I am quite the shopaholic when i am overseas and having been to shopping destinations like Bangkok; it takes great effort to impress me, especially for someone who isn't into high-end goods.
Jungceylon, named after the old name of Phuket, is the largest shopping centre on the island and i was expecting to find tons of good deals which didn't materialize as Phuket is infamously known to be touristy with goods and services priced higher than even Bangkok!
Nevertheless, i thought it would be fitting to show all of you some of the pictures i took, which i guess would give you a rough idea on what to expect if you happen to be there. Of course, you can also go straight to the mall's website here.
Even though there weren't many retail levels, the space the mall took was rather big with a total of four different zones and it could be quite nice to window-shop in air-conditioning when the outdoor was freakish hot!
Unlike malls in Singapore and Bangkok, the interior decor didn't wow me.
Outdoor was definitely way more impressive and as it was a little past Christmas, there were still the festive decorations with mesmerizing fairy lights.
How big can a canopy be?
As wide as you can see in the above photograph! It's literally a gigantic umbrella with the ability to shelter many, many shoppers! The picture i took didn't do it any justice, honestly.
This Pimnara Spa above McDonald's appeared to be popular although i thought it kind of looked like a sanitized factory with staff members working to beautify the products (i.e. the customers).
Balloon sculptor to liven up the scene! p.s. i am unsure if you need to pay for the sculpted balloons although in Singapore, they were often employed by the mall operators to dispense the balloons for free.
Gundam!
A placeboard showing the world map - you can redeem tickers from the tourist privilege counter and put the stickers on the country you came from. Since Singapore is just a little red dot on the map, i think just one sticker would cover the whole country.
Robinson - note, i don't think it's the same as the Robinson in Singapore as it has the word "ocean". Oh well, regardless of whether it is the same or not, you yourself would decide which would be the better one.
For me, i found the pricing relatively expensive and as i was with my dad, there's only so much shopping i can do. The relaxed therapy is simply a boring activity in the eyes of my father.
He perked up slightly with the appearance of this 20-meter Chinese junk boat replica which would be the backdrop for the water fountain show that took place at 7 and 9 pm every night.
We didn't bother to wait for the shows though.
However, we did chance upon the one night at the 11th minute mark and it didn't seem particularly special for us to stay throughout. Typical of tourists, i shot a few photographs and continued my way back to Swissotel Resort (Patong Beach).
A floating market in Phuket! A bit far-fetched given that i have been to the Damnoensaduak Floating Market near Bangkok.
Phuket Square Zone - i wasn't intending to step in but something caught my attention. No, not Coach as i am not into the brand. Frankly, i am not really into branded goods and thought it's crazy to pay ridiculous pricing! My money would be better spent on food.
Big C Extra Hypermarket!
Its fame was well known in Bangkok as THE place to get all the Thailand snacks for your family, friends and colleagues! And it sure didn't disappoint with even a section for Thai souvenirs!
3443.75 baht - That's how much i spent and included the tiny yet yummy PhangNga pineapples which also happened to be even more expensive than the pricier Sarawak pineapple in Singapore.
A random shot.
If you prefer to be closer to action, it might please you that there are two hotels located within Jungceylon; the Pimnara boutique hotel and Millennium resort patong. And there's one more advantage to staying at Jungceylon; bangla street is just across the road.
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Location Map
As above.
Website
Click here for my 5 days Itinerary to Phuket.