Wednesday, February 28, 2007

1st March 2007

Today's weather;

It looks a bit hazy outside, with an expected high of 33C. Currently it's 26.4C.

Yesterday's high was 31.3C.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

28th February 2007

Today's weather;

It's already closing in on 30C right now with an expected high of 33C.

Yesterday it was just over 30C.

Sunny and mainly blue sky with a few white spots in the sky.

Monday, February 26, 2007

27th February 2007

Today's weather;

It's already 28C at this time of the day and expected high is 32C.
Yesterday max temp was 31,8C.

Today there's a lot more wind than the previous days.

Local temples - Ket Ho and Kathu

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.

Get Ho Temple as seen from the road (Ket Ho Junction)

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 slight hill. Like many local temples, it was quiet and uncrowded (only us there), save for a number of noisy dogs. I don't believe the temple has anything spectacular to offer, but I just like local temples.

Ket Ho temple Ket Ho temple

Ket Ho temple Ket Ho temple

Ket Ho temple

The afternoon light was just right as we dropped into Kathu temple later the same day. A golden light that brings out the best in just about everything. The main temple building was closed up, so we just walked around the grounds until the sunlight faded. The windows of the temple are decorated with pictures from the story of the Buddha's life, and much of the temple was covered in intricate patterns made from coloured glass and tiles. One monk was busy sweeping the leaves, another was tending to a little garden outside the monks rooms, another was reading the local paper. A very peaceful place. And believe it or not, just 10 minutes drive from Patong.

Holy tree at Kathu temple Window at Kathu temple

Kathu temple (Wat Kathu)

My daughter saying her prayers

Detail of decoration at Kathu temple

The village of Kathu and the area around Ket Ho retains a very local feel despite the proximity to Patong. Well worth a drive around on the scooter. Aside from the temples, there is a large daily market in Kathu, just near the "Caltex" junction. You can also visit Kathu Waterfall or the nearby Bungy Jump or Cableski.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

26th February 2007

Weather Today;

It's a clear blue sky this morning with an expected high of 32C.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Chinese New Year 2007

The New Year trip as usual........back to Bkt. Gambir, Muar on 17/02/2007. Traffic was smoothsssss.........till in-law home almost 10:30pm.

Try to trigger the both repeater : 9M2RGL & N-Link. Both working well! Because of the itchy hand & month.....try to CQ, and got some contact. 9W2MTX (Robert) is the only one I can remember now......

We were touring at Muar town on the 19/02/2007. Found out a lot of roads, streets & POIs are not in the MalSingMaps! (Did some tracking & collecting POIs)
And cos my Nikon Camera attack by some viruses, it doesn't functioning well......miss a lot of Golden Moment!!!

After boring hanging around at for 3 days.....decided drive to KL (20/02/2007) for one day before PG. NSE was JAMMED like nobody business from Melaka to Seremban cos too many cars. Took me 4 hours to reach Villa Angsana (N3°11.590' E101°41.080'), KL. (Lau Kee Sern home)

After dinner at Kah Lok Restaurant.....Kee Sern brought us to the Titiwangsa Park (N3°10.650 E101°42.269) and the main intention is the 60-meter High Structure : Ferris Wheel "Eye on Malaysia".

Too bad while reached there almost 11pm.......miss the boat!

Operating hours are 10am to 11pm Sunday to Thursday, 12 midnight Fridays, Saturdays and before public holidays. Tickets are available for RM15 Adult and RM8 Child.
42 air-conditioned gondolas, 12 minutes for one rite.


Hmm.....very difficult for us to accept the 'used' Ferris Wheel from Bangkok cost "30 million ringgit"!

KL, 21th FEB 2007
After lunch at nameless kopitiam, we suppose on the way to the north.....but Kee Sern suggest visit the AQUARIA in KLCC Suria ( N3.157389° E101.712158°). So......let's do it!
Reach KLCC around 2pm, was crowded! And find & dig the path to the Aquarium.....that was a long walkway in the Complex and connected thru a parking area then......the Aquarium. What's a coincidence that meet Alam (9W2ALM) and family at the entrance of the Aquarium, he was about to leave. This Would Ain't That Big! Huh?

The entrance fee for Adult : RM28.00 and Children : RM22.00. WAH! The aquarium is open from 11am – 8pm daily (include public holiday), with last admission at 7pm.

Some pictures below :-



The almost 6 meter tall rounded aquarium with full of fish.



It was so crowded.....!


Trying to shoot from top of the pond, suddenly.......look at the baby so excited!



