Planning a relaxing short trip to the beautiful Phuket Islands and not sure where to start? Here is the best 4 days Phuket travel guide that gives you all the essence regardless it’s your first or third time in Phuket!
Phuket island has a lot to offer to any type of traveler – from budget backpackers to luxury getaways. You will never get bored with so many beautiful beaches, spas, resorts, cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and sports activities.
Early this year, my family and I have the opportunity to travel together. This Phuket trip meant a lot to me because it was the 1st trip with the entire family members after the pandemic including a new family member – our 1.5-year-old niece after the pandemic. Traveling with my niece is never easy but we managed to “survive” with a lot of good memories.
To make the most of our 4 days in Phuket, we decided to indulge ourselves in a decent resort, visit the old town, try delicious new food, café hopping during the hot afternoon, and enjoy the beach and sunset.
Day 1
Morning: Breakfast at Kalima Hotel
We kick off our day by fueling ourselves with a delicious breakfast at Kalima Resort. The breakfast place is located at the expansive rooftop restaurant Malika Terrace and it is an open-air venue. We had a fascinating breakfast experience there, not only we were charmed by the spectacular bay view but also the food choices were great.
Kalima Resort served all sorts of foods and drinks plus the menu changes every day and no jokes; they even served grilled meats, ice cream, and liquor as well for breakfast! For coffee lovers, you will love Kalima Resort because their coffee is superb. We gave a rating of A for their variety of food and beverage options and ambiance.
Afternoon: Karon View Point and Dining at Gin Teppanyaki And Sushi Bar at Kalima Resort
After breakfast, we head to Karon View Point, which is around 35 minutes away from the Kalima Resort. We choose Karon View Point because of the minimal walking involved since we have a toddler with us, the cleanliness, and the fact that it gives you a beautiful panoramic view over the sea, including three bays (Kata Noi, Kata, and Karon). There are a few cafes and restaurants nearby Kata Viewpoint if you would like to enjoy the bay view longer. Heaven Rooftop Bar & Restaurant looks like a good choice because it offers pretty astonishing views, which will level up your dining experience.
Note: The best time to visit Karon Viewpoint is during the sunset and we recommend being there before 18:00.
We decided to head back to the Japanese Restaurant in Kalima Resort since the Resort offers a panoramic view over the sea too. We didn’t have the opportunity to take a photo of the food since we couldn’t wait to indulge ourselves with the served sashimi and bento. Please take time to try it out yourself if you ever visit the Resort.
Evening: Patong Beach and Dining at No. 9 Restaurant
For those who want to soak yourself at Patong Beach, be sure to bring your clean towel and clothes along.
We have a leisurely walk on Patong Beach and enjoy watching the sunset. Patong is super lively in the evening and becomes super dense after 8 pm. There are plenty of bars, restaurants, clubs, and massage parlors for you to choose. In addition, for the traveler who likes to party all night, there are plenty of bars and clubs on Bangla Street.
For dinner, we picked No.9 Restaurant since there are a lot of good reviews on Tripadvisor. We ordered Tom Yam shrimp spicy soup, Pad Thai, Spring rolls, stir-fried vegetables, steamed squid, pineapple fried rice, and mango sticky rice. The menu is very extensive with reasonable prices, including Chang and Singha bottled beer. Overall, their food is good and the service is super-fast, which is a good choice for families who travel with toddlers.
Day 2
Morning: Breakfast at Kalima Hotel
Afternoon: Three Monkeys Restaurant
Day 2 is all about exploring the nice foods in Phuket. We booked a van from the hotel to send us to the Restaurant which is about 30 minutes away. Located next to the popular Hanuman World Zipline attraction and the hilltop with greeneries, you could enjoy authentic Sothern Thai Cuisine with fresher air and chilled weather.
Three Monkeys Restaurant has a beautiful atmosphere and different table settings for you to choose from – indoors and alfresco seatings. Photographer or traveler who is looking for instagramable restaurant, Three Monkeys will be one of the good choices. The Restaurant would get very busy during lunch, but I’m surprised with the good customer service and quality of the foods served. Definitely worth a visit.
Evening: Phuket Old Town, Chill at Torry’s Ice Cream and dine at One Chun Café & Restaurant
After lunch, we head towards Phuket Old Town for some walking to burn more calories before the next meal.
Phuket Old Town is pretty much similar to Malaysia and Singapore where you will find a lot colorful Chinese-European-style antique houses which have been converted into restaurants, cafes, shops, hotels, and museums. Basically, you would find time flies by scrolling through the Old Town and eating all your way through the old town. We enjoy our leisure time there by taking a lot of photos, buying a few souvenirs, and hitting the ice cream place before heading to One Chun for dinner. Torry’s Ice Cream is a small Peranakan boutique shop with limited seats but served good quality ice cream with various flavors such as Peanut butter cookie, black sesame, coconut milk & blue pea flower.
