Thought it has plentiful hotels and restaurants, Phuket Town stands distinct from the tailor-made tourist settlements along the beaches as a place geared primarily towards its residents. Most visitors hang about just long enough to jump on a beach-bound songthaew (local minibus), but you may find yourself returning for a welcome dose of real life; Phuket town has an enjoyably authentic market and some of the best handicraft shops on the island. If you’re on a tight budget, the town is worth considering as a base, as accommodation and food come a little less expensive, and you can get out to all the beaches with relative ease. Bear in mind, though, that the town offers little in the way of nightlife, and as public transport to and form the more lively beaches stops at dusk, you’ll have to either rent your own wheels or spend a lot of money on tuk-tuks.
Aside from a manically bustling market on Thanon Ranong there’s not a great deal to see, though a two-hour wander around the streets will take you past several faded colonial-style residences built by Chinese merchants at the turn of the century. Recognizable by their doors and shutters painted in pastel pinks, blues and greens, a string of these elegant old mansions lines Thanon Talang: the carved lintels and brightly painted shutters of the building next door to the Chinese temple are definitely worth an upward glance. You’ll find relics of other historical buildings on Thanon Yaowarat, and on Thanon Ranong, Thanon Phang Nga and Thanon Damrong.
Kids usually enjoy the Phuket Butterfly Farm and Aquarium, located a couple of kilometers beyond the northern end of Thanon Yaowarat at 71/6 Soi Paneang in Ban Sam Kong, but though there are heaps of butterflies of various species, and a few reef fish, there’s a lack of specific information. There’s no public transport to the butterfly farm, but a tuk-tuk from the town center is available. If you have your own vehicle, follow Thanon Yaowarat as far north as you can and then pick up the signs for the farm.
Aside from a manically bustling market on Thanon Ranong there’s not a great deal to see, though a two-hour wander around the streets will take you past several faded colonial-style residences built by Chinese merchants at the turn of the century. Recognizable by their doors and shutters painted in pastel pinks, blues and greens, a string of these elegant old mansions lines Thanon Talang: the carved lintels and brightly painted shutters of the building next door to the Chinese temple are definitely worth an upward glance. You’ll find relics of other historical buildings on Thanon Yaowarat, and on Thanon Ranong, Thanon Phang Nga and Thanon Damrong.
Kids usually enjoy the Phuket Butterfly Farm and Aquarium, located a couple of kilometers beyond the northern end of Thanon Yaowarat at 71/6 Soi Paneang in Ban Sam Kong, but though there are heaps of butterflies of various species, and a few reef fish, there’s a lack of specific information. There’s no public transport to the butterfly farm, but a tuk-tuk from the town center is available. If you have your own vehicle, follow Thanon Yaowarat as far north as you can and then pick up the signs for the farm.
