How about an evening of psychedelic entertainment? One with games, good food and a show? And a chance to feed an elephant? One of the highlights of any trip to Phuket is a visit to Phuket Fantsasea.
While some might find the large crowds and bright colors a little overwhelming, it really is a fun night out. Ideally you should book your tickets early, through a local tour operator, though you should be able to get them on the evening just by arriving at the ticket office. Make sure your ticket includes dinner and the show.
How about a visit to ‘The Paddy’ or ‘Asian Lady’ to start the evening? Or the tiger enclosure? Make sure you also leave enough time to enjoy the games at the Similan Entertainment Center. You could easily spend a few hours playing the various games though my suggestion is to plan to spend at least an hour there. Try to beat my record from 2015 of eight straight balloons hit with a dart. By doing so you will get to choose a ‘wonderful’ prize, perhaps a pink cushion with an orange elephant on it – all part of the fun.
Before you head to the theatre for the show, stop by the largest buffet room I have ever seen. There is a degree of organized chaos but you will find your way eventually. The food is reasonably good for a venue of its size.
After dinner, head quickly to the tourist shops and choose your souvenir from the evening. Perhaps a glass elephant or one covered in bright stones, or perhaps even an elephant made from silk. If there is time, buy a bucket of bananas and head over to the area where you can feed the elephants. Make sure to have your camera ready for some wonderful photo’s. Do this before the show – afterwards there is a mad rush by fellow tourists who did not do this earlier.
Head then to the theatre for the show. Remember to hand in your camera first as none are allowed inside the venue. As much of a hassle as this is, you will be surprised at just how quickly you are able to retrieve your items at the end of the show.
The show lasts an hour and features different kinds of acts, including elephants and other animals. While I am not a big fan of animals being used for human entertainment, it is still a fun show and highly entertaining.
After the show take some time to soak in the atmosphere one last time before heading back to your hotel. Good luck trying to get the ‘Phuuuuuket FaaaaantaSeaaaa’ theme song out of your head.
All in all a visit to Phuket Fantasea is a great evening’s entertainment and something that you must do on your next vacation to Phuket. If you are driving yourself you can find Phuket Fantasea on Google Maps here.
Our other posts from Thailand may be found here.
(Last Visited in October 2016)