Phuket Heritage Tour

Falling in love with Phuket again......

Getting more quiet in the office this week so I decided to go with our tour guide “Bee” and check out our new tour which we will organize for our customer to see enchanted Phuket old town, “Phuket Heritage Private Tour”

We were planing to meet at the Chinese temple to follow the tour program that we've set and to avoid long walk at the end of the tour but since we wanted to start early and breakfast is my important meal of the day we decided to meet at Roti place on Thalang
road.

Khao Yam (Rice Salad)

After breakfast we started our route here. Before today I thought I was a queen of Thalang road since I came here quiet often buying my crafting stuff, fabrics and many times just come here for a cup of coffee and sitting for hours with my favourite book but it turned out that I know nothing about this place and thanks to guide Bee who is very knowledgeable and told me all stories and history that I wanted to know.

The buildings here are unique and you could see different cultures through them. We stop at one of the house which open as Tour information so tourists can see how the building look like from the inside.

Old Building

We continued walking, Bee kept answering my questions while we walked, same time I tried to take as many pictures as possible and it was amazing that on this road you can find so many different kind of store (ribbon, fabrics, fishing net, hardware store, gold, etc.) and most of them are family business which been passing through generations. Then Bee take me to old Chinese herb shop which been running by same family since 1917. I like the smell in the shop and get to have a little chat with nice old man the owner and also bought some herb medicine home.

 Our next stop is “ Phuket Thai Hua Museum”  which for me it's very interesting museum with many exhibition rooms and short movies that telling history of the connection between Phuket and China.

Thaihua was the first Chinese-language school in Phuket which still running but school had moved to Vichit Songkram road and turned this building into the museum with two floors full of knowledge and history in this charming and well maintenance Sino-Portuguese building. I could have stayed for the hold day if not because we still have a few more places to visit so I decided that I will be back again with my daughter and we can learn Phuket history together.

 It didn't feel like much walking we've done but we started to feel Phuket sun, however it was perfect time to go to the local fresh market since the busiest time is in early morning so even though it was getting hot but not too crowded.

If you like to buy some Thai spices back home this market is just perfect! You can also find all different kind of curry paste, fresh vegetables and fruits, Thai snacks, fresh juices, etc.

Then from the market we walked up to Ranong road to one of the biggest Chinese shrine in Phuket town “Jui Tui shrine”

It very fascinating to be in these colorful buildings and see all displays of Chinese gods, they even play Chinese music in the background. For Thai people it is in our mind that you have to be calm and dress politely when you are in the temple. I don't really know much about Chinese shrine so I was following Bee who seem to know exactly what she was doing and there was also apattern to walk in which they put number on each door so you can follow. Bee and I also tried “Fortune stick” which what you have to do is to sit, hold the box of fortune sticks in your palm, make a wish to Chinese gods then shake the box until one of the stick fall off and there will be the number on the stick that will lead you to pick up same number of the paper which will tell you roughly what your life would be like in your near future and if you get good one you should keep that paper but if it not good then you leave it at the shrine, my was good so I keep it.

Lunch time! Bee ask what I would like to eat and since we are now doing Phuket Heritage tour why don't we just eat something that goes with our tour, something that represent Phuket so we agree on having Hokien noodle and Bee know the best place in town for it.

Bee walked me to “Ko Yoon” restaurant which according to Bee and the sign in front apparently it is the best Hokien noodle in town, I had seafood noodle soup and Bee had one with pork. It was really tasty and for me it was best Hokien noodle I've ever tried
and since they running restaurant in their house there was nothing like sitting in restaurant so don't expect any luxury just eat your best noodle and enjoy looking at picture frames of family members at the same time.

After lunch we were suppose to go to Khao To Sae or Monkey hill for last stop of our Phuket heritage tour for our customers to visit viewpoint and see Phuket town from the top view and see some monkey but since we've been there many times already and I have to go back to the office we decided to end our tour after lunch.

It had been a really fun day for me and definitely coming back with friends and family to show them this charming old Phuket town.

