Phuket Festival 2014

Thao Thepkasattri-Thao Sri Suntorn Festival is rather a mouthful at the best of times, try saying it with a coupe, of bottle of chang beer inside you. But what does it all mean, well Thao Thepkasattri-Thao Sri Suntorn Festival is celebrated as one of Phuket Island’s most famous carnivals. It takes place in the Thalang area of the island, near Bang Tao Beach and near the victory monument, which is pretty much bang in the middle of the island.

The festival is to celebrate the most important time in the history of Phuket. Commencing on the 2^nd march till the 17^th and covering both cultural and sporting activities, including: bicycle races, a mini marathon and a Buddhist ordination which is called an uppasombor moo. The highlight of the entire fortnight is the huge and spectacular show about the history of Phuket.

The festival is held to honour the memory of the two heroic sisters, Thaop Thep Krasatri and Thai Sri Suntorn. These sisters rallied the people of Phuket over two hundred years ago to defend Phuket from the nasty Burmese troops.

The highlight of the festival is a spectacular show about the history of Phuket. The show tells the story of the two sisters, about their leadership and their bravery in defending Thailand biggest island. The play comprises of over several hundred actors and runs for a number of nights - beginning at 7 pm till late.

The cultural show caters for a Thai audience. Obviously tourists are very welcome to watch the show. As the show is in Thai if you have a Thai friend or can afford a translator that may be a good idea, however even so the show is a beautiful production regardless of understanding what is actually going on. This is a must if you would like to immerse yourself in Thai culture and history.

If you are interested in Thai culture and history and would like to experience and learn as much as possible, then these events are for you. There will be a chance to observe a, "Upasampada". A Buddhist Ordination Ceremony. "Upasampada", meaning "approaching or nearing the austere tradition of life."

The process of young men taking the rites of ordination to become a Buddhist monk and lifestyle is also shown here. The Buddhist monastic code states that a person must be 20 years of age to become a monk (bhikkhu).

There will also be a sword dancing show, a shadow puppet show and singing of traditional Thai lullabies and ancient songs. The festival will also have a variety of Thai cuisine for you to enjoy. There will also be a large outdoor market selling every product you can think of including but not all items such as batik, silk, wooden decorative items also there will be a funfair for the children and music concerts too.

This is one of the biggest festival in the southern part of the country and if you are in the area or have to to come it is well worth a visit. Thai festivals are renowned the world over and this one is quite spectacular itself. Rekindling the proud times of when Phuket defeated the Burmese soldiers with very limited forces at had to do it.

Diving Phuket - Racha Noi Island

Manta Ray at Racha Noi Sat 15 Feb 2014 

Sunset dive at Marita's Rock

Racha Noi Island diving - West Coast 

What a fantastic and beautiful weekend trip on MV Sai Mai everyone really enjoyed the overnight trip to Racha Yai and Racha Noi.

The two Raya islands are south of Phuket:

Racha Yai is about 90 minutes by diving boat and 30 minutes by speed boat from the Phuket port of Chalong. The island has beautiful beaches on the west coast with great sites for snorkeling and scuba diving.

The resorts on the islands can cater to everyone's needs, whether they are a five star villa resort or a basic beach side bungalow is required then you can find them here. I believe Racha Yai has some of the best beaches in Thailand.

Racha Yai is ideal for a day trip too. You can go there for a day trip to enjoy the snorkeling and walking along the deserted beaches and then lunch at one of the island restaurants or if you have more time on your hands you can spend two or three nights there. Away from the hustle and bustle of Phuket, its an island paradise waiting to be discovered.

Between 10:30 and 14:30 hours there are a lot of day trips to Racha Yai, but then when they have gone back, the white sandy beaches and crystal clear water are only just for those who stay longer or overnight.
 
We offer a fantastic dive day trip trip to Racha Yai 

For more information about our premium day trip to Racha Yai


Here are some fantastic places to stay for a night or two on Racha Yai all with excellent amenities and accommodation right on the beach front :-

• Ban Raya
• Rayaburi: 
• The Racha
• Raya Resort

Racha Noi is 30 minutes further south from Racha Yai and those that come here very rarely want to leave this small piece of heaven. The island has two beautiful beaches and in our humble opinion, view is best place for an overnight stay. Many people who come to Phuket year after year still do not know about this place it is a well kept secret.

