Visiting Phuket, Thailand, with the Kids? Here are fun things you absolutely have to do

For your first international holiday with the kids, there are few destinations that are better than Phuket, Thailand. You’ll be pretty much guaranteed hot, sunny weather for the duration of your stay, and you’ll find plenty of things to do that will keep kids of all ages entertained. If you’re considering taking a trip to the largest Thai island, keep reading for a list of eight things the kids will love!

1. Rent a Luxury Villa

Rather than booking a couple of hotel rooms for your stay, a much better idea is to look at the range of Phuket rentals on offer. A luxury villa is a fantastic choice, and it likely won’t cost you as much as you’d expect either. Villas are ideal for family holidays as they give the kids free roam to have fun and be noisy when all you want to do is relax. Many come with family-friendly amenities, such as pools and games consoles, to keep the kids entertained when mum and dad want to enjoy a cocktail in peace. Plus, if you have any picky eaters in your family, a villa will ensure you can cook their favourite meals with ease. Phuket is home to numerous markets and supermarkets, so finding family-friendly foods won’t be hard.

2. Visit Phuket FantaSea

Phuket FantaSea is part theme park, part cultural attraction, and will keep both young children and teenagers entertained. The main event at the park is a theatrical show, which is full of special effects. Watch traditional Thai dancers, acrobats, and animals (!) tell a story that you and your kids will never forget. It’s a truly incredible experience. After the show, you can browse the shopping strip, enjoy a bite to eat in one of the restaurants, visit the animals, and take an elephant ride. You could easily spend a full day at Phuket FantaSea and we recommend doing just that.

3. Hole Up at Kids Club Phuket

If you visit Patong for a day, or if you choose to make it your base on the island, a great place to visit is Kids Club Phuket. An indoor play centre, it’s ideal for the odd day when it’s raining and you can’t find much to keep the kids entertained. Better yet, the play centre is fully supervised, so if you feel comfortable leaving your children with the trained staff for an hour, you could take a walk around Patong, relax with a massage, or enjoy a nice cocktail. Prices vary with the average being around 350 baht per child per hour. Parents are required to stop back every three hours, but this is plenty long enough to explore the surrounding area if you wish to do so.

4. Enjoy a Relaxing Massage

If you are traveling with teenagers or tweens who love to feel pampered, we highly recommend stopping by one of the massage parlours and indulging in a massage. There are a variety of different massage styles available, from the quite forceful Thai-style massage to the much more relaxing Swedish-style. If traveling with young kids, look at the other treatments available too.

A lot of places will be happy to give younger children a manicure or pedicure while their parents receive a massage.

5. Head to Kamala Beach

Kamala Beach is a great place to spend the day with children.

It has a good variety of amenities for families, including many restaurants located directly on the beach that leave a plentiful selection of toys on the sand for younger children to play with. Kamala Beach is also not as busy as some of the other beaches on the island, which makes it easier to keep an eye on your kids, without having to keep them close to you for the whole time you are there. If you visit on a Friday, it’s well worth hanging around until the evening when the nearby night market opens. This is a great place to pick up some great Thai cuisine as well as trinkets for family and friends back home.

6. Go Wacky at Baan Teelanka (The Upside Down House)

Baan Teelanka is a bizarre attraction that will easily keep everyone entertained for a few hours. It’s actually made up of three separate attractions: the Upside Down House, an escape room, and a garden maze. The latter is pretty simple but can still be fun, especially if you split up into two teams and see who can reach the end the fastest. The Upside Down House is sure to set your head spinning, but it makes for some fantastic photo opportunities, and you’ll be surprised by how well it’s done. Everything from laptops, to paintings, wine glasses, and even a tuk-tuk has been placed upside down and your kids will love pretending they are standing on the ceilings!

7. Splash Around at Rawai Park

Rawai Park is a large water and play park located not far from Rawai Beach. It’s very cheap to enter and access to all the attractions on offer costs just 200 baht during the week, and 350 baht on the weekends. The park is split up into areas for different age groups, so young toddlers have just as many attractions purely for them as teenagers and tweens do. You’ll also find plenty of indoor soft play areas, which are ideal for when it rains. A large café is available serving favourite kids’ meals throughout the day, making Rawai Park another great place to spend a full day.

8. Meet the Fish at the Phuket Aquarium

Finally, we have the Phuket Aquarium. Although this isn’t as large as some of the other aquariums you’ll have visited as a family, there’s still a great selection of tanks to explore containing everything from tropical fish to stingrays, moray eels and sea turtles. The displays have been beautifully arranged and your kids will love feeling like they’re under the water with their favourite marine life. The aquarium also promotes environmental awareness, so you could use a visit as a learning experience for your kids.

Phuket is a fantastic destination for families, and the above is just a small selection of attractions that you will love.

Photo by Yap Chin Kuan on Unsplash