Paradise Found: Exploring the Best of Phuket’s Sun, Sea, and Culture!

Mark and I arrived in Phuket, Thailand after a fairly long day of travel, which surprisingly, did not feel that long. We travelled on the 1 am Qatar Airways flight from Nairobi and arrived on the same calendar day at 7 pm local time in Phuket.

Immigration procedures were swift and efficient and within a few minutes of arrival, we had officially entered the Land of Smiles!

Before arriving in the country, I took care of a few things, including getting an eSIM card and downloading Grab, Asia’s most popular taxi-hailing app. Mark pulled some money from the ATM, while I entered the address of our hotel in the Kata area.

Our first pleasant surprise in Thailand came when the car arrived at the pickup point. For only $24, excluding tips, we got a 1hour ride in a clean, large and spacious SUV from the airport to Kata Noi.

Our driver was equally pleasant and I thought this was just the perfect introduction to Thailand’s hospitality. Later, we pulled into the parking lot of the Orchidacea Resort and proceeded to the reception to check in and there we got the second pleasant surprise from Thailand, in the form of a room upgrade.

Our stay in the country was off to a good start and luckily, it remained that way throughout the trip. After settling in, we hit the streets of Kata Noi to get dinner.

On the menu at Outdoor Restaurant was a delicious plate of fried rice – the first of many in Thailand. I noted this down as one of the best meals I had in the country, but Mark attributes my high rating to a combination of novelty, excitement, and hunger.

Nevertheless, it was a pleasant introduction to Thai cuisine, which aligned oh-so-well with my palate. After dinner, we sampled some street foods before calling it a night.

Kata Noi, Phuket: The Morning After…

We awoke the next morning and walked a short distance to the beautiful Kata Noi Beach. We had planned to get familiar with the route, see the beach, and then return after breakfast. In the end, we spent over two hours enjoying being in and out of the water.

And I absolutely enjoyed it! The waves were much stronger than what I used to (in the Indian Ocean), but it just made it even more fun!

Later, we walked up the road to one of the highly-rated restaurants in the area – Mom Tri’s Kitchen. There, we enjoyed spectacular views of Kata Noi Beach and the Andaman Sea from the outdoor seating area.

Lunch at Mom Tri’s Kitchen, Kata Noi

The meals and drinks were equally delicious and were just what we needed to end the afternoon. We returned to the hotel for some downtime and to catch up on sleep until evening.

In the evening, we walked to the food market, had dinner, and then walked along Kata Beach at night, where we caught a fire show on the beach. With that, we wrapped up a wonderful second night in Phuket.

Big Buddha, Phuket

The next day, we visited Big Budha, a prominent landmark and spiritual sanctuary in Phuket. The colossal statue stands 45 meters tall and is perched atop the Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata.

From the top, the statue offers panoramic views of Phuket Town, Kata, Karon beaches, and Chalong Bay but you might have to wrestle with monkeys to enjoy these views peacefully!

After spending some time here, we left for our next destination, with a small coconut drink and fried rice detour at a local restaurant close by. Yes, I can eat rice at any time of the day! Thailand is my dream country in that way, haha!

Wat Chaitararam (aka Wat Chalong)

Our next stop was Wat Chalong, Phuket’s largest and most revered temple and the first Thai Temple we visited during this trip. Several parts of the temple were under construction during our visit, but it was still lovely to walk around and admire the beautiful ornate buildings and intricately decorated interiors.

From Wat Chalong, we got a taxi towards Phuket Town to our next destination.

Lunch at Ma Doo Bua Cafe

While researching things to do in Phuket, I came across several beautiful and unique cafes across the city. One such cafe that caught my eye was Ma Doo Bua but it wasn’t because of the meals they offered.

Now, I know you’re looking at the photos above and wondering “how much fried rice one can have in a day”. The answer is “not enough!”

Ma Doo Bua Cafe Photo Shoot

Anyway, I wanted to visit this cafe because I was mesmerized by the beautiful photos of its pond containing large, vibrant lotus leaves that created a tranquil and photogenic backdrop.

The meals themselves were not spectacular but weren’t bad either and I’ll go as far as to say that they matched the quality of meals we ate in several places in Thailand.

As for the photo shoot, I got a number at the entrance and waited for my turn on the boat. The shoot lasted a few minutes and the pictures were transferred right after.

If you asked me whether this stop was worth it, I would say it was for me but might not be the case for you. I recommend reading the reviews of others online and deciding for yourself. I will leave mine in the comment section below.

After we were done here, we rode back to Kata. Our driver offered to stop to tour Phuket Town but Mark and I were too tired to accept. We spent the rest of our day frolicking in Kata Noi Beach and visiting food markets in the town.

By our third day, we had gotten into a bit of a routine in Phuket. We took early morning walks on the beach and dips in the sea, and visited several food markets and restaurants.

Mark also went running each morning and it was during one of these runs that he got to know about Black Rock Viewpoint, which offers gorgeous views of the Andaman Sea and the southern coastline of Phuket.

Black Rock Viewpoint, Phuket

We reached this spot via a moderate hike through lush jungle terrain and were rewarded with the most beautiful sunset and views.

After this, I definitely needed a massage and opted for one at one of the local shops in Kata Noi. I chose a foot and traditional Thai massage. The former went well and was as relaxing as I know massages to be. But the latter, whew! This lady nearly broke my spine!

The way she contorted my body was beyond anything I thought was possible! And at some point, she fully stood on my back! After I survived the ordeal, I had one of the best sleeps of my life!

Phuket 4D3N Itinerary

After three nights in the city, our time in Phuket came to an end. We took one more walk along Kata and Kata Noi beaches and grabbed breakfast at The Boathouse Phuket restaurant.

After having breakfast, we headed to Ao Nang in Krabi, where we planned to spend the next few days exploring the beautiful beaches and island hopping along Thailand’s stunning southern coast!

I have since added Phuket to the ever-growing list of places that I would love to return to. I relished every moment of our time here and look forward to revisiting it one day!

Have you been to Phuket or is it somewhere on your wishlist? Let me know in the comment section below!