The azure waters around Racha Noi are so clear that can you see the bottom 30 meters below and is a great place for Scuba diving and snorkeling. In peak season, when Phuket is overloaded with folk, you can spend all day without hardly seeing anyone or at the most, with only one or two boats insight.

The corals both hard and soft are healthy and full of life. The fish life is in abundance here to with all the usual Indian Ocean reef fishes adding colour, Barracudas to Nemo, to White Tip reef Sharks to Hawksbill Turtles all call this island home.

Because of the strong currents that run along Racha Noi it makes it an ideal environment for the bigger fishes too and sightings of Manta Rays and Whalesharks are common here.

We offer a fantastic dive day trip trip to Racha Noi with only a restricted number of divers guaranteeing a wonderful and peaceful time

The MV Sai Mai is available for private charters to Racha Yai and Racha Noi whether day trip or overnight stops click for more information...

Phuket Bike Week 2014

Phuket Bike Week 2014, combines pure power and style with the gentle Thai culture; bringing together from all over South East Asia, some of the best motorbikes available today.

There are some machines here this week, if you are a motorbike lover, it’s the perfect atmosphere of mega machines, oil and beer, and of course some very interesting hair designs all down on Patong Beach.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the event being staged on Phuket, which might come as a surprise to some, each year since its inception it has become more and more popular with bikes coming from as far as the states.

The Bike Week will run for more than a week, attracting visitors to the island from all over Asia as well as the rest of the world. Every year the amount of visitors has grown and this year they expecting even more folk to flow onto the island.

Patong is well known for its night life restaurant and bars and nite-clubs. as well as for its great beach and world class shopping.

Part of the Phuket Bike Week, is the Rock Stars Life and Music artists of Thailand and will join the festival on the beach between the 8/10 of April. A 3 day event at the Loma Park Patong; will bring us some of the best music out today and from the past to.  

 

In addition to the concerts of famous artists in Thailand, we have a variety of shows to watch, such as acrobatic performances from Palazzo Phuket and performances from original Cowboys and Indians. Also there will be souvenirs on sale for bikers and non-bikers alike. Everyone is welcome, as Thailand embraces all travelers and anyone with a love of Motorbikes are especially welcome this week.

Of course, what would a Bike Week be without a Miss Phuket Bike Week Competition and this year is no exception. Every year as with any tradition Phuket Bike Week Beauty Competition will be fiercely fought out by girls from all over the country and beyond. The competition takes place at the Andaman Embrace on the 8^th April.

Also this week, there will be a competition of the strangest looking motorcycles in Thailand; this is always fascinating site to see. There will be many beautiful bikes on show this week, with bikes like Harley-Davidson custom bikes, Japanese Bikes, old Classic, like Norton and BSA, and of course Sports Bikes will be represented.

It’s not all about the bikes either, there will be a lot of charity work going on, with a mass planting of local trees planned all to help combat global warming. There will be a huge show from the Thai navy 3^rd fleet. There will also be bikes on show that are owned by Thai superstars like Carabao the rock star.

Rock concerts will be held throughout the week, as well as Thai folk music, there will masses of food stalls and beer tents. The whole week is one of the most exciting dates on the Phuket social scene do not miss out, it is truly a great spectacle

For a complete list of all the activities during Phuket Bike Week see the schedule below

The events as follows:-

Friday April 11, Patong:

1 pm: Motorbike show featuring some of Asia’s most beautiful and strangest bikes.

4 pm: Custom bike competition.

6 pm: Local culture show.

7 pm: Miss Phuket Bike Week Round 1.

8 pm: Official welcoming ceremony.

9 pm: Midnight: Rock concert and beach party.

Saturday April 12, Patong

1 pm: Motorbike show festival.

2 pm: Mass ride and tree planting to combat global climate change.

5 pm: Convoy around Patong.

6 pm: Show by Royal Thai Navy 3^rd Fleet.

7 pm: Official opening of Bike Week.

8 pm: Rock Concert.

10 pm: Miss Phuket Bike Week contest Round 2.

11 pm: midnight: Rock Concert and beach party.

Sunday April 13

1 pm: motorbike show including bikes of Thai superstars.

