Early Morning at Chalong Temple

Chalong temple is the largest temple in Phuket and I happen to pass by almost every morning (and evening) depending what route I take to work. The early morning light makes temples shine, and the early morning means no day visitors have arrived at the temple yet. For more about the temple (which I have blogged before) - see here: Chalong Temple.

One morning last week I stopped on the way to work to enjoy the temple in the morning light. There were already a large group of Thai tourists there at 8am, but they were watching a dance routine that had been put on for them, so I got the temple grounds more or less to myself and enjoyed wandering around in the sunshine. Hope you enjoy the photos, and hope that if you visit Phuket that you remember to visit a temple - it's not just beaches, you know!

• Temples in Phuket
• Chalong Temple on Google Earth

 

 

Phuket Big Buddha - Getting Bigger...

When the Big Buddha is finally finished, it is going to be magnificent. And I am pretty sure it will be on the tourist trail. When we first went up there a few years ago, the work was just starting and the road was hard work on our car. We've been up the mountain many times and I have blogged about it before (see Buddha Mountain 1 - Buddha Mountain 2). We realised that we'd not been up for about a year, and it's clear that the project has been making great strides in the last year. The Big Buddha is getting bigger. You can clearly see the shape of the Buddha now, despite it being covered in scaffolding. Looks like the major building work is almost done, and it's time to add the decorations.

 





The road up the mountain is being improved too. A concrete road now exists for much of the climb, though there are still some stretches of dirt. But it's not damaging our car any more! Having a good road will be essential once the Big Buddha is complete to allow the tours to include it in their itineraries.



 

The weather last week was great - I still wouldn't trust the road in wet conditions. The views were great (as always). We go up there for the views and the fresh air. The Big Buddha itself is nothing to look at just yet - a pile of concrete in the approximate shape of the Buddha, covered from top to toe in scaffolding. We'll be sure to drive up again when the project is complete.





 

Kathu Waterfall and Phuket Cable Ski

The Kathu area of Phuket is where I live. It's not far from Patong Beach (just over the hill on the way to Phuket town) and if you wish to get away from the most touristy beach in Thailand, get on a bike and ride over that hill past the temple on the hill, down to a quiet, largely residential area with a lot of history (Kathu was the center of the tin mining industry, and the famous Phuket Vegetarian Festival originated here). The daily Kathu market is worth a visit and you'll find temples in and around the village.

But there's more! If you turn left at the lights next to the Caltex gas station, you pass the market and are heading towards Loch Palm Golf Course and the old Kathu village when you will see a left turn to Kathu Waterfall (Nam Tok Kathu). There's actually a fair amount of new houses around this area - Kathu is getting quite popular! The road up to the waterfall winds along for several kilometers. It's all residential with houses old and new. Along the way you pass the entrance to the Cable Ski - more of that later...



We were lost for something to do last Saturday afternoon after a rainy morning had scuppered plans for the beach. We had not headed to the waterfall for ages, although we have several friends living up that road. There is nothing much AT the waterfall. There was an effort to make it nice about 10 or more years ago. The broken down and rather overgrown appearance of the area gives away the fact that nobody really cares any more. There are old tables and a stairway taking you up into the hills, but it's all old now. I guess the reason for this is simple... the waterfall is not exactly Niagara.. more of a trickle, though perhaps more impressive after a couple of days heavy rain.

• Kathu Waterfall on Google Earth





We just walked up the first section of stairs, took a few photos, got our 10 minutes exercise and headed down again... I guess I first went about 6 years ago. My wife remembers a few years before that and said it used to be very nice. The one thing you do get is a pumping heart as you climb the stairs and a chance to walk in the jungle and see lots of tropical flora. And it's quiet and the air is fresh.






Phuket Cable Ski (as was just mentioned) is along the road to Kathu Waterfall. It's quite a big set up, with a 400 meter long lake surrounded by hills and palm trees. You can try wakeboarding, water skiing, kneeboarding. Lessons are available but every time I have looked in there have been some more experienced folk too, doing flips, jumps and other fancy stuff. I admit to not being an adrenaline junkie, so have never tried, though I have been rafting on the Zambezi and raced bicycles downhill at 80 kph in the Pyrenees... My wife and a couple of her friends did try kneeboarding one time.





The prices are reasonable I guess - 500 Baht for an hour or 850 Baht for half a day. On Saturday there were plenty of kids there, but I don't think any were tourists! All local kids. My wife recognised a few from my daughters school. It's another quiet place to visit. If you never tried wakeboarding before... worth a go. You can also go running around the lake.





• More information: Phuket Cable Ski Website
• Phuket Cable Ski Location on Google Earth

• Update 2011 - new story and photos of Kathu Waterfall

Restaurant Tips: Mama Noi

I have probably eaten more at Mama Noi than any other single restaurant in the world. Why? Well, it's just round the corner from 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 30 Baht, a place called "Red Chair" which is more or less next door to Mama Noi 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) - see location on Google Earth. 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 20 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 70 Baht, fried rice 40 Baht, and did I mention the excellent 20 Baht milkshakes...? In summary: I recommend Mama Noi!

Hotel Recommendations: Tri Trang Beach Resort

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 from the center of Patong for some crazee nightlife and all the food you can eat! (see location on Google Earth)

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

 

 




• More Hotels in Phuket - Phuket Hotels at Agoda.com
• Last minute Phuket hotels - LateStays.com
• More Phuket Hotel Recommendations

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. As you cross the bridge (see location on Google Earth) 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 may spot monkeys from time to time...







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. Some of the coastal views are fantastic.





There are still sea gypsies (Chao Ley) on the island, and you can visit their rather..er..dirty village at Laem Tukkae. The villages 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. Don't expect to see too much of old traditional sea gypsy life here. Do expect to see 20 stalls selling shells. The few photos of the village on this page were taken in 2004.









We go for drives around Koh Sirey now and then. The views can be very nice and we like the temple on the hill (see more here : Koh Sirey Temple). The area is very quiet. You can visit the Phuket Abalone Farm, and there are a couple of local seafront restaurants that offer great views along with decent, inexpensive food. We went to "Haad Pleum Suk" last weekend. 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.

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.

• More about the Tri Trang Beach Resort
• Tri Trang beach - Location on Google Earth





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.





• Paradise Beach location on Google Earth
• More photos of Paradise Beach (on the weather blog)