Tuk Tuks. It’s hard to resist the allure of a tuk tuk. For many visitors, hoping into a tuk tuk is part of the charm of exploring Phuket. However, many drivers overcharge tourists, especially at night, when you don’t have many other transportation options. If you have your heart set on taking a tuk tuk, negotiate a price before you get on.

Cabarets. There are several cabarets in Phuket and all offer ladyboys shows. Simon Cabaret is the most famous and the biggest. Reviews of Simon Cabaret are mixed, with some people loving the show and others feeling it’s overrated. If you choose to attend a show, beware of extra charges. Drinks and food are very expensive, but there are also high fees charged to take photos with the performers. In many cases, these fees are not revealed until after you’ve taken a photo, so ask before you shoot.

Elephant Rides. Elephants can be found all over Phuket. Some live in natural parks, still wild and free. Others (the majority) are used as attractions, often to perform tricks or to provide rides through the jungle or rivers. If you want to truly appreciate the beauty of Thailand’s elephants, head to Khao Sok National Park. The park is home to some of the last wild elephants in Thailand, which live in the uncut rainforest. Don’t succumb to the temptation of a ride –Although some domesticated elephants are well-treated, many are not and have to endure long hours of work, poor treatment and being chained for most of the day.

A good way to stay clear of tourist traps in Phuket is to ask lots of questions before you book anything. If you’re having trouble communicating, book through your hotel. Don’t fall prey to the common scam of “oh, you misunderstood, I said more money.” If language is a problem, put it in writing and sign it, so it’s clear how much you’re supposed to pay and what you’re getting for it. Refuse “extra stops” when booking a trip or taking a tuk tuk. This usually means you’ll be drop off at a store or an off-road attraction (such as a snake farm), where you’ll be charged extra fees or pressured into buying something.

photo by zaphodsotherhead via flickr

photo by Shazron via flickr

As soon as you reach the bridge, you’ll start seeing the fishing boats that give Sirey Island (or “Fisherman’s Island”) its very unique look. There are no fancy attractions or constructions on the island. Instead, you’ll get a chance to peek into the lives of the local fishermen and their families, who live in traditional floating houses and fish and barter for a living.

If you bring a bycicle or motorcycle with you, you can circle the whole island in about 30 minutes (more if you’re biking). On the way, you’ll see rubber plantations, lots of wild monkeys, a number of small fishing villages, and Chao Ley (sea gypsies) making homemade fishing nets and repairing their canoes.

Development is slowly moving into the island and you can now find a few seafood restaurants and stalls selling seashells right on the beach.

photo by craigcullum via flickr

Wat Chalong is one of Thailand’s most impressive temples and the biggest of the 29 temples that call Phuket home. The temple has a very interesting history behind it.

The original Wat Chalong temple was built at the beginning of the 19^th century  in a different area of Phuket, then moved to its present location sometime in the 1870s. In 1876, two monks (Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang) living at the temple supported the locals during the Chinese Ang-Yee Rebellion.  Wat Chalong is now dedicated to the memory of those two monks, both of whom have been immortalized in statues located inside one of the many temple halls. If that’s not enough to satisfy you, there’s also an exhibit that features wax statues of the monks, as well as traditional Thai furniture, porcelain and some sacred objects.

Wat Chalong is composed of several structures, including the impressive 201-feet (61 meters) high chedi, a sacred structure with a very special purpose. The chedi was built as the final resting place for a fragment of bone belonging to Lord Buddha. The bone comes from Sri Lanka and is one of many pieces found in Asia.

Whether you’re in town for a day or a week, this is one attraction you can’t afford to miss.

photo by edwin.11 via flickr

Bangla Mall
Soi Bangla in Patong is best known for its nightlife and its many opportunities to drink, dance and have fun. Until 2012, however, Soi Bangla wasn’t a destination that appealed to families or those looking for some quiet fun during the day.

That changed this month, when Bangla Mall finally opened its doors. Self-dubbed “Bangla’s mini-mall,” this new shopping destination offers plenty of things to do no matter your age or your interests.

Bangla Mall also offers an interesting twist. The mall’s opening hours will be from 11 am to 10 pm in all floors except the basement. Stores and outlets set in the basement will remain open 24 hours a day and will be accessed through a special entrance after the main doors of the mall close.

Besides lots of shopping, the mall also offers a Phuket FantaSea souvenir shop, a spa and a number of entertainment options (including giant screens and a video arcade).