2 pm: Songkran on the beach party.

7 pm: Cowboy and Indian show.

8 pmt: Rock concert and beach party.

Monday April 14

1 pm: Motorbike and American car show.

7 pm: Tattoo competition.

8 pm: Midnight: Rock concert and beach party.

April 15-17 – No events planned so far.

Friday April 18 in Saphan Hin- Phuket Town

1 pm: Motorbike show and souvenir market.

2pm: Safe riding training.

6pm: Thai Folk Art Show.

8pmt: Rock concert and beach party.

Saturday April 19 at Saphan Hin

1 pm: Motorbike show and bike stunt show.

3 pm: Convoy around Phuket.

5 pm: Motorbike contest, final round.

7 pm: Thai Folk Art show.

9 pm: Fashion show and finals of Miss Phuket Bike Week 2014

10 pm: Rock concert featuring Carabao.

John Gray's Sea Canoe Overnight Expedition - 2 Days & 1 Night Exploring Phang Nga Bay by Kayak - Day 2

Phang Nga Bay Expedition Express trip report: Day 1 | Day 2

The best sea view "room"

I woke up around 7:00 when the sun was already high enough to warm up my tent, and when I unzipped the tent I was welcomed by a beautiful scenery with some of the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay at the horizon, it was the best sea view "room" in the world!

While my fellow travellers where still in their tents the staff quickly prepared an abundant picnic breakfast, there was food to suit all habits, from scrambled eggs to bakery stuff and fruit along with tea and coffee.

Campsite on Lawa Island

Our unique breakfast

After breakfast and some relax time our support longtail boat arrived, it was time to move for some self paddling canoe, one couple had booked a different program so the group was split. Starting from our beach camp we circumnavigated about half of Lawa Island and reached a cave, a different one from those we visited on the previous day. This time there was no water in the cave so we parked our canoes on a tiny sand stripe at the entrance and walked through a long tunnel which once again ended up in a hong.

Mud Skippers

Due to very low tide also the hong had no water at the time so we could walk around and see some huge mangrove trees and some funny Mud Skippers, a kind of fish with the ability of breathing air and hop around the muddy floor when the tide is low.

Back on the canoe we paddled further and got to a little beach hidden between two cliffs, at first glance it was nothing special but then the guide showed us an old wooden ladder that was leading to a hole a couple of meters above the ground, it was the entrance to another cave but once again it was different from the previous one, we never got bored of seeing caves because each one had its peculiarities. This particular one is called "Icecream Cave" because there are plenty of white and brown stalactites and stalagmites which were mixing together and really looked like huge ice creams. 

Some of the magic in Phang Nga Bay

Once back outside we loaded our canoes on the support boat and started cruising east towards a new island where we had some more self paddling around, this time no caves but beautiful environment and landscapes. Later with the boat we moved further east to the Krabi side of the bay and stopped at Pakbia Island which has a nice quiet beach and clear water with the opportunity to do fairly good snorkeling, here we had about 1 hour free time to enjoy the place at leisure.

Cruising towards Pakbia Island

Little corner of Parafise at Pakbia Island

When it was about 12:30 we cruised to the little Thalen Pier whiich is located not far from Ao Nang, there we had another great meal at a local restaurant, this time was a seafood set menu lunch. Time to part ways with my new friends Josh and Maggie, they got a car waiting for them to transfer them to Ao Nang and then a short boat ride to Railay Beach where they had booked their new hotel, while I returned strait to Phuket with the fast and comfortable long tail boat. The journey back took about 2 hours, just enjoyed the breeze and the navigation admiring the landscape, there are more than 50 small limestone islets all around. We finally reached Ao Por Pier around 17:00.

Great lunch at local restaurant

A big thanks to the very professional and friendly staff who took very good care of all the guests allowing us to have a truly unforgettable experience. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wishes to have an original and safe adventure off the beaten track, just remember that accommodation is in a tent so it's very basic and definitely not as comfortable as a hotel. As long as you don't have back ache issues or similar health conditions the experience is definitely worth the effort, after all it's just for one night.

Phang Nga Bay Expedition Express trip report: Day 1 | Day 2

Like to join this tour? Contact us and get your free quote!!!

