Rider Cafe in Phuket Town

Yes, back in Phuket Town. I head into town more and more these days for food, drinks, coffee, a few beers with friends or just a walk with the family. Rider Cafe is in the old town area, my favourite part of Phuket and opened in 2012. There have been a number of new cafes and restaurants opening in the area in the last few years as the old town slowly becomes more popular with locals and tourists. I start to worry that the whole old town will be cafes, but I don't think so - most of the buildings are owned by old families and are home to old businesses like hardware stores, fabric shops, shrines, printers ... the old town is a mix of old and new. Last weekend I was in town for the Baba wedding street procession, celebrating local culture, and after the procession had passed I met up with Tim who also lives in Phuket with his family and writes a blog, and we looked for somewhere to eat - it was Sunday and a lot of places are closed on Sundays, but I saw the Rider Cafe sign shining down the street ...



I'd been a couple of times before just for a beer, but this time was glad to see it open - I like a burger now and then, and was told that Rider Cafe does good burgers. The menu is a mix - there is Thai food, but more burgers and big breakfasts, plus coffee and cakes. I was certainly ready for a burger, and there's a good choice of burgers and good ol' western food on the menu ...



I went for the Rider Bacon Burger, and a beer of course. It was a quiet Sunday, just us and a couple of other customers. No sign of the owner - his name is Teddy - he's a guitar playing, Harley riding spinal surgeon who works part time at the Phuket Bangkok International Hospital and plays in a band too! Last time I stopped by at Rider for a beer the staff told me he was out playing guitar at the Hard Rock Cafe in Patong. So, he's a busy guy! I hope to bump into him sometime.

Maybe the place is busier sometimes in high season, I hope they get enough business to stay open because I do like small interesting restaurants with a bit of character. Phuket Town has plenty of this, every place has it's own style and that's great. This is the inside of Rider Cafe ...



What's this? Burgers on the way! Looking good!



Looking like my bacon burger on the left, but what is this monster on the right with an egg on top? Looks like Tim ordered the full-monty V-Twin burger .. which is what I will get next time! Burger report - I was not disappointed. The bacon burger was juicy, full or flavour, the ingredients fresh, a good portion of chips. I do normally eat Thai food, but .. burgers are good!



(above) My burger at Rider Cafe

A short period of gluttony followed, which I plan to repeat sometime soon. Rider Cafe could become a more regular hangout. If only I had more time to hang out! And Phuket Town has many good places to stop for food and drink, away from the crowds. This is my Phuket, not the mainstream tourist Phuket. I'd suggest that if you want to really see Phuket, stay a few nights in Phuket Town (see Hotels in Phuket Town) as well as staying near the beach. It's very different.

Related Phuket Blog posts :

Kopitiam Restaurant on Thalang Road
Abduls Roti Shop
Phuket Town Central Market
The Oldest Herb Shop in Phuket
Route 68 Bar

• Rider Cafe Website

Rider Cafe - Location Map


View Rider Cafe - Phuket Town in a larger map

Read More

Phuket Baba Weddings 2013

Back in 2010 I heard about an event in Phuket Town celebrating the "Baba" culture of Phuket. I knew that a good number of Phuket people had Chinese blood due to the immigration of many Chinese to Phuket in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many came here for the tin mining, or set up businesses to support the growing population of Phuket. Many of the immigrants were young men who married local girls, and this is the root of the Baba culture, a mix of Chinese and Malay blood. You also find Baba culture in Singapore and Malaysia and parts of Indonesia. A walk around old Phuket Town shows the Chinese influence clearly and much of Phuket Town was built on the back of tin mining money, as well as rubber, fishing, pineapples, shrimp farms and more. Phuket was already a fairly wealthy province before large scale tourism started. The Baba people in Phuket work hard to preserve the culture and traditions, and since many are "Phuket Town" folk, they also work hard on preserving the old town, with the support of people like Khun Somjai Suwansupana, mayor of Phuket City who is a Baba herself. The old town certainly is flourishing, with regular events and festivals being started in the last few years such as the Old Town Festival and the Baba Weddings - this is the 5th year for the wedding event. Back in 2010 I did not see the street parade, but did attend an event at the Hongyok House, family home of one of Phuket's "big" families - Babas one and all! I've missed the event the last couple of years due to work, but this year I saw that the street parade would be on a Sunday June 23rd starting 5pm, so I planned to dash to town from work. Just made it, as (amazingly) the parade started on time.





