Mama Noi Restaurant at Karon Beach

I have probably eaten more at Mama Noi as much as any other restaurant in Phuket. Why? Well, it's just round the corner from where I work at Sunrise Divers in Karon Beach, about 1 minutes walk from door to door. Sure, there are a few other nearby options such as a (very) local roadside restaurant that does great Phad Thai for 40 Baht, a place called "3 Siblings" which is over the road from the 7-11 100m away which does simple cheap Thai food, and the very good Sala Bua which is part of the Karon Place Hotel and only open in high season, but Mama Noi keeps me coming back.

You'll find Mama Noi next to the Siam Commercial Bank, just off the back road (Patak Road). It's easy enough to find and always looks clean and welcoming, with green plants and many colourful orchids hanging outside. There's nothing really fancy here, but it has many regular customers (myself included) - foreign and Thai alike. A restaurant with regular local customers is always a good sign.





Inside you may notice signs saying "Self Service", and indeed this is half true. You will need to place your order at the counter, then take your own cutlery and glass of water to your table. Drinks are in a large glass front fridge - again, self service. BUT, not all drinks are in there. I almost always order a banana milkshake (Kluay Pan) - the best I have found anywhere and only 30 Baht!

Food - the name Mama Noi suggests Italian connections and the original owner (as far as I know) used to live in Italy. The western menu includes pasta, lasagne, salads, sandwiches, chicken and chips and more, while the Thai menu includes basically any Thai dish you can think of. My current favourites - Yellow Vegetable Curry (Gaeng Garee Pak), Fried Pork in special sauce (Moo Phad Mama Noi), Chicken Penang Curry (Penang Gai)... The minestrone soup is not bad either and the sandwiches are decent.. the Massaman curry is good too.. in fact I don't really recall a duff meal here though the fried rice tends to be rather bland.



It's a popular place, price is OK (not super local cheap, but not expensive) - for example, the curries will be around 80 Baht, fried rice 60 Baht, and did I mention the excellent 30 Baht milkshakes...? (Update 2013, prices have risen since this was written in 2007!)




More Karon Beach Information

Suggested Hotels in Karon Beach
Karon Beach Guide

Mama Noi Location Map


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Tri Trang Beach Resort Phuket

Do I hear cries of "where the heck is Tri Trang Beach"? Let me tell you about it. We just went that way a couple of weeks ago (see Tri Trang & Paradise Beach), and we have visited Tri Trang beach many times in the last 6 years. It's only a few kilometers from Patong, at the south end of Patong Bay, along the winding road past the Merlin Beach Resort, and yet somehow remains a hidden gem. There is one hotel on this beach - the Tri Trang Beach Resort. It looks good and I am assured that the rooms are big and the service is decent...but I have one word for you - location, location, location. This is pretty much a private beach given the lack of intrusion from other tourists, and yet you are just 10 minutes drive from the center of Patong for some crazee nightlife and all the food you can eat!

The room rates are not bad either, especially for low season - and this beach is more sheltered than many since it faces north, so big waves are not a problem. Tri Trang Beach is a place I can really recommend if you like a bit of seclusion but still close to the main tourist areas. But, shhh! Don't tell too many people about it! I think the reason that this beach stays quiet is that the access is via a small road that says "Tri Trang Beach Resort" so people assume it's private. In fact you can also just go there and use the beach and eat in the restaurant, but since people don't realise this, the beach near the hotel is all yours...

Tri Trang Beach Resort - Online Booking and Reviews

• Tri Trang Beach Resort Rates and Reservations by Agoda.com
• Tri Trang Beach Resort Reviews at Agoda.com

Tri Trang Beach 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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Koh Sirey (Sirey Island)

Just to the east of Phuket Town, just a few kilometers from the center, past the fishing port and the Rassada pier (from where you catch the ferry to Phi Phi), you cross a short bridge to Koh Sirey (or Koh Siray if you prefer). Every now and then, we "take a drive" in this direction. We like to take drives and over the years have explored just about every road in Phuket! As you cross the bridge to Koh Siray you'll see fishing boats in the narrow channel between Phuket and Sirey island.





The channel and the surrounding land are full of mangroves where you can spot monkeys most of the time. A "monkey seeing" viewpoint was set up a few years ago. It's a bit dirty and there are better places to see monkeys in Phuket like Monkey Hill or Bang Rong.



Sirey Island is only about 20 square kilometers, and you can drive all around the island in half an hour. Much of the island is hilly and there are lots of rubber plantations. Around the coast there used to be small fishing villages, but development is catching up! There are a number of villas being built and some very big seaview houses around the shoreline. This has only recently been noticed as prime real estate. The Westin Siray Bay hotel opened a few years ago and is the only big hotel in the area. Some of the coastal views and quiet roads are fantastic.







