Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Wat Sapam

Phuket is full of temples. If you haven't got your fill in Bangkok, it's worth checking out what Phuket has to offer. The biggest and most famous is Wat Chalong, and there are always lots of visitors there, but smaller local temples are usually overlooked by everyone except the locals, so these are the ones we like to visit.

We recently visited Wat Sapam, the local temple for Ban Sapam, a small fishing community on the east coast of Phuket, in Sapam Bay, just north of Laem Hin. We were heading for Laem Hin Seafood, and realised we had never visited this temple before. It was a pleasant surprise. The entry road into the temple is just off the main Phuket Town - Airport road and easy to miss. The temple is built on a small hill overlooking Sapam Bay, with the main temple at the highest point, the monks rooms on the hillside and the monks dining hall lower down. It's a beautiful location, and the temple and grounds are very well kept, with lots of plants and flowers.

Wat Sapam location on Google Earth

Inside the main temple, you find a 10m gold Buddha, and some very colourful paintings around all 4 walls depicting scenes from the life of Buddha. Quite stunning actually. Highly recommended!

Wat Sapam  View over Sapam Bay

Buddha on Lotus Flower, Wat Sapam  Wat Sapam  Flower at Wat Sapam

Buddha, Wat Sapam  Interior paintings, Wat Sapam

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Saleng Zoo

Intend to spend my whole day with my family. After breakfast, decide to bring my kid to the nearest Zoo (beside the JB Zoo) at Saleng......the Saleng Zoo (N1 37.985 E103 37.844)

The entrance fee is RM12.00 for adult, RM6.00 for children & free for kids below 3.


Below are some pictures for sharing.............





Iguana-Africa







Malaysia Crocodile



Spohed Crocodile



Goat? What to call this......?



Forget the name of this species......some sort like long life turtle.....


Hello???? Can I help you??


The KING of the jungle





Milky Stork


King of Cobra


The 'Entertainers' of the Zoo



After about 2 hours walking around, we finish the Zoo almost 2pm........

Digg!




Friday, June 16, 2006

Places to Eat in Phuket: Tesco Lotus

Tesco Lotus LogoEr...Tesco Lotus? The big supermarket and mall? You gotta be kidding? Not at all, and as we live but a few minutes from here, and use it for shopping, banking, video rental etc., we find it very convenient. I would not say it's worth a visit specifically for a meal, but if you are passing by and feel hungry, there are lots of choices inside. Located at Sam Kong junction, one of the busiest bits of road in Phuket where the bypass road starts, the store is huge, being not just a supermarket but a mall too, with shops, banks, a post office..and places to eat.

Leaving aside the shopping, what can you eat in Tesco Lotus?

Texas Suki
The place we eat most often is Texas Suki. The sukiyaki dish sits on every table, and you order the ingredients from a menu. Up to you what you want to add to the soup - lots of veggies, all kinds of meats, prawn balls, fish cakes, yum yum indeed. You don't have to eat suki, there are also noodle and rice dishes and the spring rolls are quite tasty. Also dim sum dishes available. And not expensive. We normally stuff ourselves for about 200 Baht all in - that's for 2 adults, 1 child, well and a baby boy too. Don't under estimate the amount a couple of kids can gobble up - our daughter had 2 plates of noodles last time we ate there!

Pizza at Pizza Company
We also eat at Pizza Company sometimes, though you can certainly get better pizza in Phuket (my favourite is a little place called Thai-Italy, on Nanai road, Patong). My daughter likes the spaghetti, and the Pepsi refill is a good deal if you're thirsty! Pizza Co also does delivery (call 1112). Actually the pizza is pretty decent for a chain/fast food joint. There's a also a salad bar where you can practice balancing as much food as possible on your dish to make the most of the deal. Some of the little snacks like cheese and bacon twists, bread sticks, chicken wings are good too. Must stop now, getting hungry.