John Gray's Sea Canoe Overnight Expedition - 2 Days & 1 Night exploring Phang Nga Bay by Kayak - Day 1

Phang Nga Bay Expedition Express trip report: Day 1 | Day 2

For this first day of the Overnight Expedition Express by John Gray's Sea Canoe we followed the same itinerary of the Hong By Starlight Tour, sharing the boat with the day trippers.

JGSC Escort Boat

According to the tide prediction of the day I was picked up on time at 12:00 and transferred to Ao Por marina where all participants were gathered at a restaurant for the count, then after the staff introduced themselves we got on the "escort boat". Once on board the tour leader did a safety briefing about the do's and don'ts on the boat while we started cruising towards Phang Nga Bay. There were about 25 guests on board plus many guides though there was plenty of space for everybody, fruits and soft drinks available all the time, the boat also has a toilet on the lower deck.

When we were about half way to destination a light buffet lunch was served, mostly vegetarian choices and plenty of food for everyone.

Safety birefing

After lunch we were given a very detailed briefing about the canoe session that we were about to enjoy, the guide in charge was using maps and other funny pictures which made the briefing interesting so people didn't miss the important parts. We then finally got to our first stop which was at Panak island, a canoe and an English speaking guide/paddler was provided each 2 people, all the guides are kind and knowledgeable about the local environment providing a lot of information and smiling all the time. In the meanwhile we were paddling from the moored boat towards a high and steep limestone cliff with a dark cave entrance at the bottom.

Cave entrance

Once we went deeper into the tunnel it was pitch black so the guides turned their flashlights on, the tunnel was large and very long and we could see hundreds of bats sleeping while hanging on the ceiling. After about 200m the cave started to get more and more narrow to the point that we had to lay down horizontally and deflate the canoe a bit in order to move forward, when we managed to pass through the little hole I realised that we entered another world. This was one of the so called "hongs" (Thai word for "room"), a large hidden lagoon completely surrounded by limestone cliffs covered in lush vegetation, only accessible through a cave.

Inside a hong

The atmosphere inside the hong is surreal, you can find absolute silence only broken by the animal sounds. The effects by the light filtering through the trees was amazing and could see plenty of sea eagles flying above us. Looking carefully into the trees we also spotted some large hornbills and monkeys (long tailed macaques) laying on the rocks. After about an hour exploring this hong we went out again trough the cave and then to a smaller lagoon before returning to the boat. 

The very narrow hong access point

We immediately started cruising towards the other side of the island and during navigation we were followed by a flock of sea eagles "hunting" some pieces of chicken skin that where tossed from the kitchen, quite impressive! When we reached our destination we had some free time to self paddle, swim and relax on the beach, this was also the place where we would later spend the night camping. There were few other boats from other tour operators moored here and many people wandering around though they left very soon as they were at the end of their day while we still had plenty of time to go. 

Diamond-like Calcium carbonate

Once back on board the guides provided us banana leaves, flowers and needles to teach us how to build a traditional krathong, this part was interesting and a particular experience of Thai culture. Before sunset we moved to the nearby Hong Island and went for another canoe session through caves and hongs, pretty similar to the first though in this cave there were some formations of calcium carbonate that was shining like diamond when hit by the light from the torches, therefore it was called "Diamond Cave". 

Krathong construction...well done!

Back again on the boat a great Thai buffet dinner was waiting for us, this time there was more choice with both seafood and chicken curry dishes plus some vegetarian option. By the time we had our dinner it got dark, so the tour leader gave us a detailed explanation about Thai culture and history related to the Loy Krathong festival, all this in preparation for what we were about to experience. Once ready we finally went for our last canoe session into a hong, this time in the total darkness. When we all got into the hong we lit the candles and launched our self-made krathongs, all the candles floating in the dark together with their reflection in the water made it a truly magical moment. In respect of the environment before heading back to the boat we recovered all our krathongs, though they are mostly made with natural components there were also too many steel nails in them to be left there, it's good to be Eco-friendly.

