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Thai funeral in our village
2007-04-21 04:38:00
You'll often see funerals in Thai land. It's not like England where people hide away their grief, have a quick service, maybe a little party at someone's house after the funeral..no, here a funeral is a week long wake, with half the street taken up outside the family house. There was a wake in our village last month, and my mother took a walk down the street one day while I was at work. These are her words and photos.I am sure that each family arranges things differently in Thailand, just as we do here in England; but there are are some constants that are part of every funeral. In Thailand a funeral lasts for days and anybody who ever knew the deceased is there at some point. Sometimes you wonder how they could have known so many people! The local monks supply a long awning and tables and chairs and large cooking pots so that every guest who comes receives food and drink. On the day I walked by, this funeral had already been going on for over a week.Of course, being English, I was...
More About: Village , Villa , Funeral

Songkran in Phuket - April 13th 2007
2007-04-14 17:10:00
I am quite happy that the water throwing only lasts 1 day here in Phuket . Yesterday was fun, a nice day for all the family.We first drove way up to the north of Phuket, to Mai Khao beach, an area which is still quite "traditional" although there is the JW Marriott Resort somewhere along the beach. There is a turtle project at Mai Khao (see www.maikhaoturtles.com), and a yearly turtle release ceremony held on April 13th. The mayor gave a speech, all the local gentry attended, and then the lucky few who had known to book their turtles in advance (doh!) got a turtle to release into the sea.From Mai Khao (via a lunch break) we drove to Patong (the main tourist beach), only 10km from home, but as I had guessed the traffic was heavy and it took 45 minutes to reach Patong. The world and his brother were heading there for some watery fun. What struck me most was the sense of happiness all around. The water rituals used to be limited to sprinking buddha images (like in Mai Khao, see photo ab...

Old Phuket Town
2007-04-01 16:22:00
Yesterday I decided to take a walk around Phuket Town (officially called Phuket City now). Better to do this at the weekend when the streets are quieter. It's not a small town, but the urban sprall can be left alone - the average visitor will be more interested in the old center, the market and the various temples. I wandered for a couple of hours and would need another afternoon of meandering to cover everything. Unlike many provincial towns in Thailand, Phuket actually has some character, some history and some interesting old architecture. I do recommend a walkabout. It has been a while since I did this - normally the town is a place to come for business (paying tax or social security or renewing visas and work permits), but I did enjoy yesterdays stroll.  The first place I wanted to see was the Catholic Church. Due to it's history and location, Phuket has a variety of religious influences. Christianity is alive and well, with weekly services at this church and also at...

Jamie's Phuket Links
2007-03-31 05:31:00
This is the place to find more information about Phuket . There are so many web sites, it can be hard to dig through and find accurate and useful information. Below you can find links to recommended websites. If you know of a site that should be included in this list, please leave a comment. I'll add more as I think of them...General Phuket InformationPhuket.com ? extensive informationPhuket-Info.com ? great nightlife information and a popular chat forumPhuketDelight.com ? Ted?s website likes to get off the beaten trackPhuket Photos ? Loads of quality photosPhuket Gazette ? The local ragPhuket Weather Blog ? with lots of weather linksPhuket Scuba Diving - Sunrise Divers, Karon BeachPhuket HotelsMy Recommended HotelsPlanet HolidayR24.org (Sawadee)Trip AdvisorBookHostels (low budget accommodation)TravelPhuket AirportFlight BookingBus TimetableAirport BusPhuket Ferry TimetableAirlinesThai AirwaysAir AsiaNok AirBangkok AirwaysTiger Airways (direct flights from Singapore)One-Two-Go Airli...
More About: Links , Jamie