Swensens Ice cream
Then for desert, or a little treat...Swensens Ice Cream. Yup, real authentic Thai food! BUT, no good getting all high and mighty like some travelers do. The place is always full of Thai families, so if Thai people are eating it, then you are eating local food, right? The current special - 59 Chocolate - is delicious, with 3 scoops of ice cream, whipped cream, banana, brownies, tiny peanut butter cups, and a truffle on top. Enough for 2 to share unless you're a greedy guts, and only 59 Baht. They always give crayons and paper to the kids, which is nice.

More? Well, there's a KFC and a McDonalds. I admit to the occasional Big Mac, yes it's true. There's a Dunkin Donuts too. Also Black Canyon Coffee, where the food is decent and they have about 50 different styles of coffee.

Then there's the food court upstairs above the supermarket. Noisy and crowded, but cheap. Buy your electronic card at the cashier and choose from a range of simple Thai dishes. I normally have Phad Thai or Roast Chicken on rice. Wife likes the Kao Ka Moo (rice with pork), they also do some basic breakfasts - eggs, toast, ham.

So there - Tesco Lotus has a wealth of dining opportunities! Same can be said of the Central Festival Mall, just a couple of km up the road. These malls were not here when I arrived in Phuket in 1999. Tescos was just a supermarket. Now you have Tesco Lotus, Big C, Central, and also the Index Mall. Great for shopaholics, bad for your bank balance!

Tesco Lotus Website
Tesco Lotus - find it on Google Earth
Central Festival Mall
Big C

Phuket News, Events, Weather and stuff

Latest Phuket News



(update 2011)



Follow me on Twitter! I will post news, views, blog updates, weather, lots of Phuket related information.



There are 2 local Phuket print newspapers in English. The biggest and original is the Phuket Gazette. I also suggest you check The Phuket News which is now vying with the Phuket Gazette as the best online and print source of Phuket news. There is also the Phuket Post, which is more of a magazine with ads than a newspaper.



For more Phuket news sources, see here: Phuket News - Where to Find it







Old Phuket News, some things are not forgotten......





August 29th 2008



Anti Government Protests in Bangkok, Phuket and more.



Seems like this is the big news day of the year. Protests and huge gatherings of PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy) supporters were met by tear gas in Bangkok. Meanwhile in Phuket... I decided to kind of "live blog" for a while.. The situation in Bangkok continues even now, though Phuket is totally normal.



Phuket Airport Closed by Anti Government Demonstrations





September 16th 2007 - The Plane Crash at Phuket Airport



Plane Crash at Phuket Airport



December 26th 2004



The tsun... yeh, you know. Big wave. Not very pleasant.



In case nobody ever heard of Phuket, they sure as hell did after the tsunami. If you come now, you won't see any signs of what happened. Khao Lak and Phi Phi were hit harder, but are also looking healthy, if a little empty. My many thoughts below.



4 Years After the Tsunami (written December 2008)



Living through the Tsunami

Living through the Tsunami Part II

Life After the Tsunami (Part III)

A trip to Phi Phi in 2006





Everyone wants to know about the Weather in Phuket:



Phuket Weather - General Information

My Phuket Weather Blog - updated almost daily!

The Wet Season in Phuket - What's it like?



19th September 2006 - Coup in Bangkok - All Quiet in Phuket



Nothing to worry about. Read more here - September 19th - Coup in Thailand. Or have a look at what a (rich kid) Bangkok Blogger had to say - Kitty in Bangkok.





Recommended Online Booking Phuket Hotels







Recommended Travel and Cancellation Insurance



Festivals and Celebrations

Phuket Festivals, Events and Local Life

Phuket has way more happening that people realise, even as a local resident I find it hard to keep up. There are traditional festivals, there are music and food festivals, street fairs, all kind of things going on year round!

The most famous festival in Phuket is the Vegetarian Festival. Phuket is also a great place to be for Songkran (the "water throwing" festival / Thai New Year). Another popular festival is Loy Krathong, where people give thanks for water, and cast adrift their bad luck. The dates for the vegetarian festival and Loy Krathong change every year as they are based on the lunar calendar. October and November are good months to come to Phuket :)

The vegetarian festival is my No.1 favourite thing in Phuket! 2011 festival is from September 26th - October 6th. See you there? For last years photos, see latest links below or check My Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2010 Photos on Flickr - and check the SCHEDULE for 2011!

