Mai Khao Beach - Seaside Cottages

There is a question that comes up quite often, maybe asked by people who don't realise that Phuket has moved on since the 1970's. "Where can I find a beach hut or little bungalow right by the beach in Phuket?". Ah, well, I am sorry to say that for the most part, beachfront land in Phuket is now much too valuable to allow such cheap accommodation to exist. On the main beaches in Phuket like Patong, Karon or Kata, no chance of finding that kind of accommodation. In fact I was not sure there could be anything like it in Phuket, but was recently in contact (via Facebook) with Mal, owner of the Seaside Cottages which is found on Mai Khao Beach, the very northernmost beach in Phuket, north of the airport. Mai Khao Beach stretches for about 10km from the airport right up to the northern tip of the island near Sarasin bridge. That's a lot of beach.. and so far there is not TOO much development on Mai Khao. OK, you have the Marriott and Sala Phuket and a few other things but this area of Phuket remains quite rural.





The Seaside Cottages has been open for a couple of years. They offer simple accommodation in bamboo huts, slightly more rugged wooden huts and a couple of fancier concrete huts. No aircon, no cable TV. Little huts right by the beach. There is also a restaurant, but otherwise, just nature. The huts are set back a bit from the beach - they found that if the rooms were too close it was not good in low season when wind blows in across the sea. They closed up last low season but might try to stay open this time. Mal told me they are pretty fully booked for the next month. They are listed on Tripadvisor, which does seem to help and also on Hostelworld. The prices start at 500 Baht/night for the little bamboo huts up to 2,000 Baht for the concrete huts. If you want it quiet and simple, good choice.







If you want a few days doing absolutely nothing, sit on the beach, lounge in a hammock, it's for you. The restaurant is not super cheap, and it would be a bit of a hike to find anywhere else to eat, though they can arrange bike rentals for you, and when I was there the owner gave some customers a free ride out to the main road to catch the bus. It's a small and friendly place and I am happy to have found a place like this in Phuket that I can recommend. Oh and if you have a tent they will let you pitch it on the grounds too for about 200 Baht a night.

Oh, one drawback, at least for now.. there is a resort being built next door. You can't see too much construction from the front, but there is bound to be some noise. The other drawback might be getting bored with having miles of beach all to yourself. Anyone looking for parties and crowds, look again! Mai Khao Beach will surely get more developed in years to come, but for now, this part of Phuket is still nice and quiet.

For more info and bookings - Mai Khao Seaside Cottages Website.

Booking Phuket Hotels Online

As we enter high season in Phuket and the Andaman coast, visitor numbers increase dramatically compared to our low "summer season". Of course that's due to the weather. From November to April (on average) the weather is better than May - October. In particular, the Phuket Rainfall Averages show that December, January and February are the driest months of the year. Of course you can get plenty of good weather in the low season too, but in high season you'll get more sun. I don't promise no rain, hey, this is the tropics, but the next 6 months is the time to visit Phuket! Plenty more weather information on my Phuket Weather Blog...

Enough about the weather! I hope if you browse this blog you will find that Phuket is a wonderful place. Now, this blog is mostly about the "other" Phuket, not the main tourist beaches, tours, shops and shows. But whether you come here for the beach, a family holiday, a honeymoon, a quick trip or a erm... gentleman's holiday.. everyone has one thing in common. You need a place to stay. Phuket has it all. You can get a backpackers dorm for 200 Baht, you can rent a villa, and there are guesthouses and hotels to suit all budgets. If you care to search Google for "Phuket Hotels"... you get over a million search results. There are thousands of online hotel booking services. So how do you make a choice?! Might as well stick a pin in your screen and say "That one!"... well, I hope that Jamie's Phuket can help in making a choice!

Some people will always book direct with the hotel. Others prefer to book everything in a package through their local travel agent. But often, if you want the best rates and the best choice of hotels - an online hotel booking agent can be the best choice. Over the last few years I have experimented with several hotel sites, linking to them from this blog. The recommended Phuket Hotels section of the blog grows slowly and for each hotel there are a couple of options for online booking.



Agoda - not such a common name in Europe or North America, but in Asia Agoda is well known, being based in Singapore. The site is well designed, very easy to use, they offer rewards when you book (equivalent to a discount on a future booking), and guarantee lowest rates. Have a look!

• Agoda.com - Home Page
• Agoda - Thailand Hotels
• Agoda - Phuket Hotels

Agoda is also available in many languages such as German, Japanese, Russian and many more. You'll see a language picker at the top of the page.




LateStays - Part of the Asia Web Direct company that was recently bought by Wotif, LateStays specialises in last minute bookings - up to 28 days in advance. Website is very very easy to use, the discounts are often considerable, although you may want to check Agoda too - LateStays does not guarantee lowest rates, but for a late late booking, it's very very good.

