TOP 6 places in Phuket that you can see on your own

We bring to your attention short description attractions recommended for independent visit. In this article, we will advise you on those places that can evoke unforgettable emotions in you. Well, if you have a rented transport, then you will also save a lot on a taxi.

Beach Mai Khao (MaiKhao). International airport area.

Those who want to arrange an unforgettable and extreme photo shoot come to this beach. The "trick" of this beach is that planes fly here literally 10 meters above your head. But the most exciting sight is when the giant aircraft is barely visible far in the sky and before your eyes is gradually approaching you. This happens pretty quickly, so keep your cameras readyJ. Moreover, Mai Khao Beach is famous for its seclusion and can serve as great place for a romantic evening.

How to get there.

You need to go towards the airport and turn left at the penultimate turn. Next, you will need to park your vehicle and walk along the beach, stopping in front of the runway. enjoy google maps to determine the accuracy of your position. Just in case, here are the airport coordinates for the navigator: 8.113333,98.316944

Fish market (fishmarket). Rawai area. Village of sea gypsies.

All the abundance of seafood andaman sea you will see at Rawai fish market. Fresh shrimps and lobsters, oysters and octopuses, and, of course, a variety of fish. Parallel to the malls, there are a number of cafes where you can come with a "catch" and it will be prepared for you according to your chosen method. The market is open from lunch until about 22:00. To top off the evening, you can take a walk along the long pier. If you go there early, you can visit the Seashell Museum with the largest collection in Southeast Asia.

How to get there:

From the Chalong ring, you need to go towards Rawai and do not turn anywhere. After about 15 km you will run into a pier, on the left hand of which there will be a market. The Seashell Museum is located about 1-2 km before the pier, on the right side. The museum is open from 8.00 to 18.00, the entrance fee is 200 baht.

Big Buddha (BigBuddha). Chalong area.

Legendary attraction, famous for its huge (49 meters) Buddha statue. The construction of the temple has been going on for 10 years and exclusively on donations, so everyone has the opportunity to purchase a name plate, which will be laid down during further construction. The height of the year is almost 400 meters, it offers stunning views. Anyone can approach a Buddhist monk and tie a bauble for good luck. Within the territory of temple complex operates a souvenir shop. At the entrance you will be given sarongs to cover your knees and shoulders if you have not taken the appropriate clothing.

How to get there.

Moving from Patong, you need to get to the Chalong ring and immediately turn left on it. After you will see several signs with a sign "Big Budda". The turn will be on the left side, at the traffic light. Then the road will go uphill. If you don't have experience riding a bike, we advise you to be extremely careful. Navigator coordinates: 7.8277229583503445, 98.31277191638947

3D Museum(Phuket Trick Eye Museum). Phuket Town area.

A unique place where you will receive unforgettable experience both children and adults. The museum represents numerous installations, and visitors are integral parts of these installations. As soon as you approach the picture, it immediately comes to life before your eyes. You can become one with Van Gogh's paintings, visit a bank vault and open it, hang over an abyss with a raging stream of water, ride a Ferrari ... An integral attribute of a trip to this museum is a camera. Only in the pictures you will see the full effect of 3D paintings.

How to get there.

Since this museum is located in Phuket Town, where it is very easy to get lost, we advise you to go there with a navigator. From Patong to get about 15 km. The exact address museum: 130/1 Phang-Nga Road. Navigator coordinates: 7.883125, 98.392337

Monkey Mountain (MonkeyHills). Phuket Town area.

A truly wonderful adventure in which you will come into contact with wildlife. Monkey Mountain is a living natural landmark where monkeys live without human intervention. Except perhaps only an asphalted narrow road that winds and leads you to the mountain itself. Along the way, you will have several sites where you can stop and treat the macaques with food they brought with them. Animals are not averse to eating nuts and bananas, so take plenty of them with you, as there will be a lot of people who want to. When communicating with monkeys, be careful - do not make sudden movements, remove everything of value, do not come close to animals if they do not want to communicate with you. As a rule, those who want to eat come by themselvesJ

How to get there.

