During the program you have the flexibility to go sightseeing around Phuket. Though it is very quiet around the retreat, there are many tourist attractions and things to do in the surrounding areas. There is something for everyone, extreme sports for the daring and courageous, beautiful beaches and landmarks for nature lovers, huge shopping complexes for shopaholics and orphanages and charity foundations for those of you wishing to make a difference. Day or Night Phuket offers a wide range of activities:

THE BIG BUDDHA PROJECT

At 45 meters high, this is the biggest Buddha image in Thailand. It is perched atop Nakkerd Hills at an altitude of 350-meters and can be seen from much of southern Phuket. At the top of the hill is a Buddhist Shrine so you should dress appropriately (not singlets, sport shorts or short skirts). Beyond this you can climb the steps to the base of the Big Buddha. There is also a 5.5 meter high brass Buddha here. The magnificent views across the whole of Phuket are unobstructed and breath-taking.

AQUARIUM                             

At the end of Cape Panwa is Phuket Aquarium. It is a small aquarium but it has a good range of colourful aquatic life. There are all kinds of tropical fish and even black piranhas and electric eels from the Amazon. The final two tanks have some impressive big fish including sharks, rays and giant grouper. The entire facility will take one to two hours to explore.

ELEPHANT TREKKING

There are many Elephant trekking places in Phuket that offer half or full day safari’s through the lush green Jungle or short 20 minute or one hour rides for those of you with less time.

Every Friday the famous Bangla Stadium in Patong hosts Muay Thai Fight Night. Often there’s a mixture of Nationalities fighting, most commonly English, Australian, Thai or Scandanavian. A really fun night filled with lots of action.

Every Friday and Saturday afternoon carrying on into late evening is the Weekend Market held in Phuket town. Here you can purchase everythings from Thai handicrafts, to clothing, Dvds, souvenirs, jewellery, cosmetics, perfumes and much more.

Fantasea is a small entertainment park covering 140 acres in Kamala. They hold the show in a state of the art theatre seating up to 3000 people. It is a mixture of traditional Thai entertainments and modern effects. It includes Thai dancing, shadow puppets, battle scenes, acrobatics, magic show, elephants, tigers and more. Fantasea is open daily except Thursday. The park opens at 17:30 and the show starts at 21:00.

Simon Cabaret is a glamorous theatrical performance by “ladyboys”, that is, men dressed as women, or “katoeys” as they are known in Thailand. Dressed in extravagant costumes and accompanied by amazing sets, these beautiful men perform a variety of musical numbers. Simon Cabaret is a good piece of light entertainment and is located in Patong, about 15 minutes from Atsumi Healing. There are two shows daily at 19:30 and 21:30.

At the southwest corner of Phuket is Promthep Cape (Laem Promthep) also known as Sunset Point because of its spectacular sunset views.

Jungceylon is the International Shopping and Leisure Destination in Patong. The huge shopping mall is home to more than 300 shops, consisting of designer clothes shops, upmarket restaurants and cafes, Hairdressers, Spa’s, Salons, Skin centers, supermarkets and much more. On the 3rd floor of Jungceylon is a SF Cinema City and Bowling Alley.

Bikram’s Yoga Class is a demanding series of 26 postures (asanas) and two breathing excises (pranayamas), which is suitable for all ages and levels of ability. Bikram yoga builds energy, stamina and flexibility. It incorporates strength, challenge, gravity, balancing and most importantly the tourniquet effect. There are 31 classes available every week.

Tennis court and separate practice court with wall – a tennis coach is always available. Beach volleyball court and undercover Petanque court. All of the above are fully floodlit and have been constructed to international standards. Large grassed area for games of badminton, croquet or petanque. All equipment supplied. Indoor games room with 1 pool / snooker table and 1 Brunswick pool table, 2 dart boards with electronic scoreboard, table tennis and carpet bowls.

If you consider yourself to be adventurous and you haven’t tried bungy jumping yet, you can do it here in Phuket if you have the guts!! (Not suitable for the faint hearted)

Many people visit Phuket to enjoy its water and sand. Golfers will find plenty of both on the island's Golf courses. Yet win or lose, Phuket is probably Thailand's best destination for wonderful warm-weather golf. The number of courses on the island is growing and they are well-maintained and constantly being upgraded. Facilities are excellent.

This is one of the pleasant surprises of Phuket – especially for families or for embracing your inner child. A fun mini-golf course winding it’s way through roaring realistic dinosaurs, complete with obstacles that include caves, dinosaur skeletons and streams. Great fun for everyone.

John “Caveman” Gray loves sharing Kayaking and nature so much that he goes on both day and overnight trips whenever he can. Explore the whole bay, visit limestone cliffs, lush green jungle, beautiful beaches and see a variety of wildlife. All guides are fully trained by John Gray and promise to be educational, fun and refreshing.

Rawai Horse Riding school offers one or two hour horse rides, suitable for all levels, you can gallop along the beautiful beaches of Phuket or through the lush green forest. Horse Riding is a great way to get in touch with nature while having great fun and exercising the body.

Phuket has some of the most magnificent beaches in the whole of Thailand, with white sands and crystal clear waters. Private boat trips can be arranged from Atsumi or group tours which include snorkelling in the ocean. Daily trips to the stunning Nai Harn beach are included in the program and run daily from 12:00 till 2:00pm.

Patong Go kart Speedway is number one on the Island of Phuket. Their Off road buggy track is unique, and fun for everyone. Why not race each other around the specially designed track or go on a off road trip on the ATV Quad bikes. All races are supervised and safety gear id provided.

A fully equipped gym containing treadmills, exercise bikes, stair climbers, free weights, stability balls and fitness machines. The fitness center is located 5 minutes drive away from Atsumi.

Test your skills and bravery by playing with paint guns and shooting your enemies. There are a number of areas and scenerarios to keep you entertained and coming back for more, operated by the Phuket Shooting Range. Protective clothes and guns are provided. Great fun and a good workout for everyone. Opening times: 09.00 - 18.00 daily.

The Rehabilitation site is in Khao Pra Theaw Non-Hunting Area at the Bang Pae Waterfall, Phuket. The center works to rehabilitate gibbons rescued from entertainment hubs and other places that exploit them for money. It achieves this using three different stages. These are a Quarantine stage, a rehabilitation stage and a re-introduction stage. At the center you can see the gibbons, make a donation, adopt or sponsor a gibbons welfare or actually volunteer to assist at the center. The Center is open daily 9am to 4pm. There is no charge or entrance fee.

Probably the most needy orphanage because not many people seem to know about it is the one attached to the womens' Prison in Phuket Town. Some children there have mothers in the prison next door and spend their days in the day care centre and at night time sleep in the prison with their mothers in unpleasant conditions. Some have no parents and are only offered shelter from 9am to 6pm. There are 60+ children there under the age of 10. You can visit the orphanage to make donations of toys, clothes, toiletries or money or you can bring items with you and we will donate them on your behalf.

Soi Dog Foundation is a not-for-profit, legally registered charitable organization, based in Phuket, Thailand, with the aim to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats and to better the lives and living conditions of the street and stray dogs and feral cats in Phuket. There are no government or charitable agencies to protect animals from abuse – only a few local animal lovers who house large numbers of them, using their own funds and manpower. Visitors can help by making a donation, buying food, sterilisation or treatment or sponsoring the welfare on a mistreated dog or cat.