Superstar Virgo : Phuket Landmarks tour

Starcruise @ Patong Beach

We wrap our our Superstar Series with a day trip to Phuket

We reached Patong beach at Phuket on the 3rd day of our cruise. We booked the shore excursion for Phuket like what we did for Penang.The tour starts at 8am in the morning. We recommend an early breakfast at Bella Vista as the next meal may be about 6 hours into the trip.

The disembarkation process is slightly different from the one we experienced in Penang. Disembarkation took a while longer as we need to take a smaller boat to shore. Nevertheless we made it to shore after a wait of slightly over 1 hour (inclusive of boat ride)

The excursion we booked is the Phuket Landmarks (with meal) The trip lasted 7.5 hours and cost $80 for adult and $60 for child. We will conver Promthep Cape, Big Buddha, Chalong Temple, Cashew Nut Factory and Wang talang before our lunch.

Patong Beach

Promthep Cape
Located at the southern most tip of Phuket, it overlook the spectacular view of Andadman Sea and Indian Ocean.

View from Promthep CApe

Phromthep Cape is the island's most photographed and perhaps best-known location. Every evening, large tour buses, scooters and private cars sweep through Rawai Beach and up the island's southernmost hill in order to watch the sunset at its peak.

Wedding Photo@ Promthep Cape

We were there in the morning, thus no famed sunset for us. However we did see a couple taking their wedding photos at the location.

Elephant shrine

There is also an Elephant Shrine at Promthep Cape. Elephants are considered divine creatures in Thailand folklore. There is also a museum and a small lighthouse at Promthep Cape. However due to limited time, we did not get to explore the areas.

Museum@ Promthep Cape

Big Buddha
We next visit Phuket's latest attraction, the Big Buddha " Buddha Mingmonkol Akenakiri" on top of Nakkerd Mountain

Baby Elephants

We had to transfer to mini buses at Chalong Temple as the coach was too big to make the trip up the hill. There were sightings of real elephants along the way.

Big Buddha @ Phuket

The Big Buddha is a 45m high and 25 m wide structure. The construction is still going on with about 90% completed. Interestingly the project is 100% funded by donations.

Big Buddha Phuket

It was an impressive sight. Some of the tourist commented it is similar to the one found in HongKong.

The view from the Big Buddha is amazing. It's vantage position gives it a 360 degree view of Phuket.
This is the view from the Big Buddha's viewpoint

There is actually 2 Buddha's on top of the hill. Sitting next to the Big Buddha is a 12 m tall and completely made of brasss. It is impressive in its own right, but dwarf when compared to the Big Buddha.

2 Big Buddhas

There are bells hang on trees around the Big Buddha. Theses bells contain wishes. You can purchase a bell for about 250 baht and make your wish on site.

Bells@ Big Buddha

The entrance to the Big Buddha is free. It is located at the south of Phuket near Chalong.

The Wacky Duo at Phuket

It is still under construction and as of our trip, the base of the Buddha is in the process of completion. From the looks of it, it may take up to a year to complete the construction. Nevertheless the views of the Buddha and the views from the hilltop should warrant a visit to this site.

Big Buddha@ Phuket

Wat Chalong
Our next stop is the Wat Chalong. This is the biggest and most ornate of Phuket's twenty nine Buddhist monasteries.

The Grand Pagoda

There are a few temples in the complex. However as our time were limited, we only managed to explore The Grand Pagoda.

Complex of Temples at Chalong

Do note to dress appropriately when visiting a temple. Revealing shoulders and short shots are a no no. There are scarfs available at the entrance for use. Shoes are also not allowed within the Wat.

Wat Chalong

Cashew Nut Factory and Shop
We stop over at the Cashew Nut factory and shop. For those who like tidbits from Thailand, this is the perfect place to get your goodies. There are free samples for you to try throughout the shop, so even if you do not buy the products, you can literately get a taste of Thailand here.

Wang Talang
Prior to lunch , we had a stopover at Wang Talang

It is a complex selling jewellery and Thai souvenirs. We did not do much here, so prices are mostly tourist price (i.e. overprice) and thus not worth getting any items there..

Lunch Buffet
We had lunch at one of Phuket's largest dining restaurant. If you are expecting Thai food, you may be disappointed. Lunch was a buffet selection of mostly Chinese food. Nothing inspiring here.

With that we come to the end of the tour and it is back to Superstar Virgo

Back to the Ship

The tour would be good for those who travel in groups. However if you had been to Phuket and had seen it all, it would be better to skip the excursion and spend the time on Phuket Beach instead. Since this was our first time on Phuket as a family, we do enjoy such trips as we enjoy the company of our family.
For the rest of Superstar Virgo Review , do pop by at
Superstar Virgo Review
Superstar Virgo Restaurants
Superstar Virgo : Penang Shore Excursion