Jamie's Phuket

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Yoga in Phuket - The Little Yoga Room
2011-07-26 13:34:00
Yoga is surging in popularity all over the world, and it's not just for hippies! It's become big business, with many people turning to yoga for fitness, and both physical and mental well-being. Is it something mystical or magical? Is there something truly spiritual with yoga, or just a good stretch and muscle work out? I don't know - I'm not really into yoga, partly because I am a bit of a fat panda these days.. I prefer a beer to relax... although I do some exercise now and then like hiking up to the Big Buddha or cycling at Koh Yao Noi island. But for sure yoga is popular in Phuket - try a Google search for Yoga Phuket and you'll get the idea! There are many yoga schools, but here's a personal recommendation ... Last week I went to see a friend who is teaching yoga and has a small yoga school called The Little Yoga Room .Becky has been interested in yoga for many years and really got involved when she moved to Tokyo in 2006. I've known Becky since 2008 when she moved to Phuk...
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Festival and Street Fair in Kathu Village
2011-07-22 02:18:00
Last weekend (15th - 17th July) we had a street fair and cultural festival in Kathu. I should explain what "Kathu" is - probably means nothing to most people. Surely this place is called Phuket? Yes, but Phuket is a big island and Kathu is one of the 3 districts of Phuket Island, the other 2 being Muang and Thalang. Kathu district is pretty big, it includes Patong Beach and Kamala Beach, and the area inland between Patong and Phuket Town which is called Kathu (subdistrict) - this being where we live. Kathu was the center of the tin mining industry in the 19th and early 20th century. The old part of Kathu village where this festival took place is still very quiet and features a large Chinese shrine which plays an important role in the Phuket Vegetarian Festival (which starts September 26th this year). This was the 3rd year for the Kathu village festival and it was much bigger this year, and much more heavily promoted. In 2009, I saw the signs up and went to have a look, being very s...
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Yellow Door Restaurant in Phuket Town
2011-07-17 10:19:00
A couple of weeks ago (June 26th to be exact) was our 10th wedding anniversary, so we were heading out for dinner. We asked the kids where they'd like to eat and they chose Dairy Hut - a place we've been going to regularly for years in Phuket Town just round the corner from the Bangok Phuket international hospital. It was still a bit early so we drove past Dairy Hut and headed towards Rang Hill, thinking maybe to veto the kids suggestion and eat instead at Tunk Ka Cafe. The road heading up Rang Hill from this side is not well known and is much narrower than the usual route up Rang Hill which starts just north of the old town. BUT before we reached the hill, my wife said "Ooh, whats that?" - a small restaurant with a yellow door, it looked interesting .... The signs are all in Thai, the restaurant is called "???????????" - Yellow Door. We had a nosy inside, checked the menu, the prices looked very reasonable, so we chose the Yellow Door for our anniversary meal! Note that the photo...
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Tha Reua Chinese Shrine
2011-07-10 09:55:00
Many posts on this blog relate to the history and culture of Phuket, such as the recent post about the Heroines of Phuket and posts about the Phuket Mining Museum for example. I also like to visit temples and shrines around the island. Phuket has a mix of Buddhist temples, Chinese shrines, quite a lot of Mosques and even a couple of Christian places of worship. In particular the Chinese shrines fascinate me, and in a couple of months (starting 26th September) the Phuket Chinese community has it's biggest festival - the vegetarian festival (see Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2011 Schedule). For 10 days the Chinese shrines are the focal point for celebrations, prayers and bizarre rituals.Tha Reua Shrine is probably the most visible Chinese Shrine in Phuket, since its right by the main airport road just south of the Heroines monument. Any transport from the airport to the main beaches (Patong, Kata, Karon) will pass this way. If you've seen a big shrine by the side of the road, it's pro...

