While most visitors to Phuket are drawn to the beaches, the town itself is also well worth exploring. Phuket Old Town, also known as the historic district, is primarily composed of old Sino-Portuguese-style houses. This unique and colorful architecture is a legacy of Phuket's history, when the town attracted many communities due to rubber and tin mining. Phuket Old Town is easily explored on foot. Some of the most interesting streets include Thaland Road, Krabi Road, Dibuk Road, Phang Nga Road, Yaowarad Road, Ranong Road, and Ratsada Road, as well as Soi Romanee (off Thaland Road). Visitors typically begin their tour at the Chartered Bank at the intersection of Phuket Road and Phang Nga Road, walking along Phang Nga Road to discover the On On Hotel (where Leonardo DiCaprio stays at the beginning of the film "The Beach"), before turning right onto Yaowarad Road and continuing to Thaland Road. There you have free choice of where you want to go, but I recommend a circular route: Go to Dibuk Road (third street from the left), then to Satun Road (turn left), then to Krabi Road (turn left) where you can visit the Thai Hua Museum, and then go straight ahead to Thalang Road, making sure to visit Soi Romanee.

If you're looking for a unique experience, there are several guesthouses in old buildings in the area. The Old Town Hostel is probably the coolest and offers double rooms and dormitories. A little less traditional, but just a minute's walk from the old town, the Quip Hostel, with its rooftop terrace and comfortable beds, is a good alternative (although you can hear the traffic, so earplugs are recommended if you're a light sleeper).

From Patong Beach, you can easily get to Phuket Old Town by taking the Smart Bus. The bus runs from Patong Beach to Phuket Town and stops at Bus Terminal 1. From there, you can explore the old town in just a minute. From other Phuket beaches, you can take the blue bus that runs around town for 45 THB (check out a video about getting around Phuket) and get off at the local bus stop via Ranong Road. When we were there, we took our route to the fountain roundabout, then continued along Ratsada Road to Soi Pradit (the second Gauche), and then along Phang Nga Road to the On On Hotel. Alternatively, in Phuket, you can download the Grab app, which allows you to hire a driver to take a car.

How to get there

How do I get to Old Town? From Patong Beach, you can easily get to Phuket Old Town by taking the Smart Bus from Patong Beach to Phuket Town and getting off at Bus Terminal 1. From there, you can explore the city district in just a minute. From the other beaches in Phuket, you can take the blue bus that runs around town for 45 THB (watch a video about getting around Phuket) and get off at the local bus stop via Ranong Road. When we were there, we took our route to the fountain roundabout and then continued along Ratsada Road to the 2nd Gauche (Soi Pradit) and then along Phang Nga Road to the On On Hotel. Alternatively, in Phuket, you can download the Grab app, which allows you to hire a driver to take part of the journey.