One Chun Café & Restaurant was listed in the Michelin Guide for 5 consecutive years and is also the main reason why we were looking forward to dining in. We have ordered plenty of their signature dishes such as Mee Hoon Kang Poo (crab curry served with rice noodles), Moo Hong (Braised pork belly with black pepper), Nam Prik Ghoong Seab (Phuket-Style shrimp chili crisp with fresh vegetable), Fried fish with fish sauce, Fried grill pork with chili, pepper, and garlic. The foods overall are decent with the taste and portion, but I would not dare to say it’s the best since I have tasted better pork belly and crab curry in Malaysia.
Note: If you are in Phuket during Friday and the weekend plus a street food lover, then make sure you don’t miss the trendy bohemian style Chillva night market.
Day 3
Morning: Breakfast and Chill at Kalima Hotel
Heavy breakfast since we would do some fat-loss exercises in the afternoon.
Afternoon: Island Hopping and Snorkelling
After surveying a few tour choices, I eventually, picked a half day (6 hours) Island Hopping and Snorkelling package with Kalima Resort. The price range offered is pretty much similar by comparing a few tour agencies in the town and the Resort which is around USD 43 inclusive of food (lunch) and return trip to the agreed pickup points (normally would be the hotel you’re staying) for the Racha & Coral Island Day Tour. Overall, there are many choices depending on your budget and preference.
The other popular itinerary would be the Island Hopping to James Bond and Phang Nga Bay as well as Koh Phi Phi (Phi Phi Island). There is a day tour as well which includes the sunset cruise in the evening and the price would be slightly higher from USD 60 and above. Feel free to book additional water activities like banana boats, parasailing, and water jet skiing with additional fees.
We have selected Racha & Coral Island Day Tour since we are more favorable towards multi-colored coral reefs and white sand plus we were super pleased with sunbathing, snorkeling, and floating in the ocean.
Lunch was served at the Coral Island buffet style, the all you can eat with simple Thai dishes such as Tom Yam soup with seafood, stirred fried vegetables, pandan chicken, red curry chicken, and mango sticky rice.
Evening: Spa and Chill at Hotel by enjoying the Thai snacks and beers
Nothing could be better than a relaxing full-body massage after spending 6 hours on water activities. There are a lot of massage parlors everywhere on the island and personally, hygiene and cleanliness are two super important requirements when it comes to picking the right one. We considered Phumontra Spa as one of the best spas in Thailand in our opinion. The masseuses are polite and professional. They always make sure we feel comfortable throughout the entire therapy. Phumontra accepts reservations via phone call or Facebook massage and it’s better to make a reservation in advance to avoid disappointment. The price is ranging from USD 20 and we have a great experience with a full body massage with aroma oil, Traditional full body massage, and foot massage.
For dinner, we opted for some snacks and beets from the convenience store (Family Mart or 7-11). We think that you will need to at least enjoy a meal from the convenience store when you’re in Thailand if you are interested to try out instant foods like cup noodles, instant bento, chips and beers.
Day 4
Morning: Breakfast and Chill at Kalima Hotel
Afternoon: Ma Doo Bua and Spa
Ma Doo Bua is popular for its Instagram appeal – their lotus pond and iconic giant floating leaves in Phuket is already busy since morning. Ma Doo Bua is not only a café and restaurant but also provides hotel stay and a spa. The restaurant serves decent Thai and Fusion food with the price is slightly pricey which is understandable for the lovely ambiance.
Ma Doo Bua offers three photogenic activities options (different price ranges depending on (the number of people) to ensure you have a unique memory during your visit. Those options are Floating Boat Video by Drone Camera, Floating Boat Photo by Drone Camera, and The Circle 360. We would advise that you visit Ma Doo Bua in the morning to reserve an early time slot for the photogenic activities. Just visit the spa or enjoy the food while waiting for your turn.
Evening: Sea Salt Bar & Lounge
Sea Salt Bar & Lounge has a very beautiful setting to catch sunset views. We arrived a bit early around 5 pm to get a nice table. The food was delicious and we highly recommend ordering Surt and Turf and the Lobster Platter if you are seafood lovers. We spent an amazing night by enjoying the stunning view, food and cocktails.
Getting around Phuket
There are plenty of transportation choices to get you around Phuket and the Airport depending on your budget and preference.
