Travel Diary - An Afternoon in Old Phuket

The one thing I hate about family holidays is that I'm the only one doing the research! By the time we arrive at our destination, I have a mental record of all the do's and don'ts, places to eat, things to do and top places to visit. The only problem is trying to convince the other four members of my family that I actually know what I'm talking about. Nine out ten times I get them to reluctantly do as I say and then have them acknowledge afterwards that I was right. The other one time I just give up and we land up at a night market that's been on my to-do list from day one...only, we go there in the scorching late afternoon heat ( insert eye roll here).

 

 

There's a reason night markets in Thailand are so popular. Firstly, who wants to give up the perfect pool and beach day to browse for trinkets and souvenirs when you can do them at night instead; and secondly, it's the ideal way  to escape the relentless Thai heat! Evenings are much cooler and bearable than the daytime, which makes it the perfect time of day to peruse all the interesting items on sale and shop for little trinkets for family at home. Night markets usually open in the late afternoon and carry on till very late at night.

 

Old Phuket Town has a very strong Sino-Portuguese influence which is quite evident in the distinct style of the architecture. Although there's lots to see in this little district, it requires a bit of walking; and the late afternoon heat had everyone (except me) yelling "HELL NO!!" So we browsed the market instead. Here you can shop anything and everything from fabrics, clothing, jewellery, electronics and fake Ninjago Lego (which we obviously bought for Zee).We also got to experience some typical Thai culinary specialties and were especially excited to see quite a few halal vendors! A particular highlight among the kids was the Nutella pancakes.

 

 One could easily spend hours perusing the stalls, consuming street food, or just chilling in a coffee shops an enjoying the vibe - easily...if you went after sunset when the sun's rays aren't beating down on you and causing you to sweat bucket loads! So we were kind of forced to cut our trip short because the heat was just too much, but not before we did just a bit of shopping!


Overall, there's quite a lot of activity at night. I remember the  bright lights and vibrant music beckoning to us on our first evening there when we went over the road to the beach to watch the sunset. My only regret is that we didn't venture out enough in the evenings...but I suppose it gives us enough reason to go back in the future :-) 



 

 

ABOUT THIS VIDEO :   I really love how videos capture so many things that a picture can't! In this one I  kind of strung together all the bits and bobs of our stay in Thailand into one video. I also decided to not edit out my squeaky voice in some of the parts...and at the very end you will get to hear my hyena laugh! LOL. 

 

Thanks for reading!


Peace,


NAMU :)