The way to the Underwater World.




After the exit of the Aquarium, as usual ....... the path direct us to the Souvenirs Shop.

I LOVE TORTOISE ONLY!!


Finish the tour around 3:30pm.......
Will try the "Dive With Sharks" next visit......
Please visit the main page of AQUARIA for more events and promotions.

Nothing much after that, and prepare for the journey to PG. Depart on 4:30pm......estimate the arrival time at PG will be 11pm......

22nd FEB 2006
Penang.
Nothing much this year at PG, meet up with Alan and the gang at E-Gate Penang (beside TESCO)on 22nd FEB 2006. There were four of them from Malsingmaps.

Meet up with the HAM's fellows on 23rd FEB 2006 at Penang YMCA International House, Macalister Road.
Too bad my baby felt sleepy after reached there abt 20 minutes.......force to go back......
Not even have a good chat with all of the HAMs there.......see you guys next time!

Drive back to Johor on 24th FEB 2006 around 4pm........the traffic on the NSE was so smooth!
That's end the New Year Trip of mine! :)

Digg!




25th February 2007

Today's weather;

Again a light overcast in blue skies. Current temp is 25C with an expected high of 32C.

Yesterdays max temp was 31.3C.

It's getting dark later these days. I'll install a moon/sun rising indicator soon.

Friday, February 23, 2007

24th February 2007

Weather Today;

Some clouds, set in a beautiful blue sky. Expected high 32C.
Yesterday's max temp 31.3C and it rained! At around 9:00, it rained a little bit, just a few drops for a few minutes.

Each day feels hotter than the previous day now.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

23rd February 2007

Today's weather;

Same o same o it looks like. Great blue sky. Expected high 31C.

Yesterdays max temperature was 31.2C

We didn't have rain on Samui for at least two weeks now.

Being a PADI Course Director, I started another IDC yesterday, whilst working in the swimming pool, one could feel how warm it is, ended up with a slightly sunburned face and the water was warm!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

22nd February 2007

Weather Today;

It's similar to the previous days. Expected high of 31C and the sky is blue today.

Yesterday's max temperature was 29.8C. It felt a lot warmer though. There's hardly any wind at all.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

21st February 2007

Today's weather;

Marginal overcast with an expected high of 32C.

Beaches of Phuket

Oddly this blog has barely touched on the subject of Phuket's many beaches, which is rather odd since most visitors come to Phuket for a "beach holiday", and Phuket does have rather a lot of very nice stretches of sand. But I try to keep a personal touch to the blog, and to be honest I’m not much of a beach person. I don't go and sit on the beach. 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. Some are a bit rocky at low tide.

Low tide

(above) This photo was taken at Cape Panwa on the east side of Chalong Bay - can be rocky at low tide, but one of our favourite little restaurants is right here. As time goes by, I’ll post more information about many of the beaches. This is just a very quick introduction, and may not mention every possible Phuket beach.

Phuket Beaches already featured on Jamie’s Phuket:

Karon Beach

Karon is developed, but nothing like Patong. Still has a quieter feel to it. The beach is long, the sand is fine, and there are accommodation options to suit everyone - 5 star to fan rooms in guesthouses... The beach area has been revamped over the last couple of years, and every time I hit Karon after coming from Patong I think "wow, this is nice". Karon is clean and well looked after, though can be accused of being rather "boring" since much of the beachfront is taken up by resorts such as the Hilton Arcadia, Thavorn Palm Beach, South Sea Resort, Andaman Seaview and many more. There are 2 main "centres" at either end of the beach. The south end is quieter and is only a few minutes from Kata, so is a good location. I work there as manager of Sunrise Divers.

Karon Beach, Phuket

More about Karon Beach
Some suggested Karon Beach Hotels
Karon Beach Hotels - Online Booking @ Agoda.com

Nai Yang Beach

Just south of Phuket Airport, Nai Yang beach has a few nice resorts and part of the beach is a National Park. Some beachfront restaurants close to the Nai Yang Beach Resort, but otherwise very quiet.

More about Nai Yang Beach
Hotels near Nai Yang Beach @ Agoda.com
Batik Seafood Restaurant @ Nai Yang Beach

Kamala Beach

The first beach North of Patong (unless you count Kalim and Nakalay), Kamala is not as developed as the other 3 main beaches and being a largely muslim community has a different feel. When I came to Phuket in 1999 I don’t think there were any bars in Kamala. There are a few now, but even now parts of Kamala beach are more like a local fishing community. There are a few bigger hotels and a smattering of small resorts and guesthouses. The North end of the beach is very quiet. Kamala was the worst hit of Phuket’s beaches on December 26th 2004 and it took a while to get back to normal. Kamala is also home to Phuket Fantasea, one of Phuket’s biggest tourist attractions.