Recent Phuket Festivals and events

Phuket Street Show Festival
Baba (Peranakan) Wedding in Phuket
Kathu Village Culture Festival June 2010
Phuket Heroines Festival March 2010
Old Phuket Town Street Festival
Cultural Street Festival in Kathu Village
OTOP Fair in Phuket Town
Phuket Halal Expo
Phuket Flower Fair
Phuket Food Festival

Phuket Vegetarian Festival - My favourite thing in Phuket!

Links to all articles and photos on this blog related to the most bizarre festival in Phuket .. I love it, but it's not for everyone, and the "being vegetarian" aspect is just one part of the festival ... Dates September 26 - October 6 2011.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival Introduction
Vegetarian Festival 2011 Schedule
At Kathu Shrine 15th October 2010
Bang Neow Shrine Street Procession 2010
First Days of the 2010 Vegetarian Festival
Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2009 Photos
Phuket Vegetarian Festival Videos

He's bananas Firecrackers 2

Since 2006 during the festival, I always go to see some of the ceremonies, take a lot of photos, and eat plenty of the great food on offer. I am not normally a veggie, but it can't hurt for a week or so!?

Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2008 Photos
Vegetarian Festival 2008 Part 2
2007 Vegetarian Festival Photos
Veg Festival Photos 2006
Photos of Kathu Shrine - More Photos of Kathu Shrine
Photos of Sam Kong Shrine and Vegetarian Food Stalls

My "local" is Kathu shrine, located in Baan Kathu. Sam Kong shrine is not too far from Tesco Lotus - loads of veggie food stalls in the Kathu/Sam Kong area during the festival. In Phuket town you find big shrines such as Jui Tui and Bang Neow which are very much the center of festivities. Phuket Town is the best place to be based if you want to see as much as possible.

Songkran Festival (Thai New Year)

Songkran is the Thai New Year, a real mix of quiet prayer and water throwing mayhem. We tend to mix it up - a bit of quiet at the temple, a bit of water... on April 13th 2007 (apart from the water fights) we went to a turtle release ceremony at Mai Khao beach. The next year we drove around taking photos. In 2009 we reckoned both our kids were were ready for a ride in the back of a pick up truck around Patong, throwing water at anything that moved - that's fun! n 2010 I was too busy throwing water and drinking beer to take photos! In 2011 I was not in Phuket, but took lots of photos in my wifes home town, Chumphon (about 400km north of here)...

Songkran Kids

Songkran 2011 Photos in Chumphon
Songkran 2009 - Patong Beach Phuket
Songkran 2008 Photos
Songkran - April 13th 2007
Songkran 2006 in Phuket
Favourite Songkran Photos
About Songkran

Phuket Bike Week - 3 days of big bikes and beachside concerts, April every year just before Songkran.

Loy Krathong

Every year, but dates vary according to the full moon. 2010 was 21st November. 2011 will be November 10th. The main element of Loy Krathong is giving thanks to the goddess of water. The "Kratong" are floated onto the water and many lanterns are lit to float up into the sky. It's all about giving thanks and asking for good luck.

Loy Krathong

Loy Krathong

Loy Krathong 2008 Photos
Loy Krathong 2007 - Part 1 - Making our Kratong
Loy Krathong 2007 Photos
Loy Krathong 2006 in Phuket

More Local Phuket Life

Local Markets
Local Street Fair in Kathu District

Thai Dance Chinese costumes

Phuket Butterfly Release July 2010
Chalong Temple Fair
The Weekend Market
A Walk around Old Phuket Town
Local temples in Kathu
Buddha Shelf & Shrine in our house
A Funeral in our village
Caged bird singing competition in Kathu Village
Buying a House in Phuket

Other Phuket Festivals

There are a number of small local festivals in Phuket such as Chinese New Year, the Old Phuket festival, the Por Tor Festival (the Chinese "hungry ghost" festival), there's the Blues Festival, Patong Carnival, the Phuket Gay Festival... Well, I hope over the next 10 years I'll have more time to visit some of these celebrations and get some photos!