Kopitiam Restaurant (Phuket Town)
2011-07-04 10:43:00
We took a little walk around in Old Phuket Town last month, mainly looking to buy a guitar for our daughter, but also just to enjoy the old town with it's old buildings and interesting little shops. Thalang Road is the center of the old town, and over the last couple of years especially now that all the ugly overhead wires have been hidden, the area has become very pleasant and more popular with tourists, especially Thai tourists - if you walk down Thalang road or the little side street called Soi Romanee you'll always see young Thai snapping photos of each other in front of old doorways! Lots of small cafes and restaurants have opened on and around Thalang road over the last few years and there are also some older establishments. On this walk we decided to try out Kopitiam on Thalang Road. There was a table full of Phuket locals sitting outside, always a good sign for good food...Kopitiam coffee shops are found commonly in Malaysia and Singapore - the word comes from Kopi (Malay ...
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The Phuket Heroines Monument
2011-06-29 16:29:00
Time for a bit of Phuket history. Yes, history.. Phuket has a rich cultural heritage, although it's not so apparent if you're staying in a hotel by the sea. Until tourism arrived on the scene around 30 years ago, hardly anyone lived at the beaches except some fishermen and farmers. The main towns of Phuket were at Phuket Town and Thalang. Phuket Town only became the main town in Phuket in the late 19th century. Before that Thalang had been the biggest population center. Almost every visitor to Phuket will pass through Thalang on the way South from the airport, and about 6km south of Thalang you can see the Phuket Heroines Monument - in the middle of the main road on a traffic circle - you know, it's that statue of 2 ladies holding swords...Having driven past the Heroines maybe 1,000 times I decided last weekend to actually stop and have a closer look at the monument. Stopping and getting to a statue in the middle of the busiest road in Phuket is not easy! I was coming from town, ...

Deli Steak Restaurant
2011-06-26 10:33:00
We recently found a restaurant that suits us very well - close to home, close to school, I drive past it on the way home every evening, it's a good price, location is pretty quiet, food is tasty. And much as I dislike the phrase.. Deli Steak "ticks all the boxes". It should be clear from this blog that we don't go for fancy restaurants very often, and normally when we eat out, it's for Thai food. If you want a steak, you normally have to pay "farang price" / "tourist price". And I know there are some very good steaks in Phuket, for example at La Boucherie in Patong, or at Norbus in Rawai, or at the Pacific Club in Karon. And some people like to eat such food when on holiday, though for me, part of travel is to experience the local food - though that does not mean you have to try oddities like fried grasshoppers or soup made with congealed blood - up to you. I am still trying new foods even now - there seems to be an endless variety of Thai food. BUT for sure I like non-Thai food,...
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2011 Schedule
2011-06-21 15:23:00
UPDATE October 2011. Festival all over now, keep watching the blog for photos and stories ........• Bridge Crossing for Purification October 5th• Kathu Shrine 4th October - Piercings and Firecrackers• Vegetarian Procession October 2nd 2011• Face Piercing at Sam Kong Shrine September 30th• Evening Street procession at Kathu Shrine September 29th• Opening Ceremonies at Kathu Shrine September 26thPhuket Vegetarian Festival 2011 26th September - 6th October. I thought I'd get the schedule online early since people often ask me about what's going on during this most bizarre of events. I have written loads about the festival on this blog in the past and there are hundreds of photos on the blog and on my Flickr pages. For general information start here:• Phuket Vegetarian Festival - My Favourite Event in Phuket or• The Amazing Phuket Vegetarian FestivalAnd for more photos than the average human can stomach - have a look at my photos on Flickr - Veg...
