What exactly is a perfect day on holiday?

Wie weit die Definitionen auseinandergehen können, sehe ich ja schon in meinem engsten Freundesumfeld. Da ist vom Erklimmen steiler Kletterwände im hohen Schwierigkeitsgrad über Familienzeit mit gesunden und nicht schreienden Kindern über die ganztägige Fotografie-Tour bis hin zum simplen Faullenzen alles dabei.

Of course, my ‘perfect’ days vary too. It all depends on where I am and what the theme of the day is. However, I am absolutely certain when I think of my perfect holiday day on the island of Phuket in Thailand. This day probably combines different tastes well, because there is something for everyone.
Aber legen wir einfach mal los!

By the way, anyone travelling around Phuket on a scooter or moped has a clear advantage on my perfect day 😉

 

A picture-perfect day in Phuket

Early Bird: Off to see the sunrise

‘Great,’ think the first readers, ‘Getting up early is definitely not the start of a perfect day.’

Big mistake. Admittedly, I am now an early riser. But that wasn't always the case, and I often had to drag myself out of bed to enjoy my love of sunrises. It takes quite a bit of effort, especially when you live on the west side of the island like I do and have to drive to the east, which is a 45-minute journey.

But luckily, the wind makes you feel lively, and by the time the horizon slowly brightens and turns into the most incredible shades of red, pink, blue, purple and yellow, you've totally forgotten about how hard it was to get up.

A sunrise is always a very special experience for me. Much more intimate, special and beautiful than a sunset, which is, so to speak, the ‘red sky for everyone’. 😉

 

 

Top spots and locations for sunrises in Phuket:

• Saphan Hin Park in Phuket Town

• Koh Sire (from the beach on the east side of the peninsula)

• Big Buddha (the video above was taken from Big Buddha)
  (Hinweis. Big Buddha ist derzeit, August 2025, noch immer wegen eines Hangrutsches geschlossen.)

 

Well-deserved breakfast

There is now a wide selection of really good breakfasts available – at least if, like me, you like hipster breakfasts and are willing to pay a lot of money for them by Thai standards (a great breakfast or porridge bowl decorated with fruit can easily cost the same as it does at home).

Of course, if you stay in a good 4-star or 5-star hotel, you are very likely to have an excellent breakfast included. If you stay somewhere cheaper, you may only get a small breakfast at your accommodation – or (like me) none at all.

Feel free to take a look at my Google Maps collection on food and drink in Phuket. I only save places there that I have personally found to be good! Google Maps | Food & Drinks

 

Off to the beach!

Would you like to enjoy a wonderful beach experience with clear, turquoise water and a reasonable amount of peace and relaxation?

Then forget about Patong Beach altogether. Due to the heavy boat and jet ski traffic, the water is rarely beautiful or clear, and of course, the entire Patong party crowd gathers there. If you don't mind Russians and French people listening to loud party music (I apologise for the implied discrimination, but these two nations really do make up the majority of the party crowd here), then it's best to avoid Patong Beach altogether.

The alternatives? Basically all the other beaches on the island of Phuket 😀
My personal favourites are Kamala Beach, Surin Beach and Kata Noi. None of the three are insider tips and are quite well populated, but at the same time much quieter than the beach in Patong. Kamala and Kata Noi offer sun loungers, Surin does not. For Surin Beach, you should bring a beach mat and parasol, as shaded areas are rare and hardly available after midday. However, there is a long line of great stalls with delicious street food just behind the beach.
Kamala has significantly more infrastructure, but it is also larger, and therefore naturally busier.

Two other great beaches are Nai Harn and Yanui in the south-west of the island.

There are still numerous small beaches that are more or less insider tips. It's best to read up on them here: Beach overview by Phuket 101

 

Wonderful Thai massage

The affordable and wonderful massages are always one of the highlights in Thailand. However, not every massage parlour is automatically good. You realise this at the latest when you see how incredibly many of them there are in the beach resorts on Phuket. I too have been to one that was really not worth a single baht.

There are a few things that are particularly important to me. First, there must be massage tables. That means a table with a hole for the face. Because if I have to lie on my stomach for half an hour or longer and constantly turn my face to one side or the other to avoid suffocating in the cushion, then I won't even start. (At this point, I have to say that massage tables with a hole for the face are not at all traditional and therefore rare to find.)
Furthermore, the studio must make a reputable impression (tip in Patong: if the masseuses soliciting customers at the door have a neckline down to their belly button, then these are usually ‘happy ending’ massage studios), preferably without masseuses sitting at the door chatting up everyone who passes by. And I would also like a masseuse who knows what she is doing. And all of this at a good price, of course.

And yes, this combination is possible – in Patong and Karon, in the four massage studios of Sweet Lemongrass MassageHere, you won't find masseuses calling out to customers at the door, the prices are reasonable, and they really know what they're doing when it comes to massage.

