The Nap - Patong holiday package

Lobby at X2 Vibe Patong Beach Hotel

X2 Vibe Patong Beach Hotel is a chic and stylish resort hotel located just a few steps from Patong Beach, home of Phuket's night life a and shopping. The area surrounding the hotel is very tranquil so a quiet sleep at night is secured while Bangla Road, heart of night life and shopping, is just 10 minutes walk or a short tuktuk ride away. 

The atmosphere in the hotel is unique, thanks to the modern design and lighting system.

• Five different styles of  rooms for all budgets and wishes, from the simple Day Dream Deluxe room to the luxurious Signature Pool Villa. Perfect for couples, honeymooners and families.
• Less than one minute walk from the beach and 5-10 minute walk to Patong vibrant nightlife and shopping spots.
• The rooftop swimming pool, the NAM (New Ayurvedic Massage) Spa, the fitness center and the "76 Bar & Dine" make it the perfect place to stay.
• Free WiFi in all rooms and lobby,  
• Complimentary Mini Bar with daily refill.

Pool and terrace

Bar & Restaurant

Day Dream Deluxe Room

The location definitely makes this hotel the perfect base for your Holiday in Phuket giving easy access to the best night life and shopping opportunities, as well as being a central starting point for all main destinations for day tours in and around Phuket Island, all with a high quality of stay. This small stylish hotel focuses on customer service so that all guests feel like VIP's, value for money is great.

Enjoy your holiday at The Nap starting from

4,050 Thai Baht per person
Three days two nights

Inclusive of private return airport transfer (Phuket Airport), two nights accommodation in twin or double sharing Day Dream Deluxe room with breakfast, tax and insurance

For information and booking don't hesitate to ask Easy Day Thailand team

How to get there - from Phuket airport you take the main highway south towards the centre of the highway, then following the signs for the beaches turn onto the bypass road. At the big Tesco Lotus intersection turn right following the sign "Patong Beach", then keep going straight for about 8 Km and over the hill to reach Patong. At the bottom of the hill turn right and then turn left into the first road past the Mosque (Rathuthit 200 Pi Road). At the third junction (corner Ban Sainamyen School) turn right to reach the Beach Road and then turn right again keeping the beach on your left hand side. On the beach road turn right at the first junction (corner football field), about 50 more meters and you will finally find The Nap on your left.

X2 Vibe Patong Beach Hotel
5/55 Haad Patong Road., Patong Beach,
Kathu, Phuket 83150, Thailand
For more information about Phuket see our Phuket travel guide.

If you have been at this hotel please leave your comment

The Memory at On On Hotel Phuket town holidays package

On On Hotel in Phuket Town

The On On Hotel was Phuket's first hotel, opened in 1929.  It was featured in the 1999 film "The Beach".  During 2012 & 2013 the  Hotel was fully refurbished and reopened under the new name of The Memory at On On Hotel.

Originally designed as a place for international merchants and sailors to stay and conduct business this classic Sino-Portugese style building has been lovingly renovated to recapture it's original charm the Memory at On On Hotel takes you back to the 1920's

• Colonial style hotel in the centre of Phuket town ideal for a transit stop over
• Offers suites, rooms and dormitories to suit all budgets
• In the heart of the Old City
• Large communal lounge, Bakery and Coffee shop on site, close to many different styles of restaurant
• Free Wi-fi throughout the hotel





On On Memory Deluxe Room





The Memory at On On Hotel welcomes you with Colonial era charm and classic Thai hospitality. A different way to see Phuket and perfect for a transit stop over on your way to Phi Phi or the Islands of the Gulf of Thailand.

Enjoy your holidays at The Memory at On On Hotel Phuket starting from

2,500 Thai Baht per person
Three days, two nights

Inclusive of return airport transfers (Phuket Airport), two nights accommodation in twin or double sharing Superior room, tax and insurance.

