PHUKET SOUTHERN THAILAND

Phuket open air nightlife at Bangla Rd.    Paton Beach, the show is on every night, fun    fore sure.

The Tom Yam Seafood and other tasty food makes your stomach happy, either it is with chili and coconut  milk or "nam sei". But not only that, it's also German food, Austrian gourmet specialties, Italian, French, Spanish, Indian and so on, just name it everyone try to make you happy and get (naturally) some money.
Phuket Tuk Tuk drivers who think the roads in Paton belong to them could be more friendly and not puncturing the tires of "farang" cars for fun (there are also ugly sides in the land of smile).

The secured areas in Phuket with villas from 10 million bath upwards are mushrooming. The people come to Phuket Island from a radius of 4 flight hours for the weekend golf. Many of them have their "golf apartment" at the course, there are many golf courses for every level of experience. The air is clean in Phuket but the traffic is increasing exponentially, the infrastructure planning in Phuket could be done somehow more sophisticated. Myriads of "Motocyc" are over Phuket Island like chaotic flies, not giving the car driver a millimeter of space and coursing unbelievable accidents in Phuket southern Thailand. Festivals are on all over the year like Loi Krathong festival - picture  -, Vegetarian festival and other. The exotic splendors of Bangkok’s palaces may not grace Phuket, but if you want to be by the beach all day and party all night in Siam, then Phuket is a great place to be. For those who really want to party, Patong is where the island’s bars, clubs and discotheques are. If you’ve got the kids with you, you might also want to visit Phuket Fantasea on Kamala Beach, which is the islands version of a festival and cultural event –a place to sample Thai theater, eat great Thai food, play games, and go shopping. On the other hand, if you want to go some place a bit tamer, Karon Beach is an excellent place for restaurants with some good food and great cocktails . And if you want a classier and MUCH quieter ambiance, go to Bangtao bay Aimee C. Barnard lives for tropical holidays under the sun. To read more about her travel experiences and island getaway tips, go to http://www.tropical-island-vacation.net/index.html      Phuket  Beach landcape.    First Phuket beach picture below is taken from the "viewpoint" between Kata Beach and the     southern tip of Phuket, It shows from top, Karon Beach, Kata Beach and Kata Noi Beach.    Second picture is Surin Beach, 3. picture shows Kamala Beach, 4. picture left shows a very small idyllic     beach between Surin Beach and Kamala Beach. 4. right shows Patong Beach.             Karon beach at Phuket southern Thailand is a rather calm beach.    Heavy frequented by Scandinavian and German tourist plus a high amount of family vacationer. One can find the usual excellent restaurants of any kind serving Thai food and many more food of different countries. Several tattoo parlors at Karon Beach offer their   tattoo art untilvery late into the next morning,  closing time is when there are no more customer.   Plenty of massage parlors for all kind of massage services until late night, excellent hotels some right on the beach makes it a short to go from the room to the beach.

My Personal Account Of The Sea Canoe Kayaking Excursion In Phuket Thailand Which Explores The Caves By Tony Champion

As the anchor slid into the Andaman Sea, a hush of anticipation descended on the boat. Here we were, a dozen or so tourists, dwarfed by the limestone karsts that punctuate the seascape between Phuket Island and Krabi on Thailand’s southern shore, looking forward to our adventure.

I for one did not really know what to expect as the crew unloaded the bright yellow kayaks. Will I have to paddle? Will I be able to find my way in the dark caves?

My questions were soon answered as the head guide gave the briefing. Once we had put on our life vests, he explained, we would pair-up and join one of the guides waiting in their kayaks which by now had spread out around the boat like ducklings around their mother.

Stepping gingerly onto my allotted kayak, I grinned nervously at my guide who beamed a typical Thai smile. If you know Thailand you will know what I mean: the type of smile that can be seen from space. Our guide, ‘Nit’ was his name, paddled us effortlessly away from the mother ship and closer to the, by now, imposing cliffs of the island, the first of many we would be getting to know intimately that day.