Personally, I am a big fan of aromatherapy massage because I cannot tolerate hard massages, but I really enjoy an hour of super-relaxing treatment with fragrant oil.

 

Nap

It may sound a bit banal, but after all, I'm writing here about my perfect day on holiday in Phuket. 😉 And after half a day at the beach (I usually can't stand it any longer than that), a refreshing shower and a relaxing massage, there's hardly anything better than a nice afternoon nap.

 

Yoga

Yes, even on holiday, it's good to get some exercise, then the delicious food tastes even better. I would love to import this sensational yoga studio directly to Austria. I'm talking about Belove Yoga at the Hotel CC's Hideaway in Karon (this cosy and hidden 4-star hotel is also a real insider tip). Belove Yoga

The yoga classes are held on the roof terrace overlooking Karon Beach. There is one session in the morning and one in the evening, each lasting 1 hour and 20 minutes. You can find the programme on the website linked above. You can buy individual tickets or a block of ten.

I am absolutely thrilled. The teachers are fantastic, the location is a dream come true (by the way, Kata and Karon offer a free shuttle service), and beginners are welcome in every class. If you have always dreamed of doing yoga on the beach, this is the place for you, as there is a beach session once a week.

If you want to treat yourself to something tasty after your yoga class, order the delicious Muay Thai smoothie at the bar and then relax by the pool (this is included in the price, as are yoga mats, accessories, towels and water).

 

Dinner

There are countless bars and restaurants in Phuket's beach resorts (even more than massage parlours, which is saying something). And, as you might expect, there are huge differences in the quality of the food and, of course, the prices.

I would like to introduce you to two restaurants, both of which are very special. One is quite inexpensive, the other is high-class.

A real favourite is the Patong Sunset View Restaurant. It is nestled in the forest in the middle of the hill that rises behind Patong Beach. The name really says it all: from the terrace, you have an unbeatable view of Patong and the sea. I always like to say: from up here, even Patong Beach looks beautiful. 🙂
During peak season, it is recommended to make a reservation, which can be easily done via the restaurant's Facebook page: simply send a message, and they will respond within two to three hours. If you do not have your own moped, you will need to take a tuk-tuk or taxi, as it is quite a long distance to walk to the restaurant.

Be sure to reserve a table about half an hour before sunset. Then you'll have the most amazing view you can imagine – and all at reasonable prices for (quite) good Thai food!
Admittedly, there are better meals. But it's still good, and the view... <3

 

If you like to treat yourself to a little luxury and want to spend a wonderful evening enjoying fine dining, The Boathouse in Kata Beach is the place for you. The fantastic terrace is elevated above Kata's public beach, and here too, I particularly recommend visiting around sunset.

The food is simply outstanding, and there is also a very well-stocked wine list. To our great surprise, we were able to enjoy a fine Austrian Riesling there.
So if you want to enjoy a truly wonderful, romantic evening, be sure to visit The Boathouse. Yes, the prices are high – but in a restaurant of the same class, you would still pay considerably more in Austria or Germany.

 

Some more restaurant favourites

Unfortunately, Indian food isn't exactly cheap here in Phuket. However, Highway Curry, which has branches in Rawai and Kata, offers great value for money and really good Indian cuisine. I absolutely love the vegetarian samosas, and the butter chicken and Highway Curry Special are to die for!

 You can find great Thai food at reasonable prices (unfortunately, this combination is not always common) at the DooDee restaurant in the south of Patong Beach. During the high season, you can expect to wait up to half an hour in the evening (depending on the size of your group – two people will be seated quickly), but you can call and make a reservation an hour before your desired dining time. In the evenings, the BBQ is open, and you can get fantastic grilled fish and delicious chicken wing sticks at very low happy hour prices. Overall, the prices are low and the portions are rather small. But that means you can really sample your way through the menu!
Caution: If you order ‘only a little bit spicy,’ the dishes can still be quite hot. So if you really don't want any spice at all or only a little bit, it's best to order ‘not spicy’ and hope that the message gets through to the kitchen.
DooDee does not have a website or Facebook page. The best way to find it is to search for ‘DooDee Thai Food’ in Patong Beach on Google Maps. It is located on Phangmuang Sai Kor Road, just after the intersection with Soi Nanairoumjai.

Feel free to take a look at my Google Maps collection of places to eat and drink in Phuket. I add to it constantly when I'm there, because for me there's hardly anything better than discovering new places!
Google Maps | Food & Drinks

 

And which are your highlights in Phuket?

Wart ihr schon einmal auf Phuket und habt ein paar Highlights und Tipps, die ihr mit mir teilen möchtet? Ich freue mich auf eure Vorschläge in den Kommentaren. 🙂