Cape Panwa Beach of White, Mariner's Delight

The chic Sri Panwa pool villa resort, best known for putting on ritzy parties at its Baba Pool Club and Baba Nest bars, is now serving up fresh Thai fare in its newly-opened Baba Soul Food restaurant. The amazing views from its hillside location and flash interior with a modern take on Sino-Portuguese style deftly highlight the best of island life.

Fearing an onslaught of hungry crowds, we’re reluctant to reveal the location of possibly the world’s best roti shop, but it’s a secret too delectable to keep hidden. A divine plateful of roti (Thai style pancakes) can be found at the modest but ambitiously named International Restaurant at the corner of Sakdidet Road and Soi Saman-Utid.

Hearty but not too oily, the roti can be enjoyed as a sweet snack with a bit of sugar and condensed milk or spicy with beef or chicken curry. The restaurant also serves a savoury form of roti called mataba, a flat pancake fried to crispy perfection on the outside and stuffed with a potato and egg yellow curry mix. If it’s cheap and cheerful you’re after in Cape Panwa, this is the place to go.

As intrepid island explorers, we’re always on the lookout for good spots to enjoy a refreshment or three. On Ao Yon, the tiny jewel of a bay wedged between Chalong and Makham bays, there are a couple of places that offer brews with a view. Neighbouring open-air restaurants Secret Cove and the Ship Inn both have a ‘hut on a beach’ chilled-out ambiance that’s becoming more elusive on Phuket. They’re both excellent spots to idle away an afternoon gazing out to sea and pondering what will happen next in the bay, now that the picturesque yachts have been told to leave...

Hot Sights

Everyone loves a lookout point and the Khao Khad viewpoint tower delivers wide views across green hills and sparkling sea, plus a great drive for those who love to navigate curves and inclines. The views are unquestionably spectacular, but we find it to be a bit lifeless and disconnected from life in Cape Panwa. Better sights are often found at the heart of a local community, such as Baan Borrae. Borrae’s main focal point is the estuary where local fishermen moor their small vessels and can be seen preparing for another trip out to sea. If you’re feeling weary of the tourist scene and looking for the ‘real Phuket’, this is a good place to start.

Hot Pursuits

It’s fitting that the Phuket Raceweek regatta found a new home in Cape Panwa, since this area of Phuket has long been a favourite among sailors. Sailing is a sport that can be enjoyed by all ages, but in Ao Yon the love of sailing is fostered in the hearts of the young. We recently watched a children’s sailing course in action and were impressed with the abilities that kids as young as eight displayed in steering their small Optimist yachts around the calm waters.

Topper Sail’s Katy Gooch explained that gaining sailing skills can give kids valuable lessons in teamwork and decision making that can extend into all aspects of life. Topper Sail also runs the Phuket Youth Sailing Club, where local disadvantaged children are offered free sail training and the chance to join weekend races – and even international yacht racing events!

After a hard day spent sailing in the sun, there’s a fantastic place nearby to escape to for recovery and restoration. Sri Panwa’s Cool Spa has a big menu of soothing treatments and specialises in massages tailored to different blood types.