Visit Wats (Temple)

The culture of Thailand is heavily influenced by the Buddhist faith. There are of course many temples in Phuket but the most popular is Wat Chalong, which is situated to the southeast of Phuket City.

Wat Phra Tong is also a popular attraction for both visitors and local residents. Phra Tong means “golden Buddha”. One unique feature is that the upper half of the golden Buddha image appears to rise up from the ground. The temple is located on Thepkrasattri Road 20 kilometres from Phuket City.

Another must-see is Wat Khao Nakkerd on the top of Nakkerd Hill, where construction of a huge Buddha statue is nearing completion. The site offers great panoramic views. From Wat Chalong, drive towards Chalong and turn right at Soi Yodsane. Follow this road for six kilometres. The route is marked by yellow flags.

When you visit a temple remember to remove your shoes, hat and sunglasses before entering the temple building and dress modestly. If you sit in front of any religious artifact such as a Buddha image, you should not point your feet towards the object. Importantly, women should not attempt to touch a monk.

Phuket Thai Hua Museum

The oldest Chinese school in Phuket, Thai Hua School was built in 1911 and has now become the Thai Hua Museum, serving as a community and exhibition centre for baba arts and culture.

The museum is a two-storey building with the upper level balconied internally to look down on the ground floor. Many of the exhibits and artifacts relate to the art and culture of China. Some of the old schoolrooms still remain as they were in the past with old school desks and photographs of former students.

The Phuket Thai Hua Museum is on Krabi road. It’s open on Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 8pm. Entrance is free. It's certainly worth a visit.

Waterfalls

Phuket is a small island and our rivers are similarly of limited size. We cannot compete with Niagara or Victoria when it comes to waterfalls. However, we do have several very picturesque cascades, and during this time of the monsoon a large volume of rain is deposited on the hills, so the run-off can produce some very spectacular volumes over the waterfalls, all of which remain accessible by road.

Ton Sai and Pang Pae falls located in the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park are excellent examples and at eighteen metres high, are the tallest. Combine a visit with a tour of the park and see the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre. Near the falls is a restaurant and several kiosks selling inexpensive snacks. Why not bring a bottle of wine and make a picnic?

Nearer to the main resorts is Kathu Waterfall which is a tad smaller than Ton Sai. It has a shaded walk through the jungles above the falls – the only sounds to disturb the serenity are the calls of wild birds and the whispering sibilance of the rushing waters. Don’t forget your camera.

At the foot of the cascade is a small restaurant – a favourite meeting place for Thai families on the weekend.