For information and booking don't hesitate to ask Easy Day Thailand team

How to get there -  Enter Phuket town on the main highway, Thep Krasattri Road, and continue along this until you enter the one way system. Once in the one way sytem continue straight on along the road until you reach the last junction in the one way system, here you turn right onto Ratsada road, continue straight on until you reach a traffic circle, here turn right and then then first right again onto Phang Nga road. Just ahead of you to your left is the hotel.
The Memory at On On Hotel
19 Phang-Nga Rd, Talad Yai, A Muang
Phuket 83000, Thailand
For more information about Phuket see our travel guide

If you have been at this hotel please leave your comment 

Phuket Weather 6 June 2013

Another day we can't complain about. Like yesterday the sky over Phuket Island has been mostly covered by a thin veil of clouds, sun was shining for most part of the day and we got no rain at all.

In the morning on my way back from Phuket Town I stopped at Bang Wad Reservoir in Kathu and took this picture. 

Bang Wad Reservoir in Kathu

We can see that water level in the "lake" is quite low meaning that it's not raining much in the overall, so for those who are not confident in coming to Phuket during the low season...don't be scared! 

Nothing to do in Phuket??

Staying here on the island paradise of Phuket and looking to enjoy all that it has to offer – Beautiful beaches, National parks, spa and massage, shopping centers, tropical jungles and a spectacular night life for those so inclined. But so far you and your family have gone to the beach; visited Jung Ceylon, spending some time wondering around window shopping; and lay out by the pool at your hotel if you have a pool.

You are wondering what else there is to do or maybe you have seen some ads for fun adventures and are unsure how to partake of these adventures. Give us call at Easy Day Thailand and we can discuss all the various options and make your arrangements, taking the stress out and putting the adventure in your vacation.

Interested in any of the below Activities or Tours?  Find out more Now!

Follow along as I outline some of the great attractions on Phuket in the Kathu area that you may have missed but that will make this an exciting vacation for you family’s scrapbooks.

Wake Park Phuket

Ever want to try water skiing or maybe you are already an expert and want to get in a little practice, but haven’t found a good place for the whole family – Phuket Cable Ski is the answer. At Phuket Cable Ski & Phuket Wake Boarding you can ski in fresh clean water on the specially designed lake, which is 410 meters long, 110 meters wide and 2 meters deep so when you feel a little hot it’s also a great place to cool off in the water that is fresh from the mountain streams of Kathu waterfall just up the valley. The whole area is surrounded by palm trees and lush vegetation and it’s a really relaxing place. So whether you’re a expert or a newbie, there is something fun for everyone.

And if you want to relax and wonder about a beautiful waterfall, taking those breath taking pictures that can fill your photo albums once you are home – Kathu Waterfalls is just the place. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately the best time to see the falls at their best is during the rainy season when the waters are flowing at their fullest, but then this is low season here, so not so many crowds.

Perhaps Golf is the family sport or maybe it is just Mom or Dad’s passion, well either way, Phuket has six fine golf courses, all of which have been designed to take full advantage of the island's tropical trees and abundant water. Not a "real" golfer? Than visit the Phuket Adventure Mini Golf course in Bang Tao.

Looking for more speed and the excitement of race car driving - There are two go-kart tracks in Kathu; Patong Gokart Speedway and Phuket Kart Speedway and both tracks offer a number of different karts to choose from including standard karts, race karts, double seaters and kids' karts. And they are located just over the hills from Patong and close to the Kathu Waterfall.

Phuket Bike Tours

Not looking for that much speed, but something a little slower with more scenery – let us recommend one of the bike tours here in Phuket. Is there a better way to see beautiful Thailand close up than while pedaling through the country side on a bicycle. Imagine, biking along the quiet roads, in the shade of rubber trees and coconut groves with sound of birds and insects filling the morning air. You will realize every moment, how much more enjoyable a place can be when the pace is slow and leisurely.

