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Phuket Guide - Where to Coffee, Music, Sunset, Relax

Discover the most stylish and tasty spots for coffee, food, music, sunset and just relax in this Phuket travel guide.

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This issue is dedicated to Thailand and Phuket specifically.

Table of Contents

Phuket Insider

I’m here now and exploring the island by motorbike. That’s a perfect mean of transport here, can reach anywhere much quicker and in a joyful way.

Buddhism is here like the breath of fresh air. Do not miss the Big Buddha.

What really caught my eye is that they use plastic for everything unfortunately, the worst bit is that they often wrap plastic into some other plastic bags which is also packaged into paper and so on.

Thai people are so down to earth, they probably don’t care about any problems.

Thai tea and matcha are good literally everywhere.

Comparing to Bali, I couldn’t find a truly international community here. There are many Russians and now Chinese because of the Chinese New Year. The roads are less scenic as there are no rice fields along the way. The beaches in Phuket are much cleaner, though.

Phuket Town Festival

Phuket Town Festival.

Phuket Town streets

Phuket Town streets.

Phuket Town streets at night.

Phuket Town streets at night.

Make sure to spend to some time in Phuket Old Town. It is lovely!

At Maya Bay

At Maya Bay.

View from the Phi Phi island

View from the Phi Phi island.

Phi Phi island from the sea

Phi Phi island from the sea.

Phi Phi island by the sea

Phi Phi island by the sea.

At Viking Cave

At Viking Cave.

I recommend visiting a remote island or a few of them, like Phi Phi, very beautiful and the sand is so white and resembles flour. You can find a tour everywhere.

Thai

To start, when I visit a new country, I love to check out the local language. It always fascinates me how people communicate in different parts of the world as well as how the language is structured.

The grammar of the Thai language is very simple, there are no cases, declension, articles which simplifies mutual understanding with Thais. So, if you want to say that you have already eaten, it is enough to use two words: กินแล้ว (kin læ̂w) which literally means “already eat” - and you will really be understood.

When speaking politely (what you should do), you can add ครับ (khráp) if you’re a male speaker or ค่ะ (khâ) if you’re a female speaker at the end of your sentence. It doesn’t alter the meaning, but only marks politeness.

Here are a couple of basic phrases in Thai. Trust me, the local people will be happy if you use them.

Thai

IPA* Transcription

English

สวัสดี(ครับ/ค่ะ)

sawàtdii (khráp / khâ)

Hello / Goodbye

ขอบคุณ(ครับ/ค่ะ)

khɔ̀ɔpkhun (khráp / khâ)

Thank you

ใช่/ไม่

chây / mây

Yes / No

ขอโทษ(ครับ/ค่ะ)

khɔ̌ɔthôot (khráp / khâ)

Sorry / Excuse me

ไม่เผ็ด(ครับ/ค่ะ)

mây phèt (khráp / khâ)

Not spicy

มันแพงเกินไป(ครับ/ค่ะ)

man phɛɛŋ kəənpay (khráp / khâ)

It is too expensive

*IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a universal system to represent speech sounds in written form. Have a look at this IPA cheat sheet if unclear how to pronounce.

Let’s dive into the spots I could find! You can also see the full list directly in Google Maps.

Start a Day with Great Coffee

It turns out that it is easy to find a good coffee almost everywhere. I was also impressed by variations of drinks, e.g. Rose Honey Cold Brew or Coconut Americano. In my opinion, good design + great coffee is a strong combo.

At MŌMUS coffee

At MŌMUS coffee.

At Mondo Espresso & Tea Bar

At Mondo Espresso & Tea Bar.

  • Bookhemian (Google Maps) – books + coffee;

  • MONDO Espresso & Tea Bar (Google Maps) – a stylish design and good selection of teas and coffee;

  • Ryn - Authentic Tea & Slow Drip Coffee (Google Maps) — a huge menu of Chinese and Japanese teas;

  • MŌMUS coffee (Google Maps)

  • Honest Coffee & Service (Google Maps)

  • Aram Coffee & Crêpes (Google Maps)

Come for Brunch or Snack

I was looking for *hideaway cafés, since this format is particularly inspiring on an island. And I was happy to spend some time and work at these truly wonderful gems, check them out! These spots are perfect if you need to do some remote work.

*A hideaway/hideout café is a secret place where someone can go when they do not want to be found by other people; a relaxed environment where you feel at ease.

At Hohiho Café

At Hohiho Café.

At Slumberland brunch n beans

At Slumberland brunch n beans.

View at Summore Day

View from Summore Day.

  • Hohiho Restaurant & Café Phuket (Google Maps) – a true hideaway café, with lots of greenery and a little fountain in the garden. This is my TOP #1.

  • Summore Day (Google Maps) – one of the most beautiful spots I could find, the entire place is so scenic, make sure to grab your camera. It might be crowded though. Just WOW! This is my TOP #2.

  • Slumberland brunch n beans (Google Maps) – They even have a sausage roll! This is my TOP #3.

  • Hideaway Cafe@Saku (Google Maps)

  • BARTELS Bang Tao (Google Maps)

  • Kanin Cafe (Google Maps)

  • Leikki Neighbourhood Cafe (Google Maps)

  • Cannelle Kata (Google Maps)

  • Rustic and Blue (Google Maps)

Get Some Sun at Beach

Swings at Nui Beach

Swings at Nui Beach.

At Banana Beach

At Banana Beach.

Sunset at Kata Noi Beach

Sunset at Kata Noi Beach.

Nui Beach

Nui Beach.

Overall, beaches in Phuket are very clean and beautiful. I was expecting them to be overcrowded, but that is not the case for all of them. The worst of all is probably Patong Beach, otherwise it is hard to make a mistake choosing one. Just stick to the west, do not even consider beaches in the east. I haven’t found great ones there. So far my favourite ones are as follows.

  • Nui Beach (Google Maps) – That is an amazing location, there are swings, bath, hammock – everything to spend a day, chill out and let go. The road to get there is very steep and one of the worst on the island, but it is worth it.

  • Banana Beach (Google Maps) – This is a hidden and quiet beach in the woods.

  • Kata Noi (Google Maps) – This beach is a little touristy but still very nice and cosy.

Enjoy Music and Sunset at Beach Club

Sunset at Fuga Beach Club

Sunset at Fuga Beach Club.

Inside Café Del Mar

Inside Café Del Mar.

  • The Commune Terrace & Bar / A Blanket & A Pillow (Google Maps) – Great house music + nice location.

  • Yona Beach Club (Google Maps) – This is a floating beach club, you’d better make a reservation in advance.

  • Café Del Mar Phuket (Google Maps)

  • The Kata Rocks Clubhouse (Google Maps)

  • Catch Beach Club (Google Maps)

  • Maya Beach Club (Google Maps)

Do Not Miss Dinner

House Dj playing at Casa Boho

House Dj playing at Casa Boho.

At Kysna Cafe

At Kysna Cafe.

Relax at the End of the Day

Finish your day with a deep Thai massage.

At Lamoonspa in Phuket Town

At Lamoonspa in Phuket Town.

Stay Connected

In this edition, I also want to tell you about Airalo, a wonderful global eSIM provider that I’ve been using for a few years now. With Airalo you can buy mobile data for 200+ countries and be connected anywhere in the world. Get US$3 off your first eSIM data pack, using code ILYA724 when you sign up or apply it at checkout.

End Note

That is all for now, hope you enjoyed it! You can also see the full list directly in Google Maps.

What do you think about this issue? Let me know your feedback by choosing one of the options in the poll below.

Until next time!

📍Phuket, Thailand

— Ilya

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