful stone and wood carvings and numerous figurines of elephants. One of them, installed in a building called Vihara, is considered special. After rubbing his statuette, the visitor to the temple is charged with good luck.
Shopping lovers
The Phuket night market is particularly buzzing on weekends. It is said to be an ideal place to shop and is well worth a visit for souvenirs or fruits, clothing or accessories, jewelry or local liqueurs. In the market, you will find a huge food court where you can have an inexpensive and hearty dinner.
Shopping centers look more civilized, and most of the tourists go shopping in SuperChip. It is easy to find on Thepkrasattri Street in the northern part of Phuket, opposite the bus station.
Pearls are best bought at a pearl farm shop. By the way, this is how you least run the risk of running into a plastic imitation. In order not to take home a fake, jewelry and precious stones should be purchased only in stores that can provide a certificate,
Where to go with children
Resting in Phuket with the whole family is pleasant and interesting, because much attention is paid to the leisure of children here. In the water parks there are zones for the little ones, on some beaches there are playgrounds, and in the FantaSea amusement park, the Similan children's play sector is able to impress even a young resident of the capital, spoiled by entertainment.
It is worth going to the aquarium with children in Phuket. A walk through a glass tunnel, laid in the water column, delights young visitors. In the aquarium you will get acquainted with sharks and piranhas, stingrays and bright inhabitants of the seabed, “filmed” in cartoons about Nemo.
To the north of the airport, you will find a water park where you can forget about the time and easily spend the whole day. It is called Splash Jungle and is ready to offer quite a decent set of water slides and other attractions for active tourists of any age.