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Splash Jungle Waterpark
2011-06-15 18:08:00
I hope that this blog makes it clear that Phuket is not just a tourist island filled with tourist "attractions". Phuket and the surrounding area is what you make of it... you can spend days by the pool, take some tours, visit things like Phuket Fantasea or the Simon Cabaret, I am not going to judge people on what they do on holiday, only hope to open some eyes... many people (even people who live here) are surprised what they find on this blog. Is that in Phuket? I do like to blog about the less touristy side of Phuket, but sometimes we certainly do enjoy some of the things that have been made for tourists.The Splash Jungle Water Park opened in early 2010. I think everyone agreed that Phuket needed a waterpark. Ideal for tourists, for family fun in the sun. I mean, OK so we have an ocean and lots of beaches, but waterparks are fun! However, not everyone was so enthusiastic when it opened. Most of the tourists in Phuket stay at the main beaches - Patong, Karon and Kata. Splash Jungle...

Walking in Old Phuket Town
2011-06-09 16:22:00
Officially, Phuket Town was upgraded to "Phuket City" a few years ago, but that was just a bureaucratic way of getting more money from central government. Phuket Town is not a city to me and everybody says Phuket Town. I mean, sure it's a big town and has got more developed and urbanised, especially in the outskirts. Since 1999 when I first arrived in Phuket, there's been a lot of building, lots of housing projects, lots of new roads and shopping centers, lots of money being spent. I remember the first time I drove from Patong Beach to the Tesco Lotus store on the edge of town. A ride through the jungle on a narrow 2 lane road. There was no Central mall, no Jungceylon mall, no Big C, no Index, no Makro, no HomeWorks, no 4 lane roads. The development has come thick and fast. I am not going to argue about whether this is good or bad, whether money is destroying values and culture. I think that the people of Phuket, including myself, are very happy to have all that!Most of the new de...
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Peang Prai Restaurant
2011-01-16 07:40:00
New Years resolution number 1 - try some different restaurants for the blog, and also so we get some new experiences. Sure we have our favourites and anyway we can't afford to eat out that much, we tend to eat at home during the week, or maybe get some cheap Thai food at small places near our house (the kind of places where all dishes are 35 - 50 Baht). In fact, the next restaurant on this blog will be the cheap local place we eat at most often.. but I do want to try some new restaurants this year, and the first was Peang Prai.Peang Prai (pronounced PeeYang Pry) is a restaurant I have meant to try for a couple of years. It's been recommended by friends, it's in a part of Phuket that we head to quite often, it always looked "interesting" ... so we finally tried it a couple of weeks ago. When I am thinking about eating, there are several considerations - 1. Location - I like a nice view, a quiet area, an interesting location - Peang Prai is at the entrance to the Bang Pae Waterfall...
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The Best Hotels in Phuket
2011-01-05 01:53:00
A couple of years ago I blogged the Top 10 Hotels in Phuket, the list being based on TripAdvisor ratings, which on average (if there are plenty of ratings) give a good idea of quality. Sure there may be occasional odd reviews - some sound like advertising and you hear rumours that some reviews may be written by people connected with a hotel, or by competitors, but if there are enough reviews I think you can see through the fog and figure out what are the best hotels in Phuket.For each hotel below there are links for online reservations/rates and availability - I recommend Agoda.com if you want to book a hotel in Phuket. Some of the hotels are not listed on Agoda and I have listed an alternate booking link. The review links below are also from Agoda.com where possible - only people who have booked the hotels on Agoda can make a review, and if you take a look, you'll see honest reviews, good and bad, plus points and minus points - a very useful tool for checking for your ideal hotel....

Jamie's Phuket - Highlights 2010
2010-12-30 14:22:00
Where to begin? Quick lowdown on Jamie's Phuket Blog... I started the blog in 2006 with the aim of showing what I might call the "real" Phuket. I have been here since 1999 and tend to keep away from the most touristy areas of Phuket, which is hard to do since I work at Karon Beach (manager for Sunrise Divers) 6 days a week... finding time to blog can be a struggle sometimes too. After over 4 years I keep finding new things to blog about - festivals, restaurants, places to visit. Some events like the vegetarian festival I blog every year, trying to get better photos than the previous year. I look at some of the old posts from 2006 - 2007 and probably should get some new pictures here and there since back then I had a cr*ppy little camera.. but until I win the lottery and can devote more time to blogging, this blog will normally get updated about once per week, hopefully with something new, hopefully something that will interest visitors.So here are some of the highlights of the Phuk...