Hotel Recommendations: The Old Phuket Hotel
2007-03-24 09:26:00
Karon Beach is far less busy and developed than nearby Patong. There's only a few miles between them, but follow the winding road from Patong and you find that Karon is clean, neat and rather nice. Some would say dull, but you can't please everyone! Recent improvements to the beachfront include nice pavements, statues, and plenty of benches to stop for a rest in the shade.The O ld Phuket Hotel is on a quiet side road called Aroona Karon which is now closed to through traffic making it very pleasant. You're just a few minutes walk from the beach, but away from any crowds. The hotel also has something approaching style - not just another resort, it's built in the old Sino-Portuguese style which you can see remnants of in Phuket Town. Rooms and furniture match the old style, well..nearly... I guess they did not have satellite TV's in the old days! Or Jacuzzis for that matter. The Private Jacuzzi room looks just great.There are 2 restaurants, 2 bars, pool, sauna, fitness center..you...
More About: Comm , Recommendation

Phang Nga Bay
2007-03-15 14:36:00
Phang Nga Bay has to be on everyones "must do" list when visiting Phuket. The scenery in the bay is stunning with limestone cliffs and rocks climbing from the water, mangroves and jungle toppped pinnacles. If you had your own sailing boat you could cruise around for days. Some parts are quite remote and can be reached on multi day kayak tours, but most people visit on a day trip or half day tour, and they come in their hundreds on a daily basis. However you do it, Ao Phang Nga is undeniably beautiful, just you may need to carefully frame photos to keep the people out of the picture.If you want the place to yourself, wake up really early, drive your car up to Phang Nga and hire a longtail boat. We drove up last Sunday, me and my wife, 2 kids and my mum. A really early start was not on the cards, but we were there by 10am at the National Park Pier. Not early enough to beat the crowds but Phang Nga Bay is still a great place to visit.Best to let the pictures do the talking, worth a tho...
More About: Hang , Phang Nga

Naithon Beach
2007-03-09 15:40:00
Naithon Beach is one of our favourite beaches in Phuket, located in the North West of the island, North of Bang Tao and a bit South of Nai Yang. It's not that easy to get to. The roads around there are narrow and winding, and it's quite a way off the main airport road. For now it stays pretty quiet, though last week we noticed new building work going on. There are just a few hotels, such as the Naithonburi, and not a huge selection of places to eat. For the most part, there is just a single row of buildings along the beach road, and while there are beach chairs along the sand, plenty of the beach is left "au naturel".It's not a long beach, you can walk from one end to the other in about 10 minutes. The sand is slightly squeaky. We like this area of Phuket, away from the main tourist beaches. The hills are still green, and the valleys are full of rubber plantations. The roads wind up and down, the views are sometimes stunning...Naithon is a great place to stay if you like it quiet...

Kamala Temple (Wat Baan Kamala)
2007-03-03 17:30:00
Unless you were living on the moon, you will know what happened on December 26th 2004. Certainly, the people in Kamala know what happened. Kamala beach was the worst hit of all Phuket's beaches, and was where I was sitting with family and friends on Christmas Day, one day before "it" happened.I have seen photos of Kamala temple which show water up to the roof. Much of the temple, along with the school and most of Kamala's beachfront, was destroyed on December 26th 2004. I remember visiting the temple some years ago for Songkran, as we had friends living in Kamala. This week was the first time I have been back to the temple since then. Of course, everything is clean and new. In 2005, the temple grounds were given a makeover by an Australian TV show called Backyard Blitz. New rooms have been built for the monks - you can read more on the Wat Baan Kamala web site.The temple is at the far south end of the beach, which is a little aside from the hotels. Kamala is not as developed for t...
More About: Temple , Amal , Mala , Temp

Local temples - Ket Ho and Kathu
2007-02-26 17:35:00
The Kathu area of Phuket, which lies (roughly) between Phuket City and Patong Beach was the old tin mining capital of Phuket - it was tin (along with rubber, fishing, coconuts, palm oil and more) that made Phuket a relatively wealthy province of Thailand long before any tourists arrived. The tin boom started in the 18th century, bringing many Chinese workers to Phuket, which accounts for the large Chinese-Thai population that you see today (very different to surrounding provinces). The whole area is covered in ponds and lakes, all of which are former tin mines.There are a number of Chinese shrines in the area such as Kathu shrine and Sam Kong Shrine, and also some Wats (Buddhist temples). On Sunday we had a look at Ket-Ho temple (located at Ket Ho junction near the Prince of Songkhla University), and later in the afternoon, visited Kathu temple on the edge of Kathu village. I have driven by the Ket Ho temple a thousand times. It's on the bus route from Phuket Town to Patong, up a s...
More About: Local , Temples , Loca , Temp