Private Transfer – The most convenient option for Airport transfer or visiting popular destinations and personally, it is good for a big group of friends and family. Nowadays, booking could be done via travel platforms such as Klook.
Airport Taxi – It is much more expensive but offers convenience and peace of mind
Minibus/Tuk Tuks – The cheapest option, and if you do not opt for price bargaining, we recommend that you have both Grab and Bolt apps installed. Personally, we do not recommend Grab but use Bolt instead as typically ordering via Bolt would be half the price compared to Grab and our experience with Grab was that Grab driver took more than 30 minutes up to 1 hour for pickup especially the driver got caught along the busy Patong Street. But the reason we mentioned Grab is so you could compare the price or use Grab in case there is no more Tuk tuk available via Bolt during peak time.
Overall, we recommend private transfer if you already have a planned itinerary to visit a few scenic spots for the entire day, especially during Friday and the weekends and you’re traveling in a big group. This could be done easily from the Hotel Reception and the price range is reasonable based on experience. Please take note that the van or Tuk Tuk are usually unavailable during the peak holiday season.
How to plan the stay for your Phuket trip
Before you travel, it’s worth spending time planning where to stay in Phuket. Not only this will improve your overall traveling experience but also pocket money because getting around Phuket is costly if you’re staying far away from your targeted scenic spots.
Phuket Town is the place to be if you enjoy some lively vibe and to spend your time in Phuket Town and the Southern part of Phuket.
Patong is the most happening area and is easily accessible to food, massage, bars, clubs, and shops in Phuket. If you focus on enjoying the nightlife, Patong is where you want to be.
Karon Beach, Kalim Beach, or Kamala Beach would be your choice if you prefer a more laidback and quieter holiday. There are plenty of resorts along the beaches and we recommended Kalima Resort, the one we stayed for consecutive five nights.
What to eat in Phuket
The most exciting and also the trickiest section for food lovers. In this section, we will share the details of cafes and restaurants we have tried out and also worth the money and quality in our opinion to make sure you have your best food experience in your entire trip. Below is the list of Must Go Restaurants
Breakfast at Malika Terrace in Kalima Resort and Spa
if you’re planning your stays here
Address: 338/1 Prabaramee Road, Patong Beach, Kathu, Phuket, Thailand 83150
Business Hours: Open daily from 6.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m
Gin Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar in Kalima Resort
Address: 338/1 Prabaramee Road, Patong Beach, Kathu, Phuket, Thailand 83150
Business Hours: 1.00 p.m. – 10.30 p.m.
Additional comment: The foods are so underrated and basically you hardly find any reviews on TripAdvisor. If you are bored of having Thai Foods and yet you want some premium Japanese cuisine, Gin Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar is where you want to be.
Three Monkeys Restaurant
Address: 105 M.4 Chaofah Road, Phuket.
Business Hours: 10.00 a.m. – 11.30 p.m.
Additional comment: A must-visit in our opinion because it’s rare to photogenic place on top of nice foods, good services, and ambiance. Also, it is a better choice than Ma Doo Bua in terms of the taste of the foods, services, and if you’re not into instagramable trend.
Torry’s Ice Cream
Address: 16 Soi Rommanee, Thalang Road, Tumbon Taladnue, Aumpher Muang, Phuket Town 83000
Business Hours: 11.00 a.m. – 06.00 p.m. except Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 11.00 a.m. – 09.30 p.m
Additional comment: A good place to hang out for dessert if you’re in Phuket Town
One Chun Café & Restaurant
Address: 48/1 Thepkrasattri Rd., Talat Yai, Phuket Town, Phuket 83000
Business Hours: 10.00 a.m. – 10.00 p.m.
Additional comment: Overall the foods are decent, but since we have tasted better pork belly and crab curry in Malaysia, we personally think the rating was overrated on both of their signature dishes, but the rest of the foods we ordered were nice.
Sea Salt Bar & Lounge in Patong
Address: 225 Prabaramee road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket 83150 Thailand
Business Hours: 12.00 p.m. – Midnight
Additional comment: The price is slightly higher for the traveller who is looking for romantic and luxurious cuisine.
When to plan your Phuket trip
With the climate change, the weather is getting a bit unpredictable but overall, the best time to visit Phuket is between November and April with little rain, and ideal to plan out water activities and visit popular scenic spots. In our opinion, there is no so-called best time to visit Phuket for several reasons. There would be travelers who prefer to travel during the low season which is the monsoon season (After April) because of cheaper flight tickets and lower hotel price that comes with more free room upgrade if lucky enough and less crowd depending on the traveler’s preference.
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