It was all costumes and smiles. The ladies certainly do dress up, whereas the Baba men go for simple suits. The parade was bigger than I was expecting, with more than just Baba costumes, but also entertainers, music, and people representing Phuket's many different cultures and religions. An announcer on a small stage set up on Thalang Road said something about Phuket being open to all. But I can tell you - quite a lot of the influence is in the Baba community. Big families who own large areas of land, many of whom started out as miners or shopkeepers back in the tin mining days. I am glad to see the old traditions being kept alive and handed on to the younger people.





Oh they love to dress up their little kids here! But in such ways, things are learned, the old way of life is preserved in more than just old photos, and the youngsters share in the events and festivals. Even the very little ones ...



As the street parade ended, there was a gathering at the Thai Hua Museum for a little photoshoot before the invited guests and wedding participants went off for a fancy dinner party at the Blue Elephant restaurant. There was a surprisingly large crowd of photographers and a couple of TV cameras too (news report - see here).





All aiming for the "group photo" (above) including 4 couples who were getting married, lots of older Baba ladies, the mayor, and the current governor of Phuket, Maitri Inthusut. There were also plenty of other well dressed people happy to be photographed. I was very glad to have found time to see the parade this year. Phuket has a lot of culture and history, often overlooked by sun seeking visitors, or ignored by those who assume Phuket has nothing more than tourist beaches. I am happy to say that Phuket has a lot more of interest than sea, sun, seafood and ladyboy cabaret shows (which I have never been to!). Coming up soon, 22 - 24 July is the Kathu street culture festival which takes place near my house. Then in August, the Por Tor (Hungry Ghost) Festival and in October the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. A lot to look forward to - every year!






Related Pages on Jamie's Phuket

Phuket Tin Mining Museum
Phuket Thai Hua History Museum
Phuket Old Town Festival
Kathu Street Culture Festival
Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Walking in Old Town

Read More

Since 1892 Cafe in Old Phuket Town

Phuket Town has lots of little cafes and restaurants, and I wish I had a lot more time to explore and visit more of them! And the old part of Phuket Town has been having a renaissance in the last few years. I mean, it's still very un-touristy, but with several streets being stripped of overhead wires and a good chunk of local investment, streets like Dibuk Road, Phang Nga Road, Soi Romanee and especially Thalang Road are looking great. Quite a few new places have opened recently, while some little local restaurants you can tell have been around for a long time! There are noodle shops, coffee shops, restaurants that do local food and restaurants that do pizza or Japanese food. As I have said many times, I like Phuket Town!

If we head to town in the evenings, we normally park on Thalang Road, and there are a few favourite bars and restaurants in the area (see links at the end of the page). On Saturday evening last week, we planned for an early dinner in town, and decided to have a coffee first. We had been into 'Since 1892' one time before. It opened in April 2012 and I had always wanted to go back with camera. I like cafes that have a little style and character and there are quite a few in the town.





Since 1892 is at the east end of Thalang Road near the junction with Phuket Road. Before being a cafe, it was a camera shop, and before that, I am sure many other things! It's an old style shophouse but has been decorated with old furniture, paintings, and clothes - in fact, everything in the shop is also for sale! There are antiques and old LP records and all kinds of arty little things.





We actually called in because I had seen a delicious looking cake on the Since 1892 Facebook Page, but darn, they were sold out. It was all cream and chocolate and banana. I have also seen another gorgeous looking cake - crepe with strawberry - on that page. Looks like I need to go again to find these cakes! This time I just ordered a coffee. The 'Hazelnut Latte' stood out from the crowd and 60 Baht, not too bad.



And it was good! I am actually not a coffee fanatic. I like a cup of coffee in the morning, but it's normally made from instant coffee, and I use Cofee-Mate too! Yeh, shoot me now. That's not to say I don't enjoy fancy coffee, but at 6:30am, I just want a hot caffeinated drink! Well, this hazelnut latte was something else, very tasty indeed ...



