Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and tug for passengers. Now, just seven drivers, of metered taxis only, will be allowed in
at any one time, making for a far more soothing first step on the island.
WORTH A TRIP
BIG BUDDHA
Set on a hilltop just northwest of Chalong circle and visible from almost half of the island, the
Big Buddha
(mingmongkolphuket.com; off Hwy 402) has the best view on Phuket. Once you're up here, pay your
respects at the golden shrine, then step up to Big Buddha's glorious plateau where you can peer into Kata's bay,
glimpse the shimmering Karon strand and, on the other side, survey the serene Chalong harbour where the chan-
nel islands look like pebbles. Over the last 20 years construction on Phuket hasn't stopped, so it means something
when locals refer to the Big Buddha project as Phuket's most important development in the last 100 years.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Phuket Town
POP 94,325
Long before tourist T-shirts or flip-flops, Phuket was an island of rubber trees, tin mines
and cash-hungry merchants. Attracting entrepreneurs from as far away as the Arabian
Peninsula, China, India and Portugal, Phuket Town was a colourful blend of cultural influ-
ences, cobbled together by tentative compromise and cooperation. Today the city is proof
of the island's historical soul. Wander down streets clogged with Sino-Portuguese archi-
tecture housing arty coffee shops, galleries, wonderful inexpensive restaurants and hip
little guesthouses; peek down alleyways to find Chinese Taoist shrines shrouded in in-
cense smoke.
But it's not just some lost-in-time cultural archive. Bubbling up throughout the emer-
ging Old Town is an infusion of current art, music and food that attracts a very hip crowd,
most of it Thai. Investors have finally caught on that culture, not just slinky beaches and
girly bars, is a commodity. Old shophouses and homes, once left to rot, are being bought
up and restored, resulting in flash-forward gentrification.
Despite inflated real estate prices, if you're on a budget, Phuket Town has the best
lodging bargains on the island. From here you can hop on regular
sŏrng·tăa·ou
to any of
Phuket's beaches (which will take between 30 minutes and 1½ hours).
