My plan for this trip was just to relax by the pool, but after a while that got boring. So on Saturday afternoon, I decided to check out the Phuket Weekend Market, also known as Naka Market, outside Phuket Town on the southern part of the island. The locals call it Naka Market because it’s near Naka Temple. The traffic was terrible, and it took more than an hour by taxi to get there.
Naka Market felt like a smaller, cleaner version of Chatuchak Market in Bangkok. There were plenty of stalls, though most sold the usual mix of counterfeit goods and touristy souvenirs. I bought a few coconut shell bowls like the ones my mom had been eyeing when we were in Karon Beach earlier this year. Now she can get them for Christmas—don’t tell her. I also found a small Bangkok brand selling really cool bags, and I ended up with a little waterproof backpack that turned out to be perfect for the beach.
When visiting a market, I usually go straight for the food section, and Naka Market didn’t disappoint. I had a light dinner at one of the small restaurants, then wandered around tasting my way through the stalls. I found some delicious spicy Thai sausages and later treated myself to banana crepes with ice cream and chocolate sauce before heading back to Nai Yang.
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