Please Support Jamie's Phuket - Help the Phuket Blog!

Help the Blog!

The first posts on this blog were back in 2006, and it's also 6 years that I've been doing the Phuket Weather blog. The "Jamie's Phuket" blog started as a means of showing "my" Phuket. As a family we tend to not do the "touristy" things.. yeh sometimes, but more often we prefer quieter places. I figure there are people looking for another side to Phuket, away from the main beaches, away from the tailors, tuk tuks, fast food and fast women. There's plenty of information online and in guidebooks about all the normal things to do in Phuket. I still try to focus on the other Phuket, although for sure there is some crossover, but posts such as kayaking in the mangroves and the Kathu village festival show that Phuket has way more to offer than the obvious attractions. It is my intention to keep the blog focused on the Phuket that exists off the beaten track, although it has been pointed out to me that a few posts on nightlife, ladyboys and bars might be welcome at some point!

Now and then, I get a bit stuck on what to write. I'm normally working 6 days per week, so blogging time is at a premium, and time to explore even more so. Nevertheless, I have been encouraged over the years by increasing numbers of visitors to the blog, a growing Facebook page and plenty of comments on the blog and emails to say thanks for the information. Keep them coming!

This little post is to ask your help. Please spread the word. If you like this blog, please do tell others, please do add a link to my blog from your own blog or website, please do Tweet or share this blog on Facebook.... Here's a bunch of ways to help:

1. Link to the Blog!. Please do add a link to Jamie's Phuket or add this blog to your "Blogroll". The blog url is http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com, or you can use http://www.jamiesphuket.com. If you have a "Blogger" blog, it's easy to add a link. Maybe you know some html and can do it yourself easily, or if not, just follow the instructions on the Help page, or this useful Dummies guide. For Wordpress, all the information on linking is here. Please link!

2. Bookmarks! On every blog post you'll see some links to social bookmarking sites including Twitter and Facebook. or please do Stumble or Digg this blog! If you have signed up for social sites you can click these links to share that page with other users or bookmark it yourself for future reference. Tweeting is apparently quite trendy these days!

3. Facebook - if you are on Facebook, please do join the Jamie's Phuket Page - there are over 20,000 members already, there's an active wall - please do ask questions! You can also post your Phuket photos if you want. See you there! If you are not on Facebook, join! It's harmless!

4. Donate! If you really like this blog, found the information useful, discovered something in Phuket that you otherwise would not have known about... please do Click here to Donate a little something via PayPal to help the blog grow. Just a few dollars, a couple of Euro... Pretty please with sugar on top? Hey, if enough people do that, maybe this can be a full time blog with much more information!

• Make a Donation - Feed A Blogger!

5. Twitter - OK, well Twitter is something that some people just don't "get". Not sure if I do either, but personally I follow some bloggers and newsy people who post interesting things about Thailand. I tweet most days, maybe adding some links to the blogs, maybe commenting on the weather if I have not already updated the weather blog. More than 1800 people are following my tweets already. So if you are a Twit, please do follow me here: Jamie on Twitter.

6. Help to improve the blog! As I said, sometimes I feel a bit stuck.. what to blog next? I do intend to try some new restaurants in the next few months, I think tips on eating out are important, but if there is something you'd like to see on this blog, please add a comment below, or on the Facebook group.

7. Keep reading! There is normally something new here every 5 - 7 days. Wish it was more often, but... time is limited. Please do bookmark this blog and come back! Use the social bookmark tools below to help.

8. If you are reading this blog and you work for Lonely Planet or Rough Guides or the BBC or Nat Geo or the Travel Channel or if your name is Paul Theroux or if you are Michael Palin and you're considering a Thailand trip... do get in touch!

9. COME TO PHUKET! See you here!

:)

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Cultural Street Festival in Kathu Village

A couple of weeks ago there happened one of those local events that (for me) makes Phuket special. The area of Phuket where we live is called Kathu, located between Patong Beach and Phuket Town. It's a big residential area with lots of sub districts (Tung Tong, Ket Ho, Bang Tong etc). We live close to the Baan Kathu area, the old village of Kathu. A walk around this area reveals an older, traditional side to Phuket and a mixture of cultures as demonstrated by the Buddhist temple and the Chinese shrine in Kathu. The area was the center of the tin mining industry which was very important in Phuket from the early 19th century up until recent years.