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Phuket Street Show Festival 2010
2010-12-24 14:10:00
And now for something completely different... Phuket has all kinds of festivals during the year. Some are national (Songkran, Loy Krathong); some are related to Phuket's history (Vegetarian Festival , Heroines Festival); and some are very local festivals such as the Kathu Village Fair that I have attended the last 2 years (see links to information about all these festivals at the end of this page). Now something new! The Phuket Street Show , the first time there has been a festival like it, and based on the reaction, I'd say there's a good chance there will be another one next year. I saw the event mentioned in the local news websites and there was also a website (in Thai), and the event was sponsored by the TAT, but was certainly not heavily promoted in the tourist areas, it was more of a local event. Nevertheless, I'd say all our friends knew about it and lots of them went. I managed to go on Saturday evening, but was working late other days - my wife took the kids on Friday and...

Local Markets - Local Life
2010-12-19 13:01:00
When I was younger, I did a lot of traveling including 7 months in Africa, 6 months in South America and another half year in Central America and Mexico. The object of travel? To see and experience different cultures, different ways of life, to see amazing natural wonders, to discover, to learn, to try all possible local beers... I have always been drawn to markets. The local market is where you see real local life, see the people, smell the smells, find real local food. This can't be found by sitting by the pool at your hotel. You may not care, I know sometimes I also want a holiday when my plan is to do f**k all with nobody bothering me. And I am sure many people coming on holiday to Phuket have the same idea. Relax, do a couple of day trips, eat good food, get a massage, drink some beers. It's a HOLIDAY after all! This blog has ideas for things to do for everyone - I realise that not everyone is interested in temples or small islands with Buddha statues or weird festivals ... b...
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The Phuket Big Buddha - Latest Photos
2010-12-12 06:12:00
The Big Buddha , sitting on top of a 400 meter high hill, is now well established as a stop off for many tourists. We have been up this hill countless times, and still enjoy going up for the views, the fresh air and to check on the progress of the building. I have blogged about the Big Buddha several times before in 2006, 2007, 2009 and this year I did a hike to the Big Buddha! We first went up that hill on a dirt road in 2001, when construction had not yet begun, but ground was being prepared. 9 years later, still not finished, partly because the plans have become more extensive, with a large landscaped area being built around the main statue, and lots of car parking space being added.The Big Buddha is 45 meters high, but sits up on a raised platform that will be surrounded by marbled lotus leaves. The main statue is complete, just there is a large amount of work going on around it. When will it all be finished? Unknown. The photos on this page are all from September and October 201...
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Phang Nga Bay Tour - Doing it our way!
2010-12-03 13:27:00
At the end of September when I had family visiting (mum, dad and a traveling cousin) we had some time to explore. Cousin Simon was only here for a few days in between Singapore and Cambodia and one place on his wish list was Phang Nga Bay. We've been before of course, quite a few times actually, but earlier this year in March we found a new way of doing it, starting from a restaurant called Samchong Seafood which is only about 20km drive from the Sarasin bridge that connects Phuket to the mainland. Takes about 1 hour from our house. On that trip in March we had lunch and then went to James Bond Island, then on to Koh Panyee, the stilted Muslim village. We took the boat for about 4 hours. I had an idea that if we maybe went to Panyee first, and then on to James Bond Island, we might be able to avoid the crowds - since there are lots of afternoon "James Bond Island" tours. The plan was to hit Scaramanga's hideout at about 5pm and hope all other tourists had gone home. Also hoped for...