The Beaches of Phuket
2007-02-20 14:26:00
Until now this blog has barely touched on the subject of beaches, which is rather odd since most visitors come to Phuket for the beach, and Phuket does have rather a lot of very nice beaches. But I try to keep a personal touch to the blog, and to be honest I?m not much of a beach person. We go (as a family) to the beach now and then to let the kids play, or we might eat by the sea, but if we want a swim we prefer to take the kids to a pool. If we do decide to sit on a beach for a while, we?ll normally avoid the main beaches, preferring to find a quiet spot.Pretty much every beach in Phuket is on the west coast, stretching some 45km from Mai Khao beach in the north to Rawai in the South. The 3 main tourist beaches of Patong, Karon and Kata are in the southern half of the island. Away from these beaches there are some very secluded spots and many beaches that are largely undeveloped. Some have just a few hotels or resorts, most have long stretches of uncrowded sand...As time goes by, ...
More About: Beaches , The Beaches

Kata Viewpoint
2007-02-11 10:28:00
We took a little drive today from Patong to Karon and Kata, and along the winding road that leads to "The" Kata Viewpoint . The view is one of the most famous images of Phuket, can be found on just about any website relating to Phuket, and is certainly the most visited viewpoint in Phuket. It's a short ride on a motorbike or in a tuk tuk from Kata beach. We passed half a dozen foreign couples on mopeds between Kata and the viewpoint. If you're staying in Kata or Karon, the viewpoint is a great stop off on the way to Naiharn beach, Phromthep Cape and Rawai. You can make a very nice afternoon's sightseeing in this corner of the island.There's really only one view from here. Just look North and you can see Kata Noi, Kata and Karon beaches, along with Koh Pu (the little island just off Kata). The little road that passes the viewpoint is not very busy, so you'll notice the peace and quiet. Then find your spot and look at the view to your heart's content.

Hotel Recommendations: Novotel Beach Resort Cape Panwa
2007-02-04 03:34:00
Novotel is a well known hotel chain, and there are 2 in Phuket. One is located at the far North end of Patong beach (away from the main drag), the other is found at Ao Yon, along a quiet road down Cape Panwa, with a private beach (OK, anyone can walk on it, but there are no other hotels around). I am sure the hotel is lovely, but it's the location that makes the Novotel my kind of place. When you see this, you have to wonder why people want to stay in the middle of Patong! Great views from the rooms, no noise, no cars, no jet skis... We like Cape Panwa. It's a quiet area, with some great views and little back roads. Within 10 minutes of the Novotel you can find the Aquarium, Khao Khad Viewpoint, and a current favourite place of ours called The Beach Bar, which is a couple of minutes walk along the beach from the Novotel (click on the Beach Bar link to see some photos of the beach at Ao Yon).Novotel Beach Resort Panwa - Booking Links• Beach Resort Panwa Rates and Reserva...
More About: Hotel , Comm

Restaurant Tips: Friendship Beach
2007-01-28 15:58:00
Along the shoreline between Chalong and Rawai you can find Friendship Beach Waterfront Resort. I guess this place could go in the hotels and the restaurant section, but it's the food I am interested in! It's a quiet spot, but can be busy at the weekends, as it's a popular place with expats and their families as well as guests at the bungalows. You'll find plenty of seating around the pool and right by the beach with a view across Chalong Bay. The resort is a couple of hundred meters down from the main Chalong-Rawai road, so you get no traffic noise, no cars. In fact the only traffic I saw was horses from the nearby Phuket Riding Club.Now, it's not the cheapest place to eat - but I think 70 Baht for Thai food is OK when you're by the beach! The menu is quite extensive with a mix of local and "western" food with daily specials. I notice that their web site claims "No MSG". There is also a western chef. We only went for snacks today - I had some delicious Apple Pie...a friend ord...
More About: Restaurant , Tips , Ends