Club Med

Phuket’s Club Med has just unveiled its new premises this month. The complete revamped aimed to transform the private club into a five-star resort that offered not only luxury but also a touch of the exotic. Located right on Kata Bay, the new Club Med has many Thai touches throughout, including the use of dark woods, Thai lanterns and bright tropical colors.

photo by Club Med

The renovation also brought along a new restaurant with ocean view, a new spa and a completely-redesigned reception area. The resort also introduced a new workshop program for kids staying there. The workshop offers kids a chance to create art using trash recovered from the ocean –Not only is the activity unique but it also raises awareness about the environment.

The new Club Med also offers a one-of-a-kind activity: a Flying Trapeze School. Classes are offered for all ages and include techniques to handle the static trapeze, the flying trapeze and basic skills such as safe falling, using the trampoline and acrobatics. The skills you can learn depend on how long you have at the resort and how often you practice. Or you can play it safe and instead head to the resort’s tennis court, pool or golf school.

photo by mimolag via flickr

If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you might never find the Amulet Market in Old Phuket Town. Hidden in a small alley off Rassada Road, the market is an informal selling place for hundreds of Buddhist

amulets, from smaller, cheap reproductions to high-quality antiques. A basic metal or ceramic amulet sells for just a few dollars, while a sophisticated antique can set you back thousands.

The market is a mix of small shops and street stalls. The indoor sellers don’t necessarily have the better ware, so check every nook and corner

when looking for treasures. The market is small enough that you can explore the whole thing in an hour or so.

If you don’t know much about antiques, however, don’t rely on the seller to tell you how valuable something is. Either do your research in advance or stick to the cheaper amulets. A popular type of amulet is the Jatukam Ramatep (which features the faces of two mythical princes), available in a

variety of materials and prices. Amulets depicting Luang Por Tuat and Luang Por Chem, two well-respected monks, are also bestsellers.

The whole market has a very low-key feel. Buyers are expected to bargain and most of the sellers are knowledgeable and will be happy to answers
questions and help you choose the perfect amulet.

photo by Adam Hertz via flickr

Learning to scuba dive can take several days (especially if you need a refreshing course in swimming underwater or if you want to do it out in the open). Snorkeling, although exciting, has its limitations.

Enter snuba diving.

Snuba diving is the perfection marriage between snorkeling and scuba diving. It allows you to swim underwater with no previous training and no matter your age. In fact, kids as young as six can try snuba diving after just a few minutes of training and instructions. Because there’s no extensive training required, snuba is much cheaper than scuba. A typical scuba diving certification program will cost you U$400 or more. However, you can jump into the water and try snuba diving for as little as U$100.

During a snuba diving session, you’re supplied with a diving regulator (breathing mask), goggles, a weight belt and flippers, but instead of wearing an oxygen tank, your mask is connected to a thin hose. That hose goes all the way to the surface, where it connects to a floating oxygen tank. The tanks are usually located on board pontoon rafts. This allows you to get all the air you need without having to worry about the extra weight and the training required to handle an oxygen tank.

Most snuba diving outfits offer a hose that is about 7 meters (23 feet) long, so you have a chance to truly explore underwater without having to worry about decompression sickness or other dangers associated with scuba diving. Because you’re always connected to a floating raft, you can always return to the surface and hold on to rest or if you feel uncomfortable. This is great for people who are slightly apprehensive about diving in without a “security net.”

In Phuket, snuba diving tours are usually organized by the same outfits that offer snorkeling or scuba diving. A favorite destination for snuba diving is around the Phi Phi islands, where the coral reefs are, but other locations around Phuket are also available. Snuba is always done with a guide or instructor nearby to help you feel comfortable and guide you as you learn your way underwater.

When choosing a snuba provider, remember to ask whether they participate in the Reef Alliance program. If they say yes, this means they strive to protect the reefs and “leave nothing behind” that could harm the environment and the creatures that live in it. Aloha Snuba Thailand and Phuket Scuba Club are considered two of the best snuba providers in Phuket and good options to try if you want professional guides and top-of-the-line equipment.

photo by Frank Jania via flickr

Flying Hanuman is a one-of-a-kind adventure. Opened in December 2011,  this ziplining adventure allows you to fly among the trees, hanging from steel cables at highs of over 130 feet (40 meters) above the ground.

Once you reach the first platform (using a giant spiral staircase built around a tree), you can then zipline between platforms (28 in total), as well as cross skybridges and experience one of the highest abseiling lines in Thailand.

Flying Hanuman’s course was built in a way that doesn’t harm any of the trees used. In
fact, the course is the only way to explore this patch of Phuket’s virgin forest and experience some of the best views of the surrounding greenery, home to hillside tribes and a large number of endangered animal species.

