The After Beach Bar

Up on the hillside a few minutes drive from Kata Beach is what can be described as a Phuket Legend. I have meant to add this place to the blog for ages. The "After Beach Bar" has been open since ... well, since before I got to Phuket. I realised recently that I had not been for ages, and currently have a desire to get out and take photos and do some blogging (rather than being lazy), so last Friday I dashed out of work (Sunrise Divers at Karon Beach) just before 6pm.. with sunset due not long after 6:30pm. Only about 10 minutes to drive there from Karon, through Kata and up the steep hill past the Andaman Cannacia Resort, round a couple of corners and there you are. Easy to get to, easy to park a moped... not so much space for a car.. anyway I don't suppose a tuk tuk will charge too much from Kata or Karon.. er, yes they will - rent a scooter for a day instead, it's cheaper than a single ride in a tuk tuk.



Actually, there are now 3 bar/restaurants right next to each other, all built by the roadside hanging over the side of the hill. The After Beach Bar was the first, then another called the Small Viewpoint was built next door... and just a couple of years ago a new place called Baan Chom View opened on the other side, so the original After Beach Bar is sandwiched, BUT responded by extending the deck out further into space so the view is unimpeded by the other places. I have to say the Baan Chom looked like a good place for a meal, menu was not too expensive and it looks more like a restaurant than a bar. But I could already hear the reggae coming from the After Beach Bar. It's always been a reggae place. A bar to chill, hang, skank.. and I did catch a whiff of Bob Marleys favourite herb too. Actually I had forgotten how nice this place is. I took a cold Chang (70 Baht) and found a seat - it was not crowded, this is low season now (May), though this is also due to "lazy tourist syndrome". A 10 minute drive? Forget it! You're missing out. Phuket is there to be explored. The After Beach Bar is well known, but you have to get there. You have to get there.



Sunset was not too far away. My beer disappeared rather fast, so another was called for. The staff were very friendly, I do recall them being a bit more dreadlocked a few years ago.. but the music and decor is the same. People do like to joke about bars all over the world playing Bob Marley. I love it, never mind that we are in Thailand. I did stay in the Caribbean for a while and learned from some people there that there's more to Bob than "Legend"!





(above) The "Small Viewpoint" bar as seen from the After Beach Bar. I guess they enjoy a friendly competition. On the road when you arrive, touts from the 3 establishments are outside trying to lure you in. I was really only interested in the "original". Lots of copies in Phuket. Bags, DVDs, Hello Kitty. Must be a little annoying if you have a good business. Someone opens up an almost exact copy next door. I'm going to be back for another cold beer at the After Beach Bar sometime soon!



It's open all day, but surely sunset is the time to be here. I mean, at any time of day you get an ocean view and fresh air, but a bar facing west on the west coast of Phuket is best experienced on a sunny day in the late afternoon, as the sky turns orange, cold beer within easy reach. Excuse me while I light my spliff. The After Beach Bar is a great spot.



A few places near the After Beach Bar

Kata Beach Hotels
Karon Beach Hotels
The Phuket Viewpoint
Phromthep Cape

After Beach Bar - Location Map


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Phuket Vegetarian Festival - My favourite event in Phuket!

The 2013 Phuket Vegetarian Festival was 4th - 14th October 2013. The date changes slightly every year as it's based on the Chinese lunar calendar. As far as I can see, the date for 2014 will be 23rd September - October 3rd. My favourite time of year, and it's not because of the food. I am not a vegetarian, though I try to stick to "the diet" during the festival, meaning no meat, no alcohol, no dairy, no onion or garlic, no eggs. Over the years on this blog, I have posted many times about the festival.. no need to repeat everything here. For more general information and links to just about every post about the festival with photos from 2006 - 2013, information about the shrines and food and more - start here : The Amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival.

Recent Phuket Vegetarian Festival Blog Posts

• 2013 Festival - Street Procession from Jui Tui shrine in Phuket Town (October 11th 2013)
• 2013 Festival - Kathu Shrine - Early Morning Procession (October 12th 2013)
• Vegetarian Festival Food

• Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2012 Photos / Blog

It's not for everyone. If you know about the festival, you'll know why... some people love it, some moan about the street processions blocking traffic for a week (around Phuket Town, true enough), some consider it to be "just a show for tourists" (very untrue), and lots of people are turned off by the more bloody aspects of the festival. The festival has a long, long history. This is not a show, not a fake. The history, the tradition and the respect for the festival among the local people is plain to see. Just to be clear, not all local people get involved. The vegetarian festival is based on Chinese beliefs and the participants are generally from Phuket's Chinese-Thai community which makes up around 30% of the population. Most of the participating shrines are in and around Phuket Town or Thalang, the 2 old centers of Phuket.



