With the June school holiday in full swing and travel restrictions finally lifted, families around the world are eagerly embracing the opportunity to embark on long-awaited adventures with their children. And just like countless others, we too couldn’t contain our excitement as we set off for the picturesque destination of Phuket, Thailand, accompanied by my extended family in-law.
Why did we choose Phuket?
As we have elderly members and young kids traveling with us, we need to find places where it is elderly and kid-friendly destinations. Phuket emerges as the ideal destination for families with a mix of elderly members and young kids as it encompasses a wide range of family-friendly attractions, picturesque beaches, immersive cultural experiences, and reliable safety measures. Plus, its warm climate makes it a great place to visit all year round!
Best Kid-Friendly Attractions in Phuket for Families
As we have more than 10 people traveling together, we booked a villa to stay instead of a hotel. The villa came with entertainment facilities such as 2 pool tables, indoor pool, foosball, pingpong table and jacuzzi! That’s enough to entertain all the ages in the family.
You may be wondering if this villa is somewhere secluded. Surprisingly, the location is just a walking distance to the mall, Patong beach and eateries. No worries about getting what you need when you need something.
#1 Jungceylon Mall
Our first day of the trip was rather gloomy and we couldn’t really head out for a nice walk along the streets or hang around the Patong beach. Instead, we headed to the Jungceylon mall for a leisure walk and did some grocery shopping.
Within the mall there was a children’s indoor playground which kept the children entertained on rainy days.
#2 Big Buddha
One of the popular places to visit in Phuket, other than the beaches, is the Big Buddha where you get to see the sunrise or the sunset if you visit at the right time. As this is an active temple, you get to see monks at the temple, so do remember to dress modestly when visiting.
Visit to the temple is free and we were lucky as we got to be blessed by one of the monks during our visit.
#3 B Cat Cafe
This is one of the children’s most favourite place and if you are a cat lover, you will love this place. The cats are surprisingly tame and allow guests to carry and pet. 2 of the cats even rested on my daughter’s and niece’s lap comfortably and unwilling to leave.
So, what do adults do? We had a chill time chatting at the cafe while enjoying their food and their cute drinks. I like it as the eating area is separate from the cat area so we did not have to worry about the cats snatching our food.
The staff were very friendly and catered to our needs whenever we called for assistance.
Their address is:
33/34 Thep Kasattri Road, Mueang, Chang Wat Phuket 83110, Thailand
#4 Chillva Market
This market gets those who love shopping super excited as this is one of the best weekday night markets on the island. I noticed many Thai teenagers hang out at this place and most mending shops are Thai teenagers as well.
We fell in love with this place as we got to find many local creations such as clothing jewellery and other accessories. My daughter bought the most items from the market as it was too hard to resist those young and trendy design items. Prices are pretty reasonable as well.
We found a stall selling fried insects and we challenged each other to get one and eat it but as you may have expected, no one dared to give it a try but the children enjoyed the dragon’s breath though.
Address: 141/2 Yaowarat Road, Phuket 83000
Hours: 5 pm – 11 pm – Wednesday to Saturday – Sunday closed
#5 Phuket Sunday Street Market
This night market is bigger than the Chillva market and is located at the historical part of town. This night market sells more food and creative items. Along the market, we also got to see people painting, children working on some crafts and live band singing and performing.
The street market is interestingly separated into food and non-food sections. I would say the food sold here is way more authentic and tasty than those at the eateries.
There weren’t any tables or chairs for people to dine, so we packed whatever food we would love to try back to the villa and enjoy.
Location: Thalang Rd, Talad Yai, Muang, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Open: Sundays from 4pm to 10pm
#6 Phi Phi Island
Coming to Phuket, you cannot miss out on island hopping tours. They have different packages to different islands and we picked one of the packages to go to. Our main purpose is to snorkel and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
We had a great time on the boat taking beautiful pictures and everyone got excited when it was time to snorkel. It was the children’s virgin snorkelling experience. They were super excited and looking forward to it.
I’m so glad the weather was bright and sunny as the time we were there was their rainy season. We are truly blessed with the great weather and having the opportunity to try new things out.
#7 Patong Beach
Before we headed back home, we visited Patong Beach for a little more connection with mother nature. The sunset here was truly beautiful. Everyone was captivated by it and couldn’t stop taking pictures while the children were enjoying the sand and the sea.
Getting Around on Your Family Trip
In case you do not know, getting around Phuket is very convenient with the use of the Grab app. That’s the best transport for the family and is affordable too.
Gone were the days where you have to take the Tuk Tuk (a motor vehicle used as a taxi) wherever you went. I noticed there were lesser Tuk Tuk on the streets as well.
But if you haven’t taken a ride on a Tuk Tuk yet, do give it a try at least once.
Conclusion
That sums up our Phuket trip with the family on a school holiday and I definitely enjoyed bonding with my family and exploring the world together.
I hope you will find this useful if you are planning to visit Phuket and make sure that you get the most out of your travel experiences!