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Sri Takua Pa
2010-11-25 14:28:00
Phuket is an island, but only just. Unlike other islands such as Phi Phi, Koh Samui or Koh Chang, you can drive to Phuket from the mainland, across the Sarasin Bridge which was first built in 1967. The old bridge has since been replaced and another new one is being built at the moment. So we are not "cut off" here! Phuket is a big island, but it's also very easy to head north over the bridge into Phang Nga province and beyond. Back in April we headed to Khao Sok national park and stayed a night at the Cliff and River Jungle Resort. To get there from Phuket you drive via Khao Lak and Takua Pa. Simple enough, but we took a wrong turn in Takua Pa town and followed a winding road to an old town which looked very similar to old Phuket. We didn't stick around, we wanted to get to Khao Sok, but thought it looked interesting.. We went to Khao Sok again at the end of September and on the way home we stopped again in the little town of Sri Takua Pa for a walk.I know nothing of this towns hi...

360 Degree Coffee - Andaman Viewpoint
2010-11-20 02:47:00
I do like to explore my environment and I am lucky that my wife is the same. Not everyone is the same of course - we have friends who have lived years in Phuket and have not been to half the places on this blog. Other friends here, as well as visitors, use my blog to find ideas of what to do. Starting the blog was a good excuse to take Saturday drives around the island looking for places of interest. We still do this, and if we see side roads that have yet to be explored we normally follow them. Phuket is big enough that there are still places I have not seen, and it's important to remember that "Phuket Island" is connected to the mainland by the Sarasin bridge - just 500 meters from Phuket and you are in Phang Nga province. From our house, it's about a 40 minute drive to the bridge, so Phang Nga is easily reached. Last month we had a little holiday, staying 2 nights at the Cliff and River Jungle Resort on the edge of Khao Sok national park. From home to there is about a 3 ½...
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A House for Sale in Phuket
2010-11-16 04:11:00
Anyone reading this blog, or anyone who has been here to Phuket might be thinking that Phuket is pretty decent place to live, or at least a good place to have a holiday home (lucky you if you can afford 2 homes!). I agree! After many years of traveling, I came to Phuket in 1999 looking for dive instructor work. Did not take too long to start settling down. We bought a house in 2003 when our daughter was 2 years old and had decided that we would be here "a while" :)I have already written about Buying a House in Phuket, and using the services of a real estate agent. The title of this page is "A House for Sale in Phuket".. well of course there are many houses for sale in Phuket, with prices all over the ballpark from "very affordable" to "OMFG!". I am referring in this case to a particular house which is for sale by my friend Roger, and it's a nice house, I have been there for BBQs and swam in the pool. He has the house listed with agents, but of course agents have lots of houses on t...
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Wat Tha Reua Temple
2010-11-11 14:37:00
A few weeks ago I had some holidays while Mum and Dad were visiting from England. On one of their first days here, we went off exploring. Our family is not really into the very touristy things, preferring to find a bit of real local life and local culture. When I was a kid, we visited churches and cathedrals. Wherever we went, there had to be a church or cathedral. I was a kid. Mum still recalls me saying "Seen one stained glass window, seen them all". I am basically an atheist. I like the "be nice to people" aspect of religion, but not the "Praise the Almighty!" bit. I might write a book one day called "God is an egotist so praise Him or you're going to Hell", although I am sure it's been done already.Anyway. I like temples. I am now a dad. And I have already blogged loads of Phuket Temple s and Shrines. Wat Tha Reua is between Phuket Town and Thalang just south of the Heroines monument. The Tha Reua area is an older more rural part of Phuket with lots of rubber plantations and, t...

