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www.phuket.com
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The combat martial art of Muay Thai is both exciting to watch and a challenging sport to try. Saphan Hin Stadium in Phuket City has regular matches and instruction is available at a few locations including the Phuket Thai Boxing Gym, 82/5 Moo 4 Patak Rd, Kata (Tel: 076-281090, 076-281200) and Abang Marts, Rawai, on the road leading to Kata from Chalong Circle. Instruction costs about 300 Baht per session. Snake shows
Thailand is home to more than 50 species of snakes, including several poisonous varieties, and a spine-tingling (and safe) way to see them is at a snake show. Watch as seemingly fearless snake handlers charm, caress, harrass and even kiss various species of snakes, including spitting vipers and, most startlingly, King cobras. Shows are held throughout the day at various spots around the island including the Phuket Shooting Range (300 Baht; Tel: 076-280130) in Chalong, just west of the Chalong circle on Route 4028, the Andaman Cobra Show on Soi Ta-iad, off Chao Fa East Rd, a few kms north of Chalong Circle, and at the small Snake Farm near Simon Cabaret, just south of Patong. Phuket Orchid Garden & Thai Village
Located on a former tin mine, Phuket Orchid Garden & Thai Village has four restaurant pavilions, a playground for children of all ages, handicraft shops, workshops and a twice-daily cultural show (at 11am and 5.30pm). Good chance to see displays of Thai martial arts and dancing. Also has a large orchid nursery with a number of exotic and rare varieties. Found just off Thepkasattri Rd on the north end of Phuket City. Open daily 9am-9pm. Admission: 400 Baht. (Tel: 076-214860, 076-237400). Mini-golf
Fire-breathing dragons, an active volcano, T-Rex and Brontosaurus replicas and eerie jungle sounds make for an exciting round of mini-golf! Dino Park Mini Golf is great fun for the whole family. The Jurassic-themed restaurant and bar are perfect for a post-game drink or meal. Watch out for the hungry elephant. Open daily from 10am-midnight; best enjoyed in the cooler evening hours. 119 Patak Rd, Karon Beach. Admission: Adults 240 Baht; Children (age 4-12) 180 Baht (Tel: 076-330625). AquariumThe Phuket Aquarium is open having undergone an 81-million-baht renovation. The aquarium's new major attraction, is a new 10-meter-long glass tunnel, a design similar to the popular aquarium in Singapore (Tel: 076-391128). Bowling
Bowling is a popular pastime in Phuket, and there are no less than six bowling alleys on the island, with more planned to open soon. PatongOcean Plaza Bowling, 31 Bangla Rd (Tel: 076-341163/7); Phuket CityCS Bowl, 2nd floor, Big C Supercenter, 72 Moo 5 Chalermprakiat Ror 9 (Bypass Rd) (Tel: 076-249260); Cinema
The Coliseum Paradise multiplex cinema (Tel: 076-220174/5) is found near Robinsons department store in Phuket City. The SFX Coliseum Cinema (Tel: 076-209000) is on the third floor of Central Festival Phuket. Both theatres play a mix of Thai and Hollywood movies throughout the day. Each offers advance booking of seats - just call ahead at least a few hours before showtime. Be sure to bring a sweater - the air conditioning is set at arctic temperatures. Admission: 90-120 Baht per person. Cabaret/live theatre
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Colourful costumes, fantastic dance routines, music and magic - many of the live theatre productions in Phuket provide a total escape into a flashy, glittering and carefree world. Phuket FantaSea and Phuket Simon Cabaret put on the most spectacular shows, suitable for the whole family to see.
More low-key yet no less enjoyable is the Sphinx Restaurant & Theatre (Tel: 076-341500) on Rat-U-Thit Rd in Patong, with twice-nightly dance shows of Broadway hits and other catchy songs in its classy and intimate upstairs theatre, for only 300 Baht per show.
More tawdry, glam performances can be seen in Patong down Soi Katoey, just off Bangla Rd, and in many bars along the gay-friendly Soi Paradise. An enlightening experience.
Phuket Zoo 
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Phuket Zoo, on Soi Phalai off Chao Fa East Rd, near Chalong, houses a wide variety of species in the animal kingdom, from Monitor lizards to tropical birds, butterflies to camels. Also has crocodile, monkey and elephant shows several times a day.
Open daily 8:30am-6pm. Admission: Foreign adults 400 Baht; foreign children 200 Baht; Thais 80 Baht (Tel: 076-381227 or 076-381337).
Thai Cooking 
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Thai cuisine is becoming more popular throughout the world, and there's no better way to learn the art of Thai cooking than with some local chefs. Many classes also offer the chance to shop for all the fresh ingredients in local markets.
Thai Dancing
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Phuket's not the best place in Thailand to see an authentic Thai dancing show, but a number of resort restaurants put on performances as part of the evening meal's entertainment. Phuket FantaSea in Kamala also has Thai dancing, just one of the elements of its large-scale production.
Target shooting
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Sharpshooters and novices alike can experience the thrill of testing their hand-eye coordination in a safe, albeit massively loud, environment at the Phuket Shooting Range, Chalong, just west of the circle on the road to Kata (Tel: 076-280130).
Open daily 9am-6pm. A plethora of weapons for rent, from .22 handguns to shotguns. A round of 10 costs between 490 and 790 Baht, depending on the gun, including instruction.
Paintball
A paintball session - a battle where individuals shoot balls of paint at one another till the last man is standing, or till the paint runs dry - is a great way to tap into those ancient warrior instincts in a safe environment. Fun for all the family.
Located at the Phuket Shooting Range in Chalong, just west of the circle on the Route 4028 to Kata (Tel: 076-280130). Open 9am-6pm.
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