This excursion was pioneered by an American John ‘Caveman’ Gray. It was in 1989 that John discovered the ‘hongs’ of Phang Nga Bay in Thailand: the Thai word ‘hong’ means room and it refers to the open area inside these limestone islands. If you can imagine that some of these islands in Phang Nga Bay are shaped like donuts, the type with a hole in the middle. John discovered that at low tide it is possible to follow a network of caves through the limestone rock into an inner world.
In that same year John set-up his company, Sea Canoe; and so successful was his concept that he spawned many copycat companies including more than a few Sea Canoes. To avoid confusion John has re-named his company John Gray’s Sea Canoe.

‘Nit’ explained in his very good English that at certain points on our journey through the caves we would have to lie flat on our backs because of the low ceilings. You can imagine at this point I was beginning to question the sanity of my decision to drag myself out of bed early that morning simply to put myself in mortal danger. At the same time I was trying to work out which way the tide was running. If these caves were only accessible at low tide, how much time did we have to get in and out before the tide turned?

“And when you get inside”, Nit’s voice interrupted my thoughts, “to protect the environment, there is no talking and no smoking”. Excellent, now I remembered why I was risking life and limb. It was this idea of visiting a pristine environment that had first attracted me.

The caves were becoming narrower now as Nit manoeuvred our kayak through the dark. “Lie down” he whispered as his torchlight captured a low hanging rock. The ceiling of the cave was getting closer to my face and I had to turn my head to prevent my nose scraping along the sharp limestone. This was actually getting exciting although I wasn’t sure how long I could cope with this claustrophobic feeling that was starting to creep over me.

But within minutes the cave started to open up again and a hint of daylight caressed the cavern wall.

I squinted as we emerged into the bright sunlight, into a land that time forgot. Trees were clinging to the steep scrub-covered walls of the ‘hong’ and reaching out for the brilliant blue sky above. A sea eagle swooped down low to see who these interlopers were. And all was peace and tranquillity.

The family of kayaks paddled slowly through the hong, the occupants in awe of this magical, secret place in southern Thailand. The only sounds were the lapping of water, the call of the cicadas, the clicking of cameras and whispers of excitement.

Tony Champion is a retired travel professional and owner of a web site dedicated to high-end accommodation on Phuket Island, Thailand. For more information visit: http://www.ExclusivePhuket.com

Phuket: Gateway to the Indian Ocean and Considered by Many as "The Caribbean of South East Asia"  By Andrea Schramm

To be the only yacht in sight from horizon to horizon, anchored off a pristine, deserted, tropical island beach, may seem like a distant dream to most sailors – but sailing in Phuket it is everyday reality.

Unique, too, among cruising destinations is Phuket's climate. There is no winter; there are no hurricanes and no typhoons. Temperatures range between 25° and 32°C throughout the year, and the sea rarely varies from 28°C.

Located in the Andaman Sea (off Thailand’s southwest coast) Phuket is best known amongst regional sailors for the most advanced sailing infrastructure in Thailand. As a cruising base, Phuket is unbeatable. The mystical waters, islands and limestone karsts of Phang-nga Bay are just a few hours’ sail east from the major anchorages; the stunning Similan Islands are a day’s motor-sail to the west, while Myanmar’s practically unexplored Mergui Archipelago is easily accessible to the north.

To the south is the almost uninhabited Butang Group – part of the 51-island Hat Chao Mai National Park – teeming with an abundance of fascinating and unusual wildlife. A short sail east brings you to the mysterious unspoiled island of Tarutao, just 6 km (4 miles) from the Malaysian island of Langkawi, and just one day out of Phuket. A former penal colony, Tarutao abounds with interesting caves and hidden creeks leading into the mountainous interior; a primeval world where time stands still.

Phang-nga Bay itself, bounded by Phuket, Phang-nga and Krabi provinces – boasting over 100 islands and sheer-sided mountains rising vertically out of the sea – has produced some of Thailand’s most spectacular tourist images. As a result, it is a popular destination with day tours and kayakers exploring the bay’s islands and sea caves. Yet, despite its international renown, the bay is practically deserted by mid-afternoon.

For enthusiasts who prefer as much luxury and convenience as possible combined with their sailing, Phuket is already home to three international-standard marinas, The Yacht Haven Marina, Boat Lagoon Marina and the recently-opened Royal Phuket Marina, which was voted “The Best of the Best Marinas” by British Airways’ First Class in-flight magazine, First Life. Many more marinas are planned.