(above) Prayers and Respect - Kathu village shrine outside Phuket Town is one of the main centers for the vegetarian festival. Dressed all in white, local people carry incense at the start of the fire walking ceremony.

Why do I love this festival so much? You know, the first couple of years I was in Phuket, I saw almost nothing of the real local life, knew nothing of the history of Phuket .. I just dived and hung around with diving people, went out to bars and never went out to explore the island. The first time I saw anything of this festival was in about 2003, driving into Phuket Town to pay my tax, and got stuck in traffic caused by some damn local street procession! Over the years we have enjoyed exploring Phuket and the surrounding area and discovering new back roads and new events. And I have read a lot about the history and traditions here. The vegetarian festival is celebrated in other parts of Thailand where there are Chinese-Thai communites, but Phuket is where it started back in 1825.





(above) Kathu shrine is my "local". We live about a mile from old Kathu village where the shrine is located. Kathu is actually where the history of the festival began, being the center of the tin mining boom which attracted many Chinese people to Phuket in the 19th century. I like to head to the shrine at any time during the festival to "people watch". I love the atmosphere. Everyone is dressed in white. I mean not everyone in Phuket, but around the shrines, pretty much everyone. In the weeks before the festival, shops are selling the white clothes. It's a sign of purity. I like to visit the shrines to catch a glimpse of the tradition of the festival. On the first day (see below) the Go Teng pole is raised to allow the spirits of the Emperor Gods to enter the shrine.



And then the street processions begin. Every day for a week. Each day with participants from different shrines. And this is where things get weird. Shrines, candles, prayers, traditions... and self mutilation and extreme piercing. By their suffering does the whole town receive good luck and blessings for the year. Purification by eating the right food, by wearing white and by sticking sharp objects in your face. If you have not seen this before, it's a shock. It's also a photographers paradise! Well, I am not a pro photographer, but during the festival I will take hundreds of pictures. Trying to select just a few for this blog is hard! You can find lots of photos on Flickr - see Vegetarian Festival 2010 - Vegetarian Festival 2009.



(above) Vegetarian Festival procession carrying statues of the gods led by the "Ma Song" who have let the spirits of the gods enter their bodies. Some of these Ma Song are quite freaky. I have been up close in the shrines and in the streets. I do not believe they are pretending. Well, not all of them!



Sorry should have warned that was coming.. The Ma Song above walks the streets cutting himself with an axe. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I love the blood, but it all adds to the intensity of the experience. I try to get to some shrines early in the morning, like 6 - 7am before they start their processions. Photography a bit harder in the dim early morning light, but this is when the piercing takes place. The blood is fresh.... anyone who wants to vomit now should click here for a photo of a nice pretty cat. Don't come back just yet .. it gets worse. Too late.





If you go and watch any of the processions or early morning goings-on at the shrines, like I said, if you have not seen this before, you might be shocked. In fact I am still shocked. Swords in your cheek? No thanks! Oh, come on, just a small one... or an umbrella? Sometimes I don't know where to look. One pair of eyes, one camera. Many times I "miss" a photo opportunity. I try to take as many pictures as possible. Some will be good and it's true - better camera = better photos. Last couple of years I was using a Canon EOS 20D - hoping to get a newer model before September. Getting a really good photo here you need to get into the shrines or walk along with the processions and get involved, get close. Watching from the side of the road, hard to get a decent photo. Last year, when the Bang Neow shrine in Phuket Town had it's procession, I was running around in the sun for 2 hours, getting covered in firecrackers and loving it!



(above) in Phuket Town, carrying the gods through a constant barrage of firecrackers. Only the bravest local lads sign up for god-carrying duty! I like to follow them through the deafening noise and choking smoke trying to get a good photo!



(above) Statues of the gods being carried through Kathu village - can get a bit crazy in Phuket Town. The 2 main shrines in town are Bang Neow and Jui Tui. On the days when they have their processions, the crowds are at their largest. In Kathu it's much easier to get a photo, not so many people around early morning as they begin walking to town, which is about 6km away.