Visiting the Phuket Butterfly Garden
2010-11-04 14:52:00
We've been to the Phuket Butterfly Garden a few times, it's only a couple of miles from our house and keeps the kids entertained in an educational way. I have blogged about it before a couple of years ago, but I knew that the place had expanded, and indeed is still expanding, currently adding a section all about the life cycle of the silk worm/moth (educational, and with the added bonus of being able to sell silk souvenirs in the gift shop!). A perfect mornings entertainment for the family - we went again on a grey October day after some noodles at a nearby restaurant. Was not really a beach day, or a day for outdoor exploration, and who doesn't love butterflies?Mum and Dad were visiting from the UK, and were armed with cameras. I wanted to get some new butterfly pictures, and my daughter brought her camera too. I think Mum and Dad could have stayed all day! Entrance is still 300 Baht for adults. There is a lower entry fee for locals, which I qualify for too. If you want to see l...

Early Morning at Kathu Shrine
2010-10-25 09:33:00
I always try to visit my "local" shrine in the morning when they are doing their street procession as part of the Phuket vegetarian festival. Kathu is (so the history books say) where the festival originated and the local community take a lot of pride in the festival and their history. I already blogged about our visit to the shrine on the 7th for the opening ceremonies of the festival. I also headed to Kathu a couple of times during the week for food, as I tried very hard to stick to the vegetarian diet for the duration of the festival. On Friday 15th the idea was to be at the shrine nice and early, but the morning looked so grey. I did not rush, got to there at about 6:30am, a bit late to watch face piercing. I had been earlier last year and had some piercing photos like this one. Last year the morning was bright and sunny.Seemed to me that with approaching rain the participants in the procession were keen to get moving. They walk all the way from Kathu to Phuket Town, through tow...
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Bang Neow Shrine - Street Procession in Phuket Town
2010-10-20 15:39:00
October 13th was the day for devotees from Bang Neow shrine to strut their stuff. Bang Neow and Jui Tui shrines have the 2 largest processions. I had been to the Jui Tui procession last year, which was huge, and very crowded around the shrine. The weather thus far in the festival had not been great. I'd been along to 2 shrines (see previous blog entry) in the morning of the 10th and 11th under grey skies, and when I woke at 6am on the 13th, the sky looked heavy. I almost headed straight back to bed, but after a coffee, I decided that fortune favours the bold (Latin lesson: fortuna audax iuvat). And, fortune did indeed smile on Phuket Town that morning. It turned out to be a sunny, hot morning. Great for photos, maybe not to great for walking 5 miles with swords in your face under a burning sun.I was there before the procession hit the old town - they first walked south to Sapan Hin, then back up towards to old town. The procession route was shown on a map from the TAT office so I h...
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2010 Vegetarian Festival (Part 1)
2010-10-18 15:41:00
Well, that's all done for another year. One of the craziest times of year in Phuket.. come to think of it, certainly the craziest. Some people hate the vegetarian festival or are bored by it, or just moan that the street processions disrupt traffic around Phuket Town. Some people hardly notice the festival, as it really only affects Phuket Town and small communities with a Chinese-Thai background like Kathu, Sapam or Tha Reua. If you sit on the beach at Kata for the duration of the festival, you won't see anything. Personally I love it. Love the old traditions, love the way the local community comes together and maintain these traditions, I love the crazy street processions, love taking photos and I also use the vegetarian festival as an excuse for 10 days of detox. I stick to the diet, drink no alcohol.. although I don't wear white and certainly don't impale myself with sharp objects. Leave that to the real devotees.• Lots of photos here: Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2010 (m...
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Phuket Heritage Trails tour in Phuket Town
2010-10-07 04:43:00
Phuket to many people means beaches, family holidays, nightlife, luxury resorts, shopping, maybe diving, snorkeling, sailing, golf, elephant rides, tours and of course the famous smile :) A lot of the reason for this blog is to highlight the other Phuket, the history, the festivals and local life, local restaurants and things to do that might not be so obvious. Visitors may not realise that Phuket has a rich and varied history, although you can't find much sign of this by sitting on the beach. The beach areas were sparsely inhabited until recently. The main population areas 100 years ago included Thalang (in the center of the island) and Phuket Town . Thalang was the main town until the late 19th century. Phuket Town became very important due to the tin mining boom in the 19th century as well as the rubber industry, and it's access to the sea with a sheltered port. Some parts of Phuket Town are more modern, especially around the edges, with shopping malls and new houses, but the ol...
