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If you browse through travel blogs beforehand, you’ll usually see the same places mentioned when it comes to Phuket – as if the rest of the island were hardly worth mentioning. Yet for us, Phuket’s special charm lies precisely where the classic itineraries end: at local markets, in simple restaurants, in small villages, in the rainforest and on the island’s quieter coastlines. This post showcases a different side of Phuket over seven days – not with the aim of covering the whole island, but to discover those aspects that are easily overlooked amongst the well-known highlights.
25.08.2026
Miryana
Contents:
Photo: Phang Nga Bay in the golden evening light - with an airplane flying over the bay.
Phuket has its own international airport and is therefore easy to reach. During the winter season, Edelweiss operates direct flights to Phuket from Zurich; direct flights are currently bookable from October 2026 to May 2027. The flight time is around eleven hours. Return flights with Edelweiss, for example, are currently available from around CHF 1,300. There are often cheaper options with stopovers: from Zurich, return flights with Turkish Airlines are available from around CHF 690, and with Thai Airways from around CHF 920.
From Phuket International Airport, you can continue your journey by taxi, transfer or bus. The Phuket Smart Bus runs along the west coast via Patong, Karon and Kata, amongst other places, to Rawai.
Prices and connections: as of August 2026. Flight prices may vary significantly depending on travel dates, time of booking and availability.
If you want to experience Phuket from a different angle, you should get up early. In Phuket Town, daily life begins long before the old town is full of visitors. Start at Ranong Market, where locals are already buying vegetables, fruit, herbs and other ingredients for the day early in the morning. Afterwards, it’s well worth having breakfast at Roti Chaofa, a popular local breakfast spot that opens as early as 6.30 am and has been awarded a Bib Gourmand by the MICHELIN Guide. Here, freshly baked roti are served with a variety of curries – a great opportunity to discover another side of Phuket’s diverse culinary culture right from the very first morning.
You’ll then take a walk through the still-quiet Old Town. There’s a wealth of history behind the colourful shophouses: tin mining, Chinese immigration and the resulting Peranakan culture have left a strong mark on Phuket. If you’d like to delve a little deeper, you can visit the Phuket Thai Hua Museum or the historic Chinpracha House.
Our tip: Be in Phuket Town around 6.30 or 7 am. A few hours later, the old town already reveals a completely different side to itself. Take time to appreciate the small details – courtyards, old tiles, Chinese altars and façades often tell us more about Phuket than the well-known photo spots.
Phuket’s cuisine is characterised by Chinese, Malay and southern Thai influences. This day is therefore not just about eating, but about gaining a better understanding of where the ingredients come from and how they are used to create traditional dishes. A particularly good place to do this is the Old Phuket Farm in Thalang. As well as offering traditional insights into rice cultivation, rubber tapping and the former tin mining industry, the farm also runs a short Thai cookery class. Fresh ingredients are used, curry paste is made from scratch, and participants work together to prepare several Thai dishes.
Anyone wishing to explore the local cuisine further will find a surprising number of down-to-earth eateries in Phuket, many of which are also recommended by the MICHELIN Guide. One Chun serves traditional southern Thai dishes based on family recipes and holds a Bib Gourmand. Roti Chaofa has also been awarded a Bib Gourmand and is particularly well known for its roti, curries and Thai-Muslim cuisine. O Cha Rot is well worth a visit for noodle soup with homemade meatballs.
Our tip: We have deliberately avoided luxury restaurants for this day. It is precisely in the simple, often unassuming eateries that Phuket’s cuisine reveals its true authenticity.
Not every day of your holiday needs a fixed plan. Today is all about discovering Phuket without a set route – and feeling free to get a little lost along the way.
Start at Bang Wad Reservoir, a peaceful reservoir in the green countryside behind Kathu, which is particularly popular with locals for walking and jogging. Then switch off Google Maps and try to find your way to Kathu Waterfall without navigation. Follow the road signs, ask for directions along the way, and feel free to take a wrong turn now and then.
You might just discover a little café, a street food stall or a side street that you would otherwise have simply driven past.
Our tip: Allow plenty of time. The aim today isn’t to get there as quickly as possible – but to discover a side of Phuket along the way that you weren’t even looking for.
On this day, the scooter stays put. Instead, we’ll be travelling across the island in one of the blue songthaews – the open-top local buses that run from Phuket Town in various directions. They’re slow, basic and anything but luxurious, but that’s precisely why the journey itself becomes part of the experience. A journey costs around 30 to 50 baht (approx. CHF 0.75 to 1.25), depending on the route.
From Phuket Town, we head towards Cape Panwa and Ao Yon on the less-visited south-east coast. Ao Yon lies sheltered in a small bay and usually offers much calmer waters than many beaches on the open west coast. Narrow coastal roads, fishing boats and unassuming restaurants characterise the area – a side of Phuket that even many repeat visitors are hardly familiar with.