If you take the Central Festival store as a starting point, then from it you need to go towards Phuket Town. In less than 1 km, turn left at the fork. We drive for about 3 km, and after the Phuket prison building we turn left again. Then the road will go up to the very mountain of monkeys. Navigator coordinates: 7.898325.98.395228

Viewpoint Khao Rang (KhaoRang) and Tunk Ka Restaurant (TunkKa). Phuket Town area.

Stunning views of Phuket Town and delicious Asian cuisine will leave you with an unforgettable experience of the island. The entrance to the restaurant is through a wooden bridge and a small bamboo grove. Pleasant music plays everywhere and an atmosphere of harmony reigns. Probably one of the best places in Phuket for romantic dates, and just to relax in a relaxed atmosphere. Keep in mind that in high season you need to book a table here a week in advance. The restaurant has its own viewing platform. Near Tunk Ka there are paths along which you can walk. At the foot of the mountain there is a very large and beautiful Buddhist temple. So when you visit Khao Rang, you can combine business with pleasure.

How to get there.

Khao Rang is located near Monkey Mountain. You need to use a map or navigator and find Mae Luang Street and follow it to the sign for the restaurant. Navigator coordinates: 7.894496, 98.378315

These are perhaps the most impressive places on the island that you can visit on your own. Of course, Phuket also has many beaches, each of which is unique in nature and worth seeing too. The evening program of the island offers many shows, but if you do not have your own transport, then it is better to go to them through a travel agency, the cost of a group transfer will cost you less than taking a personal taxi.

If you have any questions, ask them in the comments, we will be happy to answer them!

Monkey Mountain in Phuket has become a popular tourist attraction thanks to the population of macaques living on the hill. Representatives of the monkey family settled along the entire slope, but the main habitat is closer to the top. The Thai toponym Khao Toe Sae is hardly used, and any taxi driver will know where to take you if you say "Monkey Hill".

Upstairs, where television towers, masts and antennas are installed cellular communication, leads an asphalt road about 3 km long. Along the way, you will meet landscaped viewing platforms and gazebos for relaxation. The pink buildings are the toilets, and the washstands are on the side wall outside the buildings. Viewpoints open panoramic views Phuket Town and the coast.

When traveling by car, keep in mind that it will be difficult to pass with oncoming cars, as the roadway is too narrow. In addition, there are no parking lots at the top, and places suitable for parking are very likely to be occupied. The slope is quite sharp and, moving down, you will have to constantly slow down and keep your foot on the brake pedal to control the speed.

From 17:00 to 20:00 traffic is prohibited, because Monkey Hill is the main place for jogging and sports local residents. The lawns are equipped with sports complexes with exercise machines, barbells, horizontal bars and other sports equipment. Once the heat of the day subsides, people go jogging and biking all along the route. If you are in good physical shape, then the hike will take about half an hour. Walking is quite comfortable: new asphalt was laid in 2016, trees growing along the roadsides create abundant shade, and shady canopies were built in open areas.

Rules of behavior

Treats for monkeys are sold in tents at the foot. A bunch of bananas or a bag of unshelled peanuts cost the same: 20 baht. It is better to take the nuts out of the package (out of sight of the animals), put them in your pockets and give them out little by little.

So that contact with funny and seemingly harmless creatures does not end in failure, you need to be careful and be on the alert. Don't forget that this wild animals with unpredictable reactions. Macaques are accustomed to humans and are peaceful, but tourists themselves sometimes provoke attacks. Friendly by human standards, gestures and facial expressions are perceived by our smaller brothers in a completely different way. For example, do not laugh: showing teeth is regarded as a challenge to a duel. Do not get close to the cubs: the females are able to attack first if they decide that something threatens the offspring. Don't try to pet the monkeys or make sudden movements.