Ever want to look do on the Jungle floor from high among the canopy of trees – Flying Hanuman is just what the doctor ordered then. Flying Hanuman is an adventure like no other on Phuket and there are similar such attractions around the world. It gives you the opportunity to take in the island’s beauty far beyond the sea, sun and sand that it is famous for. The hillsides of Kathu overflow with a thick forest that is perfect for flying among the jungle canopy. What Flying Hanuman has achieved is to provide travelers with exceptional opportunity, enjoyment, excitement and memories without impacting the natural balance within the forest environment surrounding it.

I have mentioned seeing the jungle while water skiing, and from the seat of a bicycle as you pedal around and even from high in the canopy while sliding from tree top to tree top. But how does riding on the back of huge elephant as it stomps through the jungle sound? Just tell us that you would like to try this adventure and we can set it all up at the best of the many elephant trekking companies.

Perhaps you would enjoy the thrill of knocking down those pesky targets in a relaxed atmosphere or maybe a little skeet shooting outdoors is more to your liking – There are several shooting ranges in the Kathu area that offer a variety of target shooting options, but be careful of that sore shoulder the next day. Be sure to hold the rifle or shotgun tight to your shoulder when you pull the trigger.

Or perhaps you would like to see the more cultural side of Phuket, like the Big Buddha. There are, in fact, two Buddha images. A smaller one, 12 metres high, is made of 22 tons of brass. It is dwarfed by the giant Buddha image facing eastward toward Chalong Bay and Phang Nga Bay beyond. The Phra Puttamingmongkol Akenakkiri Buddha – to give it its official name – is 45 metres high and 25 metres across at the base.

Wat Chalong

Included in your tour you will discover some of Phuket's many Buddhist Temples and museums. The largest temple is Wat Chalong, which can be very busy with locals and tourists, especially on those special Buddist Holidays throughout the year, but there are small temple in every area. If you want more of a local flavor and a bit of history be sure and mention you also want to visit some of Phukets fine museums. The Thalang National Museum, the Tin Mining Museum, the Thai Hua Museum and the Philatelic Museum are all interesting. Also worth a visit is the Phuket Butterfly Garden and Insect World. There is something for everyone and it's always a good option if the sun is not shining in Phuket.

How about a nice quiet tour around Phuket to see some of the fabulous viewpoints so you have loads of great pictures to impress the folks back home. There are plenty of hills and viewpoints. Phromthep Cape & Kata View Point are probably the most visited places. Not as popular; but also offering excellent views are Rang Hill & Monkey Hill in Phuket Town or Radar Hill, the hill overlooking Patong Beach

Don’t be discouraged if you have missed any of these or the many more attractions there are for the family here in Phuket and the surrounding islands…Contact us here at Easy Day Thailand and we can discuss a custom tour for your family to visit the places you want to see.

More about Tours & Activities ...

Phuket Weather 15 May 2013

Today wind changed bringing the Summer Monsoon to Phuket and Easy Day Thailand started to record weather conditions. This post isn't meant to make forecast or stats just to let you know how weather is in Phuket today and give some basic information about on what is going on in the Pearl of Andaman sky and sea.

We will try to put online a new picture everyday with information.

On 15 May 2013, afternoon, the large clouds are at horizon as now wind blows from South West bringing the humidity from open ocean, but cooling down the hot air. Waves are small but constantly breaking on the beach...happy surfers.

Surfer at Kata Beach - Phuket

Today didn't rain all day From now until Monsoon will turn from North East it is dangerous to swim in the sea from West coast beaches. As South West Monsoon brings a dangerous rip current.

View of Patong from the hillside

Best is book and hotel with a nice swimming pool. For forecast and more information

https://www.tmd.go.th/en/province.php?id=75\

http://www.phuketweather.net/

Sarasin Bridge - Phuket Island

What is commonly referred to as Sarasin Bridge is in fact three bridges over the Pak Prah Strait connecting Phuket Island to Mainland Thailand at Tha Noon in Phang Nga Province.