Patong Temple (Wat Patong)
2007-01-19 17:10:00
The Pato ng you see now is nothing like the Patong of 30 years ago. Can you imagine a place with limited road access, just a small village with fishermen, farmers, rubber plantations...a place where Tony Wheeler (Lonely Planet founder) says there was "an open shelter where you could camp for 3 Baht a night"...My how things have changed. Patong is the biggest tourist centre in Thailand and the most overdeveloped beach in Thailand. However, if you know where to go, Patong has quiet spots. There are a couple of Patong hotels in my recommended hotel list, there is plenty of good food and there is still a local community, just you won't find it on the beach.Patong temple (Wat Suwan Khiri Wong) marks the entrance to Patong at the bottom of the hilly road that winds over from Kathu and Phuket Town. Where you have a temple you have a community and in the area around the temple and further along Phisit Karani road you'll see older houses and local people who are not involved a great deal in...
More About: Temple , Tong , Temp

Hotel Recommendations: Naithonburi Beach Resort
2007-01-15 11:21:00
The Northwest of Phuket has some fine beaches where you can get away from the crowds. I have written about Nai Yang beach already and will start to expand on the Beach es section of this blog (after all, this is Phuket we're talking about). Last weekend after spending some time at Nai Yang, we drove along the quiet jungle road to Naithon Beach. Hopefully (weather permitting) we'll go back next weekend. I have always liked Naithon. Getting there means heading off the main roads and onto some winding back roads, and the beach still remains quiet. There is a road along the beachfront but with very little traffic. It's not a long beach, maybe 800m and there is not too much in the way of accommodation, just a couple of small resorts.The Naithonburi is small and neat, not very expensive, but has facilities - a nice pool, a gym and ... Naithon beach just outside! There's a pool bar and a restaurant, one of only a few along the beach. For more dining options you'll need to take a drive!...
More About: Hotel , Sort , Resort , Comm

Phuket Beaches - Nai Yang
2007-01-08 03:17:00
Well, yesterday was a bit grey, but rather than sit at home moping, we headed out for a drive. The kids had already been to the beach on Saturday and got a good dose of sun, so we were not too bothered by the grey skies. From Kathu we drove to Nai Yang beach. There are two ways you can go - first is head for the bypass and airport road, quick but not pretty. Phuket has some big, busy roads and you do need to drive on some of these to reach the quiet places! We chose the quick way and decided to head home the slow way, via all the other beaches on the west coast.Coming from the south, you pass the Heroines monument, go through the town of Thalang (where you find many temples and a museum), and then you have 2 choices to reach Nai Yang by turning left either on a small side road, or waiting until you reach the airport road. We chose the small road which heads through quiet countryside, lots of rubber plantations and fields of pineapples before arriving at the entrance to the newly ref...
More About: Beaches

Restaurant Tips: Chili
2007-01-08 02:37:00
Now this restaurant is a real locals/expats place. Well off the tourist beaches, Chili is found right on the main airport road, just past Boat Lagoon on the left side as you head to the airport. I can't imagine many tourists would stop here, and true enough if you want a nice view this ain't it! BUT the owner and cook (her name is Nung) makes excellent food.We stopped there yesterday after a drive round the Northwest of Phuket. We'd been to Nai Yang Beach, driven past Naithon beach and stopped at Layan Beach. All these beaches will be on the blog soon! It was a wet afternoon but fortunately we could park right outside and the staff came running out with an umbrella for us. Inside the restaurant is nothing fancy, but spotless and airconditioned (we turned it off yesterday, as it was not a hot day at all).I ate the most delicious Massaman curry - 80 Baht for a dish which could feed 2 people, but I admit to being a greedy guts. My wife had a fish curry, my daughter had some excellen...
More About: Restaurant , Tips , Rest , Aura