Curious inhabitants of the jungle feel like the owners of the territory, they can jump on their shoulders, occupy a car or bike, pull the key out of the ignition, snatch a purse, camera or phone out of their hands, rip off a cap, glasses and jewelry. It will be possible to return the stolen back only if the monkey itself considers the prey uninteresting and throws it away. Precautions should be taken in advance: do not take valuables with you, remove hair clips, chains and earrings, do not leave backpacks and bags unattended.

When planning a visit to Monkey Mountain, choose dark clothes. On light fabric, stubborn stains are likely to remain. If you follow these simple tips, communication with primates will bring a lot of positive emotions and allow you to replenish your collection of vacation photos with touching pictures.

Most meetings end peacefully, but incidents do occur. If the bite could not be avoided, you will have to seek medical help and give injections for rabies. By the way, there may not be a vaccine in the nearest hospital. Monkeys often become carriers of other dangerous infections. Stock up on bactericidal wipes and antiseptic, treat even minor scratches. There is no need to contact individuals that show grins and other clear signs of aggression. Fights among males are common, beware of approaching fighting members of the pack.

Three observation decks located on different levels. Near the bottom there is a cafe of Thai cuisine, there will be no further food outlets.

How to get there

The best way to get around the island is by renting a motorbike (200-300 baht per day). passed shopping center Central Festival, you need to move towards Phuket Town for about 1 km and turn left at the fork. After 3 km you will see a prison, after it you have to make another left turn, and Monkey Hill will be straight ahead. Periodically, there will be "Monkey on road" warning signs and golden sculptures depicting a pair of monkeys.

You can also get to Monkey Mountain by public transport. At the old bus station, you need to take the pink songteo bus that goes to the new terminal. The fare is 10 baht. The bus exits Surin Road and turns left at the foot of the hill. There you need to get out by pressing the bell, giving the driver a signal to stop.

To call a taxi online is useful mobile app GrabTaxi, the service provides for the possibility of paying both by card and in cash.

Monkey Mountain on Google Panorama

Monkey Mountain: Video

Monkey Hill is another one of interesting places Phuket Island, which you can visit on your own and absolutely free! Monkey Mountain is located in the north of Phuket Town, and the hill on which it is located can be seen from anywhere in the city. On the mountain there are various towers - cellular communications, as well as television, and on the sides of the road that leads to this mountain there are many monkeys.

Monkey Mountain is located in Phuket Town, but it cannot be reached public transport. You need to take a taxi, tuk-tuk, or go to Monkey Mountain on a rented moped or car. The road to Munky Hill is quite narrow, so I would recommend riding a moped here. That's exactly what we did. Locals, as well as some tourists, like to trek from the base of the mountain - a 4 km long road usually takes about an hour to climb. Therefore, if you go on your own, be careful, on the way you will meet both people and monkeys.

You can also visit Monkey Mountain as part of an organized tour.

You can see where the mountain of monkeys is located on the map at the bottom of this article.

Observation decks on Monkey Mountain

There are 3 observation platforms and they are all at different levels. The first level is the lowest and a small view of the sea opens from it, from the second level the view is slightly larger, and already from the third, high level, offers stunning views of the sea and Phuket town. There are benches where you can rest and enjoy the beautiful view.

We did not stop at the first two sites, but immediately went to the very top. We really liked the view, only it is quite hot here, and there is nowhere to hide from the sun.

Monkeys

Monkeys feel good here 🙂 Tourists come and feed them all the time. With you, in order to feed the monkeys, you can take peanuts, bananas, corn. I recommend that you do not immediately show the monkeys all the food that you brought with you, as they can snatch it from your hands. We fed the monkeys bananas. If you forgot to take food with you, nuts and bananas are sold at the bottom of the mountain.