The original Bridge which was named the Sarasin Bridge (after a former Prime Minister) was built in 1967 replacing the old ferry which was once the only vehicle crossing to Phuket.

This bridge became famous in Thailand after the double suicide of “Dam and Gew” a Romeo and Juliet style story – him a lowly bus driver and her a student from a very wealthy local family. A Thai Film was made of this story called the Bridge of Love. More about the tragic story here.

Over the years the level of traffic crossing to and from the Island has increased massively, this lead to the construction of a second bridge (Thao Thepkrasattri Bridge) around the turn of the Millennium. This new bridge was used for all southbound traffic heading on to the Island while Sarasin Bridge then carried the Northbound traffic off the Island.

With the original bridge aging, traffic levels increasing and a call from the boating fraternity to allow passage through the strait a new bridge started construction in 2009 and was completed in 2011. This new bridge which lies in between the two older bridges has been named the Thao Srisoonthorn Bridge.

It is believed that the Thepkrasattri Bridge was named due to it being on Thepkrasattri Road, however naming the new bridge Srisoothorn links both bridges to Phuket's heritage as these were the Royal names bestowed on Than Puying Chan (wife of the then recently deceased governor of Phuket) and her sister Khun Muk – Phuket's “Heroines” - after they saved Phuket from Burmese invasion in 1785. A statue of these two women, known as the Heroines Monument stands in the centre of a traffic circle on the main highway south of Phuket airport.

With the opening of the Srisoonthorn bridge all the northbound traffic has been diverted to the new bridge and the old Sarasin bridge has been closed to traffic and renovated as a pedestrian promenade. As part of the renovations the central section has been raised (to allow boats to pass under) and a viewpoint tower has been added at either end of the raised section. Already this has become a very popular sunset viewpoint for both locals and tourists.

More on tours in Thailand at www.easydaythailand.com

Easy Day Phuket

The Easy Day Thailand team is currently creating a brand new website dedicated to Phuket Island.

www.EasyDayPhuket.com 

New design, more information about tours, activities, things to do, Photo galleries and many more ...

Reviews - Brinda & OV

"Dear Diego,

 

As our first vacation together, we, OV and me could not have asked for more... A small memento from us for you and the team.

 

Season's Greetings and wishes for a Wonderful New Year!

 

Best Regards
Brinda and OV"

 Return to Reviews and Comments

Phuket Weather

Ahhh.. the weather, everyone’s favorite subject. Or so it would seem based on the number of conversations that revolve around it. 

Here in Phuket is no different although many people who only visit occasionally always want to ask the locals if this week’s weather is typical or when is the rain going to stop? How often have you found yourself wondering or asking these questions? So let’s look at the facts behind Phuket’s weather patterns to make sense out of what seems to be random occurrences of bad weather.
 
The climate is dictated by the monsoon winds. That is the direction of the prevailing winds caused by the difference in the way oceans and land retain heat. During the summer from April to October, the great land mass of Asia is warmer than the ocean. The colder, heavier air over the Indian Ocean pushes into the warm air over the continental land mass. This causes the prevailing winds to come from the southwest over the Indian Ocean, bringing warm moist air and rain to Phuket. As the Asian continent cools from November to April, the ocean becomes warmer than the land. The prevailing wind direction changes to come from the northeast. That is from the great land mass of China bringing cooler, drier air and good weather to Phuket. 
 

Phuket has a tropical climate, more specifically a tropical monsoon climate, with a dry season from November to April and a rain from May to October, with little or no rain between June and August . Average temperatures are consistent year-round. Average highs range from 29 °C (84 °F) to 33 °C (91 °F); average lows range from 23 °C (73 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F). Notice that the high and low temperature ranges do not vary more than 4 to 6 degrees annually. Now that is not to say that on occasion we don’t get a really hot or cool spell, but these are infrequent and really don’t effect the average ranges.

