Phuket’s Local Life & Legends, The Island Beyond the Beach
10 june 2021
Phuket is an island nowhere like on earth, but that's not because of its top-in-the-world-ranked beaches. Those who travel deeper are rewarded with a cultural paradise. We've curated a series of experiences that expose Phuket's melting pot of influences, one that has been stewing over centuries.
Local Life & Legends in the Bang Rong Community
Journey to Northern Phuket to a small Muslim community. The community is surrounded by mangrove forests. The scenery is beautiful and natural, and the people still retain the traditional way of life of fishing and agriculture.
We’ll travel to the community by longtail boat where we’re introduced to village philosophy, which is rooted in self-sufficiency. Experiences today will include kayaking through the mangroves, Crab Bank introduction to island sustainability, batik painting hands-on introduction, and a local farm visit. This active experience is a “show and tell” of local village life in Phuket.
Time: Full-Day
Explored by: Kayaking, longtail boat, walking
Local Home Cooking at Ban Kanan Community
This is a different type of cooking experience, moving outside of stationed kitchens and into the community. We’ll be welcomed to Ban Kanan with a locally-influenced exercise known as “norabics”, a southern play on aerobics. This is a combination of traditional southern nora dance and aerobics.
Then comes the highlights: cooking stations set up at different corners of the community’s meeting hall, typically reserved for special events. We’ll sample the flavors of dishes including Nam Prik Goong Siap (spicy and salty dip made of shrimp paste) and Som Tam Thalang, the Phuket version of this popular Thai dish. Today’s experience is so much more than a cooking class, it is an exercise in cultural conservation meets culinary indulgence.
Time: Half-Day
Meals: Home-cooked local lunch
Phuket Arts & Artists at the Underwood Factory
This is a highlight on a lesser-known feature of modern Phuket: this island has bold, world-class design and avant-garde performance art. The afternoon starts out with an exclusive private factory tour of the award-winning Underwood Factory. John and Zac Underwood are among Thailand’s most dynamic creatives, with their work featured in luxury hotels and galleries around the world, including several joint projects with celebrated designer Bill Bensley.
The Underwood Factory is one of the companies putting Phuket on the map for interior design and upcycled furniture. This local movement has grown in such a regard that The Underwood Factory now incorporates its find into an eclectic dinner theatre.
We’ll explore the Factory and head behind the scenes for a private one-on-one with the Underwood Factory team to learn how the creative arts are impacting Phuket’s artistic scene.
Have a passion for the arts? We can arrange a one-on-one with the owners of the Underwood Factory, or connect you with local artists.
