At Phuket’s far southeastern tip, sits sleepy Ao Yon Beach. Photo / 123rf
At Phuket’s far southeastern tip, sits sleepy Ao Yon Beach. Photo / 123rf
Sun, sand and swimming pools feature for many visitors to Phuket, but equipped with a sense of adventure and a rental car, it’s easy to discover a few different sides, writes Brett Atkinson.
Ao Yon Beach
At Phuket’s far southeastern tip, sleepy Ao Yon Beach is the perfect place to ease into a Phuket escape. Accommodation at The Mooring Resort comprises a handful of stylish villas arrayed with a shaded swimming pool, with free kayaks and paddleboards for launching off a private bay. Just a sandy barefoot stroll away, The Cove dishes up wood-fired pizza and great cocktails. On weekends, Ao Yon gets slightly busier, as local families swim at a nearby cove, picnic on the beach, and enjoy a scattering of street food stalls. If you’re after something more energetic, fire up the handy Grab or Bolt ride-sharing apps for the 20-minute journey north to Phuket Town. themooringresort.com
Sunday evening’s Phuket Town night market draws one-off visitors from around the island, but a better strategy is to include a few days staying amid the neighbourhood’s mix of street art and 19th-century Sino-Portuguese architecture. Spacious heritage apartments at BAAN 125 STAY offer views over the gentle commercial hum of Thalang St, Phuket Town’s colourful main drag, while nearby coffee shops equally adept at Chemex and cold brew include The Shelter and Dou Brew. Right across the road, there’s usually a fast-moving line of loyal locals queuing at Aroon restaurant for breakfast roti and Thai iced tea enlivened with cinnamon and cardamom.
Apartments at BAAN 125 STAY offer views over Phuket Town’s main drag. Photo / Carol Atkinson
Hat Nai Thon Beach
With a few exceptions, it’s almost impossible to find a quiet beach along Phuket’s sunset-friendly west coast, but Hat Nai Thon near the edge of northern Phuket’s Sirinat National Park still fits the bill. Visit outside Phuket’s December to March high season, and there’s a good chance you’ll be sharing the beach with just a few equally savvy travellers, and the occasional local trying their luck at surf-casting. With a few new restaurants and guesthouses, Hat Nai Thon’s definitely getting busier, but, for now at least, it offers a glimpse into Phuket’s more relaxed recent past.
Hat Nai Thon beach sits near the edge of northern Phuket’s Sirinat National Park.
Photo / Carol Atkinson
There are elephant camps and so-called sanctuaries dotted around Phuket, but the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is regarded as the island’s most ethical. Established in 2016, the sanctuary set in 18 hectares of forest and grassland doesn’t allow visitors to ride the elephants – unlike some other camps on the island – and traversing Thailand’s longest elevated walkway is the ideal way to see various four-legged residents rescued from tourist attractions and jungle work camps from around Thailand. An enjoyable final coda is hand-feeding the elephants bananas, pineapple and big wedges of pumpkin. phuketelephantsanctuary.org
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is regarded as the Phuket's most ethical. Photo / Carol Atkinson
Soi Dog Foundation
Also offering support to four-legged friends, the focus at Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation is on helping rescue and rehabilitate animals found living on the streets. Options to support their work include volunteering – a minimum stay of at least two days is preferred – day visits and guided tours, and donations, sponsorships and adoptions. Lucky dogs (and cats) from the foundation are now enjoying new lives around the world in Germany, the US and Canada. soidog.org
Phang Nha Bay
Beyond detouring to check out the fast-developing travellers’ scenes on the smaller islands of Ko Yao Yai and Ko Yao Noi, a good way to experience sprawling Phang Nha Bay northeast of Thailand is on an inflatable sea-kayak. Full-day experiences with John Gray Sea Canoe begin with a boat ride from Ao Po docks before transferring to kayaks for multiple journeys around the bay’s seascape of karst limestone islands. Local villagers do all the paddling, and occasionally you’ll need to lie down in the boat to make it under the entrances to the bay’s hongs - craggy islands with enclosed lagoons. johngray-seacanoe.com
Chalong Bay Rum Distillery
Every good tropical island needs a good rum distillery, and Chalong Bay ticks all the boxes on Phuket. Distilled using sugarcane from their own onsite plantation, Chalong Bay’s range includes kaffir lime, Thai basil – or lemongrass-infused white cane spirit – used for their caipirinha cocktails – and also artisan gin and vodka. Sign up for a distillery tour or cocktail-making workshop, and stay for lunch. Well-priced menu highlights include tuna ceviche, tamarind prawn kebabs and pad Thai topped with crispy soft-shell crab. chalongbayrum.com
Quiet pockets of Phuket Town and its Sino-Portuguese architecture. Photo / 123rf
Project Artisan
In a quiet rural area surrounded by local villages, Project Artisan is a relaxing alternative to busier beachside restaurants. Teak daybeds and faded wooden doors and decorative panels reinforce a Balinese ambience, and a strong commitment to art includes colourful street art-style murals. There’s a big focus on healthy and sustainable dining, and the subtle fusion of Thai and Western flavours includes tuna tacos and a spicy chicken larb pizza with mint and chilli. Rock up for a leisurely late lunch and kick on when Project Artisan’s daytime garden vibe inevitably morphs to cocktails and craft beers from Phuket’s Full Moon Brewery. theprojectartisan.com
Project Artisan is a relaxing alternative to busier beachside restaurants. Photo / Carol Atkinson
Car rental with the reliable CTT Car Rental is around $50 a day. See ctt-phuket-car-rental.business.site and contact them on WhatsApp to arrange rentals. Cars can be picked up at the airport or delivered to your accommodation. Outside of busy places like Patong Beach, Phuket’s roads are all sealed, relatively quiet and easy to navigate.