So if you visit from a winter climate, that you can expect that you will feel comfortable to warm, but if you come from a similar or even hotter climate you might feel cool. And if you visit during summer, than you can expect to get rained on occasionally to sometimes daily. Here is a chart illustrating the temperature ranges by month:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °C	32	33	33	33	32	31	31	31	31	31	31	31
High °F	90	91	91	91	90	88	88	88	88	88	88	88
Low °C	23	24	24	25	26	25	26	26	24	24	24	23
Low °F	73	75	75	77	79	77	79	79	75	75	75	73

For those of you planning on spending some time enjoying the waters around our beautiful island and who isn’t, the average sea temperature range from 28 °C (82 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F). This indicates that whether you are scuba diving, snorkeling or just splashing about in the waves, the water will be comfortable.

Now lets look at that all important statistic that is on every ones’ mind, rain fall, what is the true data behind the dry season and wet season, as the following charts clearly show, May through October as mentioned above are the ‘rainy’ season, with May, September and October being the monsoon months here is Phuket

 

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
mm	42	30	60	157	345	286	284	272	417	351	188	71
Days	5	3	4	9	18	17	19	17	21	19	14	8

 

As you would expect the humidity ranges and hours of sunshine per day tend to follow the same schedule as the rain season:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
%	58	56	58	65	73	74	75	74	78	76	72	63
Hours	8	9	8	9	8	7	8	8	7	7	7	8

One important warning: during summer winds bring large waves and dangerous undercurrents to Phuket's western beaches. Red flags are raised on the beaches to warn of dangerous conditions. Do not swim in the sea if there are red flags.

For your planning purposes here is a quick month by month summary of what to expect from the weather when visiting Phuket:

January

It will be beautiful. Lots of blue sky, very little rainfall and temperatures are comfortably hot.

February

It will be beautiful. Lots of blue sky and normally no rain. The temperatures are starting to rise but sill in the comfortably hot range.

March

It will be beautiful but the temperature starts to get hotter. There is lots of blue sky and some thunderstorm.

April

Temperatures can reach a high level, so during Thai New Year (Song Kran) people enjoy two or three days splashing water to each other. The month starts with plenty of blue sky but usually, at some point towards the end of this month some rain arrives.

May

The wind will change bringing rain that can be heavy during second half. This is the second wettest month of the year. Strong storms are normal and can rain for long periods. On the plus side, the temperature drops back to levels that are more comfortable.

June

Summer starts with short downpours and strong wind . There are often several days without rain and there is some blue sky in the breaks. Temperatures are comfortable with a cooling breeze.

July

The downpours are an inconvenience but not a major annoyance. Normally Phuket has several days without rain and there is sky in the breaks. Wind is down and temperatures are comfortable with a cooling breeze.

August

This is almost a mini high-season month. The school holidays in Europe mean a lot of people choose this month to visit and take advantage of the low-season prices. There are also a lot of Australian visitors this month. The summer continues, downpours are an inconvenience rather than a major annoyance. There may be several days without rain and some blue sky in the breaks. Some thunder storm Temperatures are comfortable with a cooling breeze.

September

This is the wettest month of the year. It will rain often and sometimes for long periods. There will be very little blue sky. This is also the coolest month of the year although average high temperatures are still close to 30 degrees centigrade.

October

Phuket start looking forward for the winter monsoon that will bring dry air. This is the third wettest month of the year. It will rain often. There will be little blue sky.

November

This is the official start of the high season. At some point in this month the rains should stop. There will still be showers and the occasional heavy downpour but the main rains have finished. The sky will be a mixture of cloud and blue. Temperatures start to pick up towards the comfortably hot high season level. The Sea on west coast flatten down as the monsoon changed

December

The high season and the crowds are well and truly here. There will be an occasional shower and perhaps even a few heavy downpours but generally, it is dry. The sky is mostly blue but there is still plenty of passing white cloud. The temperatures are now reaching the thirties.

