After weeks of exploring, adventuring, and chasing new experiences, we decided to do something radical this week: slow down. No big excursions, no dawn-to-dusk sightseeing. Just a bit of local life here in Phuket and it turned out to be exactly what we needed.
A Week of Small Joys
We swapped temples and tuk-tuks for soft play and a trip to the cinema in central Phuket. Georgia and Ali happily settled in to watch Bad Guys 2, while Dotty didn’t want to so we chose to wander the shops and we bought some bits and bobs we needed instead.
We are lucky to have a pool so that often became our main event lazy mornings floating, splashing, and soaking up the sun without an agenda. It is not glamorous, but it was bliss. And when your in the thick of it you often forget travel isn’t about ticking off landmarks; it’s about finding a rhythm in a place and letting it feel like home, even for a short while.
The Weather Curveball
We did have plans to head down to the beach again this week but the weather had other ideas. Phuket’s rainy season has its own rhythm and honestly, I still don’t quite get why it feels so dramatic here. The rain comes down like the heavens have split open, deafening and fierce, and then just… stops. Ten minutes later, the pavements are steaming in the sun.
One day it rained for a solid hour, and someone said to me: “Rains a lot here, doesn’t it?”
I had to laugh. Back in the UK, that wouldn’t even make the news. I mean the UK can and often does rain for a week straight without pause, grey and relentless. But here it’s over in a flash, and the skies look brand new. Personally I’d take a down pour over a week of rain anytime!
Looking Ahead
Quiet weeks also give us the headspace to plan. This one we spent sketching out our onward route Malaysia first, then Bali and Indonesia, before hopping across to New Zealand and Australia. We’ve booked flights, hotels, beaches, campervans, and car hire not every detail is finished yet, but it’s massive progress compared to our usual “plan just a week ahead” rhythm.
For the first time, the road stretches out clearly in front of us, and while there are still many months of travel left, we can just start to see the end of our journey on the horizon. It’s strange, exciting, and a little bittersweet all at once.
Slow Weeks Matter
This week was a reminder that travel isn’t all about constant motion. Slower days give us time to reset, notice the small things, and enjoy simple pleasure.
Living like a local, even briefly, gives you a whole new appreciation for a place. Phuket isn’t just beaches and nightlife it’s families taking their kids to soft play, friends chatting over coffee, and neighbours swapping stories about the rain.
And honestly? It felt good to be part of that rhythm for a while before the next big leap into the adventures ahead.
🌧️☀️ Family Tips for Phuket in Rainy Season
- Don’t fear the rain – showers are dramatic but short-lived. It might pour for ten minutes or even an hour, then the sun’s back. Pack light raincoats, but don’t cancel your plans.
- Soft play saves the day – great for younger kids to burn energy when the weather flips. Central Phuket has good indoor options.
- Cinema as a treat – we saw Bad Guys 2 at a local cinema (Georgia and Ali loved it, Dotty preferred wandering the shops). English screenings are easy to find, and tickets are cheaper than in the UK.
- Make the pool your base – if you’ve got accommodation with a pool, it’s the easiest win for kids during downpours or clear spells.
- Plan ahead when it’s quiet – rainy afternoons are perfect for trip-planning. We managed to book hotels, beaches, campervans, and car hire for the next legs of our adventure progress we never made when planning only a week ahead.
Rainy season doesn’t have to slow you down; if anything, it gives families a chance to live like locals and enjoy Phuket in a more relaxed way.
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