CNN names Phuket town among Asia’s most picturesque

Most tourists travel to Phuket for its gorgeous white-sand beaches, but CNN Travel named the island’s main town as one of the 13 most picturesque towns in Asia.

The news organization cited Phuket town’s classic architecture and vibrant traditional culture as worthy attractions.

“The historic old quarter of Phuket Town, located in the center of the island, is lined with Sino-Colonial style shophouses, built during the island’s tin-mining boom of the 18th and 19th centuries,” the CNN website said.

The island province is part of the resource-rich south of Thailand, which made that section of the Kingdom wealthier than some others before industrialization and tourism became significant drivers of the economy.

Phuket’s trove of stunning beaches have made it the most popular beach resort in Thailand among tourists, but relatively few venture into the main town in the center of the island. CNN said the town offers plenty of opportunities for cultural immersion.

Not all of the culture is a throwback to earlier times, however.

“There are plenty of hip shops, cafés, restaurants, and bars, including the batik shops along Thalang Road run by ethnic Malays and Indians. The area is also filled with Chinese temples, crumbling mansions, cultural museums, and a nunnery,” the news network wrote.

“Phuket Town is also where you’ll find some of the island’s top restaurants, ideal for those who have had enough of the same old fare served in the beach zones,” the article said.

CNN recommended walking tours offered by Phuket Heritage Trails as one of the ideal ways to discover and enjoy the main town on the Pearl of the Andaman Sea.

Photo courtesy of https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/asia-beautiful-towns/index.html