What conclusions can we draw from all this data, the weather patterns for Phuket are fairly constant and can for the most part be counted on when planning your vacation here. Looking back at data gathered over a 20 to 50 year average confirms this phenomenon of consistency in our weather patterns with today’s data above.

Climate data for Phuket (1961–1990)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	31.8 (89.2)	32.9 (91.2)	33.5 (92.3)	33.4 (92.1)	32.0 (89.6)	31.6 (88.9)	31.2 (88.2)	31.2 (88.2)	30.7 (87.3)	30.9 (87.6)	31.0 (87.8)	31.2 (88.2)	31.8 (89.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	27.9 (82.2)	28.7 (83.7)	29.3 (84.7)	29.5 (85.1)	28.4 (83.1)	28.3 (82.9)	27.8 (82.0)	27.9 (82.2)	27.3 (81.1)	27.4 (81.3)	27.5 (81.5)	27.6 (81.7)	28.1 (82.6)
Average low °C (°F)	23.3 (73.9)	23.7 (74.7)	24.3 (75.7)	24.8 (76.6)	24.5 (76.1)	24.5 (76.1)	24.2 (75.6)	24.4 (75.9)	23.9 (75.0)	23.8 (74.8)	23.8 (74.8)	23.7 (74.7)	24.1 (75.4)
Precipitation mm (inches)	29.8 (1.173)	20.9 (0.823)	49.1 (1.933)	121.9 (4.799)	319.4 (12.575)	268.9 (10.587)	290.5 (11.437)	272.6 (10.732)	399.0 (15.709)	309.6 (12.189)	175.7 (6.917)	59.4 (2.339)	2,316.8 (91.213)
Avg. rainy days	4	3	5	11	21	19	19	19	23	22	16	8	170
Source #1: Thai Meteorological Department

More details about Phuket's weather at: Jamies Weather Blog
                                                         Easy Day Phuket Weather Report 

Having stated that the weather patterns in Phuket are predictable don’t forget that nature does what she prefers and so sometime can see heavy rain during the winter and dry air and blue sky in summer months. Still a lot to do and places to enjoy, the real difference between the two season are the waves, big and dangerous during summer (May to October), the best time to enjoy nearby islands such as Racha Yai and Phi Phi Island where can enjoy the beautiful Andaman Sea on their east costs . During winter (November to April) wind an be strong in the morning from east however the west Coast beaches of Phuket are at their best.

Luxury Yacht Charter promotion Dec 2013

Double Issue / Slendor / Whaoo II

 On our boats the on board experience is now unrivalled on the Island with our new highly experienced Hostess service team, and on board food menus, creatively designed by our new in-house chef and kitchen team. We ensure you to have an experience of a life time.

>> More about Phuket Yacht Charter 

Double Issue 

Leisure Cruise to Phi Phi Island, Krabi or Phang Nga Bay: THB 220,000 Now THB 190,000
Fishing or Leisure Cruise to Raya Yai Island: THB 220,000 Now 180,000 THB

Splendor

Leisure Cruise to Phi Phi Island, Krabi or Phang Nga Bay: THB 137,000 Now THB 113,000
Fishing or Leisure Cruise to Raya Yai Island: THB 127,000 Now 105,000 THB

What’s more our prices are all inclusive, with no hidden charges awaiting your guests once they board.


- Prices is valid for up to 6 guests on Splendor and I0 guests on Double Issue, extra guest is charge at THB 1,500/person.  
- Trip duration 9am-5pm
- Includes Fuel, hotel transfers
- A gourmet lunch (contact us for examples of our delicious menus)
- All soft drinks and bottled water at NO extra charge
- On board service team of Captain and Experienced service hostesses and a yacht deckhand
- National Park fees and port fees
- Use of sea kayak(s)
- Snorkelling Equipment
- Depart from Chalong pie

The Two Faces of Baan Zan Market

Baan Zan Market

One of the great attractions in Patong Beach for food lovers is the Baan Zan Market with its multiple faces to attract visits all day and into the night.  If you are staying in Patong or one of the surrounding areas, I am sure you have heard mention of Baan Zan, either as a great place to shop for food to prepare or as an equally great place to get dinner or a quick snack, the ultimate in Thai fast food. 