Anyways, in the last week of July I saw this sign (above) in several places in the locality at main road junctions. I am sure many other people saw the signs too. So on 5th August in the early evening I headed to the village to see what was going on. The answer? Plenty going on. On that evening only, there was a street procession through the village celebrating the history of Kathu, in particular the Chinese influence and the tin mining industry that made the area rich. The procession started with some kids from the Baan Kathu school (see photo below), but then was held up as everyone was waiting for a visiting dignitary to arrive and officially open the festival.



While waiting I was able to wander around the painted faces and costumes of the people taking part, and I have to say I was not expecting such amazing costumes! There were quite a few people around taking photos, but I was very surprised that during the whole event I did not see one single other foreigner. I think probably most of the people from Kathu village were there, though!

Here are some of the faces. The elaborate Chinese style face painting and costumes are in the style of old Chinese opera. It was back in 1825 that a Chinese opera troupe came to Kathu and became sick. They healed themselves by strict adherence to a special vegetarian diet, and thus began the Phuket vegetarian festival.







We kept waiting for local top dog to turn up and set the procession on it's way. Meanwhile, dark clouds gathered and we all hoped it would not rain. Local kids were waiting too...





The long wait for the "official" start to the 3 day festival meant I had more time to take photos of the participant in the procession. Good thing I had gone that evening as the procession was a one off event. These local events are so easy to miss. You have to keep eyes open for signs and posters or just be in the right place at the right time.



This boy was trying very hard to be patient, waiting for the procession to start so he could put on his mask. The girl below was one of half a dozen dressed as "coolies" - Chinese tin mining workers.



(below) These costumes and painted faces were great. Must have taken a lot of time and effort to create the effect, which is quite stunning.



Finally the top brass arrived, by which time it was getting rather late. A couple of speeches followed and a ceremonial cutting of the ribbon. This local event had attracted a number of photographers and a TV news crew too. I think the photo below gives the idea. Lots of cameras for the opening ceremony.



And after all that.... the procession did not last long, only walking about half a kilometer past the Chinese Shrine and to a field at the local health center. Was getting a bit dark for decent photos. I was glad to have had the time to mingle with the people all dressed up. Planned to go back next day to see more of the street stalls, but had no time. It was rather odd to have the festival mid week!





I followed the procession along the road lined with food stalls and stalls with information about the history of the Kathu area. The local school band (above) were playing with dark skies behind them. The rain somehow held off. I love this kind of local festival, full of colour and history. Anyone who thinks Phuket has no culture... well, think again. When I started this blog 3 years ago, part of the idea was to show something different. The "other" Phuket, not just bars, beaches and shopping. Phuket has way more to offer, but you do have to get out and explore. If you sit on a sunlounger, the local culture is not going to come to you. It's "out there" waiting to be found. Sometimes not far at all... Kathu village is only 10 minutes drive from Patong Beach.

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Kayaks in the Mangroves

Phuket is bigger than most people realise. The island of Phuket covers well over 500 square kilometers, is nearly 50km from north to south and, as I hope this blog shows, there is so much more to Phuket than beaches, bars, shopping and the usual tourist activities. Fair enough, some people do come here just for beaches or naughty nightlife; some come here to eat and shop and "go home with a tan", which suits me fine, since it means that many of the parts of Phuket that I like stay nice and quiet! But there are plenty of independent tourists out there who like to explore, and if you explore you can find places like Bang Rong.

Bang Rong is a small Muslim community in the northeast of Phuket. We have been many times to eat at a small floating restaurant, and also to get the ferry to the island of Koh Yao Noi. Last year at the restaurant we noticed they had some kayaks, and small groups of tourists were being taken on short trips up the mangrove creek as part of a trip run by Bang Pae Safari which also includes elephant trekking near Bang Pae Waterfall which is just a few km from Bang Rong.