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Sapam Chinese Shrine (Kuan Te Kun)
2010-09-26 05:54:00
I had meant to visit the Chinese shrine at Sapam for ages. Sapam is a village about 7km north of Phuket Town. Just south of the village is Wat Sapam which I have visited before. The village is/was a fishing community. The access is just off the main road between town and the airport, about 1.5km south of the bypass road. The Chinese shrine is right at the corner at the entrance to the village. The village road is only about 500m long before you hit the sea on the east coast of Phuket.Although the shrine is commonly called "Sapam Shrine ", or "Sanjao Sapam" (Sanjao is the Thai word for a Chinese shrine), the actual name is Kuan Te Kun - the sign above says Sanjao Kuan Te Kun, and I guess says a similar thing in Chinese. I wanted to visit, as this is one of the participating shrines in the Phuket vegetarian festival, and this year (2010), the first main street procession of the festival will start at Sapam shrine on Saturday 10th October (see the schedule). I intend to be there nice an...

Hotel Recommendation: Marina Phuket Resort
2010-09-19 09:55:00
The Marina Phuket Resort has been around for quite a long time. Not sure exactly when it opened, but it's been in Phuket longer than me! It's one of those hotels that somehow manages to combine a secluded feel and a central location, sitting on the headland at the far south end of Karon Beach with beach access down some stairs at the "On The Rock" restaurant, unspoiled sea views and yet if you walk out of the main entrance you are in the busy Kata Center area with lots of shops and restaurants. I've been inside several times to see customers or to visit the restaurant - there is a webcam installed at the restaurant which I copy on my weather blog here: Karon Beach Phuket Webcam... so you can get a good idea of the view. the rooms are past the restaurant over the sea and the rocks. This end of Karon is decent for snorkeling, and I've dived there quite a bit too (in the high season - it's too rough most of the time in low season).Reviews on TripAdvisor are almost all positive, I ...
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Tunk Ka Restaurant
2010-09-05 08:48:00
Tunk Ka is a well known restaurant, a bit of an institution in Phuket, located near the top of Rang Hill in Phuket Town, open since sometime in the 1970's (I seem to remember reading that somewhere). I have meant to visit and blog Tunk Ka for ages, but my wife and I had the idea that the food prices were really high, putting it into the "fancy" bracket that we non-fancy folk avoid. We used to go there a lot 8 - 10 years ago just for coffee. They claimed to have the best ice coffee in Phuket and we agreed, plus you had a nice view and a calm environment. I don't recall ever eating there, just ice coffees, and I can't remember the last time we went.. it was years ago, although we have been up Rang Hill many times.So last week after lunch in Phuket Town we had some free time and I convinced my dear wife that we should try Tunk Ka again, just for a coffee. You need to drive up Rang Hill. There are a couple of different roads up there, both ending up at a hill top park with a fair amo...
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Street Fair in Kathu
2010-08-30 15:53:00
Kathu district covers a large part of Phuket from Patong to the edges of Phuket Town. It's an old area of Phuket with lots of history, where the Phuket Vegetarian Festival originated and was the center of the tin mining industry in Phuket for 200 years. And it's where we live, as do thousands of other people. There are older streets and lots of new housing in Kathu. Lots of shops, schools, hairdressers, temples and the odd aircon dealer and vet. You know, normal everyday life. From Patong to Kathu takes 10 - 15 minutes by car. Patong is tourism central. Kathu is where people actually live!On the way home from work last week, I had noticed tents and a small stage being erected along the road between Ket Ho junction and Kathu village. So on Friday night we went to look at what was going on. This was a very small local fair for the local community, the municipality basically blocked off half the road for a few hundred metres and in came food stalls, games for kids, and the first thin...
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