There's nowhere else like it
Soi Ta Iad is our favorite place in the world. It's a 1.5 km road in Chalong, at the south end of Phuket, with the densest collection of fitness-oriented businesses in the world. Most people just call it Fitness Street. There's nowhere else like it. Nowhere we've found, anyway, and we've looked.
You can't imagine how good you feel after a couple of weeks here. You're in the best shape you've been in for years and sleeping better than you can remember. After training hard all day and getting some work or reading done, you take a yoga class, then head to watch the sunset over the Andaman Sea from a gorgeous beach before grabbing dinner at a long table of people you didn't know two weeks ago, and finish with an (incredible!) $10 massage every night. It's addictive.
It's how life was meant to be.
It has about 200 businesses on it, and almost every one is there because of the gyms. There are Muay Thai and MMA camps, CrossFit boxes, yoga studios, massage places and supplement shops, and nearly every restaurant lists the calories and protein next to each dish.
It's around 90°F and sunny most days, since January and February are the dry season. The Thai food is amazing and costs almost nothing. So does a massage: an hour is about $10, the same as a whole grilled fish for dinner. A good room is $40 to $80 a night, and a drop-in class is about $10.
Then there are the people. The Thais who live and work on the soi are about as friendly as people get, and everyone else has come from all over the world to train. Pro fighters in camp before a bout share the mats with people who've never thrown a punch, and nobody cares how fit you are when you show up. By the end of the first week you'll have friends from four continents.
We live on the soi every January and February. There's no itinerary. Come for as long as you want (most people stay two or three weeks), and we'll point you to the right gym for whatever you want to train and the stall with the best fresh protein shakes. There's a list of every business on the street at onthesoi.com if you want to look around first.
The first class
Some gyms open at five. Over a week we usually end up at three or four different ones, depending on whether it's a lifting day or a Muay Thai day.
Breakfast
Eggs, or mango and sticky rice, at whichever cafe is closest.
The hot part of the day
It's too hot to do much. A swim, a massage, a nap, or 20 minutes on a scooter down to Nai Harn.
Muay Thai, or the hill
Pad work at one of the camps, or the climb up the hill behind the soi if you'd rather not get hit.
Dinner
Most nights a big group of us eats together at one of the same four or five places. Grilled fish and som tam, or the mixed grill at Ali's.
Phuket
The soi is in the south of the island, so the good beaches are close. Nai Harn is 20 minutes on a scooter.
A longtail among the islands of Phang Nga Bay
Sunset at Promthep Cape
Ya Nui beach
Kata Noi at sunset
Kata Noi, Kata and Karon from the Karon viewpoint
Nai Harn, 20 minutes from the soi
The Big Buddha
Wat Chalong
Soi Rommanee in Phuket Old Town
The weekend market on Thalang Road
Mango sticky rice
Longtails on the beach at Rawai
Soi Ta Iad
Some of the gyms and places to eat on the soi. The full list is at onthesoi.com.
The Pirate Camp crew at Nai Harn
Tiger Muay Thai
Sparring at Insee Muay Thai
Pads at Phuket Top Team
The ring at Ali's Boxing
AKA Thailand
Phuket Singha Muay Thai
Kong Strength & Conditioning
Primal Fitness
Yoga Connections
A BeFitreat session on the beach
Anat fruit juice bar
Filling Station
Chuen Chom
Townhouse Café
Ali's BBQ in the evening
Come for a few weeks
We're there every January and February. Leave your email and we'll send the details before next winter.
You're on the list. We'll write before next winter.