Restaurant Tips - The Beach Bar (Cape Panwa)
2007-01-01 16:02:00
We are always looking for quiet, out of the way places to eat (preferably with sea view), and I know there are more to find yet! I should note that the restaurant tips on this blog are not necessarily the "best" (i.e. the fanciest and most expensive) restaurants in Phuket, they are places that we like. Many of them we visit regularly, and The Beach Bar might become one of our favourite lunch spots. We tend to look for places which are off the tourist beaches and won't cost a kings ransom for a meal. Now there are a few places in Patong Beach that I like, and I should add a little section for these in the near future - even there you can find little hideaways - but in general we keep off the main beaches.The Beach Bar is located in Cape Panwa, just 100m along the beach from the Novotel Beach Resort. To get there, take the road from Phuket Town to the Aquarium (Sakdidet Road), and turn off onto a small side road on the right which has a sign to the Novotel. It?s a narrow road going t...
More About: Restaurant , Tips , Rest , Aura

Phuket Restaurant Tips: Danang Seafood
2006-12-24 07:59:00
Danang Seafood is a place we have eaten many many times, one of many seafood restaurants around Chalong Bay. Right next door is Kan Eang Seafood, where we have never eaten, but do intend to one day! These restaurants are close to Chalong Jetty. The entry road is just a couple of hundred meters down Chao Fa road from Chalong Circle (towards Phuket Town).Danang is hardly ever busy unless they are doing a wedding or something, and it does tend to be more locals eating there than tourists, though its not as "local" as the seafood retaurants near Phuket Zoo (such as Palai Seafood, Tang Kae Seafood, Pran Talee Seafood) or Laem Hin Seafood on the east coast. There are tables right by the sea and others undercover, though still open air. We will normally go for a seafront table, though the lighting is a bit dim at night. The view is over Chalong Bay, lots of boats, Chalong Jetty and some of the islands.The food is good, inexpensive, service is normally fast. I'd say don't eat the beef - a...
More About: Restaurant , Tips , Rest , Aura

Recommended Hotels: Pineapple Guesthouse (Karon Beach)
2006-12-19 14:46:00
Phuket is blessed with many fine hotels and resorts, and these have somewhat taken over much of the beachfront property on the main beaches. Gone (long ago) are the days spoken of by Tony Wheeler in his intro to my well-thumbed Lonely Planet South East Asia On a Shoestring - he says Patong (in 1974) had no resorts but had "an open shelter where you could camp for 3 Baht a night". Well, every dog has it's day, and you can't stop progress. It's the same story all over the world. Backpackers discover a place, then guesthouses, beach huts, restaurants, bars and all the essential services quickly mushroom, then the place is found by "flashpackers", then independent (but not poor) travelers, then all hell breaks loose and Lo! You have a tourist resort, much hated by the common backpacker.Thailand is all this and more, amplified 100 fold. Thailand is the original Lonely Planet Destination, and is still far and away the most popular backpacker destination in the world, although as Alex G...
More About: Beach , Hotels , Pineapple , Guest , Comm

Koh Sirey Temple
2006-12-17 16:12:00
We had time this afternoon for a drive around once the clouds had cleared, and I decided to head for Koh Sirey, a rather forgotten corner of Phuket, located to the east of Phuket Town, over a small bridge near the Rassada Ferry Terminal (from where you get boats to Phi Phi and Krabi).  Koh Sirey is rather undeveloped with lots of rubber plantations, coconut trees, a sea gyspy village, a few big houses, a school, a fair number of locals and a temple on the hill. The temple is just past the school. You pass through an entrance by the road up a slight hill to an open area, turn right and the road carries on up. Not much parking space (park where you like, it is unlikely to be busy) and head up the steps lined by 2 dragons. Unfortunately the main temple door was locked today, a pity as there is a large reclining Buddha inside. But we could walk around the outside, which is surrounded by other Buddha images and has some great views. A few other visitors came along, but it's a quiet...
More About: Temple , Temp