It's a very relaxed place, oh and they do have a small food menu too, and other drinks ... it's not just coffee and cakes. A few other people were sitting around while we were there.







Certainly, Since 1892 is a cafe I will visit again, and hope to get some cake next time! On the same street, Thalang Road, there is a real mix of businesses from old hardware shops, printers, Muslim fabric shops, guesthouses, cafes ... a few places that we enjoy include :

• Kopitiam Restaurant
• Route 68 Bar
• Abdul's Roti Shop

Since 1892 Cafe - Location Map


View Since 1892 Cafe, Phuket Town in a larger map

Read More

What to do on a Rainy Day in Phuket

Yes, it rains in Phuket! And it never ceases to amaze me that tourists seem shocked when the rain falls. Surely this is a tropical paradise with year-round sunshine and blue skies? Not exactly. You can get rain any time of year, although some months are drier on average than others. I have been doing the Phuket weather blog in conjunction with this blog since 2006, you can find a lot of weather info there, including archived weather reports for the last 7 years, Phuket rainfall averages, live webcams, lots of weather forecast links, and regular updates with photos. At the time of writing this page, it's June 2013, low season is here, aka wet season or monsoon season. It all sounds rather wet and scary, but actually much of the time you get decent weather in low season, just (on average) not as much sun as high season. It can be well on impossible to predict daily weather, and if anyone asks about weather in the next 5 months I say "some sun, some cloud, some rain, some nice days, some OK days and sometimes you will get a sh*tty rainy day!". Low season is OK, most of the time the weather is good, or at least not-too-bad! And low season has one big advantage - hotels are much cheaper!



(above) Here comes the rain - July 2012 at Karon Beach

The photo above is typical of some low season days - you might get rain like this, a quick heavy downpour lasting an hour, and then the rest of the day could be fine. Some days are like that, some have no rain, some are just grey and drizzly in a very Glaswegian way, and sometimes, maybe 3 - 4 times per year you get days and days of grey, wet days in a row .. and if your holiday happens to coincide with those days, sorry! I get a lot of comments on the blogs, and on my Facebook page from low season visitors saying they had mostly decent weather. If you come to Phuket from May to October, you can expect some wet days and obviously you won't be hitting the beach or wanting to go out sailing or diving on those days. It's the high season tourists who are more shocked by rain. Sure it can rain in December or January, peak season. Phuket is tropical, green, and you don't get all that green without rain!



(above) Wet, windy and very green!

So, be prepared. Don't worry if it rains! Not every day is sunny, but every day can be great! Have a small umbrella handy, and figure that some days very rarely might be a total washout when you can consider a massage, a movie, a beer and a long leisurely lunch! I know it's kind of hit and miss, and sometimes you might book a tour and have to go out and get wet anyway, but hopefully the sun will come out. ... a dry bag is a good thing to have. This happened to us a few weeks ago on a trip to Koh Tachai Island - we got soaked on the way there, but later it was all blue skies.

Fortune favours the brave! Some days if you see a bit of rain, just go out anyway! Try to follow the blue sky, and if the rain pours, find a place to sit with a drink and a smile. Normally it does not last long. I know it's different for me .. I live here, so I can afford to do nothing on a rainy day .. but many times we will just head out in the car and drive out of the rain, because rain can often be localised. It can be raining cats and dogs on your hotel in Patong, but could be a nice day in Phuket Town :)

But given that most people won't fancy a day out in the rain, or maybe won't want to book a day trip on a boat if the forecast looks bad, it's good to know that you can do things in Phuket which won't involve getting too wet. Or you can just go off on your trip to Phang Nga Bay or Khao Sok anyway, probably have a good, if wet, time!



(above) Rain on the roof of our bungalow at Khao Sok National Park

So my message is ... most of the time, never mind a bit of rain. Go out, carry an umbrella and a dry bag. I think most people will agree, but of course some days really are wet, and although it's "only water" and the rain here is warm .. I think we'd all prefer a dry sunny day to be out sightseeing. So, I better recommend some indoor activities. Please don't mope around your hotel room looking out the window. Too wet to go out, too wet to play ball. Rain always looks worse from indoors. Once you're out, it's not so bad, we used to tell ourselves in the cycling club :) OK, so, enough rambling, hope you get the idea that the rain is normally not so bad. But yes, you may need some indoor ideas. Something more than just drinking a beer and trying to find a decent channel on the hotel room TV (good luck!)