Places to visit close to Phuket

If you are coming to Phuket, no need to limit yourself to the confines of the island. Within a couple of hours drive or boat ride are some amazing places. Phuket has many beautiful areas, but just off the island are the amazing limestone carsts of Phang Nga and Phi Phi, and the huge Khao Sok National Park. Explore!

The lake at Khao Sok National Park

Phang Nga Bay Tour (2010)
Similan Islands - best diving in Thailand!
Cliff and River Jungle Resort (Khao Sok)
Sri Takua Pa Town (near Khao Lak)
• Khao Sok National Park
• Phang Nga Bay (2007)
Wat Suwan Kuha (Phang Nga) - temple in a cave with a big reclining Buddha and lots of monkeys!
• Day Trip to Phi Phi Islands
Seaplane flight to Phi Phi
• Chumphon (400km from Phuket, my wifes home town)
• Prachuap Khiri Khan (another 150km past Chumphon)

View from James Bond Island, Phang Nga Bay

To come - Khao Lak, Krabi and more - if I have time and money for a holiday! Phuket is a great starting point for all kinds of trips. A great base for exploring this part of Thailand.

Offshore Islands

Phuket itself is only just an island, linked to Phang Nga province by the Sarasin bridge. All around Phuket are small offshore islands which can be visited for the day or a few hours. Some have accomodation, some are just gorgeous little specks in the ocean. Some are good for diving too.

Islands close to Phuket

Koh Yao Noi

I wish I had more time to explore Koh Yao Noi and it's larger neighbour Koh Yao Yai. These islands are officially in Phang Nga province, but easily reached from Phuket by ferry. Must get over there more often before the locals sell up their land to the resorts. At the moment, it's still gorgeous...

Koh Yao Noi Day Trip
Cycling in Koh Yao Noi
Koh Yao Noi by Moped!

Beach on Koh Yao Noi

Koh Kaew Yai

Just 1km offshore from Phromthep Cape (the southwesterly tip of Phuket), Koh Kaew Yai is a small island and a place of worship. It is said that the Buddha first stepped ashore on this island before landing on Phuket at nearby Rawai beach. You can get a longtail boat to Koh Kaew Yai from Rawai.

Koh Kaew Yai

Koh Rang Yai

Off the east coast, Koh Rang Yai is a private island, but you can get a longtail boat here from Laem Hin - nice place to stay for half a day. Nice sand, there is a restaurant but it's not cheap. In between is Koh Maphrao.

Koh Rang Yai
A day with speedboats and Helicam at Koh Rang Yai

Koh Sirey

Sirey island is on the east side of Phuket Town.. rather like Phuket Island, it's connected by a bridge, but has a different feel and has many quiet areas as well as being home to sea gypsies. You can find a few restaurants and also an abalone farm here.

More about Koh Sirey
Koh Sirey Temple

Koh Sirey

Further offshore...

Phi Phi is easily reached in a day trip, though it's better to stay a night or two. Can be crowded during the day with all the daytrippers. Scenery is beautiful. The Similan Islands are about 90km from Phuket and are better known for diving, but day trips for snorkeling are possible and you can even stay on the islands in national park accommodation.

Phi Phi Islands
Seaplane Flight to Phi Phi
Similan Islands

Sunset in the Similans

More islands to come such as Koh Racha Yai, Koh Maphrao, Koh Bon... Just give me time, I do work 6 days a week, so that leaves little time for exploring offshore islands! Oh, to be a full time blogger!

Temples in Phuket

Hey, this is Thailand you know! It's not just Bangkok that has temples, though the Grand Palace is pretty hard to beat. Phuket has many Buddhist Temples and if you want to see more than just a beach, get a taste of local life, a temple is a good place to start. The largest is Wat Chalong, which can be quite busy with locals and tourists, but every area has it's own small temple if you want more of a local flavour and a bit of history. In Kathu village close to where I live you find a Wat and a Chinese shrine. There are temples near all the main beaches too. My mission - to blog all the temples in Phuket ... eventually... and the Chinese shrines... and maybe the mosques too!