During the day, from early morning until around 5 pm the inside of the large building serves as a gathering place for many vendors selling everything from fresh seafood to meats to vegetables to fruits and nuts and dry goods.  Heck upstairs there even several vendors selling clothing and a mini-food court where you can get lunch.  While this thriving market is open, the area around the building serves as a parking lot for motorbikes, cars and on the back sides for the many delivery trucks and vans. 

Having lived in Patong for a couple of years, I use the back entrance, there seems to always be plenty of parking for my motorbike and you are right into the meat and fresh seafood section of the market.  Using this entrance brings you right in at one of the many vendors selling prime cuts of pork, it is all laid out for you to see and the vendors will be more than happy to cut the meats to your wishes.   Directly across the aisle from the pork vendor at the entrance you will find the chicken vendor selling every part of the chicken you can imagine and perhaps some you hadn’t thought of.   Moving around the corner, we immediately come to a fresh seafood vendor, with many different size shrimp (price to match their size) and shell fish like clams and mussels.  Of course, there are more types of fresh fish available than I can name, all of various sizes.

Continuing our walk around the building, you will find a wide variety of vegetable in various stalls, all fresh from the local farms.  Not to worry, there are plenty of temping Thai spices that will allow you to season your dishes to your individual tastes.   Toward the south end of the building just inside the front side entrance there is a vast display of fruits to choose from, plenty of temping items to keep on hand as snacks during the night.  And just to the north of the fruits are other great snack items, nuts, dried fish and crackers.  And do not miss the flowers arrayed along the north, front wall they will brighten your day and your room.  As you can see, there is something for everyone at Baan Zan Market during the day. 

Ah, but we have not yet explored the second floor of the market, what hidden treasures lie up the escalator, there are two clothing stores along with a food court and seating area to allow shoppers to relax and enjoy some of the Thai cuisine available.

  
As the sun sets and the lighting changes, so Baan Zan Market changes; the interior market filled with its vast array of vendor’s empties and the parking lot is converted to an equally vast array of vendors selling prepared food, a mega-food court so to speak.   Just imagine taking all the small food carts that are scattered around Patong and putting them in one place and that will give you an idea of the Baan Zan parking lot in the early evening.

As you stroll among these vendors slowly making your way through the crowd and believe me it is crowded.  It should strike you that both locals and foreigners alike are all perusing the assortment of traditional Thai dishes and dishes from all over the world.  To me this is a good sign that the food is outstanding and good quality; this size market could not long survive if it offered less than high quality foods.  There are stalls with an incredible display of fresh seafood that they will cook to your order, perhaps you feel like grilled tonight or fried or streamed in a speciality sauce.  You might like to try a more traditional Thai dish of chicken or pork or fish in a variety of sauces (being careful to ensure that the dish is not spicier than your taste’s like, be sure to ask “pet mai?” which means is it spicy in Thai)

Here we see a women fixing individual portions of soup to order, that typifies the vendors at Baan Zan, they prepare individual servings so you and the others in your party can each get whatever strikes your fancy.   Do you like fresh steamed corn on the cobb, well there are several vendors selling it right out of the steamer for a mere 20 baht.  Or tonight your taste’s run to something with a Japanese flavor like sushi rolls, have no fear these are also available from multiple vendors.  So if you are looking for an interesting adventure in Thai shopping and food, I strongly recommend Baan Zan Market, both in the day and into the evening.

