The 4 Best Things To Do For A 3 Days Trip in Karon, Phuket, Thailand

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Karon, an area in Phuket, is known for its white sand beaches, great food, and green mountains. The Phuket is Thailand’s largest island located in the Southern part of the country. It’s a very popular tourist destination so you’ll definitely enjoy white sand beaches, super hot sunny weather, stunning mountainous scenery, and water and land activities.

I spent 3 days on this island staying at Karon with a friend and met up with another group of friends for a tour and dinner at a night market. This was the last destination of my two weeks trip in Thailand part of my 2 months South East Asia trip. After visiting Koh Pha Ngan island east coast side in the Gulf of Thailand, I went on the other side to experience the Andaman Sea. Another island vacation for the island girl.

Why Karon?

My friend and I chose Karon because the accommodation we wanted is in Karon Beach which is the town south of Patong. Karon is a resort town with many luxurious accommodations. I have Hilton Honours Friends and Family so I get special pricing on all their accommodations globally. Their 5 star Phuket resort Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa is right by Karon Beach.

Patong is the most popular resort town in the island so going to Karon means there will be less crowds. Quieter walks on the beach and more space lying on the white sands.

How To Get To Karon?

I took the bus from Surat Thani Bus Terminal to Phuket Bus Terminal which takes ~3-4 hours depending on traffic by Phantip Bus. I arrived at Phuket Bus Terminal in the afternoon and it took an hour of ride share to Karon.

Public transportation is limited in Phuket and it’s an ongoing problem for visitors there. What you can do is use a ride-sharing up like Grab to go from on place to another. That driver ended up as our chauffeur for the rest of our time in the island so it was a win-win situation.

Other options would be to rent a motorbike or a vehicle with a driver for a day to take you around. You can ride local transportations like songteuws, tuk-tuk, or taxis.

The 4 Best Things To Do

Half the day in day 1 was spent travelling so the rest of the day was used to hangout at the resort and Karon Beach. Day 2 was all the fun of daily activities and day 3 was the last chance of living the luxury life at the resort then went to the airport for my flight to Clark, Philippines. I even let out my adventurous side here. Here are the highlights of my 3 days trip and I hope you can do them too when your in Karon or Phuket! With limited time, I was able to experience the best things to do while in Phuket!

1. Soak Up the Sun at Karon Beach

Get to know Phuket by spending time on its white sand beaches and take in the amazing weather. Good thing our accommodation is beachfront to Karon Beach. When I arrived day 1 and dropped of my luggage in the room, I quickly changed to catch the sunset. Karon Beach faces the west so I saw one amazing beach sunset. The laid back atmosphere and the golden sunset in a long stretch of white sands of Karon beach was breathtaking! Living in the moment seeing the sun go down was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I did it again in day 2 in the afternoon. I went for a swim and walked on the beach. My favourite activity and the water was very calm. I walked for seems like a short period of time on the shore when suddenly I realized I’m so far away from the resort.

2. Spend Time at Your Awesome Resort

I stayed at the amazing 5 star resort Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa right on Karon beach. I told you I get special rates at Hilton’s family of hotels and it became a habit to check accommodations at the destinations I will travel whether they have good rates. It turns out that they did so I did not think twice and booked it. The twin junior garden view suite that my friend and I stayed for 2 nights was only $80 CAD/night! A 5 star resort for that price is unbelievable! Used this great room a lot. The sun was very strong in Karon. So strong that I ended up having a heat stroke in day 2 so I took a nap in my spacious suite.

I spent the afternoon here in day 2 and used up the amenities and services of this resort. The resort take up quite a lot of space so you can easily spend a lot of time relaxing, walking around and taking in the great Phuket weather. I went to all the pools and took a swim, napped at the hammock hanging on the tropical trees, and sipped a cool Thai iced tea on the tables surrounded by green lush gardens.

3. Trek the Mountain and See Big Buddha in an ATV Tour

I let out my adventurous side and drove an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). It turned out to be one of the best experiences in my Thailand trip! ATV 1.30 Hours & Big Buddha tour organized by PhukerTour is the name of the tour. A 1.5 hours tour where you will drive the ATV in a very clear off-terrain path with two tour guides, one at the front and one at the back (to make no one derails/off roads and crash on trees). The tour includes hotel pick-up and drop off and you are provided a safety helmet for the tour.

I drive regularly but this was my first time driving an ATV. It’s a four wheel vehicle so it wasn’t to balance and not too difficult for me to figure out how to drive. Plus, the tour guides will help you start and direct you in case you need assistance. It was so much fun riding the ATV while trying to stay on track! I went with my friend and the other group who were also travelling Thailand that I told you about. The ones I met up with in Bangkok and Koh Phangan. There weren’t any other ATV tour group at the time we went in the morning so we owned the tracks. Definitely built up a relationship with these amazing people as we bonded over bruises and crashes!

You will end up at a top of a mountain where you will see the Great Buddha of Phuket. Also known as Phuket Big Buddha, this 45 metres tall marble statue is the final destination of the ATV tour before the decent back to the pick-up location. The tour also gives you free time to explore and take a closer look at Phuket Big Buddha. Note that there is a dress code if you want to go inside and explore.

It was so beautiful to see Phuket at the top. Viewpoints are amazing! I saw the surrounding islands on the Andaman Sea and it was a perfect sunny day to be on a lookout.

Kudos to our tour guides who not only showed us the way and kept us safe and also were our papparazi. They took our phones to take photos and videos of our tour. I mean they do this for a living but I was very impressed on the steady shots and videos.

4. Eat and Shop at Phuket Weekend Night Market

There are many markets on the island. Since I was here on a weekend, I must go to one that only happens on weekends. That’s what makes them special. I visited the Phuket Weekend Night Market, also known as the Naka Market. Opens at 4 p.m. and runs pretty much all-night. A big night bazaar offering great selections of food, souvenirs, artisan local products, and drinks.

I went here on Day 2 which was my last night in Phuket so I knew how much money I had left. Bought souvenirs, snacks and gifts to my family and friends. Food and drinks to eat while walking around. It’s a big market so be ready to get lost inside the rows of shops organized by categories of goods sold like clothes, food, soap, phones accessories, souvenirs, etc. I ate my last Thai meal with the greatest company I’d ever have, snacked my life away while shopping, and bought everything that my Thai Baht stretched.