There are still sea gypsies (Chao Ley) on the island, and you can visit their village at Laem Tukkae (see photo above - view over the village as seen from Koh Sirey temple). The village suffered some damage in the 2004 tsunami and some new houses were built for them nearby, but as far as I can see the old village is now back to normal and the new houses that were built look terrible. There is a certain amount of old traditional sea gypsy life here. But do also expect to see 20 stalls selling shells. The few photos of the village on this page were taken back in 2004. One of these days I need to go take some new photos!





We go for drives around Koh Sirey now and then. The views can be very nice and we really like the temple on the hill which features a big reclining Buddha statue (see more here : Koh Sirey Temple). The area is very quiet. There are a couple of local seafront restaurants that offer great views along with decent, inexpensive food. We went to "Haad Pleum Suk" a couple of times. The food is decent, the beach there is clean and with views to the east across the sea to Koh Yao Yai. If you're staying in Phuket Town, it's only 15 minutes to drive on a bike over to Koh Sirey and well worth the effort. I think another drive is due soon!



Koh Siray (Koh Sirey) - Location Map


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Paradise Beach and Tri Trang Beach

Picture this...Patong Beach...crowds...tuk tuks...tailors...bars...McDonalds...jet skis...traffic... To put it mildly, not my favourite place in Phuket. And yet, just a few minutes away you can find a sort of paradise. Just head to the far south end of the beach, follow the road over the bridge and over the hill towards the Merlin Beach Resort, then go a bit further.

It looks like the road isn't really going anywhere, but keep the faith! On the right you will find the entrance to the Tri Trang Beach Resort, which may not sound all that interesting, but the beach is very nice, very uncrowded and yet within easy reach of a Big Mac and fries! The hotel looks decent - I think it woud be a great place to stay (it's all about location) and there is the bizarrely named "Fine Thank" restaurant right by the beach.





We didn't stop there for long on Saturday, just to take a couple of photos, though we have eaten in the restaurant before, and been to the beach many times in the past. A little further along the road is the other end of Tritrang beach, which also has a small restaurant, but it looks a bit worn and the beach not as nice. There has always been a steep dirt road that carries on over the hill. Finally this road has now been paved, and will lead you to "Paradise Beach". It's a narrow and twisty road. Sound your horn to warn any traffic that may be coming the other way and be aware that in places the road is just about wide enough for a car and nothing else.

I recall diving off Paradise beach several times a few years back. A "not bad" bit of reef considering the location. Plenty of fish, water not too murky. A line of buoys offshore marks the moorings. Longtails from Patong will bring people here for snorkeling. Being that this is the low season, Paradise beach was very quiet on Saturday. We sat and ate and drank and some people swam or snorkeled. No noise, a very peaceful place. I somehow forgot my snorkel gear, so I reckon we might go back next week!



It's not a big beach, but with blue waters, clean sand, nice boulders ("that's a nice boulder", said Donkey) and a view over the water. There's a small restaurant serving Thai or western food and not at rip off prices. They have snorkel gear and kayaks for rent. You can see part of Patong beach from there; well, more like Kalim really, but otherwise there is a remote feel to the beach and you can pretend that tourist central isn't just up the road. Yes, there are some beach chairs for rent at Paradise beach, but this is a lovely place to escape for a while.






Note - this blog post was written back in 2007. Here's an updated post:

• Paradise Beach near Patong
• Suggested Hotels in the Patong Beach area

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Phuket Aquarium - Great for the kids

May 2007... You know, I've lost count of how many times we have been to Phuket Aquarium with the kids. We first went years ago before our daughter was a year old, and we've been back again and again. It's cheap to get in, I love looking at fish, we like the Cape Panwa area, it's airconditioned, so is good for hot days OR rainy days and it never seems too crowded.

The aquarium was already on this blog back in 2006 but now they have a new section - an outdoor "nature trail" with a path along the shore for a couple of hundred metres, a turtle breeding centre and a "marine endangered species unit" which we still need to check out (Saturday was too hot and my son was in need of rest).

Indoors are countless species, mostly in small display tanks, though there is the "tunnel" - not a huge tunnel, but you do have water all around and fish overhead. The big tank has a couple of larger species like leopard shark, eagle ray and some pelagics like trevallies dashing around. You can spend an hour indoors, though if you have kids they will charge around rather like the trevallies from tank to tank - "ooh! look at this one", "wow, look at that", and as dad the diver (me) tries to explain the hunting habits of the lionfish, they find Nemo or an electric eel or a "what's that daddy?"...




At the exit is a souvenir shop that should please all tourists. Nothing in there that really takes my fancy. But it is airconditioned, so worth browsing a few minutes on a hot day! A small shop sells drinks and snacks, but there is no restaurant. Next to the shop, steps lead down to the nature trail and you walk past the water filters and pumps for the tanks along the rather nice shoreline.




Along the shore are some interesting signs explaining about plants and birds and giving environmental advice...