Kamala beach

Kamala Beach - More Information and Photos
Kamala Temple
Kamala Beach Hotel Ideas

Laem Ka Beach

One of Phuket’s quiet secrets and not well signposted… located just before Rawai on the road from Chalong. No hotels, no restaurants except a little food stall, just some sand, rocks and a great view. I know it's not as secret as it used to be though.... but still worth a visit.

View from Laem Ka Beach

More about Laem Ka Beach

Ao Sane Beach

Barely known, Ao Sane is home to some bungalows and the Baan Krating Jungle Resort. To get there you first come to Naiharn beach, and must drive through the Meridien Yacht Club. A quiet spot with a nice view across Naiharn bay. There is one small restaurant serving Thai food. I find it a nice place for a cold afternoon beer.

Ya Nui Beach

A tiny little place just North of Naiharn, Ya Nui has a few bungalows which have been rebuilt following the tsunami which hit this little beach hard. I have never seen more than a dozen people here but it has got more popular recently.

More about Ao Sane and Ya Nui beaches

Naithon Beach

In between Nai Yang and Bang Tao you find Naithon. The roads in are winding and hilly, and the beach is not very developed. A few small resorts, a few places to eat, a little dive shop ... it's still a quiet spot, though some new hotels are appearing.

Naithon Beach Phuket

More about Naithon beach
Naithonburi Resort Review
More Hotels near Naithon Beach @ Agoda.com

Kata Noi Beach

Kata Noi is the end of the road. Just a few minutes drive from Kata Beach, it's home to the Kata Thani Resort and Mom Tri's Villa Royale, yet retains a quiet feeling, mainly I think because the road goes nowhere!

Kata Noi Beach

More about Kata Noi Beach
Katathani Resort Review
Mom Tri's Villa Royale Review
More Hotels near Kata Noi Beach @ Agoda.com

Rawai Beach

Close to Chalong Bay, Rawai is full of small restaurants and food stalls and is a great place to rent a longtail boat to nearby islands. Not a swimming beach really, but makes a good stop off on a tour of the SW corner of Phuket.

More about Rawai beach
Hotels near Rawai Beach
Boat trip from Rawai Beach to Koh Kaew Yai island

Layan Beach

Layan is very nice - a real beautiful spot at the far north end of Bang Tao. Part of the beach is a national park. There are a couple of resorts here, but they are built off the beach and do not detract from the beauty of the area. Very quiet. We have been a few times recently for little BBQ's.

Layan Beach

More about Layan Beach

More Phuket Beaches...

Patong Beach

Not my favourite place in the world, Patong is the most developed tourist real estate in Thailand, and for the most part has not been made to look really pretty. If you are looking for full on tourism, plenty of accommodation and shopping, loads of restaurants, a shed load of bars and a beach full of beach chairs and umbrellas, Patong is the place to be! I tend to visit Patong only if necessary for business, though there are some great hotels and a few places to eat that I like and even Patong has quiet spots away from the centre of town, such as Tritrang Beach and Paradise Beach...

More about Paradise Beach
More about Tri Trang beach
Recommended Patong Beach Hotels
Patong Beach Hotels - Online Booking @ Agoda.com

Tritrang Beach Phuket

Kata Beach

Of the main beaches, Kata is more popular with younger people, and is a very scenic beach with the island of Koh Pu offshore and with lots of accommodation nearby, but very little right on the beach since most of the beach road is taken up by Club Med. Only at the South end are other places right on the beach, such as Kata Beach Resort and Mom Tri's Boathouse. Kata somehow retains a quiet feel despite being pretty busy. Just over the hill to the south is the even quieter Kata Noi.

Some Recommended Kata Beach Hotels
Kata Beach Hotels - Agoda.com - Online Booking

Kata Beach Sunset

Bang Tao Beach

Home to the Laguna resorts and a couple of other hotels, but Bang Tao village is not close to the beach, so if you stay there you need to drive or take a taxi to find any local life or more dining options. The Laguna hotels are some of the best in Phuket. There are also some other great hotel options in the area - most are quite expensive resorts, though with late booking you can get a very good deal - see LateStays.com - Bang Tao Beach Hotels.

