I was so lucky to visit Thailand again! I really enjoyed touring a different aspect of the country. I visited Phuket again and went around to different surrounding islands but also spent a good portion of the trip on the mainland. I enjoyed touring the mainland because you experience Thai culture outside of the beaches. I went with my friends to visit temples and markets.
Wat Chalong is a group of 29 Buddhist temples in Phuket. The temples are gorgeous and open for tourists to explore. The buildings are colorful and so intricately designed. The temples were built in the early 1800s and are still in perfect structure today. This is the largest and most popular temple complex to visit in Phuket and is a great piece of Thai history and culture.
Phuket’s Big Buddha sits on top of a hill and overlooks the Andaman Sea. It is located close to the Chalong Temples. The Buddha is made of Burmese jade marble and is absolutely gorgeous. Next to the Big Buddha is another smaller gold buddha. When going to this temple you need to cover your shoulders and knees, but shawls are distributed at the entrance.
The other portion of the trip was spent out at the Similan Islands which are about a 4 hour boat trip off the mainland. The Similan Islands are awesome because they are essentially untouched by humans. The islands are jungles and white sand beaches with basically no buildings or housing. You need to travel and stay on a boat to visit. The islands also have amazing coral reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving. The water is clear and warm, making it the perfect swimming destination.