Personally, I love monkeys very much and am not afraid of them. Of course, it is important to follow a few rules in order for your communication with the monkeys to bring you only joy. Monkeys can be given food, but they should not be stroked, as they may perceive this as a danger and bite you. Monkeys can be carriers of various diseases, and it is unlikely that you will want to spend the rest of your vacation in the hospital. It is also not recommended to smile, as they can take your smile for an enemy grin and become furious. It is better to take off all small things, such as glasses, bracelets, hats and put them in a bag, and also hold phones and a camera very tightly, as you can very easily be left without them 🙂 It is also not recommended to approach baby monkeys, somewhere their mother walks nearby, who can perceive any gesture as dangerous and rush to rescue her baby. And one more piece of advice - do not look the monkeys in the eyes, they can take it as aggression.

Otherwise, the monkeys are quite cute, they will gladly pose for you on camera and eat the offered food. The platform for communication is not very large, but there are simulators here, which the monkeys also really like, they crawl on them, jump from one to another, in general, this is completely their territory.

I highly recommend visiting this wonderful place, the monkeys here are in their natural habitat, and not like in a zoo, behind bars.

And also visiting the mountain of monkeys is absolutely free.

Monkey Hill got its name because of the large number of wild monkeys living on the slopes of the mountain. Furry jungle dwellers sit down along the path leading to the summit and beg for refreshments. Therefore, going to the Monkey Mountain (Thai name Khao Toe Sae), take bananas or nuts with you.

I will warn you right away: in dealing with monkeys, be extremely careful, do not try to stroke the monkey, otherwise you risk being bitten or scratched.

You can climb the mountain by bike or car, but it is best to go on foot, as there is not much space for parking at the top. In addition, the mountain is quite steep, and you will have to go all the way back “on the brakes”. On the way to the top there viewpoint with views of Phuket Town. From here you can see a very beautiful temple Wat Khao Rang - it is easy to recognize by big statue Golden Buddha. By the way, at the foot of the monkey mountain there is also a Buddhist temple, but less beautiful than Khao Rang.

From the top of the mountain, the view is slightly worse - trees interfere, as well as large television antennas installed at the top.

Background on Monkey Mountain

• How to get to Monkey Hill: From the Central Festival store you need to go towards Phuket Town. After 700 meters the road splits in two - we drive on the left. Then we go nowhere without turning a little less than 3 km, we pass the cheerful building of the Phuket prison and after 200 meters we turn left - we have arrived.

Monkey Hill / Khao Toe Sae on the map

Video from Khao Toe Sae Mountain

Friends, I must say that this moment we are no longer in Phuket, but in the town of Udon Thani bordering Laos. We managed to spend an unforgettable month in cultural capital Thailand - Chiang Mai, I will definitely write about this in the following articles. Our journey continues, and we are returning to Phuket and today I will tell you about one of the amazing days spent in close proximity with the monkeys!

After the first close acquaintance with humanoid mammals in Phuket, which I described in detail in my article, we wanted to enhance the emotions from communicating with monkeys, to observe them in their natural environment.

Initially, I remembered that there is a zoo in Phuket, where, perhaps, it will be possible to “feel” the most diverse tropical fauna, and, at the same time, make acquaintances with all representatives of the monkeys living in Thailand. I did not find any information about the zoo in Phuket on the Internet - either we dug up a pearl that has not yet been discovered by anyone, or the zoo in Phuket is not a budget pleasure, which means it is no longer a pearl. After telling fortunes a little on the "sand thick" we got on the bike and went to the zoo. The opening did not work out - the pleasure turned out to be by no means budgetary, the cost of entry - 500 baht for an adult and 300 baht for a child - is a little expensive, and it is completely unclear what awaits us there. There are no traveler reviews about the Phuket Zoo, and it is not known, perhaps the animals there, as well as in our zoos, sit in cages and cannot communicate with them live.