 

A little way along is a little marine research boat which is now beached. The kids enjoyed "taking the wheel", and we sat there in the shade for a few minutes looking at the view and pretending to be sailors. Just after the boat are some open water pools where we found baby turtles. The marine biological center has a turtle breeding program. The baby turtles were obviously used to seeing people and rushed across to see us - sorry, we don't have any food...



And a little farther you find a pool containing adult turtles of several different species - the photo below shows 2 hawksbill turtles. At the shallow end is an artificial beach no more than about 15 meters square - we could see the marks on the sand made by turtle flippers.



The path does not end at the turtles. You can also see the endangered species unit, but we'll have to see that next time, as it was a hot day and we dashed back to the shop for drinks. We'll be back again sometime soon!

Updated - for more information and photos, look at this newer, updated post:

• Phuket Aquarium updated 2012

Also around Cape Panwa:

• Khao Kad Viewpoint
• Cape Panwa Hotel
• Panwa Beach Resort
• The Beach Bar

Phuket Aquarium - Location Map


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Rawai Beach

Update 2013 - There is a new page on the blog about Rawai Beach. The post here was from 2007.

Rawai beach is found on the south side of Phuket, between Chalong Bay and Phromthep Cape. It's not a swimming beach really, and there are only a few accommodation options close by (such as the Evason Resort, just to the east of Rawai). What you can find there in profusion are small beachside restaurants with foot-high tables on the beach, mostly no more than shacks selling grilled fish, crab, chicken. You sit on a mat on the floor and eat simple food by the sea. There used to be just a few of these places a few years back, now half the beach is covered in them. When we stopped on Sunday it was very busy too..mostly local people. In fact I don't think I saw a foreign face. There are some other restaurants around which have discovered chairs and tables and the foreigners do tend to eat at these. But for a local taste - sit on the floor! Also you find a fair number of small bars and good dining by the beach such as the long-popular Nikitas Bar, a British owned bar/restaurant which has been there since before time began!

• Hotels in the Rawai beach area





Aside from the restaurants you can find multitudes of boats at Rawai - you can rent boats here to Koh Lone, Koh Bon, Koh He (Coral Island), Racha Yai and more. We do intend to check out Koh Bon one day, and I think the boats here will take people round to Koh Kaew too - a small island off Phromthep Cape with a golden Buddha on the beach. (update 2013 - yes, we did this trip a few years ago : Boat from Rawai beach to Koh Kaew Yai / Buddha Island)



At the far east end of the beach you find a little fishing community with a daily market selling fresh fish and prawns. There are also some "touristy" stalls selling shells and other such souvenirs of the sea. The market is small but gives an idea of the old way of life. Phuket still has many fishing communities around the coast despite the tourism that has taken over many of the western beaches. We bought some fish and I took a few photos. (update 2013 - there are now a bunch of restaurants there by the fish market, so you can buy fresh fish and then take it to a restaurant where they will cook it for you).









The Southwest corner of Phuket is great for small beaches, views, seafood and a bit of peace and quiet. You can visit Rawai, eat at Kan Eang 2 Seafood in Chalong, get the view at Phromthep Cape, stop at Ya Nui beach, get the sunset at the Kata Viewpoint. If you get the idea - it's a nice area of Phuket!

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Boat Lagoon - Another side of Phuket

Quite aside from the "tourists", be they backpacking, flashpacking, on package tours, on a dive trip, here for the nightlife - whatever.. there is another side to Phuket that many don't know about. Phuket is home to several yacht marinas, there is a thriving boat building industry, there's the Kings Cup sailing event every year.. in short, there's lots of yachties around!

You'll find yachts in the high season moored in every bay from Bang Tao to Chalong, but these are open bays and offer little in the way of boat services or security. Boat Lagoon is found on the east coast, about 10km north of Phuket Town and is way more than just a marina or boat park. When you enter it's like a different world. You could be in a marina in France. Where has Thailand gone? Everything is neat and tidy, and if you like boats you're in dreamland. I love to look at them and dream of being a rich man! OK, not all boats are super expensive, but in Boat Lagoon you'll see some beautiful craft. Well worth stopping here for a quick look.



We stop in sometimes to walk around, look at boats, maybe have a coffee and cake at "The Bakery" - they also do great sandwiches and salads. There is also a restaurant here called The Watermark which is a bit too posh for us. We also use the pool at the Boat Lagoon Resort sometimes. Very nice place to stay if you like boats and are not bothered about being close to a beach.





Boat Lagoon also has houses and apartments, a supermarket and plenty of shops for yachties (selling a multitude of gadgets and essential bits for your boat). There are also yacht rental and sales centers. The boats are everywhere, in and out of the water. Boats are serviced here and they have some huge boat cranes for lifting boats out of the water. Like I say, if you like boats, this has to be on your list of places to see in Phuket.





Phuket Boat Lagoon - Location Map


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Boat Lagoon and Yachting Links

• Boat Lagoon Resort
• Boat Lagoon Website
• Phuket Kings Cup
• Phuket Race Week
• Phuket International Boat Show

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