Farms in Phuket - The unseen Phuket

Vanich Farm Phuket is a farm made to showcase the traditional farming practices of Thailand. It includes the process of planting and growing of sweet corn. It is a cultural learning centre for everything to do about agriculture. There are paddy fields, green corn fields and a corn milk production plant. Apart from learning about growing, you can also harvest your vegetables. This will give you a sense of the journey from the farm to the table. Once you're at the Vanich Farm, the first thing to notice would be the large corn field. There will be guides who will explain the whole process of growing and harvesting to you. If you look around you will find a collection of old machines used in farming a couple of decades ago. There are traditional houses that belong to the farmers. All of them are more than 50 years old. There's a petting zoo where you can pet cows, sheep, rabbits, buffalos and small horses. You can buy souvenirs and also grab a snack that would most likely be a steaming corncob.

The local fishermen of Phuket dive into the ocean and bring back oysters. The oyster pearls are then removed at the Phucket Pearl Farm. There is a pearl cultivation plant and a floating farm where you can witness the process of making jewellery. You can book a standard tour of the oyster farm for 1,500 bahts. A private tour cost around 4,800 baht (per group). There are free shuttles going to the pearl factory and the showrooms. You can find precious pearl crowns, necklaces and other jewellery in their boutiques.

If you're a fan of flowers, this would be heaven for you. The Phuket Orchid Farm is the largest display of orchids in Thailand. You can find more than 1500 varieties of Orchids including a few hybrids. The farm was opened in 1975 and since then it has been a must visit any tourist visiting Phuket. Luxury villas in Thailand the likes of Kata Rocks arrange trips to the orchid farm upon request. The flowers are packed to export but you can also purchase from the market. The entrance fee for the orchid farm is THB 400 and you get a free bouquet for orchids. There is also handcrafted jewellery which incorporates orchids. Apart from orchids, they also sell the Indonesian laughing chicken. They are a rare breed of chicken and also are considered as showcase animals in Indonesia. They have unusually long crows and has the ability to imitate the human laugh.

This could be the sweetest place in all of Phuket. Everything you see on the farm is made of honey. There's a room where you can see for yourself how the bees make the honey and once you go inside, there is a shop which has products made from honey. There is chocolate, coffee, tea, alcohol and even facial creams that incorporate honey. While the products are quite expensive, you can try samples for free and they give out a lot of samples. Although this is not the most touristy thing to do while in Phuket, it sure is worth a visit. So, the next time you're in Phuket doesn't forget to drop by the honey farm and treat yourself to a slab of honey chocolate.

The snake farm is located in the city centre of Phuket. There are rare breeds of snakes in the farm. Some of them were rescued and are being treated. The place is busy with visitors at 2.30 pm on weekdays and 11 am on weekends. Large snakes are brought into the auditorium and a doctor tells the audience fascinating details about each species. Visit the snake farm to change your perspective about these creatures.