DIY OLD PHUKET TOWN WALKING TOUR

You don't have to pay for expensive taxis and tuktuks to tour you around Old Phuket Town. Taxis cost around 1,200 baht that's roughly around Php 1,600 or $40.00 to do this tour. All you need is a walking shoes, map, camera and a bottled water to keep you hydrated. The best time to do this is around late in the afternoon.Here are some images and a map of the tour.

Phuket town is 30 minutes Songtheaw ride from Patong. Alight at the local bus station in the map and you can start your tour from there. 


Lets Get It On!

Thaihua Museum along krabi Rd. Too bad it was close during our walking tour. The museum is one of the best looking Sino - Portugese buildings in Phuket. 

Sino - Portugese buildings around Thalang Rd.

 


Leonardo stayed here?

The Memory at On On Hotel was made famous in 2000 because of its appearance in the Leonardo Di Caprio film The Beach. Located along Phang Nga Road in Phuket Old Town and formerly known as On On Hotel (in Chinese, ‘un un’ means ‘happiness for all visitors’), it went through a complete renovation in 2012 and 2013. Rather than the dingy and depressing hotel it represents in the movie, it is now an attractive and chic place. In 1929 - when On On Hotel first opened - the main industry in Phuket was tin mining. The area of Kathu, a few kilometres west from Phuket Town, was one gigantic tin mine, with hundreds of Chinese migrants digging to excavate the metal. In Phuket Town, Ta Pan Hin was the port from where the tin was exported to all around the world, mostly aboard European ships. The grandfather of the current owner, a tin baron and trader, had the idea to set up accommodation for other traders coming to Phuket Town. The first On On Hotel had five rooms which cost approximately 80 satang (not even one baht) a night!

 

On On hotel facade

More Sino - Portugese buildings along Ratsada Rd.

Blue Elephant Restaurant

Blue Elephant, an established restaurant brand, has branches all over the world in 12 different countries. The group specialises in Royal Thai cuisine – a rich and exotic combination of flavours once uniquely created for the Royal Palace that has recently grown popular because of the global spread of Thai cooking. The Phuket branch is based in a splendid, old Chinese-colonial style mansion set in sprawling grounds near the heart of the old quarter of Phuket Town. Fine dining set in opulent surroundings are the order of the day at Blue Elephant, Phuket branch.

It's better than nothing. Our cheap tripod broke into two pieces while in Phi Phi

Wat Putta Mongkon Nimit Temple

Is a Temple complex in Phuket Town on the island of Phuket.It was built in 1880 and was actually called Wat Klang by the locals in reference to its location: right in the middle (Klang) of old Phuket Town. The actual name for the temple, Mongkol Nimit was chosen in the year 1953. The Thai word Mongkol means auspicious. Giving the multiple interpretations of the word auspicious, such as advantage, promise, felicitous, opportune, among others, might be a clear indicator on why Thai people are drawn to this temple.

Situated on the end of Soi Romanee, the road which is connecting Thalang Road and Dibuk Road, the monastery compound provides the actual temple (Wat in Thai), a colonial building used by the monks for studies and living, and a chedi. A chedi is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics and used as a place of meditation.





Wat Putta Mongkon Nimit Temple may not be the biggest monastery temple in Thailand but it's still a stunning work of architecture and art.





Soi Romanee

It is located in the heart of Phuket Old Town. A walk along the soi, the street that connects Thalang Road with Dibuk Road, evokes Phuket’s interesting history. Like many streets in Phuket’s old quarter, there are lots of attractive Sino-Portuguese style shop-houses. Some of the vintage buildings have been converted into bars, guesthouses and cafés. Here you can enjoy an easy-going night out. Bring along your camera!



Golden Dragon Temple

For a change of pace from the architecture you have already seen, we advise you to visit the Golden Dragon Temple. This is a wonderful fountain located at Thalang Road near a little river. The Dragon symbolizes the strength of people to defeat their enemies and the danger enemies bring to the nation. In time the golden temple became one of the main meeting points of Phuket, because it is easily recognizable and simple to find, even for first-time visitors to the city.





Our DIY walking tour lasted for 3 hours. It was pretty fun but we were drenched in sweat since we started around 1:00 pm. The best time to do this is around 3:00 pm onwards. It's pretty safe and we met a lot of tourist holding a map along the way.


Tuklasera Tips

• Keep yourself hydrated

• Wear comfortable shoes and clothing