Hidden Hotspots
Hidden Hotspots
by Alexa Chan
by Alexa Chan
Want to know where you can find the hippest nightclubs? The best restaurants? Or a beach where you can have a stretch of sand to yourself even in the high season? Well, this is for you – an insider's guide to the hot-spots in Phuket, Thailand 's premier holiday island.
As with any other major tourist destination, it's not difficult to find the obvious attractions. From the moment you arrive at the airport, you will be deluged with advertising, billboards and flyers. You know what to expect: “Try this restaurant! Book for this show now! We offer the best deals on tours!” However, it's a little more difficult to discover the hidden gems, the places where the people “in the know” go. Often they are off the beaten track or tucked away off the main streets, but they have developed a loyal following that keeps them busy.
Phuket has a wealth of options, but we have consulted with locals and repeat visitors to give you a “print out and keep” guide to the best in Phuket. Let's start with the beaches. For people-watching, there's nothing to beat the very popular Patong Beach . Each year it draws hundreds of thousands of sun lovers of all shapes and sizes. It's also home to scores of beach vendors who keep the faithful entertained with their sales pitches for anything from springrolls to sunglasses and expandable suitcases. Patong is great fun, but if you're looking for a different experience, then we have some spots for you.
Tucked away on the southern reaches of the island is Yanui Beach, a small stretch of sand ideal for families. It is located down the hill from Cape Promthep . With only a handful of beach chairs and a ramshackle café selling Thai food, it should not be confused with nearby Nui beach which charges an entrance fee.
Another popular local beach, near Nui, is Nai Harn beach. Never crowded, it has a safe tidal lagoon for kids to splash about in and some reasonable snorkelling off its rocky borders. Popular with the sailing fraternity, between November and April, it makes for a great spot to sit and boat watch.
Travelling further north, along the island's west coast, two great beaches are Laem Sing and Mai Kao beaches. Laem Sing is one of the reasonably undeveloped beaches frequently missed by visitors. Not visible from the road, a small parking area is located about half-way up the hill at the north end of Kamala Beach - look out for the small handmade signs. The snorkelling here is also good, particularly along the rocks at the beach's southern end.
For a true break from the crowds and for those who like long stretches of soft sand and seclusion, visit Mai Kao Beach, at the northern end of the island beyond the airport. This beach is so long that you are guaranteed ‘private' beach time.
Phuket has developed a reputation for its fabulous health spas, where you can have anything from a full-day total body makeover to a one-hour aromatherapy massage. At the top end of the market, you can't do better than the Banyan Tree Spa in the Laguna complex. Known for their luxurious spa pool villas and a highly-professional staff, it is regularly voted one of the best in the world. Another top-notch facility is the Mandara Spa at the JW Marriott Resort on the northern end of the island. Each spa suite features a private terrazzo plunge pool and opens into an outdoor rock and water garden, a Thai sala and a herbal steam room.
If you're looking for a less expensive option, try Let's Relax day spa in Patong Beach. By far the best of the “massage shops”, treatments start from only 10 US dollars.
When it comes to nightlife, Patong Beach has literally hundreds of bars and nightclubs. These range from the famous go-go and hostess bars to the sports bars, where beer-swilling big-bellied holidaymakers gather to watch British football and Aussie rugby. They can be fun, but to find something a little more sophisticated, you have to dig a little deeper.
Standing head and shoulders above the crowd of bars that offer the same old tired cocktails is La Salsa, which is on Patong's beachfront. Part of the Impiana Cabana resort, La Salsa has an extensive menu of creative, trendy cocktails that use all of the exotic fruit juices that Phuket has to offer coupled with an upbeat, latin music play list.
On Friday evenings the beautiful people can be found sipping fabulous cocktails at the chic Watermark restaurant at the Boat Lagoon. Friday night happy hour is the meeting place for the island's movers and shakers.For a mellow, music-filled evening, Yoonique Bar in Nai Harn is the place to be on Tuesday nights. With the island's musicians sitting in on the “open jam”, the bar is truly a crossroads for the area's residents.
In Phuket City, there are a number of new stylish places to see and be seen. But Sixteen (the signage is XV1) should be your first choice. Conceived by a hip design firm from Bangkok, you may find yourself thinking that you have walked into a super cool, boutique hotel's lobby bar decorated with fashionable high society Thai 20-somethings. And, ladies, finally there's a place that warrants wearing your stilettos!