Although ziplining will get your adrenaline pumping, it’s also perfectly safe. You wear a harness and are attached to a pulley the whole time, so there’s no risk of slipping and falling off. The equipment is top-of-the-line and each pulley can sustain weights of up to 2 tons, making this a safe adventure for people of all ages and sizes.

The whole course takes several hours to complete and you’re always accompanied by two experience guides, who escort the group from platform to platform not only ensuring safety but also making the whole experience a lot of fun!

photo by chrisada via flickr

Happy Hour is not very popular in Phuket, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find places that offer it. The key to enjoying Happy Hour in Phuket is to be open to the unusual –You’ll find that some places offer Happy Hour later than expected, while others only offer it on weekends.

Molly Malones offers one of the best Happy Hours in Phuket. Although Happy Hour prices are not much lower than regular prices, you still get a discount. The major benefit here is the time, as Happy Hour lasts from 4 pm to 7 pm, seven days a week.

Absolute Seapearl Beach Hotel, right on Patong Beach, offers Happy Hour at their poolside café. You don’t have to be a guest at the hotel to enjoy Happy Hour, which lasts from 5 pm to 7 pm. Sip a drink as you enjoy the sunset set over the ocean.

Michael’s Bar has one of the cheapest Happy Hours in town. Between 4 pm and 7 pm, all beers are 60 baht (about $2). This is a bargain when compared to the 85 baht (almost $3) that Molly Malones charges. Michael’s Bar also has a “Very Happy Hour,” which runs between 7 pm and 8 pm, Fridays to Sundays. During this time, you get one free drink for every drink you buy.

photo from scruffymurphysphuket.com

Spending St. Patrick’s Day in Phuket? Phuket is actually home to a number of Irish pubs, and all of them host some type of celebration on St. Patrick’s Day. Whether you want to join in the party or just have a beer and wear green, these pubs won’t disappoint.

Angus & Arfur O’Tool’s

O’Tool’s has one of the best beer selections in town, both bottled and tap. They are also one of the few places in Phuket to offer draught Kilkenny and Blackthorn. In a festive mood? Beer is sold by the pint, bottle or bucket.

Scruffy Murphy’s

Scruffy Murphy’s on Patong Beach is the most “Irish” of all the pubs in Phuket, at least when it comes to décor and ambiance. There’s live music every day at 10 pm –If you come around on St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll even get to enjoy some traditional Irish music! Try some of their traditional English/Irish food (kitchen is open until 11:30pm) or try their popular Magners Irish Cider.

Molly Malones

Molly Malones is a favorite among expats, who come here to watch sports events in the large flat screen TVs. Malones is also one of the only places in town where you’ll find Irish stew (a great dish to try on St. Patrick’s), or try one of their cold beers on draught.  Live music every night after 10 pm.

photo aby jeffgunn via flickr

Hiking in Phuket is not impossible, but it is a bit tricky. One of the main problems is that Phuket itself is too developed, leaving little greenery to explore during a hike. Another problem is the heat –Afternoon temperatures in Phuket can easily reach into the high 90s, no matter what month you choose to visit. The only two ways around this are to start very early in the morning, as soon as the sun comes out, or to go hiking during the rainy season –You’ll get soaked, but at least you’ll have overcast skies and some breeze.

If you’re expecting hiking trails among green jungle paths, Phuket will disappoint. However, thinking outside of the box can get you into some interesting hikes. The hills don’t have “official” hiking trails, but they do have old trails that were once used by rubber plantation workers. It might take you a few tries to find the first trail, but once you do, the trails connect and spread all over the hills.

An easy option is to hike up Radar Hill, which offers the highest viewpoint over Phuket town. This is another unofficial hiking spot, as the roads were actually built to reach the weather station on top of the hill and not for hikers. Don’t let that discourage you –The trip up, although steep, is quite enjoyable. Rather than cutting through jungle, the roads take you up through small villages, temples and lots of local color. You can’t reach the top of the hill on this hike, though. As you keep going up, you’ll eventually hit the gates of the weather station, which is run by the local military.That’s the end of your journey and your clue to turn around.

photo aby jeffgunn via flickr

If you want something a bit more natural and off-road, the Ton Sae waterfall and the Bang Pae waterfall are both surrounded by a nature reserve. In both places, you can hike around the reserve and up the hills to reach the top of the waterfalls. There aren’t any roads or trails here, so you can make your own path among the trees. The hike up Ton Sae waterfall can be strenuous at times and it can get slippery during rainy days, so good hiking shoes are a must. The best feature of this hike is the many small swimming holes along the way, where you can take a break and enjoy the cool water before continuing on your hike.