Surin Beach

Was very quiet a few years ago, but has rapidly developed. A lot of new hotels over the last few years such as Twin Palms and the new Marriott Courtyard, and a lot of condos/villas/apartments on the hillsides near the beach. Still, the beachfront is not that busy, and there are loads of small beachside restaurants. We like a small one right at the far North end. Surin is just North of Kamala. In between you find Laem Singh beach which has been touted as a quiet beach for many years and thus is not any more! In 1999 when I came here, Laem Sing was very quiet and made a nice getaway from Patong. Now, if you want quiet, I think there are better options. The black and white photo below was taken at Laem Singh in back in 2000.

Surin Beach Sunset

Laem Singh Beach

OK, that’ll do for now. I have not even mentioned Mai Khao beach, Naiharn beach, Freedom beach ... but like I say, I’m not really a beach bum!

Need a Hotel? Here's some of my Phuket Hotel Recommendations

Monday, February 19, 2007

20th February, 2007

Today's Weather;

Light overcast with expected max high of 31C.
Yesterdays max temp was 29.5C.

There's hardly any wind at all.

Diving conditions are good but visibility was not that great at Sail Rock a few days ago, just about 4 meters. Great thing is though, the fish really gets close to the rock and it's like swimming in fish soup. Loads of Trevally and Jacks.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

19th February, 2007

Today's weather;

There's a beautiful blue sky and it's currently 25C with an expected high of 31C.

Yesterdays max temp was 29.5C

See you later.

Sunny greetings from Samui

Saturday, February 17, 2007

18th February 2007

Hi,

Today's weather;

It looks a bit overcast, just a little bit. It's 25C and expected high today is 31C.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Aircon in our house

Hi,

Today's weather; It looks very sunny with a beautiful blue sky. Temperature at 7:00 was 24C with an expected max of low 30tees. Yesterday max temperature was 29.5C.

Today I was woken up by the sound of a lot of firecrackers, making a continuous sound. I completely forgot that today is Chinese New Year, so Happy Chine New Year to you all.

One of the nice things of living in Thailand is that one gets to celebrate 3 different New Years. Western New Year, Chinese New Year and in April Songkran, the Thai New year.

As mentioned in yesterdays entry, the temperature is rising and that makes for an interesting observation in our house, when will it become so hot, that we start using the aircon again.

We completed building our house in April 2002 in the North - East corner of the island. Unfortunately we don't have any natural shade covering our house and no insulation under the roof (small detail we forgot to implement, the beauty of building your first own house).



Here's a shot from our house when it was just completed, now we have a lot more landscaping in front and we just are about to complete building a wall around the compound , something to show you in the near future.

We have aircons in our living room and the two sleeping rooms. This time of the year, the night (and day) temperatures are such that we don't need the aircons during the night. As of late October, when the rainy season starts, the actual time varies every year, we stop using them until mid.late February, when it starts warming up again.

It saves on the electricity bill as well every month.

That's it for the day, till later.........

Hi

Hi all,

Here's to my first post on my first blog. It's about the weather in Koh Samui.

In the future I'll try to log in every day with short bursts about the Samui weather and every few days I'll try to give a bit more information about Koh Samui.

In the near future I'll also post information on seasonal weather fluctuations on Samui and in the Gulf of Thailand.

Today's weather; Sunny and warm. Samui is heating up again after the rainy season seems to come to an end (for the time being). It's still slightly windy, but not as bad how it was a week or two weeks ago.

My blog will (hopefully) improve over the coming days, so bear with me for the moment being.

Stay posted and see you soon.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Kata Viewpoint

We took a little drive today from Patong to Karon and Kata, and along the winding road that leads to "The" Phuket Viewpoint (aka 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 places like Naiharn beach, Phromthep Cape and Rawai beach. You can make a very nice afternoon's sightseeing in this corner of the island.

There's really only one view from the Kata / Phuket Viewpoint. 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.

Viewpoint location on Google Earth

Phuket Viewpoint - Kata Noi, Kata and Karon Beaches

This is the view the 'other way'

Saturday, February 3, 2007

Hotel Recommendations: Novotel Beach Resort Cape Panwa

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. (See location on Google Earth) 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 and Reviews

Beach Resort Panwa Rates and Reservations at Agoda.com
Beach Resort Panwa - Hotel Reviews


Novotel Panwa Beach Resort - Photos

Room with a view The Beach Resort Panwa

Restaurant The Beach Resort reception

Phuket Hotels - More Information - Online Booking

Phuket Hotel Info and Booking at Agoda.com
More of Jamie's Phuket Hotel Reviews
Jamie's Top 10 Phuket Hotels
Thailand Hotels at Agoda.com