Yet, for those who prefer to sail away from civilization, just a couple of hours sail from Phuket – will seem like a world away.

Boasting only one regatta until a few years ago, there is now a multitude of choice, in terms of time, style and location, for those who prefer to mix a touch of action with their sailing holiday in Thailand.

The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, now in its nineteenth year, attracts around 100 yachts and is held in early December. Phang-Nga Bay Regatta, bringing together up to 40 competitors for a more relaxed week, takes place at Chinese New Year, against what must be the most dramatic scenic background of any regatta in the world. Phuket Race Week in its second year also plays an important part in the regatta calendar, being staged in the windy month of July during the southwest monsoon.

Whilst the competitive fun of racing in tropical waters is why people take part in Phuket's regattas, they all leave with fond memories of the beachside regatta parties. These relaxed, informal parties have become a keynote feature of yachting events in the kingdom.

Whether racing in a tropical regatta or simply cruising among Phuket's pristine islands, the warm Thai welcome, superb cuisine and the cultural charm – that together make Phuket one of the world’s favourite cruising destinations – make for an unforgettable experience not to be missed

Andrea Schramm is a successful Internet publisher and founder of http://www.bareboat-catamarans.com You will find everything you wanted to know about sailing and yacht chartering in Thailand.

The Phuket History by Alexander van Eyk

Phuket History

The first records in Phuket history originate in the beginning of the 11th century. As far as historians have been able to trace, the first inhabitants of what is now known as Phuket were the sea gypsy's and theNegrito's.

Phuket Negritos

The Negritos are considered by historians to be the indigenous inhabitants of South East Asia. The Negritos include tribes from the Malay Peninsula, Andaman tribes, Pilipino tribes and the Semang tribes. The Negritos were small people and were pygmy sized. They are in fact considered to be among the smallest races when looking at population size. Genetic expert consider the DNA of the Negritos to be among the purest of any human race.

Junk Ceylon

Junk Ceylon. was the first name of Phuket in its history. Historians have found the original name of Phuket on the maps of Portuguese sea merchant maps. There was an earlier mention of Junk Ceylon in a book written in the year of 157 AD. The book was written by a well known Greek philosopher. Cladius Ptolemy.

The Greek philosopher mentioned that if one was to travel to the Malaysian peninsula, one would have to pass a cape which he called the Junk Ceylon. The Junk Ceylon was given a location between the latitudes of 6 N and 8 N which would be the position of present day Phuket. It seems that the Junk Ceylon was visited by sea merchant from various countries as the bay of Junk Ceylon offered a superb protection against the forces of nature and gave the merchants an opportunity to rest and restock.

Recent Phuket History

Phuket become later known as Thalang after the city which still exists in the northern region of Phuket. An important part of Phuket history was during the 15th century when Phuket obtained the reputation as a leading tin mining producer. Due to the local mining industry, Phuket become somewhat of a trading hub.

Due to the large volume of European merchants and traders that were calling port in Thalang, the Thai King during that period decided that Phuket should be administered by a European. Between the period of 1681 and 1685, Thalang was administered by a French missionary named Renee Charbonneau.

Burmese Invasion

Another important event in Phuket history was in 1785 when enemy troops from neighboring Burma attempted to invade and rule Phuket. Two Phuket ladies decided to stand up and defend the Island in the name of the King of Thailand. The former governor's widow, Chan, and her loyal sister Muk organized a defense which lasted nearly a month.

The Burmese troops

were left with no supplies after they had been unable to get past the defense for over a month. The aggressors had no other option but to withdraw as their supplies had run. The king of Thailand heard of the heroic actions of the two sisters and bestowed upon them the noble titles of Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Si Sunthon. Even in present day Phuket, the two sisters have not been forgotten and are in fact still honored and respected. In 1966 the two sisters were honored by their very own statue which stands at the Tha Ruea Intersection.

Read the remaining article on Phuket history in the Phuket guide: Phuket History
About the Author
Alex loved the Asian tourist destination of Phuket. Read more about this tropical Thai Island in the Phuket Guide.

 

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