If like to experience this Phuket private tour  in old town see the details and prices here

Weather Update for 7th April /13th April

Phuket this weeks braces itself for the Thai New year celebrations of Songkran. This is the water festival that unites an entire country. really for the children but if you come to see, you will soon notice that the bigger children enjoy it too.

Phuket is very busy this week what with the New Year celebrations and the Bike week!

Latest Weather

Monday 7th April: Max Temp 34 - min Temp 24 degrees hardly any breezes and some passing cloud cover. Slightly cooler during the late evening time

Tuesday 8^th April: Max Temp 33 – Min temp 24 Passing clouds early morning clear skies for  the rest of the day Later on in the day Some thundery showers.Cooled us down a little

Wednesday 9^th April: Top Temp 35 degrees down to 24 late night, fog in the early morning leading to some thundery shower then more prolonged rain later in the later day.

Thursday 10^th April: Max Temp 32 degrees down to 24 degrees. Much cooler today due to the recent rain. It is a welcome break form the heat but you can feel it building back up during the day.

Also this week is the start of Phuket Bike Week festival with bikes coming form all over Asia.

The bike week last around a week with many parties, shows and competitions. Well worth a trip out to Patong but take a water pistol weapon if you are going over the Songkran period.

Friday 11^th April Max Temp 32 degrees, and a low of 24 the weather has started to settle again after a couple of rainy days, the humidity is up due to the rain. Today we went to Racha Yai Snorkeling a wonderful days adventure, ideal for the kids to only 25 minutes in a speedboat from Phuket's Chalong port . See below for more details…

Saturday 12th April: Max Temp 35 degrees and lows of 24 degrees feels a lot colder due to all the water being fired from water pistols, what a great time of year this really is. Quite a bit of rain this week, well Songkran  started today and that mean the rains are coming as this festival gives thanks to the Gods for water. 

Because of the recent hot weather I think many people are looking forward to a cooler Phuket. Today is the biggest water fight in history every street corner gangs of children and adults waiting in ambush ready to soak any passerby. 

Sunday 13th April: Max Temp 31 high going down to a milder 25 in the evening. Today the water fighting continues with insurgents appearing just close to our house, I think they have ice cold water. Not to self next year buy a bigger water-pistol.

Racha Yai Snorkeling Trip 

Racha Yai Island (Koh Raya Yai) is located 23km south of Phuket island and makes a perfect daytrip from Phuket for snorkeling, swimming and just relaxing on tranquil white sand beaches. Come along enjoy with your family and friends one of the finest and most beautiful islands you will find anywhere in the world

Song Kran Water Festival 2014

Songkran in Phuket is one of the most exciting times of the year, and is enjoyed by the entire country as it celebrates the Thai New Year. The year on the Thai calendar will be 2557. Here in Phuket the celebrations will begin on the 13^th of April and end on the 15^th April.

Songkran festival is a time when Thai people take time out from their busy schedules and taking time off work and school to celebrate, visit relations, go to their local temples and offer merits and give arms to monks. Also the young show their respect to their elders, by pouring scented water onto their hands and saying prayers for them.

Songkran is believed to have been taken and adapted from the Sankranti hindu festival. Although the Thai calendar, much like many calendars of Asia uses a luni-solar calendar where the date is calculated on a solar basis, the actual word Songkran is derived from the Sanskit (Sankranta) which actually means “move or change” like at this time of year when the sun moves between Aries and Pisces.

Traditionally celebrated as the Thai New Year for hundreds of Years, Songkran is welcomed up and down the entire country. Reaching as far north as the Cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai to way down in the South of the country like Phuket, Krabi, Satun and Hat Yai.

The New Year festival has really taken off in the tourist areas too. As the holiday makers,

Songkran Water Festival Phuket backpackers and Expats enjoy this most spectacular time of year, and enjoy reveling in different cultural celebrations. The Songkran Water festival is a must see for all those who come to Thailand, for this is one time of year that the whole country stops and parties.

If you are lucky enough to be in Thailand during the festival then Phuket is a great place to celebrate. The festival will usually start when the children wake up with gentle water throwing in the small towns and villages of Phuket; it is a great time for the children to enjoy. As the day progress and the adults start to stir, this is when its gets a little more technical.