For entertainment, Fantasea is a Las Vegas-style spectacular that features dancing and elephant acts. It's definitely worth the trip to Kamala Beach. Later you can visit one of the discos - try Star World at the top of Bangla Road or Banana Disco at the Patong Beach Hotel. For a show with a difference – where the girls aren't real girls – catch the raunchy cabaret show at the go-go venue, My Way, in the Royal Paradise Complex.
When it comes to restaurants, you certainly won't have to search far for Thai food outlets - they are on every corner. You won't miss the fast food chains either. McDonalds, KFC, Burger King and Starbucks are amply represented. However, there are some really great restaurants worth visiting. Still trendy after many years is the Thai restaurant Ka Jok See, set in a traditional Chinese shophouse in Phuket City . Another Thai restaurant in the city worth a visit is The Natural (known as Tammachat in Thai). Built on different levels around large trees, the eclectic décor features old sewing machines and broken TVs fitted with aquariums.
For good Italian fare – and the best tiramisu - head for La Trattoria in Kata Beach . Steak and meat-lovers vouch for Mimmi's in Nai Harn village, while French expats declare that La Mousson in Patong has the winning touch. For vegetarian food, the best places are the small shophouse restaurants near the Ranong Road market in Phuket City where a meal will set you back one or two US dollars.
Seafood is the island speciality. There are many excellent restaurants, but for a really “local” touch, try Kan Eang in Chalong Bay. A cheap restaurant offering Thai and Western food is the unimaginatively named Sweet Restaurant, located in Soi Patong Tower. It's always busy – and repeat visitors swear it's the best value on the island.
That's our list of the hottest spots around – don't arrive in Phuket without it!
ADDRESSES:
Natural Restaurant, Bangkok Road , Phuket City 076-224-287
The Watermark, Boat Lagoon Marina 076-239-730
Kan Eang II, Chaofa Road , Chalong Bay 076-381-694
La Mousson, Sawatdirak Road , Patong Beach 076-341-468
Ka Jok See, Takua Pa Rd (off Rassada Rd ), Phuket City 076-217-903
Sweet Restaurant, Soi Patong Tower (off Thaveewong Rd ), Patong Beach
Mimmi's, Saiyuan Road , Rawai/Nai Harn 076-289-095
La Salsa, Impiana Phuket Cabanas, Patong Beach 076-340-138
Yoonique Stone Music Café, beside the Nai Harn lake 06-6838166
Sixteen (XVI), Rassada Road , 50m from the market circle, Phuket City.
Fantasea, Kamala Beach, 076-385-111
My Way Bar, Royal Paradise Complex, Patong Beach
Banyan Tree Phuket Spa, Laguna Complex 076-324-374
Mandara Spa, JW Marriott Hotel, Mai Khao Beach 076-338-000
Let's Relax Spa, Rath-u-thit Rd , Patong Beach 076-340-913
Natural Restaurant, Bangkok Road , Phuket City 076-224-287
The Watermark, Boat Lagoon Marina 076-239-730
Kan Eang II, Chaofa Road , Chalong Bay 076-381-694
La Mousson, Sawatdirak Road , Patong Beach 076-341-468
Ka Jok See, Takua Pa Rd (off Rassada Rd ), Phuket City 076-217-903
Sweet Restaurant, Soi Patong Tower (off Thaveewong Rd ), Patong Beach
Mimmi's, Saiyuan Road , Rawai/Nai Harn 076-289-095
La Salsa, Impiana Phuket Cabanas, Patong Beach 076-340-138
Yoonique Stone Music Café, beside the Nai Harn lake 06-6838166
Sixteen (XVI), Rassada Road , 50m from the market circle, Phuket City.
Fantasea, Kamala Beach, 076-385-111
My Way Bar, Royal Paradise Complex, Patong Beach
Banyan Tree Phuket Spa, Laguna Complex 076-324-374
Mandara Spa, JW Marriott Hotel, Mai Khao Beach 076-338-000
Let's Relax Spa, Rath-u-thit Rd , Patong Beach 076-340-913
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