Phuket Temples

Thalang Area

Thalang is a town right in the center of Phuket island, not near the beach, and was once the seat of government. In 1785, the people of Phuket rallied at Thalang to fight off a Burmese invasion, a date that lives long in the history of Phuket. Wat Phra Nang Sang was built on the battleground and a yearly festival celebrates the event. The Thalang area has some large and important historic temples...

Wat Phra Tong

(above) Buddha images at Wat Phra Tong

Sri Sunthon Temple

(above) reclining Buddha at Wat Sri Sunthorn

Wat Phra Thong
Wat Sri Sunthorn
Wat Phra Nang Sang
Wat Tha Reua Temple

Chalong Area

Wat Chalong is the largest temple in Phuket and the most visited. In the same area are other smaller local temples, not all blogged yet! I pass Chalong temple almost every day. It looks especially nice in the early morning.

Chalong Temple

Chalong Temple (Wat Chalong)
Early Morning at Wat Chalong
Wat Luang Pu Supha
Wat Ladthiwanaram

And of course there's the Phuket Big Buddha which is also near Chalong sitting 400m above sea level. Not exactly a temple, but certainly a site of pilgrimage and a place to say prayers to the 4 winds.

Big Buddha in Phuket

(above) The Big Buddha, still under construction in 2010. But great anyway!

Temples near the beaches

Most of the beach areas of Phuket also have older local communities even if the old way of life has largely been swamped by tourism. Before tourism hit Phuket, hardly anyone lived by the beach except fishing families. If you get off the beach and look on the back roads you can find the older areas, and that's where you find the temples. More to come - it took me ages to go take some photos of Karon and Kata temples, even though they're just down the road from my work! I still want to blog Naiharn temple and there's a very nice one up near Nai Yang Beach.

Karon Temple
Patong Temple
Kamala Temple
Kata Temple
Wat Sawang Arom (Rawai)

Local Temples

All over Phuket, in every village or tambon you will find a temple. I like the feel of the local temples. Every one has it's little differences and they are little havens of peace away from daily life.

Wat Sapam
Koh Sirey Temple
Kathu and Ket Ho Temples
Sam Kong Temple
Wat Kosit Wiharn
Wat Thep Nimit
Naka Temple
Wat Manik
Wat Mongkhon Nimit (in old part of Phuket Town)
Wat Vichit Sangkaram (Phuket Town)

Monk at Sam Kong Temple, Phuket

(above) Monk at Sam Kong Temple on the edge of Phuket Town

Chinese Shrines

Many Chinese shrines are important during the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival which has been a Phuket tradition since 1825. There are many more than those listed below, mostly in and around Phuket Town - I must get them blogged sometime!

Shrine on Patong Hill
Kathu Village Shrine - More of Kathu Shrine
Sam Kong Shrine
Jui Tui Shrine
Shrine of the Serene Light
Thau Reua Shrine

Kathu Chinese Shrine in Phuket

(above) at Kathu Chinese Shrine

Temples not in Phuket

Of course all of Thailand is a temple. Now and then we might visit a temple that is not in Phuket. We recently stopped at Wat Suwan Kuha in Phang Nga province. Big reclining Buddha in a cave, monkeys, well worth a visit!

Wat Suwan Kuha

The Phuket temples featured so far are all Buddhist / Chinese. I should point out that Phuket has a sizeable Muslim population (around 30%), and there are several quite large mosques around the island. There is also at least 1 Catholic church (in Phuket town). There's a street in Phuket Town that features a mosque, church and chinese shrine! In Phuket the different religions and beliefs mix together without any problems, a good example for the rest of the world...

Phuket Temples - Map


View Phuket Temples in a larger map

Phuket Chinese Shrines - Map


View Phuket Chinese Shrines in a larger map