Visiting Phuket

[Westfield]

We are visiting Thailand in October and while there will be spending a couple of nights courtesy of TAT at an up market resort in Kata Noi. (Yes, I did check it all out last year and we really have won a prize in a TAT competition.)

We've always steered clear of Phuket on our annual trips to Thailand - the thoughts of Patong Beach fill me with horror - but would like to spend a few more days on the island. Our interests do not extend to lazing on a beach - not in the wet season anyway! - thus suggestions of other areas on Phuket to stay as a good base to look around the island would be appreciated. Recommendations on "must see" sites welcome, particularly those not in Lonely Planet or other farang bibles.

[Eggmeng]

Phuket Town has some decent Thai, Chinese, and Seafood restaurants but you'd need a local to find them.

If you're not into beaches and want to avoid Patong, there's some big air conditioned shopping centers you could walk around, but they'll probably be kind of empty, the economy being what it is.

Play golf? There are a few courses.

If the weather is good and even if it's not, take a tour of Phang Nga bay where the marine scenary is spectacular. That to my mind, is the only reason to visit the area. Very little of what most people consider "traditional Thai culture" can be found on Phuket. The last traces disappeared a long time ago. You could be on any number of resort islands in the world which have little to distingush them, and not see much difference.

The roads are very good though, compared with the rest of the country.

[Eggmeng]

Whoops, just realized October is the month when they have the annual vegetarian festival on Phuket. I think it lasts about 10 days.

If you're lucky enough to be there then, get into Phuket Town where the main street is lined with street vendors dressed all in white, serving some of the most delicious vegan food you will ever eat. It's worth going just to try the amazing things they do with tofu.

And then there is that ritual where some of the guys pierce their faces with knives, saws, hooks and apparantly whatever else is handy and makes an impression.

[Westfield]

Thanks for the tips. I'm not surprised about the lack of "culture" - it's no more than I'd expected and one of the reasons we've never felt drawn to visit, but as they say in the UK "never look a gift horse in the mouth". Probably worth hiring a car for a couple of days and driving around to see what we can find. I find Thai roads pretty good - the drive last year from CMX to BKK was great and I was surprised by how good the roads were.

[Eggmeng]

If you do rent a car and you REALLY like driving, you could drive up the coast road to the fishing town of Ranong. I used to live there and made that trip to Phuket and back often. I never tired of it because the scenary is wonderful rain or shine. Mountains on one side, the sea on the other, though you can only see the latter north of Phuket. When you get close to Ranong you'll know from the goats and the mosques, that you're passing through a stretch with small Muslim villages and lush hills.

There will also be lots of opportunities to buy fresh fruit and other goodies from roadside stands on this trip, made by too few visitors.

But it's a lot of driving to do in just one day - about three and half hours in each direction.