While tourism is slowly rebuilding after the destruction caused by Covid-19 it is still largely a Staycation Model. The tours and activities that kept travellers busy in a destination seem to have vanished. Not however if you are in Phuket. Phuket Sandbox has opened Phuket to about 70 countries in the world. Unlike other destinations that are largely all about resort stays, Phuket is pretty much an outdoors destination and you can still find many amazing things to do while in Phuket under the Phuket Sandbox program.
Let's take a look at some of the tours and activities that are open for tourists visiting Phuket. We will list all the current tours, activities, attractions and experiences that are currently open for tourists in Phuket.
1. City Tours
The most popular and affordable tour in most destinations is a City tour. Many tour operators offer a variety of city tours in Phuket as well. The standard for most tours is covering essential landmarks and viewpoints like the Big Buddha, Wat Chalong Buddhist Temple, Kata Karon View points and a tour of the Phuket Old Town.
The only challenge one might face is that most of the city tours are running as private tours that may end up making them a expensive if just a couple is on the tour. Currently the only city tour that comprehensively covers all essentials of Phuket and available as shared tour is the top rated Travstore Original Phuket Discovery Tour. You can do this tour for just about USD 15 per person and spend a great day exploring Phuket.
City Tours in Phuket can be enjoyed as soon as the results of your RT-PCR tests done on arrival are out and therefore it is one of the first tours you can do while in Phuket
2. Explore the Phuket Old Town
Phuket Old Town is a speciality on its own. Exploring this area is a treat because it houses some of the best Phuket's street food, street art and the famed Sino Portuguese styled heritage buildings. A walking tour of Phuket's Old town is a dive into Phuket past that has shaped its present day culture.
In fact the Phuket Old Town is so alluring that UNESCO awarded it the Creative City of Gastronomy Award for its rich cuisine and thereafter the Phuket locals got together and started celebrating Phuket Old Town's heritage and called it Phuket FAT ie Phuket Food, Art, Town. Many famed artists came together to paint street art on dilapidated walls in Phuket Town and decorated the streets with cryptic street art. Today tourists come to photograph these wall murals and try deciphering the meaning locked in these street arts.
Our Travstore's Original Phuket Food Art Town Tour is dedicated to this rich heritage of Phuket Old Town and helps you explore the Old Town in a guided fashion.
3. Islands in Phuket that are open for Tour and day visit without restrictions
While the famous Phi Phi Island and James Bond Island trips are yet to get started and in any case would offer access with restriction, you can visit the following Islands that are open for tourists without any restrictions. You dont need to undergo any additional Covid tests to take a tour of the following islands in Phuket, as these are under the Phuket jurisdiction and not a part of other provinces.
Coral Island
Coral Island of Phuket is also known as Koh Hey or Koh He in local Thai language. Coral Island is lively place that offers sun beds, local restaurants, a nice beach and some enjoyable water sports like para sailing , kayaking and underwater walks. Most of things to do in Coral Island in Phuket are sandwiched between its two beaches, the Long Beach and the Banana Beach.
Coral Island is place to fix a snorkelling jaunt on the spot, or you may explore diving around the corals or maybe just not do anything and lounge on the beach and enjoy a beer with some spicy Thai snacks.
Racha Island
One of the lesser crowded Islands even during the peak of Phuket tourist boom, this is the ideal Island for snorkelling. Clear waters and great corals make Racha Islands one of the best places to go for serious snorkelling.
Maiton Island
A total escape from the crowds in Phuket and a serene picture postcard getaway, Maiton Island is another place to explore the marine life via snorkelling or to just chill and laze around the white sand beaches. There are quaint restaurants that make for great lunch venues.
You can visit these Islands on a day trip tour to Coral and Racha Island on a speedboat to enjoy swimming, snorkelling and water sports at the coral Islands.
Alternatively you choose to go on a Catamaran Sail to Coral Island and enjoy the dinner cruise that comes along with it.
4. Join a Thai cooking Class in Phuket and learn to be a Thai Chef
Who doesn't like Thai food? And if you are a Thai food lover what better souvenir you can take back home than the art of cooking perfect Thai food. There are many cooking classes around Phuket and courses that can last for days. However our half day Thai cooking class in Phuket is made for those who wish to learn the basics of Thai cooking from a Master Chef in easy and fun way. Whats more you even have a delicious Thai meal at the end of course, cooked by your own hands.
5. Spend a day with Phuket's Elephants at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary
Elephants have a special place in cultures all across Asia. Elephants have been used as war machinery and to cart logs of wood from rainforests. The bond with Elephants has always been that of respect and love in Asia where Elephants are also worshipped for their virtues of intelligence, unfailing memory and being a faithful friend.
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary at Phuket is born out of love for Elephants. Here Elephants find a refuge in a loving and caring environment. You can meet these gentle giants of Phuket at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary and spend a day feeding, bathing and enjoying a rain shower with these gorgeous animals.
What makes it easy? Our Elephant Jungle Sanctuary tour picks you from your hotel and drops you back at the end of the tour.
6. Early to rise ? Join the locals on a morning trek to a hill
Are you a fitness enthusiast who wakes up early in the morning ? Then why not junk the hotel breakfast to take an early morning hike to a secret viewpoint and then enjoy a traditional Thai breakfast on top of a hill.
The Hike to Sunrise tour is for those who love to wake up early and love to greet the sun before anyone else.This tour patches you with Phuket locals who are into hiking and trail running themselves and are your local guides for this Hike to Sunrise to the secret viewpoint in Phuket.
7. Take an ATV Ride to Big Buddha
Phuket's Big Buddha is invariably covered by almost all city tours, however the most exciting way to reach the Big Buddha is riding up the hill, through dirt paths on an ATV. Enjoy the thrill of going up the hill on a beaten path on powerful quad-bikes or roadrunner buggies on this tour.
The ATV Ride to Big Buddha tour combines the best of adventure and viewpoint sightseeing in the most exciting way.
8. Visit Phuket Aquaria and the Trick Eye Museum
If you are shy of the sun and wish to spend a day in cool air-conditioned environment, you can still do better than staying in your hotel room. The Phuket Aquaria and the Trick-Eye Museum are the indoor attractions at the Central Phuket Floresta Mall.
Ideal way to spend a fun day out with kids or as a family where you can enjoy one of the largest Aquariums in South East Asia followed by the whacky fun at the Trick Eye Museum. The food court and the various multi-cuisine restaurants are going to spoil you for choice of food. Make sure you buy the Combo Tick for Phuket Aquaria + Trick Eye 3D Museum to get the best priced deal on this attraction.
9. Get a Photo with the Tigers
If getting photographed with the Tigers is on your bucket list then Phuket's Tiger Kingdom is the place you should put on your itinerary. Tiger Kingdom Phuket houses aTiger conservation program for Tigers bred in captivity. The goal is to educate about Tigers and provide a safe and responsible environment to learn more about these beautiful cats.
Phuket Tiger Kingdom not only houses Tigers but also has a Cheetah amongst its resident cats.
We are sure some of these tours and attractions will find their way into your itinerary for your Phuket holiday and keep you positively engaged with Phuket. As the Phuket Sandbox program progresses successfully more confidence is bound to allow opening up of other awaited tours. Under the recently announced Phuket Sandbox 7+7 Extension plan , now visits can be made to the Phi Phi Island and the Phang-Nga Bay area that houses the famed James Bond Island. We hear that tours to Phi Phi Island on a speed boat might be starting any moment and as well as the Phang-Nga Bay tours on long tail boats. Keep reading our blog and we will keep informing you as Phuket gets more livelier !!!