Things to do in Phuket Town

Things to do in Phuket Town and around Phuket

If you want to recreate the yummy cuisine of Thailand for your friends and family back home there's plenty of opportunities to learn how to fry phat thai and pound curry paste like a pro. One place to master the classics like tom yam soup and cashew chicken is at the Thai Cookery School. Make the trip out to Ko Siray, a ten minute drive from Phuket Town, for their one day cooking class for only 1,900B.

Firmly in the only if you have kids in tow category, the Phuket Butterfly garden and Insect World is not far outside Phuket Town and makes for a reasonable distraction for a couple of hours. As you'd expect they have, well, a lot of butterflies and insects on site. Admission, at 300B for a foreign adult, and 150B for a child, making this a well overpriced destination.

Overlooking Phuket Town, the Khao To Sae viewpoint can be reached by taking Surin Road and following it all the way up. There's a couple of good places at the summit to make the trip worthwhile.

General tours around Phuket
Hands-down the most popular tours are to Ko Tapoo in Phang Nga Bay, better known as James Bond Island. The Man With the Golden Gun was filmed there nearly 25 years ago and it's as beautiful now as it was then. In order to fill up the whole day, the tour is usually bundled with sea-canoeing, elephant trekking and some excursions you'd probably rather pass on -- like a visit to a glorified souvenir stall they call a handicraft village. Prices range from 1,200 -- 3,000B, depending on which operator you use and what add-ons you go for.

The best way to explore Phang Nga bay to the east and north is on an eco-friendly sea kayak tour. You'll be whisked away from the crowded beaches and get to experience Phuket's natural wonderland as you paddle past stunning limestone karsts and through bio-luminescent caves. The most popular and professional operator is John Gray's SeaCanoe which has been in operation since 1983. They run tours by day and by starlight starting at 3,950 per person. There are plenty of copy-cats offering similar tours for around 2,900B.

Usually called Safari Tours, these day trips hit a variety of attractions all on Phuket island itself. They can be booked for a full or half day and typically include an elephant ride, monkey show, jungle trek, nature canoeing, rubber tapping demonstration, and a trip to the Promthep Viewpoint. A word to the wise: ten minutes on an elephant is a really cool experience, but after that returns seriously diminish. Go for a shorter ride when possible. The tours can be customised for groups and are an easy way to see the sights at all corners of the island.

Andaman Safari Tour T: (086) 470 8126. Full day tour 2,000
John Gray's SeaCanoe 124 Soi 1, Yaowarat Rd, Phuket Town. T: (076) 254 505-7. www.johngray-seacanoe.com
Phang Nga South Sea Tour T: (076) 288 039. (1,500 adult/1,200B child for tour and visit to monkey cave)
Phuket Butterfly Garden and Insect World 71/6, Moo 5, Soi Paneung, Yaowarat Rd, Phuket Town. T: (076) 210 861; F: (076) 215 616. Daily 09:00 - 17:00. www.phuketbutterfly.com.
Phuket Safari Eco-Tour T: (076) 294 265. Full day: 1,700 ; Half-day 900B
Sea Cave Canoe 2/2-3 Chumpom Road, Phuket Town T :(076) 210 434. www.seacavecanoe.com
Surin Tour T: (076) 254 710-1. (1,800/adult or 900/child for tour with elephant trek and sea canoeing)
Thai Cookery School 39/4 Thepatan Rd, Ko Siray. T: (076) 252 354-5 www.phuket-thaicookeryschool.com