Hotel Recommendations: Metropole (Phuket Town)
2006-12-13 16:21:00
Most visitors to Phuket naturally want to stay by the beach, which tends to make the beach areas rather overpopulated in some areas (Patong in particular). Now, there are many quieter beach areas, but some of the quiet beaches have very limited accommodation choices. The town (now officially called a city) of Phuket has a number of good value places to stay, where you are a short bus ride from the beach, but out of tourism central. Phuket town is where normal local life goes on, and is for example a great base if you come for the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, or if you're just stopping over a night before traveling on to Phi Phi, Krabi or Koh Lanta by ferry. Also, since it's not by the beach, you get a good hotel for a good price.• A walk around Phuket Town Leaving aside the backpacker places such as On On (a miracle it doesn't fall down) or the Backpacker Hostel by the market, there are many good mid price hotels such as the Merlin, Pearl, The Taste and The Metropole.The...
More About: Hotel , Comm , Pole

Hotel Recommendations: Evason Resort and Spa
2006-11-29 16:32:00
We drove past the entrance to the Evason a few days ago while on the way to Laem Ka Beach. In fact, unsure of where to find the small, unmarked road to Laem Ka, we drove up to the entrance of the Evason, where a friendly security guard told us where to find what we needed.The Evason is another well hidden resort. Located near Rawai beach, away from all the main beaches, it has it's own private sands. The rooms are open and airy with open style bathrooms. The idea is that the rooms are open to the views rather than being a box with a window! It's not a cheap place, and has the facilities to back up the price - everything from high speed internet in the rooms to tennis courts to half a dozen on site restaurants and bars. One of those resorts you don't really want to leave!The location is great. You're close to many of my favourite parts of Phuket down in the SW corner of the island. You can find quiet beaches, great views, temples and more within 15 minutes drive. The airport is a...
More About: Hotel , Sort , Resort , Comm , Recommendation

Quiet Beaches - Laem Ka Beach
2006-11-26 15:33:00
Another small, quiet beach in Phuket, not very well known and mainly only visited by locals is Laem Ka beach. It's just north east of Rawai beach, between Rawai and Chalong and is not well signposted at all. We had never been there before today despite countless drives around the Rawai area. We first started to drive up the road to the Evason resort, but this only goes to the hotel. The friendly security guard told us to carry on towards Rawai and turn left after the 7-11. There's no sign to Laem Ka beach, as it is undeveloped and basically off the tourist radar.Its a small road which goes across the headland (the word Laem in Thai means Cape or headland) - very nice area full of coconut trees, but is mostly private land. Owned by who? Whoever it is has put up a rather odd scarecrow at one point to make it quite obvious that you do NOT want to go this way:Just above Laem Ka beach is a small parking area, and one small building selling some drinks and BBQ pork with sticky rice. You...
More About: Beach , Beaches , Quiet

Thalang National Museum
2006-10-24 06:43:00
The Thalang National Muse um is another place we have meant to visit for a long time, having driven past many times. It's located near the Heroine's Monument, just off the main airport road, south of Thalang town in central Phuket.Now, it's not a huge museum, but the entry is only 30 Baht (and what's more they do not have a different price for foreigners), so I reckon it's worth a look. The first thing we saw outside was a pile of wreckage recovered from the tsunami, and there's a whole room full of stuff pulled from the sea in a room inside. When you see it all piled up - bags, phones, signs, cups, TV's..it does rather hit home.Outisde there is also a kind of tsunami memorial - a sculpture (already falling apart) showing a spirit leaving a body. (See photo below)Inside you start with general Thai history, there are some old artifacts, a history of the people of Thailand - good background information. Then you move onto Phuket history with sections about the different people -...
More About: National Museum , Alan

Phuket Vegetarian Festival
2006-10-16 02:37:00
Coming soon! The annual Phuket Vegetarian festival runs this year from 22 - 30 October, and is one of Phuket's best known and most colourful festivals. The focus of the festival is in the neighbourhood of many Chinese shrines in Phuket, mostly in and around Phuket Town. Another of the main shrines (Kathu) is just down the road from my house, and this year I want to make an effort to see some of the parades and events and take a whole load of photos. This is slightly hampered by the fact that I'll be in the Similan Islands from the 21st - 26th on a dive boat, but nevertheless will be here for the last few days of the festival when things like fire walking take place.The main parades are a bizarre spectacle as devotees pierce their bodies with all manner of items, their pain being a purification. During the week, there are many parades for the people from the various shrines.Vegetarian Fest ival Street Parade ScheduleTuesday, October 24 7:30 am: Sapam Shrine (start at Queen Sirikit ...
More About: Aria