Lawa Island's beach - overnight campsite

While most guests returned to Phuket, the 5 of us who chose to stay overnight were left on the tiny secluded beach at Lawa Island together with few of the guides. They already prepared the camp site with tents, fire, oil lamps and all the supplies we could ever need. Everything was perfectly organised and it was nice to be just a handful of people from different countries chatting around a fire on a remote beach, all under a starry sky. Unfortunately as it often happens in tropics the weather quickly changed and in a couple of hours a short thunderstorm came, time to go to sleep. The tents were set under a limestone cliff and a large tree so we were well sheltered from the heavy rain, it actually cooled down the temperature enough to allow us a nice sleep and be fresh for the second day of our adventure.

Sunset in Phang Nga Bay

Phang Nga Bay Expedition Express trip report: Day 1 | Day 2

Like to join this tour? Contact us and get your free quote!!!

Phuket Airport Bus to Patong

Phuket Airport Bus Express provides transportation service from Phuket International Airport to Patong with stops at some of the main areas on the way.

This is a good alternative to taxi and to the tricky join-in minivans, it's convenient if you are on a budget or if you are travelling alone.

Easy Day Thailand Airport Transfers

At the airport you can find the buses under the bridge, look for the sign "Airport Express"

This is also a good solution to go from Patong to Phuket International Airport if you want to avoid a taxi. The bus stop in Patong is at Jungceylon Shopping Mall.

There are 6 air conditioned buses, each one has 30 comfortable seats and a luggage storage area. Tickets can easily be purchased directly on board.

As you can see in the map below, our office is located at just few steps from Kathu Intersection bus stop, so it's also easy to use this transportation service if you want to come to Easy Day Thailand office.

PROS:

• Cheap
• Reliable
• No annoying and unwished stops at some travel agency on the way.
• Gives the chance to see part of Phuket Island along the way.

CONS:

• The whole ride between the Airport and Patong takes about 2 hours while it would be much faster with a private transfer.
• In Patong the bus stops only at Jungceylon Shopping Mall, so depending on your hotel's location you will probably need also a taxi ride to/from the hotel.

There are 9 daily departures almost every hour:

Patong - Airport

	Patong	Kathu Intersection	Tesco Lotus Intersection	Boat Lagoon	Heroines Monument	Lotus Thalang	Thalang	Muangmai	Airport
1	8:00	8:20	8:35	8:50	9:05	9:20	9:30	9:45	9:55
2	10:00	10:20	10:35	10:50	11:05	11:20	11:30	11:45	11:55
3	11:00	11:20	11:35	11:50	12:05	12:20	12:30	12:45	12:55
4	13:00	13:20	13:35	13:50	14:05	14:20	14:30	14:45	14:55
5	14:30	14:50	15:05	15:20	15:35	15:50	16:00	16:15	16:25
6	15:30	15:50	16:05	16:20	16:35	16:50	17:00	17:15	17:25
7	17:00	17:20	17:35	17:50	18:05	18:20	18:30	18:45	18:55
8	18:00	18:20	18:35	18:50	19:05	19:20	19:30	19:45	19:55
9	19:00	19:20	19:35	19:50	20:05	20:20	20:30	20:45	20:55

Airport - Patong

	Airport	Muangmai	Thalang	Lotus Thalang	Heroines Monument	Boat Lagoon	Tesco Lotus Intersection	Kathu Intersection	Patong
1	8:15	8:25	8:40	8:50	9:05	9:20	9:30	9:45	10:05
2	9:30	9:40	9:55	10:05	10:20	10:35	10:45	11:00	11:20
3	10:15	10:25	10:40	10:50	11:05	11:20	11:30	11:45	12:05
4	11:30	11:40	11:55	12:05	12:20	12:35	12:45	13:00	13:20
5	12:30	12:40	12:55	13:05	13:20	13:35	13:45	14:00	14:20
6	14:15	14:25	14:40	14:50	15:05	15:20	15:30	15:45	16:05
7	15:30	15:40	15:55	16:05	16:20	16:35	16:45	17:00	17:20
8	19:30	19:40	19:55	20:05	20:20	20:35	20:45	21:00	21:20
9	20:45	20:55	21:10	21:20	21:40	21:55	22:05	22:20	22:40

Airport			RATES IN THAI BAHT (valid for both ways)
50	Muangmai
50	50	Thalang
60	50	50	Heroines
60	60	50	50	Boat Lagoon
80	60	60	50	50	Lotus
100	80	60	60	50	50	Kathu
120	100	80	60	60	50	50	Patong

If you have tried this service please leave your comment