Phuket Old Town Travel Guide – Visit Phuket Old Town – Budget Travel In Thailand

Often overlooked by travellers who instead head straight for the beaches, visit Phuket old town to experience streets lined with early 20th century Portuguese buildings.

Many travellers visit the island of Phuket for its beaches and leave without even visiting its charming capital.

After beginning our Southeast adventure in Thailand, we had spent time in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Now it was time to return to Thailand to explore its islands.

Our flight from Siem Reap landed us in Phuket so it seemed obvious to spend some time there. Phuket is a relatively big island and we were unsure where to stay. We were not particularly interested in staying at the party area of Panang, so instead we opted to stay in Phuket old town.

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THINGS TO DO IN PHUKET OLD TOWN

Food And Drink In Phuket Town

There are many excellent restaurants and cafes in Phuket Town. We were very excited to try some real authentic Thai food such as Tom Yum Goong (spicy, sour prawn soup), Massaman Curry and the local dish, Mee Hokien Noodles. After paying a little extra for food in Cambodia, it was nice to be able to get a meal for around one English pound!

Best Restaurants in Phuket Old Town

Aroon Restaurant

We came here for breakfast to try the rotis. They do all kinds of sweet rotis but, despite it being early, we couldn’t resist the curries. The previous roti and curry I had eaten in a Muslim cafe in Thailand was sensational. This was no different. I had chicken curry and Joanna had a vegetarian curry. They were both delicious and our plates were spotless by the time we had finished! Map.

Shelter Coffee

Came here on the recommendation of a drunken, American man the previous night. His tip was a good one as it was a delightful cafe serving good food and coffee in pleasant outdoor surroundings. Friendly owner, too. Map.

Thai Foods And Bags And Amullette

Fantastic little place that offers two dishes and rice for just 50 baht. Delicious, authentic food that was very spicy. Sat and ate at a table that was next to a bed with an old Thai woman sleeping! Map.

Turbo

A typical Thai restaurant with cheap food. There are so many restaurants like this with no name or presence on google. They are all usually very good. This one was exceptional though. I had crispy pork with Thai broccoli and I was in heaven eating it! Map.

Best Bars In Phuket Old Town

Though not exactly a party zone in the same way as Pattaya Beach, there are many bars in Phuket Old Town with live music and DJs. Phuket also offers some great coffee shops for the morning after recovery.

Bookhemian

This was the first place we visited during our visit and it set the tone for what be a very enjoyable stay in this extremely pretty town. The description of Bookhemian sounded appealing to us and we were not disappointed. The coffee was good and the vibe of the coffee shop was super cool. Lots of literature on sale and even a pop up cinema in the back room. A true hipster’s paradise! Map.

Library Bar

We only came here because Joanna wanted to have her photo taken sipping a cocktail in this library themed bar to send back to her former work colleagues (librarians). It turned out the cocktails were very expensive so we had a beer instead. After about ten minutes, the barman said, “Take a look inside.” We didn’t know there was an inside so we were stunned to walk through a door and see a huge bar at the other side! Very nice but expensive. Map.

Old Phuket Coffee Station

Perfectly located on Thalang Road is this impressive coffee shop. The coffee is good and strong, though a bit pricier than other cafes, but it is stunning inside. Enjoy your coffee whilst surrounded by antique radios and old Thai photographs. Map.

Prohibition Bar

A decent bar with happy hours and craft beers. The music was a little naff at times but the endless supply of free popcorn was a nice touch. Map.

Rasta Cafe

It seems there’s at least one reggae bar in every town in Thailand and Phuket is no exception. We came here to see some live music. The band did mainly reggae covers (obviously) but did venture away from the familiar path occasionally with non-reggae covers of Neil Young and Louis Armstrong. Good vibes in this place, as you’d probably expect. No signs of it being 420-friendly. Map.

Rockin’ Angels Blues Cafe And Band

Following the live reggae music, we decided to head over to this place in the hope of some live blues. What we got was an acoustic performer playing covers of Don McClean, The Stones, John Lennon and other classic rock. He was a great performer and singer and had the crowd singing along with him. It’s a small bar but a great venue. Map.

Timber Hut

After checking out some live reggae, then moving on to live folk-rock, it seemed our night was at an end as the bars were closing. Luckily, on the way back to our accommodation, we came across Timber Hut which not only stayed open until 2.15 am, but also had some great live music too. The band were very tight and playing a mixture of covers (both western and Thai) and originals. It was a great night! Map.

Things To Do In Phuket Town

Phuket old town is a very pretty place. The streets are filled with boutique shops and the town is very clean. You get the sense that people here take pride in their town. Smoking is banned on the main tourist streets and you will not see butt ends on the pavements. It is very easy to visit other areas as their are local buses that will take you to any of the islands beaches for just 40 baht (map). Phuket Old Town has a very laid back vibe and we couldn’t have wished for a better place to start our second Thailand adventure. These are some of the best places to visit in Phuket town.

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Chim Jae Walking Street

We only discovered this indoor walking street as we were looking to shelter from the unexpected downpour. Friendly vendors selling a variety of goods with a small  food court at the back. Map.

EDIT: Chim Jae Walking Street is now permanently closed.

Phuket Indy Night Market

Phuket Indy Night Market is a small but charming night market that offers live music, open-air bars and great food. It is one of the best things to do in Phuket at night. Map.

Phuket Indy Night Market Opening Times: 4 pm – 10 pm, Wed – Fri.

Rang Hill Viewpoint

We were used to steep climbs by this point  in our travels, having already climbed Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai and the viewpoint in Nong Khiaw, so this wasn’t that much of a challenge. Having said that, it was very hot so make sure you bring plenty of water. The views were wonderful and you can feed the monkeys too (take care of your belongings). On the way, you can stop off at Wat Khao Rang Samakkhitham. Map.

Street Art Of Phuket

One thing you will notice when arriving in Phuket Town is the street art. It is everywhere! There are many different styles of art on display. See how many of these you can spot on your travels.

Thalang Road

One of the main tourist streets in Phuket old town, you will be sure to spend some time here. It is filled with boutique shops and reasonably priced restaurants serving delicious food. It is very clean (smoking here gets you a 5000 baht fine). Look out for the pop up bar at night with their very own solo reggae guitarist. Map.

Is Phuket Town Worth Visiting?

We loved Phuket Town! It was a great return to Thailand and we were so glad we decided to visit this charming small town before moving on to the Phuket beaches. We spent five nights here and we could have easily spent another five, chilling out in its coffee shops and restaurants. A real gem.

For more information, visit https://www.phuket101.net/phuket-town-guide/