Scuba Diving in Phuket
2006-08-30 09:07:00
Scuba diving is why I came to Phuket 7 years ago, hoping to get some instructor work, see the best dive sites of the area, and then move on. I had this idea to work my way round SE Asia, only I never left Thailand (at least, not for long). My very first dives here were local day dives from Phuket (read more here), but what I really wanted was to be on a liveaboard to the Similan Islands. Best diving in Thailand and the best way to do it. Well, more about that later. I just want to talk right now about the great variety local dive sites around Phuket...Koh Racha YaiNice and easy diving, with the east coast being the best; visibility normally around 20 - 25m, lots of coral, loads of small fish, minimal currents. Ideal for everyone who wants a relaxing couple of dives. There are boats going here every day. Most commonly used for students doing beginners courses, but you can get some nice dives here if you dive a little deeper. The max depth is really only about 24m unless you like sand...
More About: Scuba Diving , Diving , Ving

Phuket Hotel Recommendations
2006-08-26 05:46:00
Where are the Best Places for Online Phuket Hotel Bookings?Well, I've been here in Phuket for 7 years, so I do have some decent suggestions when people ask me for hotel recommendations. Trouble is there are so many hotels to choose from and literally thousands of hotel booking web sites. Some of the booking sites are very good for comparing rates and may have reviews too. I use Planet Holiday and Agoda - they are basically the same except the Agoda site quotes prices including taxes. The rates are low (they have a guarantee on lowest prices), the choice is wide and the web sites very easy to use. They also have rewards and extra discounts for repeat bookings. I also find the R24 (Sawadee) site very easy to use - it's one of the more commonly used booking sites in Thailand and has extensive hotel listings. Both Planet Holiday and R24 have reviews too. For low budget hostels and guesthouses, you can try BookHostels.com.Try these links for Checking or Booking Phuket Hotels:•&nb...
More About: Comm , Recommendation , Dati

Hotel Recommendations: Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort
2006-08-16 03:15:00
As a resident of Phuket, making hotel recommendations has some plus points - I know the island well, I can advise on the best beaches, know the locations of the hotels etc... At the same time, as I am not a tourist, I have not stayed in any hotels since I was a backpacker (and I can't really recommend the On On Hotel unless you're a backpacker!).Le Meridien Beach Resort is one of those hotels that I can't say anything bad about. Over the years many customers I've had contact with have stayed there and I've never heard a bad word. The resort is located on it's own beach in a place called "Relax Bay" or "Karon Noi" between Patong and Karon beaches, and no more than 10 minutes from either, so you have both seclusion and proximity to main tourist areas. I say seclusion, but Le Meridien does have more than 400 rooms, so you're bound to see a few other people, just you better hope they don't all decide to use the pool at the same time! The beach is great, and you can snorkel there...
More About: Sort , Comm

Phuket News, Events, Weather and stuff
2006-06-17 04:47:00
Well, in case nobody ever heard of Phuket, they sure as hell did after the tsunami on December 26th 2004. If you come now, you won't see any signs of devastation. Khao Lak and Phi Phi were hit harder, but are also looking healthy, if a little empty. My thoughts below.• Living through the Tsunami• Living through the Tsunami Part II• Life After the Tsunami (Part III)• A trip to Phi PhiEveryone wants to know about the weather in Phuket. This should help:• My Phuket Weather Blog - updated almost daily!• The Wet Season in Phuket - What's it like?Upcoming Events , Holidays and Festivals:• Jamie's Phuket - Festivals and Celebrationsor see www.phuketgazette.net/calendar/index.asp2 0th September - Coup in Bangkok - All Quiet in PhuketNothing to worry about. Read more here.Thailand Hotels:Travel Insurance:
More About: News , Stuff , Vent