The banana guy is also a local policeman. For weeks after the festival I see local guys with fresh scars! The scar tissue is often quite obvious especially on those who have been participating for many years. Old and young take part. The tradition is passed down, though there is the suspicion that some youngsters might be doing it for the street cred. And there seems to be a level of competition - who can do the biggest or most bizarre piercing.. Some examples:



(above) The classic "gun in face" style.



(above) 4 swords. Beat that.



8 swords. I thank you. Meanwhile, the young generation watch and learn.



Young Rambo (above) carrying firecrackers.. or maybe his Mum had enough of him. "If you don't stop that, I'll light those firecrackers!" - and below - respect.





I love the tradition, the history, the firecrackers, the craziness, the street processions, the prayers at the shrines, the food is worth a try too. I love the way the local community comes together. The Phuket vegetarian festival is my favourite thing in Phuket.

Map of Chinese Shrines


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Bang Pae Seafood Restaurant

This blog started just over 5 years ago (belated Happy Birthday to me) and one of the first restaurants that was blogged was Bang Pae Seafood. We are always hunting for good local food in interesting locations. I am not into haute cuisine and prefer to keep away from the main tourist beaches. I know this blog should maybe cover some more restaurants that are within walking distance of hotels in Patong or Kata, but fact is, we live near Phuket Town and I prefer real local food rather than made-for-tourists restaurants with prices to match. Phuket is so much more than the standard tourist experience, though it took me years to find out! Bang Pae Seafood has remained a favourite of mine, and a couple of weeks ago I realised that we'd not been for ages. I last went about 6 months ago with the kids, and my wife didn't come then as she was busy. We headed out for a little drive to see where the road led us...

Bang Pae Seafood is on the north east coast of Phuket. Head up the main road to the airport and turn right at the "Heroines Monument" (the statue of the 2 heroines of Thalang who rallied the people of Phuket to beat the Burmese invaders in 1785), and follow the road. After about 8km on this road there's a left turn to the Bang Pae Waterfall and Gibbon Rehabilitation Center. And less than 1km after this, a right turn to Bang Pae Seafood.. if memory serves, the sign is only in Thai (so it says บางแปซีฟู้ด). The restaurant is about 1.5km down this road, passing shrimp farms on the way. When the road ends, that's the restaurant! It's pretty popular with locals. When we arrived quite a few cars were parked.



There are a dozen or so tables, only a few were taken. The location is right by the sea, though the water here is very shallow. We arrived at low tide with the sand stretching out a few hundred meters. Mangroves and other "sea trees" grow here. It's very quiet. I do like a peaceful place to eat with a nice view.





How nice to sit with such a view. Yes, this is Phuket.



I decided to blog Bang Pae Seafood again since the restaurant is still a favourite and really has not changed in 5 years, plus I have a better camera now, and want to show some photos - this is a far cry from Patong! If you are looking to explore Phuket, to look for great local food and scenery untouched by hotels, I do recommend hiring a car, or contacting my friends at Easy Day Thailand who can arrange private island tours that show you a lot more of Phuket than any other tour.

The food! Well, I took a few photos. I have my favourite dishes. A real Phuket specialty is "Yam Gung Siap", a kind of salad made with smoked, dried shrimps plus mango and cashew nuts, tomato, onion and some chili of course! You can't find this in normal tourist restaurants, it's a real local dish. I love it!



And another local specialty, actually quite common throughout the south of Thailand, is "Hor Mok" - a fish curry cooked in a banana leaf. We normally order a few of these as side dishes - and it normally only costs about 15 or 20 Baht each - tasty stuff, well worth a try, but again not the kind of thing that is sold in tourist restaurants. My wife swears the Hor Mok in her home town of Chumphon is the best!



I find that searching Google for the Thai name of the restaurant often gives you some good pages with photos by Thai people - this one shows a lot of very tasty looking food! Bang Pae Seafood is certainly popular with locals - a good indicator of good food at a good price. Our total bill (family of 4) on that day was about 500 Baht. Yeh, we did not have lobster or crab or whole fish dishes - that would cost more, but anyway, it's good value.

After eating the kids wanted to go off and explore the sands exposed by the low tide. I followed. The area would probably be good for birdspotting. I saw a bunch of different birds. Tidal zones can be good for wildlife. Kids were looking for crabs, and there were small fish trapped in shallow pools of water left behind by the receding tide. The kids wandered off into the distance ...



