Phuket Nightlife, a Cabaret Spectacular
Phuket has an abundance of beautiful beaches, majestic hotels, incredible restaurants and amazing scenery, enough to keep you busy all day in this paradise destination. However, it is equally famous for its night life, and Phuket has so much choice here that again, no matter how long you stay, you will always have something new to discover in the evenings.
There is one entertainment that has become a tradition in Phuket though, and that is the cabaret, a mesmerizing evening of food, singing and dancing unlike anything you will find anywhere else. Perhaps most notable of the broad mix of cross-dressing performers, the ladyboys, the Phuket cabaret is a real show in the traditional sense. It blends elements of old style vaudeville with story telling that brings local culture right into the 21st century.
There are three guided trips available in Phuket that take in the top cabaret shows in the region, they are Simon Cabaret, Aphrodite and Siam Niramit. All three offer something different, with Simon Cabaret being the most famous show of its kind in the country that takes you on a musical journey that features amazing visuals, incredible vocals and laugh out loud comedy moments.
Aphrodite takes you across the world, showing dancing from around the world combined with the stunning local costumes that accompany them, it’s a whirlwind of sound, color and pure entertainment that you will never forget. Siam Niramit focuses on history, taking you back in time to ancient Siam. From the king and queen through to the central plains and its peasants, this show brings a riot of color, music and dancing that brings the long and magical history of Siam to life right in front of you.
While the shows are quite different approaches to the cabaret idea, each has something truly wonderful to offer, and each is worth a visit to see in its own right, but there is so much more to an evening at a cabaret than the show itself. You also get great food at both Siam Niramit and Simon Cabaret with buffet or menu options that cover both traditional and international dishes so that there is always something for everyone.
A trip to the cabaret includes a complete evening of entertainment, and really is one of the must-see experiences of any trip to Phuket. There is nothing else in the world quite like a Phuket show, and any of them will give you memories to last a lifetime. If I could only see one of the shows and had to choose, it would be Siam Niramit just for the amazing visuals and historical story, however after you have seen one, you will want to enjoy the others as well.
At between 700 and 800 baht for the evening, its great value entertainment too, not something that everyone coming to Phuket thinks about, but that really should be part of any trip. For anyone that likes pure, fun entertainment, the cabarets of Phuket are the perfect way to spend an evening.