Last week, on a nice sunny day, we decided to do a little kayak adventure (the word adventure being based on having 2 young kids). When you drive down to Bang Rong, there is an entry gate. You do not need to pay any parking fee unless you are getting the ferry. You can park wherever you find space, and then look around for monkeys that come out of the mangroves...

 

The restaurant is a short walk along a wooden walkway. We decided to kayak first and eat later. The use of the kayaks was very cheap. Just 150 Baht each, add 50 Baht if you want someone to paddle for you. I think that was an hourly rate - we had no plans for a long trip! My wife paddled one kayak, my daughter got a paddler in hers and I decided to get someone to paddle for me so I could take photos. Some friends were in another kayak, so we had 4 in all. The restaurant is already in the mangroves, with a view of open sea, but within 50 meters you are round a bend and in another world. Yes, this is still Phuket.





My kayak driver stayed with my daughters kayak. She enjoyed being a "big girl" (ie she did not have to sit with mum or dad) and our drivers kept close to the shore so we could see crabs and mudskippers. It was a very peaceful paddle upstream, not even any longtail boats up here. I think it was a National Geographic moment for my daughter.. and me too!





And here's the guy paddling my kayak. My wife said I was lazy, but honestly I just wanted hands free to take pictures. Maybe next time we'll hire the kayaks for longer and I will paddle myself. We went less than 1km up the creek, but checking on Google Earth I can see that (at high tide) you can go well over 2km and there are little side streams to explore too. Sure we're going to do this again sometime.



High tide might be best to go a long way upstream, but low tide better if you want to get out onto a sandbank, which we did. We all then proceeded to dig for shellfish and dug up a healthy supply which we donated to the local guys doing the paddling. The Bang Rong community is based on fishing, is still very traditional and is trying to make a bit of extra money with this kind of activity. It's all very low key, and with kayak rental being so cheap they are not making a huge amount of money.. but I appreciate the fact that they are not being tempted to charge rip off prices.





After messing around on the sandbank for a while, digging for shells, watching one of our kayaks floating off and waiting for one of the guys to retrieve it, we set off back to the restaurant (downstream with the tide) for some light lunch. They have lots of fresh seafood, but we often just have simple dishes. Fried rice might seem like a cliche, but the fried rice at this restaurant is very good!







The restaurant is family run and friendly. They remember us and remember the kids names even if we've not been for months. The friendliness and the peacefulness of the area appeals to us.. just do note that the restaurant does not serve alcohol as this is a Muslim area. A nice spot for lunch before or after a bit of kayaking. Just a few km away, as well as Bang Pae waterfall, is the gibbon rehabilitation center. Plenty to see in this part of Phuket.

Getting there - Bang Rong is along the road that heads east from the Heroine's Monument (road number 4027 on the maps). The side road to Bang Rong is on the right about 2km after the turn off to Bang Pae Waterfall. Look for the large Bang Rong mosque. Best to have your own vehicle if you are exploring around the area, though I guess you could make a deal with a driver too. Phuket is out there waiting to be explored. Sure the beaches are nice, but there are many sides to Phuket. It may take some effort to get out and find these places, but (for me) it's worth the effort.

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Pacific Club Resort, Karon Beach

So, it's low season in Phuket right now, aka summer season or green season. Over the years I have been busy reporting on the weather, trying to prove that Phuket is pretty darn nice year round. Yep, you are going to get some rain sometimes, more likely in low season than high season, BUT there's a big advantage. You can book the best hotels such as the Pacific Club Resort at much lower prices than high season. You can stay here for just over 1,000 Baht per night at this time of year. And the weather is still nicer than "back home"!

The Pacific Club Resort is one I have meant to write about for some time and was just reminded of it by customers who came in yesterday who were staying at Pacific Club. This resort has something special about it. Must do, since it's rated as the best hotel in Karon Beach by TripAdvisor users, and is listed in the top 10 list for Phuket for 2011.

