3 AWESOME EXPERIENCES TO HAVE IN PHUKET THAT ARE NOT CROWED AND UNDERATED

Explore Phuket’s shiny (and shady) past

During this shiny time in the town’s history, a shady scene emerged on a street called Soi Romanee, which roughly translates to “place of lovely, pleasing fun”. Among the pleasures to be found on Soi Romanee were opium dens, gambling houses and brothels, but after the tin boom came a bust which left the street and its old buildings in less than a pleasing state.

Meet Thailand's Wildlife

Phuket has become the animal-selfie capital of South East Asia, where travellers pay to pose with an array of exotic animals – from tigers and elephants, to gibbons and parrots. After living in this part of the world for several years, what has become clear to me is that the average traveller has no real understanding of how their happy snaps are fuelling the illegal wildlife trade.

Kathu waterfall

It’s a fact that Phuket has many beautiful beaches, but if you’re looking for a place to cool down away from the crowds, head to one of the refreshing waterfalls in the area for a swim. The volume of the water will depend on the time of year, but you’ll have the benefit of welcome shade from tropical plants, providing a little relief from the year-round heat.