Watch a Movie

As I have 2 kids, if we get stuck for something to do, and the weather really is bad ... we check what's on at the cinema. There are multiplex cinemas at the Jungceylon mall in Patong and the Central Festival mall just outside Phuket Town. Add in a couple of hours shopping and eating (the malls have places to eat too, a favourite of ours is the Fuji Japanese restaurant in Central), and you have a half day out. You can find the movie schedules online : Jungceylon and Central Festival.

Phuket Aquarium

We've been here so many times! Cheap entry fee, lots to see, and maybe if you take a taxi from the beaches you can fit in a visit to a viewpoint like Rang Hill or Khao Khad Viewpoint too if it's not too rainy. The aquarium is mostly indoors, though there is a nature trail outside leading to the turtle breeding center.

• Phuket Aquarium - More Information



Museums in Phuket

Although the tourism in Phuket is mostly centered around the beaches, Phuket has a number of good museums, all are indoors, making an ideal place to visit on a wet day. There's the tin mining museum, the Thai Hua history museum, the Seashell museum, Chinpracha House (an old mansion in Phuket Town). Phuket has a lot more history and culture than most people realise!

• Phuket Museums - More Information



(above) Inside the Phuket Tin Mining Museum

Massages and Spas

Something people associate with Thailand, either in a health-related way, or a more "nightlife" related way. You will hear the word "Massage" called at you from the street in Patong. Especially if you are a single male. I'm not really into massage myself, never feel so stressed that it's needed. My wife and I did get membership a few years ago at the Royal Phuket Spa, we had a very nice massage there in a room for couples. And the Raintree Spa in Phuket Town is recommended too. Of course many hotels have their own spa / massage services too. It's pretty much impossible to open a new hotel now without adding "and spa" to the name :)



Visit a Temple

If it's just a bit wet and grey, get the umbrella out and get away from the beach, visit a temple. Phuket has plenty of them! Chalong temple is the most visited, but there are temples near all the main beaches, and many more all around the island, some with interesting histories.

• Phuket Temples - More Information



(above) It doesn't have to be a sunny day to visit a temple!

Old Phuket Town

A couple of the museums are in the old town, so it would make sense to take a walk too (with umbrella). Along Thalang Road and the surrounding area there are lots of cafes and restaurants, small shops, old houses ... some of the streets have covered walkways through the arches, at least for small sections. Not ideal for a really wet day, but a drizzly day .. sure. Museum, coffee, lunch, museum, beer, enjoy the old town... we walk here often! Stop by a restaurant like Kopitiam for some local food, enjoy the smells at the herb shop next door, try a traditional Muslim Roti, and take lots of photos!



(above) Chinese Herb Shop in Phuket Town

More Ideas for a Rainy Day

In the evenings there are plenty of shows you can watch (indoors) like Phuket Fantasea or the Simon Cabaret ladyboy show, or the new Siam Niramit show, or some Thai boxing in Patong. During the day, maybe a Thai cooking class, or some shopping at one of the malls, or (mostly for ladies) visit a beauty salon, or how about a Yoga class?

Tours and days out can be booked with my friends at Easy Day Thailand. Never mind a bit of rain. As a friend of mine used to say on our bike rides many years ago, "you won't dissolve". And remember the rain is warm here! Having said all this, there are occasional days when we just stay home, but then maybe the rain stops and we quickly dash out to make something of the day. You only live each day once.



(above) View from Rang Hill in Phuket Town. It does not have to be a perfect sunny day to get a great view and have a nice day!

If you're worried about the weather, keep up with latest news by following me on Twitter and check the Phuket Weather blog now and then too! But really, don't worry too much. Weather in Phuket is rarely that bad, and there's always things to do. We don't get typhoons, though sometimes in low season it can blow quite hard. Even in low season it's more sun than rain, just carry a small umbrella and a dry bag with you :) And enjoy Phuket. And .. as a bonus, in the low season, the hotels are really cheap too!

Oh and you might want to buy one of these ... a plastic raincoat, normally about 20 - 25 Baht in a shop :

Read More