• Top 10 Hotels in Phuket 2011

For me, it has several plus points. Firstly - location. It's on the hillside overlooking the north end of Karon, with the jungly hill behind and the Andaman sea in front. Some might say that's a poor location. Some people want to be right by the beach, but it's only 10 minutes walk to the beach, and the hillside location is quiet and gets plenty of fresh sea breezes. Second - it's not a huge resort. There are only 40 rooms, so it's not crowded at the pool, or the gym, or the sauna.. a lot of facilities for a resort of this size. Wifi connections in all rooms too (not free, but not a big charge).

And then there's the food. The Pacific Club owner, Eric, is also a chef and ran the Karon Cafe and Restaurant for many years before opening this new resort. They specialise in steaks and lamb, fresh pasts dishes, seafood, texmex food. And it's not expensive either. In fact I think I will go eat lunch there next week one day and do a restaurant review here. Just been checking the menu online and can see that my diet is ruined!

Pacific Club Resort - Booking & Reviews

• Pacific Club Resort - Rates and Reservations at Agoda.com
• Pacific Club Resort - Hotels Reviews
• More Suggested Karon Beach Hotels


Pacific Club Resort - Photos

 

 

Phuket Hotels - More Information - Online Booking

• More of Jamie's Phuket Hotel Suggestions
• Top 10 Phuket Hotels
• Phuket Hotels - Book Online at Agoda.com
• Thailand Hotel Booking at Agoda.com

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Phuket Flower Fair

Today is the last day of the Phuket Flower Fair which has been running since 24th July at Sapan Hin, a recreational area in the south of Phuket Town. There have been many events there recently such as the Halal Festival and the OTOP Fair. It's a popular place for locals to go running or for a picnic by the sea. The area has recently been tarted up to make some nice paths, lots of new trees planted, a raised walkway through the mangroves etc..







The Flower Fair includes many stalls selling orchids and other flowers, trees, garden ornaments and of course some local food stalls. This kind of local event is always interesting to me, great for people watching, great for getting a bit of local culture. A flower fair is a world away from the tourist beaches of Phuket! I did drive down to Sapan Hin after work on Sunday 26th July, but being that this was the opening weekend of the fair, and Sunday afternoons are the busiest time for people to visit Sapan Hin anyway, I found the place packed, nowhere to park the car and in any case it was getting a bit late for photos, so I went back again on Wednesday afternoon when it was less busy, although even on Wednesday it seemed like half of Phuket town were out buying flowers!



I am an orchid lover. My wife too. We have a fair selection in our garden. Orchids are amazing plants. The variety of colours and shapes is beyond belief. And at a flower fair, you can still find orchids that make your jaw drop, just when you think you've seen them all.







Some of the orchids had been entered into competitions - the one above had a 1st prize rosette beneath it, reminding me of the old flower show my grandfather used to organise back home when I was a kid. Prize winners were always very proud to have beaten all the local competition and very proud of their winning entries.



Some more orchids...















Even if you are not bovvered by flowers normally, you have to admit that orchids are bling, orchids are well cool, orchids are the kings of flowers.



Everyone was enjoying a sunny evening walking around the fair, I think many people were just out for a walk, but there was certainly plenty of business being done. I read that the fair was likely to generate 50 million Baht in income. If you are driving around Phuket, you'll find garden shops everywhere. I pass about half a dozen between home and work. Gardens are big business here! The report in a local news site noted that the fair this year is much bigger than last year, with 70 flower stalls compared to just 20 in 2008. Economic downturn? Not for orchid sellers!







There are many small local events in Phuket, and it can be hard to find out when they are on, I miss some myself sometimes. The small events are not well advertised, though sometimes mentioned in local websites. Otherwise, I keep my eyes open for roadside signs. Next week there is something happening near my house called "Kathu Street Culture". Not sure exactly what it means, but it's on from 5th - 7th August. Or you can just lie on the beach and enjoy the beautiful summer weather we're having in Phuket at the moment.



One last orchid. This was also a 1st prize winner.

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