And came running back. The restaurant is under the taller trees in the center of the photo below. Not a bad location! This is about as "untouristy" as you can get in Phuket. A lot of the east coast is like this.



Just another kilometer further up the road from the Heroines monument you can turn right down to Bang Rong - you pass a new mosque (it's a largely Muslim area) and find a busy jetty with boats heading out to islands in Phang Nga Bay. We were just there a few weeks ago when we took a day trip out to Koh Yao Noi and there's a nice little floating restaurant at Bang Rong too. So far this corner of Phuket has remained very local, very traditional. We like!

Bang Pae Seafood - Google Map


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A night in Phuket Town for Japan

December 26th 2004. The date should mean something to you. If not, please do read my thoughts on the Boxing Day Tsunami. Having "lived through" one the worst natural disasters ever, although (if you read my thoughts you'll see) I did not actually witness the tsunami or lose anything or any close friends, the memories are still there and those memories were shaken back to life on March 11th. I was at work and did not get much work done. Glued to the internet as more and more images were shown, videos that showed boats and buildings being swept away. Japan had been hit by a huge earthquake and a tsunami followed.

A big concert was planned called Love Aid, but this was cancelled due to the fact that southern Thailand was having the wettest March (ever?), there were floods (not in Phuket, but a LOT of rain) and suddenly Thailand had it's own problems to think about! But a smaller event was arranged for the weekend of 9th - 10th April in Phuket Town. There would be a concert featuring Thai and Japanese artists at the Queen Sirikit park plus performers and street stalls along Thalang Road in the old town and near the TAT office. We knew a Japanese friend of ours would be selling tshirts there so we went along to see what was happening, to make a donation and of course to take some photos! We did not stay for the concert, which went on well after midnight - I watched some of it on TV when I got home including some amazing guitar playing by Japanese star Yuki - I found some of the concert on Youtube here and here.

Some photos from the evening in Phuket Town ...



The dragon at Queen Sirikit Park, next to the TAT office. Always a popular place for a photo... Chinese legend says that Phuket Island is a dragon risen from the water.



Phuket Japan tshirts for sale. And there was music everywhere... there were young people playing guitar or violin in the street, and several small stages set up aside from the main concert stage. These guys were playing southern Thai folk music:



And this looks like a scene from "Thailand's Got Talent" - and this little girl was pretty good too ...





There were street stalls selling snacks and clothes and arts and kids toys and more. I do like these events in Phuket Town. I mean, I like Phuket Town anyway. The old town has so much character and history. Would like to have more time to wander about and take photos. The older buildings look great at night.



Some of the stalls along Thalang Road ...





And there was the usual sketch artist, although not the usual model:



I do like taking photos in the night .. they don't always work due to lack of light, and the camera has to be set to ISO 1600 which can create some noise, but I like the atmosphere. Got some nice photos in town before at a Phuket Local Life festival back in December 2009. Old Phuket Town is great for photos anyway, but add a little festival or street fair and you get even more.



And the photo below is enough to assure me that Thailand is still the "Land of Smiles" - cynics abound, but ... if you smile in Thailand, you do tend to get a smile back. In fact it's quite a shock if you don't. Fair enough, you can't just go around smiling at total strangers... they might just think you're mad, but I find that in everyday Thai life, the smile is alive and well. The girl below had a street stall selling snacks. We bought some.



Apologies for this blog post being rather out of date - the photos were from the 10th, and on the 12th we drove 400km to Chumphon for Songkran. Today I was looking at the photos again and decided to blog them. For several reasons - I like Phuket Town, like the photos, and we enjoyed the evening. Phuket Town is certainly worth a visit any evening - the old town around Thalang Road in particular has lots of small restaurants and shops. The difference between this and Patong Beach is vast! It's all Phuket, but Phuket has many different worlds!

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Sri Phang Nga National Park

Last week we took a trip for a night to Khao Sok National Park, staying again at the Cliff and River Jungle Resort which has become one of our favourite places to relax for a couple of days. Khao Sok is well known for hiking, boat trips, rafting, elephant treks, bird spotting and more. I admit that we just head to the hotel pool to chill out and eat in the very nice restaurant. We have done a boat trip on Chiew Lan Reservoir before and would like to do that again sometime, but we'll skip the hiking and white water!

