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Hidden Phuket

Discover Hidden Phuket and Things to Do Off the Beaten Track

Phra Aram Sakhonkhet Mansion - Thai Airways office in Phuket town

Phra Aram Sakhonkhet Mansion

    Phra Aram Sakhonkhet Mansion is a historic Sino-Portuguese building located in Phuket Old Town. Its beautifully renovated white exterior distinguishes it and represents an important part of Phuket’s architectural heritage.

    Shhh Secret Bar in Phuket Town

    Shhh – Secret Bar in Phuket Town

      We’ve uncovered ‘Shhh’, one of Phuket’s most intriguing nightlife experiences hidden in the heart of Old Town, right on Thalang Road, where the famous Sunday Walking Street Market is held.

      Kluay Mai Thai Restaurant Phuket

      Kluay Mai Thai Restaurant

        We heard about Kluay Mai Thai from local chefs and Michelin‑starred friends, so we booked, pre‑ordered, and drove to Chalong. The GPS ended in a quiet lane where a small Thai house sat behind trees.

        Black Pearl Art & Bar in Kata Noi

        Black Pearl Art & Bar

          Black Pearl Art & Bar is one of those places you wouldn’t find unless someone told you about it. We saw it while riding along the scenic road above Kata Noi Beach—the same road where people stop for sunset drinks at After Beach Bar, Baan Chong View, or The Sundeck.

          Friendship Beach Phuket

          Friendship Beach Phuket

            Friendship Beach lies on the southeast coast of Phuket along Chalong Bay, just north of Rawai Beach. We recently revisited this little-known spot because it’s such a different experience from the island’s more popular beaches.

            Koh Maphrao (Coconut Island) near Phuket

            Koh Maphrao – Coconut Island

              Koh Maphrao, commonly known as Coconut Island, is just a short boat ride from Phuket’s east coast and is a little-known, quiet retreat that has remained under the radar for decades. Despite its proximity to popular seafood restaurants, this island has only recently begun attracting attention with the opening of its first hotels.

              Promthep Beach in Phuket

              Promthep Beach

                Promthep Beach is tiny, almost impossible to access and therefore not well known; we don’t even know if it has a name, so we call it Promthep Beach because it hides on one side of the famous Promthep Cape in the very south of Phuket.

                Heeowhat Beach

                Heeowhat Beach

                  Heeowhat Beach is quite large, with tall trees near Cape Panwa on the east coast of Phuket. It is home to the Pullman Panwa Phuket Resort, but because the beach is very wide and shallow, it is not a swimming beach, just great for walks in a peaceful atmosphere.

                  Makham Beach in Phuket

                  Makham Beach

                    Makham Beach is one of the island’s least-known beaches, hidden near Cape Panwa when driving from Phuket Town. The beach is lovely to walk on, but the sea is not as blue as other tourist beaches on the East Coast

                    Siam Beach

                    Siam Beach

                      Siam Beach on the west coast of Phuket is so small and hard to reach via stairs that it is not worth going there; we list it here because it is considered a beach, good for snorkelling.

                      Yae Beach Phuket

                      Yae Beach

                        Yae Beach is not fantastic, but we wanted to see it since it is hard to find. It’s on a cape between Patong and Kamala, and you won’t see much there, just a small hut selling drinks when it’s open.

                        Old Mansion in Phuket Town

                        Ratsada Mansion behind the Thavorn Museum

                          Another example of a beautiful mansion abandoned in Phuket, probably beyond repair. We walked around this area a hundred times without ever noticing it, but once you do, its beauty is striking. It has no known name, so we called it Ratsada Mansion as it is located at the back of Ratsada Road, behind the weird ‘Thavorn Museum’ where the very first Phuket Shopping Center used to be.

                          Kathu Museum

                          Kathu Museum

                            What used to be a very rundown house by the side of the road in Kathu is now transformed into a small and half-abandoned lovely museum about Phuket Food. It used to be part of the large beer storage warehouse. It’s beautiful from the outside, but there is not much to see inside, and the staircase leading to the second floor is often closed.

                            Ang Mo Lao Mansion in Old Phuket Town

                            Limpanon Mansion

                              Limpanon Mansion, is an abandoned old Phuket family house built more than 100 years ago. It is hidden at the intersection of Yaowarat Road and Phang Nga Road and is probably the most mysterious and least-known ancient mansion in Phuket. For a long time, the door of the ‘tunnel’ leading to this mansion was opened, but it has been locked for years now, and probably too many people have tried to sneak in.

                              Chair Cafe Old Town

                              Chair Cafe Old Town

                                Chair Cafe Old Town is a coffee shop and a good casual restaurant on Yaowarat Road. It is nice to stop for a break while you explore the streets of Phuket Town. In addition to the nice setting and food, Chair Cafe Phuket Town has a delightful little secret for those of you who like hidden places.

                                Panwa Beach in South Phuket

                                Cape Panwa Beach ⛱️

                                  Cape Panwa Beach is a superb private beach located on the southeast coast of Phuket Island, only accessible by the lucky guests of the Cape Panwa Hotel. The beach is a superb crescent of soft white sand, surrounded by green hills, coconut trees, and beautiful flame trees.

                                  Bandara Villas in Ao Yon Beach, Phuket

                                  Bandara Villas Phuket

                                    Bandara Villas Phuket is a luxurious boutique resort located on the secluded Ao Yon Beach, in the Cape Panwa area, southeast of Phuket. Built on a steep hillside facing the sea, the hotel is known for its stunning ocean views from superb modern rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows over private infinity pools.

                                    Flamingo Beach Front Cafe - Ao Yon Beach

                                    Flamingo Beach Front Cafe – Ao Yon Beach

                                      Flamingo Beach Front Cafe is a superb beachside restaurant and bar located on the hidden Ao Yon Beach, southwest of Phuket. Its unique location right on the beach offers stunning views of the turquoise waters and soft sand.

                                      Starbucks Sinae Phuket on Koh Sirey Island

                                      Hilltop Cafe by Sinae Phuket

                                        Hilltop Cafe by Sinae Phuket is an unusual and unexpected version of the famous Seattle-based coffee shop, perched at the top of Sinae Hotel on Koh Siray, an island located east of Phuket Town and connected to Phuket by a bridge so short that it never felt like an island.