The 5 Best Places To Work Out In Phuket
Phuket is well-known for palm-fringed bays. Yet a holiday on Thailand’s largest island doesn’t mean you should spend it only on a powdery beach. The active traveller is aware of the many benefits exercising offers. Weight loss or maintenance, an improved immune system, moments of bliss after a lengthy workout – the list goes on. Here are five places to work up a sweat, from the best Phuket gyms to outdoor fitness spots.
1. TRAINING PLACE AT BAAN NAI HARN PARK
A stone’s throw from Nai Harn Beach in Phuket’s south, the walkway around Nai Harn Lake is a paved, two-kilometre loop that’s excellent for working out. Evergreen firs, casuarinas, and rubber and cashew trees make this a beautiful setting. Due to its proximity to the beach, you can catch the scents of the salty sea air. On the southern side of the pond is an outdoor Phuket gym you can use for free, 24/7. Many people stroll or run around the lake when twilight falls. And women join choreographed Zumba movements to upbeat Salsa strains come evening.
2. KHAO PHRA THAEO NATIONAL PARK
Stretch and limber up. Home to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre, Khao Phra Thaeo National Park in Phuket’s north offers the ultimate jungle workout experience. Exercising or running across the country framed by cascading waterfalls, you’ll hear nature sounds galore, from the soothing calls of crow pheasants to happy gibbons piping up from afar like guinea pigs, just a lot louder. Many roots on the eight-kilometre-long track between Ton Sai and Bang Pae Fall make this a challenging Phuket fitness trail.
3. ROCK CLIMBING SPOTS
Rock climbing spots in Phuket aren’t as plentiful as in Phang-Nga Bay, just north of Thailand’s most popular island. Yet, Nui Beach has crags, and you can work out in Phuket on decent boulders at the Chalong Reservoir and the Kata-Karon Viewpoint just across the street. Are you searching for climbing gyms in Phuket but don’t want to miss out on the open-air feel? Rebel Rock Climbing near Thalang’s Robinson shopping centre has large windows overlooking a freshwater lake. Come here for a full-body workout on an indoor wall with holds that feel clean and safe for beginners and intermediate climbers alike.
4. SAPHAN HIN EXERCISE PARK
Sandwiched by a stream and the seaboard at the end of Phuket Road, Saphan Hin’s winding waterfront streets make up a three-kilometre loop, providing views of the riverside and the island’s east coast. Formerly an important trading port, Saphan Hin is now a multi-purpose park with the Thetsaban Mueang Sports Stadium, a picnic area, seaside walk and exercise park, plus a free outdoor gym in Phuket. Step-up platforms plus pullup bars and ab, dip and leg-raise stations ensure you get your dose of exercise by the sea.
5. ELITE GYM AT METADEE CONCEPT HOTEL
Run off the fried rice on a treadmill at Metadee Concept’s Elite Gym, a newly opened fitness centre five minutes from Kata Beach. Kitted out with spick-and-span equipment like cardio machines, leg presses and ab stations, dumbbells and free weights, Elite Gym is the best gym in Kata to tone your muscles. Membership comes with opening discounts and several benefits like access to the steam room. Plus, the 800m pools meandering through the premises aren’t just for hotel guests but also for Elite members, who get 10% off the price for the breakfast buffet, surrounded by the bubbling pools and a tropical garden.
- Written by: admin