Get off wherever it looks interesting, walk a little way and have a bite to eat in one of the little eateries along the coast.
Our tip: Make a conscious effort not to stick to a tight schedule. On this day, the aim of travelling by songthaew is to make the journey itself part of the experience.
Photo: Long-tail boat at Bang Rong Pier – cruising through Phuket’s tranquil north-east.
In the north-east of Phuket lies Bang Rong, a predominantly Muslim fishing and farming village surrounded by an extensive mangrove forest. Instead of speedboats and island-hopping, life here centres on the water. The best way to explore the area is by kayak or a local longtail boat. Narrow waterways wind through the mangroves, past fishing boats and small jetties. The activities are organised by the local community and combine a nature experience with insights into everyday village life.
Depending on the tides, the trip can be combined with a visit to Koh Phae – a small sandbank off the coast that emerges from the sea at low tide.
Our tip: Book directly with the Bang Rong Community and check the tide times in advance. This way, you’ll be supporting the local people and experiencing Phuket far away from the large tour boats.
Photo: In the heart of the rainforest: the Ton Sai Waterfall in Khao Phra Thaeo National Park.
Palm-fringed beaches are just one side of Phuket. In the Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary in the north-east of the island, dense tropical forest awaits, with huge trees, streams and waterfalls – a landscape you’d hardly expect to find on Phuket.
A hike through the forest between Bang Pae and Ton Sai Waterfall is particularly exciting. Instead of viewing points and photo stops, for a few hours it’s just the jungle that takes centre stage. Ton Sai itself is a rather small waterfall and carries a lot of water, especially during the rainy season – but the real appeal lies in the journey there.
Our tip: Before setting off on your hike, check locally to find out the current condition of the paths and hire a local guide for longer routes. After heavy rain, the paths can be slippery and more difficult to navigate.
Video: Out and about in Suan Luang Park
To round off the week, we’re not heading to a viewpoint or a beach club, but to where many locals spend their evenings: Suan Luang Park, south of Phuket Town.
As evening falls, the paths around the lakes fill with joggers, families and exercise groups. If you fancy it, you can join in with one of the public aerobics or Zumba sessions, or simply take a stroll through the spacious park. It is precisely these unspectacular moments that reveal a side of Phuket rarely featured in the typical holiday itinerary. Anyone wishing to carry on afterwards can round off the evening at Suan Luang Market. At the weekend, the nearby Naka Weekend Market is also well worth a visit, where numerous street food stalls, small shops and market stalls create a lively atmosphere.
Our tip: arrive around 5.30 pm. By then, it will be starting to cool down and you’ll see how the park quickly transforms into a lively meeting place for people unwinding after work.
Don’t underestimate distances: Phuket is considerably larger than it first appears on a map. Journeys can take a long time, particularly between the north and south of the island. You should therefore allow plenty of time for travel and, where possible, group activities by region.
Don’t just stay on the west coast: Patong, Kata and Karon are convenient, but not the best choice for everyone. Phuket Town is particularly good for restaurants, markets and culture, whilst Nai Yang and the north are quieter. Around Rawai and Nai Harn, you’ll find a more relaxed side to the south.
Carry some cash with you: In small restaurants, at markets, at street food stalls or for journeys by songthaew, cash is often the easiest way to pay. You can order Thai baht before your trip via the Swiss Bankers banknote delivery service.
Pack suitable footwear for the rainforest: If you’re planning to go hiking in the Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary, you should wear closed-toe shoes with good tread. The paths can become slippery after rain, so it’s worth checking the condition of the trails in advance.
Take warning flags on the beach seriously: particularly during the rainy season, the west coast can experience strong waves and dangerous currents. If red flags are flying, you should not go into the water – even if the sea appears calm at first glance.
Take a close look at elephant-related activities: In Phuket, elephant riding, shows, bathing and other tourist activities involving direct contact with the animals are still on offer. We recommend avoiding such activities and opting instead for establishments that prioritise observation from a distance, species-appropriate care and as little interaction with the animals as possible.
Check your insurance cover in advance: Hiking, scooter rides, kayaking and other outdoor activities quickly become part of everyday life in Phuket. With TravelProtect from Swiss Bankers, you can take out cover before you even set off.
No island-hopping tour, no elephant camp, no obligatory photo amongst coaches and influencers at the most famous sights. Instead, seven days that show Phuket is far more than just its touristy west coast. It’s often the unspectacular experiences that stay in your memory the longest.
And perhaps that is precisely the most wonderful realisation of this week: you don’t have to see everything in Phuket to have a wonderful experience.
© Swiss Bankers 2026
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