Therefore, waving at the zoo, we turned around and went to Monkey Hill (Monkey Hill) - and did not regret this adventure for a second! Looking ahead, I must say that I have already managed to visit the Chiang Mai Zoo, which is considered one of the best in Thailand, the entrance there, by the way, costs 150 baht. So, our visit to Mankey Hill was no less vivid in terms of emotions, and somewhere even more interesting! In addition, admission is completely free.

Monkey Hill is big park in Phuket Town, where monkeys live and everyone can go in for sports. At the end of the post is a map, looking at which is easy to navigate. The best way to get to the monkey park is by bike. Since we live in Panwa, the road to Phuket Town took quite a bit of time. A few turns, a small climb uphill - and we are already there. We decide to go further on foot, park the bike (the parking is convenient, with markings) and walk 200 meters along the road. I had no idea what we would see ahead, we just walk along the asphalt road and thoughts come into my head - where can monkeys live here?

And it turns out that they are already meeting us!

I did not expect to see animals sitting right on the road, I thought that they still live somewhere in the trees. Looking around, I noticed a lot of tailed individuals in the forest, some were sitting on tree branches, but a large number of the monkeys are just sitting on the road. Since people feed them (even feeding places with buckets are organized), the animals brazenly lie right on the roadway.

"Hello! What did you complain about?"

For tourists, there are benches where you can sit in the shade and watch the monkeys. Just the saddles are located behind the sign.

Bikes pass here very rarely, and drivers behave modestly, trying not to scare the animals. In fact, Monkey Hill in Phuket is, in combination, also a health park, where Thais come in the evening to do physical education and, sometimes, they themselves are surprised at the abundance of monkeys.

Macaques are allowed to get quite close to themselves, but adults cannot be approached closer than half a meter without a treat. Seeing a visitor - not an athlete, the animals begin, like professional beggars, languidly look into the eyes, begging for something tasty.

I don’t know how it happened, but we again came to the monkeys without refreshments at all. To be honest, I didn’t want to get very close to them and touch them, just to watch - this is already a great pleasure, which I enjoyed to the fullest. Despite the traditionally hot day, I jumped around the monkeys with a camera, sat down, I think, 200 times, if not more. This place is conducive to sports.

Realizing that we didn’t bring anything tasty with us, the animals immediately lost interest in us and turned their booty.

The most interesting thing about meeting a large pride of monkeys or macaques is observing the social roles in their community. There are quite a lot of individuals in the pride of monkeys on Monkey Hill - about 20-30, maybe more. We found only one leader - an angry monkey with frowning eyebrows and a hard look, which imposingly and flexing its muscles, walked around the territory and fertilized females.

As assistants, he had less muscular males who acted as guards. They controlled the periphery of the pride and were ready to issue a signal of danger, in case one really took place. Assistants were the first to start moving if the pride decided to move to a new place. I came face to face with one of these male guards at.

Females and cubs live a carefree life inside the pride, at the same time making up the backbone of this social organism.

Having completely lost interest in us, the monkeys dispersed in different directions: someone scratched on the road, others carefully watched us from a tree branch, others looked at something in the distance, stretched out on the side of the road. I was in a state of creative euphoria - just imagine that next to you there are about 20 living monkeys, not trained, without collars with a chain, not hiding behind bars, but here they are - walking around and looking, sniffing, also studying and observing!

Meet the "great thinker" who comprehends the meaning of life. How impressed I was with this macaque sitting on a stone!

More than an hour has passed, we calmly, but under the watchful eyes of the pride guards, moved from one monkey to another. Animals did not let close to them, but behaved quite friendly. Suddenly the monkeys got excited, some of them screamed and rushed somewhere to the side. I froze in place in fear and rolled my eyes. What's happening?

And here is the cause of concern - a European man, passing by, threw peanuts to the macaques. What a fight there! Some individuals simply fell from the tree to grab food. There was even a small fight, as a result of which the food went to the strongest and most arrogant. As soon as the last nuts were eaten, the animals calmed down.