There are no real staged water fights per say, but you can find mass brawls all over the island. Patong is a real opener, and if you happen to find yourself in Patong then make sure you have a decent weapon (water pistol), available from most small shopping outlets, supermarkets and such like.

On Soi Bangla (main walking street in Patong) there will be a cross fire as people drink merrily

and run from bar to bar soaking each other wet through. It is a great party atmosphere and even the police and fire brigade join in the hilarity. It is, if you have never seen it, a fantastic time to be in Phuket.

Even minding your own business and just walking down the street you are not safe from a drenching. There are situated on every street corner firing squads, all ready to take any dry passerby out. Be wary here because these guys have been known to buy huge chunks of ice and the water is so cold, that you will get a sudden icy cold watery shock.

Be very careful driving a motorbike during the festival water will be thrown at you.

• Buy a dry bag from any dive shop to protect your valuables: phone, camera etc…

• Waterproof cameras are available at dive shops

• Do not wear jewelry or any expensive clothing it will get destroyed

• It’s all good humored fun! Don’t fight it go with it!

• And above all have fun and please take care.

3 Days 2 Nights Inspection trip from Phuket to Koh Samui and Koh Nang Yuan

After an invitation by the transport company Lomprayah I recently joined this 3 Days and 2 nights trip to the Gulf of Thailand. This bus and ferry service is basically the only alternative to a flight between Phuket and Koh Samui, it's a good solution for those travelling on a tighter budget or when the few direct flights available daily are sold out. Of course the travel time is quite longer compared to a flight and you arrive at destination a bit tired, though in the overall the trip is comfortable and very well organised.

DAY 1

There are now two trips scheduled daily from Phuket to Koh Samui, one with early departure at 7:00 and a later one with departure at 10:00. For this occasion we were on the early trip, of course it's harder to wake up very early in the morning though I guess this is a better choice when people don't have many holiday days available, this way you don't waste a whole precious day just travelling especially considering that here in Thailand the sun sets quite early.

The meeting point for the start of this inspection trip was in Patong, though for the regular trips there is free pick up at all hotels in the main areas like Patong, Karon, Kata and Phuket Town. We started our trip right on time as soon as all the passengers were gathered. On this day we weren't many people travelling so we used two minivans rather than a larger coach. The air conditioned vans were clean and comfortable with and the staff made sure that there was plenty of space for passengers and luggage without squeezing anyone.

Aircon minivan Phuket-Samui

The driver safely drove us north over the Sarasin Bridge and then east trough Phang Nga, Krabi and Surat Thani provinces. The landscapes that can be seen out of the window are very nice, especially on the road to Krabi which is immersed in green lush vegetation and limestone karst formations. We had a quick stop half way at a service area for those who had to go to the restroom and to buy some drinks and snacks, then we finally reached Donsak Pier in Surat Thani around 11:30. The Lomprayah staff at their office at the pier gave us some free snacks and water while we had to wait for the ferry departing one hour later. There was a waiting area with chairs in the shades so the wait wasn't too bad.

Lomprayah office at Donsak Pier

At 12:30 the ferry was ready so we boarded and quickly started cruising towards Koh Samui. The ferry is a large high speed catamaran with three decks: the lower deck hosts the large Standard Class with the bar, on the middle deck are a shaded outdoor seating area plus the VIP and Exclusive rooms (accessible by paying a little surcharge, see pictures below). while on the open air upper deck can find several benches for the sun lovers though keep in mind that with the high cruising speed it gets quite windy up there.

The ferry is really "high speed" and it took just 45 minutes to get to Nathon Pier on the west coast of Koh Samui, the boat is very stable so the trip was smooth and comfortable, especially as I was in the Exclusive Room.  We had minivans waiting for us right on the pier and we quickly got transferred to a nearby restaurant for a tasty Thai lunch, while some of the other passengers stayed on the ferry which after Samui proceeds to Koh Phangan and then Koh Tao. Once back on the minivans we moved to visit the popular sightseeing site called "Grandfather and Grandmother rocks"  (Hin Ta and Hin Yai). The rocks are less than 50 meters far from each other and got this funny nicknames because they look, respectively, like male and female genitalia!