On the drive back from Khao Sok to Phuket the road goes via Takua Pa, a small town which is not far north of Khao Lak with all it's hotels. Just before reaching Takua Pa the road splits north towards Ranong, and it's along this road that you find Sri Phang Nga National Park. It's about 30km from Takua Pa heading towards Kuraburi which is about the only major town between Takua Pa and Ranong. We'd decided to check the park out on the recommendation of a friend who'd posted some nice photos on Facebook of rivers and a pool full of fish - and she told us you can jump in with the fish! Sounded interesting enough for a 30km detour. Sri Phang Nga National Park was easy enough to find, very well signposted and good roads, though the road that led to the park from the main highway was quite narrow in places. I did for a minute or two wonder if we'd wasted our time!



The park entrance was very tidy and well kept. We were charged only 100 Baht for the whole family to come in. Plenty of parking and we could see a small restaurant, plus we found some very clean bathrooms (with big mosquitoes!). There was also a large grassy camping area and some national park huts to sleep in too. Looked good and we had not seen any rivers or fish yet! And it was quiet. We saw a few other cars, a couple of people. I had read that Sri Phang Nga was quiet. Seems to be true. We like quiet! Now, at the main entrance/restaurant, a sign said that the nearest waterfall and the fish pool was 1.5km away. We reeled in horror at the prospect of such a hike! Luckily you can drive that far along a bumpy dirt road. At the end of that track we found a few more cars, a little river full of fish and some young girls selling fish food at 20 Baht per bag. We went directly to the nearest water and started throwing food to the fish. I decided that I could wade in the shallow water - cool and refreshing on such a hot day. We already decided that next time we're coming ready for a swim! OK, so lots of fish, cool water .. I threw food around my legs and the fish swarmed - very tickly! I encouraged the kids to do the same.



I then noticed a "NO WADING" sign right by the river. Oops! A little further away was a deeper pond with a "NO SWIMMING" sign. Hang on.. our friend had told us that you can swim here... So we went for a little walk. A sign pointed to Tamnang Waterfall only 500m. Let's try this way. We walked through the jungle, rather like a walk at Kathu Waterfall or Ton Sai Waterfall in Phuket.



Tamnang waterfall (according to the official national park website) is 63 meters high. Not sure it looked that high, but anyway .. taller than any Phuket waterfall! I was impressed and happy to find only 3 other people at the falls, all wading in the water. I got the feeling they had been very happy to be the only 3 people there... we came along and shattered their peace! They left soon after we arrived.. which meant that we had Tamnang waterfall to ourselves :)



Now, downriver from the waterfall, there were pools where fish were swimming, and in the main pool under the falls, the fish were everywhere. The water was fresh, cool and clear. Yes, next time we'll come with swimming clothes. Well, my dear wife took the plunge anyway. A bra is the same as a bikini? Well, if nobody else is around, yes. I was happy paddling.. well actually it was a hot day and I should have just leapt fully clothed into the pool, but I am not so anarchic! Me and the kids just carried on feeding the fish.





We had our own private waterfall! The other waterfalls at Sri Phang Nga are a bit more of a hike (not far actually, just 2 - 3km). Next time maybe we'll be ready for a hike and a swim. This was a bit of a discovery. Kids loved it. They do like a bit of nature! Having the fish swimming all around us was cool... with that slight hint of danger - will they perhaps decide to bite me? Kids were unsure until dad was already in the water surrounded by fish.



After half an hour at Tamnang waterfall, we got this kind of "we could stay here all day" feeling, except we were on the way home, and to drive home would take about 3 hours. Back at the main entrance, we ate at the restaurant, cheap and tasty Thai food, and asked about the accommodation and were told its just 420 Baht per night to book a hut with 4 beds (no aircon!) or 600 Baht at the weekend. We'd not try to visit as a day trip, a bit too far, though if someone was staying in Khao Lak, a day trip would be easy. Next time we'll stay overnight and go throw ourselves into a pool full of fish for the day! Happy to have found Sri Phang Nga and we'll plan a weekend trip sometime in the near future.

Related Links ...

• Sri Phang Nga National Park official website
• Khao Lak Hotels - less than an hour to drive to Sri Phang Nga from Khao Lak.
• Our Holidays in Khao Lak
• Khao Sok - Cliff and River Resort - about an hour to drive from here to Sri Phang Nga

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