A guide of the best things to do in Phuket Town and on the West Coast of the Thai island including sights, activities and food suggestions using the newly opened OZO Phuket as a base…
This photo-heavy guide is designed to give you enough activities to do over 72 hours in Phuket, including some downtime to enjoy OZO Phuket’s facilities. Mix and match from the detailed activities and excursions to design your perfect three-day itinerary.
Half a day
30-minute drive from OZO Phuket, Kata Beach
If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush then a visit to Hanuman World needs to be on your itinerary. This ziplining adventure park in a lush green jungle is a sure fire way for thrill seekers to get their kick. The Roller Zipline combines a classic zipline with a rollercoaster for an exciting experience and, for those who prefer gentler activities, the Sky Walk offers a less extreme way to view the jungle. Prices range from ฿1990 to ฿3190.
Hanuman World also boasts two restaurants on its complex: Three Monkeys and Wanon Restaurant. Three Monkeys is great for coffee and cake – we would recommend the tiramisu and Three Monkeys cake and the signature Three Monkeys coffee, consisting of a shot of coffee, milk and Cointreau to mix at your own discretion. Wanon Restaurant offers a lunch buffet of Thai food, which is great for refuelling after an adventure-filled morning.
Half a day
30-minute drive from OZO Phuket, Kata Beach
One of the most highly recommended landmarks of Phuket is the Big Buddha. This 45 metre tall statue is still under construction and you can sponsor marble tiles to contribute to the completion of the project. As well as being a tourist attraction, it is also an active temple with monks so make sure you dress suitably (shoulders and shins covered for women, men are fine in shorts). The views from both the bottom of the stairs and the base of the Buddha are spectacular and look out over Chalong Bay, Kata Bay, Kata Noi Bay and Promthep Cape. We recommend going around 10am when it’s quieter and cooler.
Wat Chalong Temple is a beautiful temple complex that is situated near the Big Buddha (a 20-minute drive from Big Buddha and 15-minute drive from OZO Phuket). The Temple gardens are beautiful and the buildings give you a great insight into the Buddhist religion and the local Thai life. When at the Temple you will hear loud banging noises which are firecrackers being set off to mark gratitude of granted wishes that were once made at the Temple.
A two-minute walk from Wat Chalong and with a beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking a lake is Rimtang @ Chalong. This restaurant has a huge menu serving Thai food, such as delicious Pad Thai. It’s worth noting the spice level here seemed much higher than elsewhere in Phuket.
Half a day
30-minute from OZO Phuket, Kata Beach
Phuket Old Town is a lively little town known for its charming, brightly coloured buildings. The Walking Street Market is a big attraction in the Old Town. Hosted every Sunday between 4pm and 10pm the market takes over Walking Street with authentic food stalls, artists selling their creations, clothing and accessories and live music.
The Walking Street Market in Phuket Old Town offers a wide variety of authentic Thai street food, from Mee Hokkien (noodles with seafood, pork, greens and a broth) to Apong (a traditional crispy flatbread sweetened with sugar).
When you’ve had enough of on-the-go street food then Tu Kab Khao is great for a sit-down meal. In a wonderful 120-year-old building this restaurant serves delicious, fresh Thai food and has an extensive menu of creative cocktails; including one named Miss Phuket that comes complete with tiara and pageant-style sash.
Torry’s Ice Cream is a decadent ice cream shop serving a huge range of flavours from familiar vanilla, chocolate and strawberry to Thai-style sweet potato, milk tea and guava. They also offer ice cream in the flavour O-Aew; a traditional Phuket dessert (tip: it’s pronounced oh-aoh).
Late afternoon and evening
10-minute drive from OZO Phuket
If you’re looking for the best views of the island then the aptly named Karon View Point is the place to go. It’s just a ten-minute drive uphill from Kata Beach and offers uninterrupted views of the three west coast beaches (the locals call it Khao Saam Haad which translates to Three Beaches Hill). These beaches are Kata Noi, Kata Yai and Karon. There’s great parking and only around 20 stairs to the highest point.
Promthep Cape (a 15-minute drive from Karon View Point) is a popular destination for views – especially at sunset. It’s a short walk up a gentle hill, with around 20 stairs, to get to the open area of the cliff side. The rocky area fills up fast as people take their place for epic sunset views (unfortunately it was a cloudy day when #TeamCoco visited). If you’re unable to climb onto the rocky cliff side then it is possible to watch from the path.
Late evening and night
Two-minute walk from OZO Phuket
Within walking distance of OZO Phuket you will find Kata Night Market (open from daily 2pm-9pm). The market is mainly made up of a big covered food court with vendors selling tourist-oriented Thai food, such as rice dishes and a lot of seafood. Be aware that the food here seems hit and miss, receiving very mixed views on TripAdvisor – though we thought the pancakes with banana and Nutella were delicious. There are also a few stalls selling wares such as toys, clothing, hats, herbal toiletries etc. It’s a relatively small market and you’ll probably only spend an hour there.
After strolling around the market you can visit a strip of lively bars, which are almost opposite the hotel (don’t worry the noise of music doesn’t travel to the hotel). The selection of bars have both indoor and open air seating and offer cheaply priced drinks; over happy hour cocktails and local beers are all around ฿100.
Half a day
Less than a five-minute walk from OZO Phuket, Kata Beach
Just a short stroll away, taking a detour behind the hotel pool and through a private-use gate, is the sandy shores of Kata Beach. The beach has a few sunloungers available to hire and plenty of space on the sand to lay down a towel. Stalls, bars and street vendors line the beach selling fruits, smoothies and snack food. Kata Beach is also known for great surfing opportunities – you can rent boards and hire tutors on the beachside. If you don’t fancy surfing you can get involved with less extreme water sports, such as bodyboarding.
About the hotel
OZO Phuket is a newly opened hotel in Kata Beach. Focusing on providing great sleep with kingsize beds, pillows of varying firmness and blackout blinds to give guests loads of energy to get out and explore!
The onsite restaurant EAT serves delicious food; starting with a hearty breakfast buffet then from lunch ‘til dinner an a la carte menu with a wide choice of invigorating meals (both authentic Thai and Western-inspired). We recommend the Thai Green Curry, which has the perfect level of spice, and flavour and can be ordered with just veg, with tofu or with chicken.
OZO Phuket’s outside facilities are a great place to unwind after a day of sightseeing and exploring Phuket Town. The hotel has two pools – one large pool geared towards adults and older children and one kids pool with a slide, fountains and colourful interactive playframes. Both pools are surrounded with various styles of seating, such as sun loungers, bean bags and wicker seats.
As detailed in this guide OZO Phuket is in a prime location, and is walking distance and driving distance from some of Phuket’s top landmarks and activities.
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