Summertime Blues
Hello all and welcome to summertime in Phuket!
Summertime in the tropics is all about seasonal change; a great time to visit the island. Beaches are quieter, foliage blooms after months of no rain and the ocean takes on a rich vivid blue palette.
If you have chosen this summer to visit us, welcome to paradise, it truly is a special time of year!!
We are in a tranquil mood, a time to enjoy nature. There is no better area to experience this than on Phuket’s north-west shoreline…we call it Phuket’s ‘Tranquillity Coast’.
The new wellness resort, Tri Vananda, harnesses the tropical heart of the north-west. Only 15% of the land has been developed by the resort, which features a state-of-the-art wellness centre, well hidden within 1,000 sqms of lush forests and lakes.
The beaches up here are amazing. To the south is Layan Beach, which forms part of the Sirinat National Park. Here you can BBQ and camp, but if luxury lodging is more your style you’ll find the Anantara Layan close-by. Winding your way along the wooded headland you pass the ultra-luxury Trisara Resort, past cute little Banana Beach and onto Nai Thon Beach.
Our final stop on the Tranquillity Coast is Nai Yang, a large expanse of beach which is home to dozens of rustic Thai restaurants. Also in the area you will find the Slate Resort, designed with a tin mining theme. We drop into Coqoon, the resorts’ spa, where treatments take place in naturally created pods, in the forest.
Integral to Phuket’s development was the tin mining industry, which flourished in the 19th century. Workers flooded in from all over Asia, particularly from southern China, creating wealth for the mine owners and their families. We visit some of the mansions which were built at this time, as well as some more recent 21st century constructions.
Much of Thai culture springs from its Buddhist traditions so a visit to a Thai temple, known by locals as a ‘wat’, is a must. You may be lucky to find one which has a local festival taking place. Stalls of home-prepared dishes, arts and crafts all combine to create a joyful atmosphere, where locals and tourists spend a few baht supporting the resident monks. We explain exactly what facilities and buildings make up a Thai temple.
There is much more in your summer edition of exotiqPhuket: dining, shopping, fashion, touring and lifestyle.
We hope you enjoy discovering it!
editor@exotiq.online