When the excitement of the monkeys passed, I decided to take a photo with them, but I did not dare to get close. It turned out, maybe not very well, but there is documentary evidence of my presence in this place :-)

After a not very successful photo session, where we turned out to be quite tense, although happy, I again started observing macaques.

Look at this romantic monkey, daydreaming so much that he did not even notice the butterfly flying by.

But a caring mother hugs the baby. Of course, they look unnatural on the pavement, but are they better than in a cage?

For the purpose of reconnaissance, we decided to leave the monkeys for a while and climb higher up the mountain.

After 500 meters we found a small view point, which offers a rather pleasant view and, by the way, you can see the Buddha statue. But we did not linger here - it was too hot.

There is some kind of building on the mountain, some kind of sports facility, many runners disappear from view in that direction. But I was itching to get back to the macaques, which we did.

On the way back, we met this monkey, I don’t know why, but I decided that it was a girl, although I didn’t look under the tail. With her, we made another attempt to make good photo, but, unfortunately, this attempt failed, and the animal quickly got tired of excessive attention.

I noticed that the tailed ones behave defiantly calmly with us, but in reality they look at the main one, if he will issue an alarm signal, and this one did not take his eyes off us.

"What, haven't they left yet?"

It's been more than two hours, but I'm still not tired of watching. It was nearing sunset, so some of them had already begun their evening dress.

Some were getting massages, others were catching fleas, others were fighting a little.

She raised her head up, and there the tailed one rushes along the wires.

"Well, here's how to explain to you ... You see, ..."

“Why are you late for the lecture? I won't let you next time!"

Toddlers are the cutest, spontaneous and curious. They let you close. It’s not scary to hand-feed them, but, to be honest, we didn’t try, and, I’m afraid, large macaques will run in and take everything away.

Yet the monkeys are very similar to us: their habits, appearance, postures.

"Doctor, what do I have there?"

Emotion is overwhelming! At this moment, the macaque (for some reason I decided that he is a male, maybe he is, I can guess in cats by the face) do a back massage.

This kid first played funny with flies over a poop, then looked at my lens.

We offered monkey friendship. I think he was hoping to see something more.

He almost agreed, but at the last moment changed his mind and ran away.

The sun began to set, I couldn’t get enough of the monkeys, but I had to say goodbye to the pride and start on my way back to go down the mountain before dark. While descending, dusk began and the entrance to the park was blocked, but we were let out. Impressed by what we saw, we went home to Panwa.

And now useful information for those who want to diversify their stay in Phuket and decide to go to Monkey Hill.

The visit to the park is free. In the evening they put a barrier, so after 17.00 you can get to the very top only on foot (to go far, about 1.5-2 km). I see no reason to come in the evening, we were in the park from about 13.30 to 17.30.

No need to worry that you will come - but you will not see the animals. There are no tourists in the park, I saw only a couple of Thais who also came on a bike, the rest went in for sports. Since there are no tourists, it means that there are no huge tourist buses, which, with their horns, can scare away all living things a kilometer away. Animal feeding is organized on site, so the monkeys are constantly nearby.

If you want to feed the animals, as well as the presence of more macaques around you, take peanuts (not roasted) with you, this is how the macaques are fed there.

I think it's a bad idea to travel with children under 5-8 years old (although I admit that children are different). Here you are not in a zoo where you have paid the entrance fee and are guaranteed safety. In Monkey Hill you will be responsible for yourself and your children. Children can scream loudly, fearlessly come very close to animals, but there are also offspring who will tease and generally behave incorrectly, which can provoke aggression from the whole flock. For those who like to drink, I strongly advise you to stay lying on the beach, as any animals do not like the smell of alcohol, and you need to be able to control the situation. A visit to Monkey Hill is not entertainment attraction, and the opportunity to communicate with representatives of the animal world, to observe is a place for naturalists and romantics.

Map attached, have a nice trip!