Wat Chalong – The Most Important Buddhist Temple in Phuket

The Temple located in Chalong ranks as the most important of the 29 Wats in Phuket and is dedicated to two highly venerable monks, Luang Pho Chaem (หลวงพ่อแช่ม) and Luang Pho Chuang (หลวงพ่อช่วง), who with their knowledge of herbal medicine helped the injured of a tin miners rebellion in 1876.  The Wat was built over a century ago and sees local coming everyday to pray and ask for Buddha’s help and guidance in their lives.  In addition, because of its beauty and serenity, many foreigners flock to the picturesque Temple and hopefully take away a better understanding of Buddhism.

Wat Chalong

As you can see the temple grounds consist of many halls that contain a variety of statues from the past.  Among them are Poh Than Jao Wat; Ta Khee-lek (grandpa Khee-lek), a famous local who won many lotteries after consulting the Poh Than Jao Wat statue; Luang Poh Cham, Luang Poh Chuang and Luang Poh Gleum, all ex-abbots of the temple.  It is traditional to paste small gold leaf squares on the statues of the three abbots in tribute or offering for good luck.

Dominating the temple is the Grand Pagoda, officially named Phramahathatchedi-Jomthaibarameepragat, contains a splinter of Lord Buddha’s bone and many pictures depicting scenes of his life, along with a vast variety of statues of Buddha many poses.  You will want to take your time exploring this cool, airy pagoda that seems to always be blessed with a cooling breeze.   The following pictures give you a small sense of the magnificence of this Pagoda and its interior.  There are even some shots taken from the upper balcony of the grounds below.
There an 'exhibition home' of Luang Poh Cham which features lifelike human-sized wax models of Luang Poh Cham, Luang Poh Chuang, Luang Poh Gleum, and Luang Pu Thuad along with antique Thai furniture, and Benjarong (Thai porcelain designed in five colours), while the famous 'magic' walking-stick of Luang Poh Cham is kept at the current Abbot's dwelling.  This is another building worth an extended visit to enjoy some quite mediation in cooling air-conditioning.

When first you visit Wat Chalong you maybe started by the sound of firecrackers, but do not be alarmed, this is a thanks from a local that has had their prayers answered.  And the sound is muted because the firecrackers are set off inside a large domed enclosure expressly built for this purpose.   An example maybe a man who is suffering from a incapacitating illness will go to the wat to pray for a return to good condition. Once he recovers, he will give thanks by lighting firecrackersat the Wat.

As I mentioned above there are many buildings within the growns of the wat and it is recommended that you explore each for its unique qualities.  The hall containing the statues of the three abbots is very interesting and you will see many Thai’s inside and outside making offerings and praying.  One practice is to shake a vase filled with numbered sticks until one of the sticks falls out, this is then your fortune.  Once the stick has fallen to the floor, you go to a cabinet around the corner to retrieve your fortune from the appropriate numbered bin.  You will need a Thai who can interpret your fortune since each is written in Thai.  Having done this in many Buddist temples I have visited both here and in Japan I know that you sometimes get fortunes that you would rather not see come true, but there is a solution for this, you will need to carefully fold the fortune into a strip and tie it to the appropriate tree outside.

Just outside this hall in front is a great photo spot with a large Elephant staute that seems very popular with tourists.

Of course before going to this hall you will want to stop at the store to purchase the proper offerings, usually flowers, incense and perhaps even the gold leaf to stick on the statues.  Fear not if you forgot to get cash, this is always the convenient ATM machine available. 

Although Wat Chalong is one of Phuket’s many tourist attractions and can get very busy during the middle of the day it is also a place of peace and serenity to be enjoyed by all who visit.  An important point to remember is that it is a very religious site in Buddhism and visit should dress appropriately, no bear shoulders or midriffs or short-shorts.  If you are looking for a beautiful site where you can find a place to reflect on the day, then Wat Chalong as with other Wats on the island may be just what the doctor ordered.