4 years after the Tsunami

I don't really know what to write, but want to write something. What happened on December 26th 2004 was something quite unimaginable, off the scale, almost impossible to believe (unless you were right there). I did not see the tsunami, my family was safe at home, all we saw were the after effects, and most of what we saw was on the TV... even though you might think we were right here in the middle of it all.The photo above shows Kamala temple, at...

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High Season Weather in Phuket

Finally a couple of weeks ago we saw the last hurrah of the "rainy season" in Phuket. There are no exact dates on the seasons, and the terms "wet" and "dry" are far too black and white. The low season has plenty of good weather and indeed I do recommend visiting Phuket in the off season - see here : Low Season in Phuket - A Great Time to Visit! - Sure there can be wet days and some bouncy seas and the beach is not always swimmable, but it's nice...

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Wat Mongkhon Nimit (Phuket Town)

I keep heading back to Phuket Town to explore different areas. I find the town fascinating - you can get a totally different perspective on Phuket by walking around the town. This is where real life goes on. It's completely different to the main tourist beaches. I recommend everyone spend a few hours wandering around the old town, check out some markets, temples, small restaurants, old Chinese shops and maybe you can get a taste of Thailand that...

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Amari Coral Beach Resort - Patong Beach Phuket

Amari Coral Beach Resort is rated as the Number 1 hotel in Patong Beach on TripAdvisor, which means it should be in my Top 10 Phuket Hotels list.. except I cut Patong from the list - sorry, Patong! Well, the thing is, and I keep trying to tell people this - Patong is not Phuket, or at least not typical of Phuket.Patong Beach does not feature a great deal on this blog. That's because on the whole I don't like Patong, and rarely go there. Sure, you...

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Kuay Jap Noodles - A new restaurant in Phuket Town

Last weekend, after a little drive around Sirey Island to the east of Phuket town - where I finally got to see the reclining Buddha (the other times I have been there the temple had been closed) - we were heading home and I had half a mind to cook some pasta, but we passed a new looking noodle shop which looked interesting. Most noodle shops look the same, rather basic and cheap with plastic chairs and questionable hygiene (don't look too close -...

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Phuket Thai Hua Museum

I have said it before and will say it again - I like Phuket Town, especially the old part of town which comprises a few blocks around Phang Nga Road, Thalang Road, Krabi Road and Dibuk Road. The narrow roads and turn of the century architecture combined with the old Chinese shops make a welcome break from the busier parts of town, and if you come from the tourist beaches it's like another world. Yes, you are in the real Phuket, which is what this...

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Loy Krathong 2013 - 17th November 2013

The date for Loy Krathong 2013 will be November 17th.Loy Krathong is a very old festival which takes place on the full moon of the 12th lunar month (so the date is different every year). Loy Krathong is largely about giving thanks to the goddess of water, though may be based on an old Hindu festival. There are many links between Buddhism and Hinduism, being that the Buddha was born in India. The festival is not huge in Phuket compared to Chiang Mai...

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Thai Street Food - Fruit Stalls

I seem to recall growing up in England that a pineapple was regarded as a valuable item... wow, tropical fruit! And things like mangos and papayas were just words. Even the humble banana was a special treat. Maybe my memories are hazy, but fruit in England meant apples and pears, plums and maybe peaches. Oranges were not uncommon, and there were always satsumas at Christmas time! There were raspberries in season, and we often went blackberry picking.The...

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