Again this is another post I should have written up years ago on my first trip to Thailand back in 2016. So I’m really sorry for how late it is. I still wanted to write about my day trips to the Big Buddha, Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, watching the sunset at Promthep Cape and so much more in Phuket.

This guide is great if you are visiting Phuket as it features quite a lot of the things you can do whilst in Phuket, most of them are great day trips out. If you love something active or seeing animals in their natural habitat, there is definitely something for you to do.

PROMTHEP CAPE AT SUNSET

Promthep Cape is a picturesque cape & lookout point known for its stunning sea views, especially at sunset. It is located in the Rawai District of Phuket right on the coast. It is the perfect viewpoint to catch the sunset before heading out to dinner. Not too far from the viewpoint is a long strip of restaurants so it’s the perfect place to get some food or enjoy a drink whilst watching the sunset. At the viewpoint there is also a shrine for the locals to remember lost ones. But it’s also a shrine to elephants so there is a lot of elephant statues around the shrine.

THE BIG BUDDHA

The Big Buddha is one of the popular attractions to see in Phuket. It’s a huge seated buddha made of concrete in the centre of Phuket. It’s at 45 metres tall, can be seen from as far away as Phuket Town and Karon Beach. Close up to the Phuket Big Buddha itself, the atmosphere is very peaceful, the only sounds to hear being the tinkling of small bells and the fluttering of yellow Buddhist flags in the compound, with soft background dharma music.

Known among Thais as the Phra Puttamingmongkol Akenakkiri Buddha, the main statue was built in 2004 and is 25 meters across at the base. The whole body is constructed with reinforced concrete, layered with beautiful Burmese white jade marble that shines in the sun. You can donate some money to the refurbishment of the Buddha, write a positive message on a metal wind chime or be blessed by a monk.

WAT CHALONG TEMPLE

Wat Chalong Temple is one of the biggest and most popular temples in Phuket. It’s definitely a must visit with it’s brightly coloured pagoda and main temple room. It has been welcoming visitors for over a century. Locals come to pray and Westerners come to learn about Buddhism. The temple is open from 7am to 5pm. The pagoda is decorated with wall paintings depicting the Buddha’s life story and also features various Buddha images. Take your time in the pagoda; it is a breezy, cool location and one which is very popular with visitors to the temple. It is always busy and a colourful place to be!

GIBBON REHABILITATION

This was one of my favourite visits in Phuket. On our day trip to the Big Buddha, our private driver also took us to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project Centre. We got talking to one of the volunteers there who was from Germany about what they do to rescue and conserve wild Gibbons. They have been mistreated and kept as pets which is illegal in Thailand to rehabilitate them and return them to the wild.

It was an amazing experience to see them up so close and singing to each other. I was so taken by what they do there, I opted to adopt a young gibbon monkey named Arya (yes after the Game Of Thrones character) for 1 year to help support their efforts. I was sent updates and pictures of Arya for that 1 year on her progress and story.

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