Grandfather and Grandmother rocks (Hin Yai and Hin Ta)

After this little sightseeing and driving around the island, in the late afternoon we finally got at Ibis Hotel on Bophut beach, on the northern side of Koh Samui. Here we spent both nights before returning to Phuket. The area is nice and quiet, I would say it's very suitable for families.

DAY 2

Another early wake up, ready for the day trip to Koh Nang Yuan Island offered once again by Lomprayah to show us the beautiful island and the facilities they provide. After some time for breakfast at the hotel we were transferred to Maenam Pier which is located on the northern coast of Samui, more conveniently for trips heading north. Once there we boarded the same ferry that we used on the previous day and around 8:00 we started cruising. After about 20 minutes we had a quick stop at Koh Phangan to drop off and pick up passengers there and then proceed further north until we finally reached Koh Nang Yuan around 10:00. This is the regular route and timing that the ferry does every day, and after Koh Tao proceeds all the way to Chumpon from where the passengers can then get the bus to Bangkok or other destinations in the north.

During the cruising I had a nap in the comfortable VIP room and when I got off the ferry I thought I was still dreaming because, before then, I believed that such a place could only exist in dreams. The tiny island is actually made up of three pieces of land which are connected by a huge white sandbar. The island hosts a very particular resort with the rooms hidden in the vegetation on the slopes, and the most of the shore is covered by large granite boulders among which can find a wooden walkway that allows people to reach the rooms and the pier. 

Pier at Koh Nang Yuan

As this was an inspection trip and not just for leisure, the staff accompanied us to see some of the rooms, there are many different types that can meet pretty much all budget, group sizes (the Grand Family room sleeps up to 7 people) and levels of comfort. 

The white sandy beach

After looking at the rooms we hiked to the view point, to get there we had to walk for a while on the wooden walkways and then climb a good number of stairs but the view from the top is absolutely worth the effort, I guess the picture below speaks by itself!

The breath taking view from the viewpoint

Once back down to the beach, around noon, we had lunch at the central islet which hosts the only restaurant on the island and a small beach bar. Being on a small island of course most things purchased here will be a little more pricey than on the mainland. The menu is not so extensive but the food is of high quality.

Of course considered its layout and location the island does have a couple of drawbacks like certain times of the year there does tend to be a lot mosquitoes and there is obviously a limited supply of water but all this just adds the unique island way of life, if you like island in paradise setting then Koh Nang Yuan is the place to go. 

In the afternoon we boarded a different boat for a short snorkeling trip on the east coast of Koh Tao. This boat was large and comfortable with a lot of space so it's perfect also for larger groups, it’s also ideal for inexperienced snorkelers or non swimmers because they have all sorts of flotation devises for you to hang on to. The snorkeling site was quite good even though we were there at high tide and visibility wasn't the best, however ours was a different tour from the regular one in which itinerary is planned every day to offer the best experience to the participants.

Snorkeling boat (right) and catamaran ferry (left)

Snorkeling at Lighthouse Bay - Koh Tao

We had enough time to enjoy the snorkeling, then we went back to Koh Nang Yuan to get back on the ferry departing at 14:30 and return to Koh Samui. While in the morning the sea was calm, in the afternoon the weather got a bit worse and the sea became quite rough between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, After years of diving nearly every day I am used to choppy seas and never suffered seasickness, but  I was still very glad to be on a large and stable catamaran ferry rather than on a small speedboat jumping from wave to wave and I'm sure most of the other passengers thought the same thing. The ferry was back at Maenam Pier right on time at 16:30, and as usual our minivans were already there to transfer us back to the hotel.

DAY 3

This last day, the return day, was obviously not much different from the first one except that we did the reversed route. We had the early start with pick up at 7:30 while ferry departed Nathon Pier at 8:30, though there is also a later ferry departing at 12:45 for those who prefer to sleep more and don't mind a later arrival in Phuket. Differently from the trip on day one, as this time we were more people, rather than in a minivan we were transferred by a large and comfortable coach.

We finally reached Phuket around 15:30, while with the late departure would have been around 19:00.

Lompraya's VIP coach