• LateStays.com - Home Page
• LateStays - Thailand Hotels
• LateStays - Phuket Hotels

Have a look at these two - Agoda and LateStays. Plenty more out there if you want to look, but here on Jamie's Phuket I stick with them when it comes to hotel booking. High season is here! If you are reading, hope you can make it to Phuket soon!

Vegetarian Festival Procession Photos

Well, the 2009 Phuket Vegetarian festival is now over. As normal, wish I had more time to see all the different events, visit more shrines, but work and family do just about come first! During the week I had no time, but on Saturday and Sunday woke early and headed to the processions. The street processions in Phuket Town happened every day from the 20th to 26th October. I cannot recommend enough that, should you be in Phuket during the festival, you should make the effort to see something... something that you will not have seen before!

I managed a full 9 days on the vegetarian diet, eating food only from the restaurants and stalls selling the "Jae" food, no meat, no dairy, no garlic (it's smelly). Oh, and no alcohol - 9 days without a beer is something of a miracle for me! There are still events that I have not seen, not photographed such as fire walking, and the final night (which was last night) in Phuket Town, where the streets are packed with people and the air is full of firecrackers. The local TV channel was showing live pictures, it looks mad. If going on that last night, ear plugs and a facemask are a must. Taking photos would be hard work - camera would need some protection too. And feet in sandals would maybe get a few little burns. Next year....!

Talking of cameras, my Canon lens screwed up on the very first day of the festival, stopped functioning on wide angle - exactly what I need for festival photos! Oh well, I did manage to get some pretty good pictures anyway. Maybe by next year will have upgraded the camera again.

All the photos below were taken on the 24th and 25th. On the 24th I was at Jui Tui Shrine by about 6:30am and chased the procession around town for a couple of hours. The Jui Tui shrine is I believe the biggest in Phuket, and the crowds were considerable. I hope this big farang did not get in too many peoples way :).. On the 25th I went to Kathu Shrine, also around 6:30, before they all started walking. Some participants were still being pierced. I stayed with the procession through the village, but did not follow all the way to Phuket Town.

For more general information about the vegetarian festival and links to many articles on the blog and photos from previous years see here:

• The Amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival

The photos below are just a selection - I have (so far) uploaded about 50 to my Flickr account - Phuket Vegetarian Photos - Jamie Monk on Flickr.

Saturday morning - Jui Tui Shrine is just to the west of the market in Phuket Town, in the old town area. The area is crowded all week with foodstalls - we went on Friday night and it was a battle to get along the street! Similar scenes on Saturday morning. I could hardly get inside the shrine, so waited outside the main entrance for the Ma Song to emerge. If you are at all squeamish, look away now. Too late :)





I believe the guy above is regretting his choice of piercing. How the **** did he get those in there??!



There were quite a few females this year with piercings but others stuck with smaller items. This was the only girl I saw with something extreme. But the colour matches her dress, how lovely.





There are many ladies like her, dancing along the streets. Many of them really do appear to be entranced.





The guy cutting his tongue was a favourite of mine. Good ol' fashioned purification by pain! The dude below him seems to be going for some kind of record. How many really sharp things can you stick in your face? Actually I think his record was beaten next day at Kathu :)







Some of the metal rods through faces were long - hard to move in a crowded space when you have a 2 meter long spike in your face. The piercings come in all shapes and sizes. I saw guns, model boats, a propeller shaft, bathroom fittings....





That'll do for now - as I say, more photos on my Flickr page.

Sunday morning - Kathu Shrine is only about 1km from my house. We can hear noise from the shrine during the festival. Sunday was their procession day. They actually walk from Kathu to Phuket Town, about 5km. Try that barefoot with a sword in your head! This is why they start early - doing this in the midday sun would be foolish.... Yeh, maybe foolish already, but anyway...

At Kathu, the crowds were much less, still pretty busy, but easier to walk in the temple grounds. The rituals start very early. I was there about 6:30am. I think next year will try for 5:30am. Ma Song were being pierced in the temple grounds. Entranced mediums were exiting the shrine shaking heads and shouting. It's all a bit surreal. Another world.







Maybe taking the name Vegetarian Festival too literally? The metal spikes and small knives are more traditional, but in recent years there is a tendency for more elaborate piercing. Bigger or weirder - more likely to get your photo in the paper!







Groups of friends often seem to do the procession together with similarly bizarre piercings. Would you like to see a close up? I thought not. But it's my blog, so...





Ah yes, this Kathu dude beats the Jui Tui dude hands down in the sharp-things-in-your-face contest.

The procession walked out through the village, the god statues being carried by groups of young men accompanied by thousands of firecrackers. You have to be right in the middle of it to appreciate the noise, the smoke, the feeling of tradition. This is something the local people believe in, this is no show, no tourist attraction. In Kathu, how many foreigners did I see? Just me and about 5 or 6 others with cameras - some were pro photographers. I would have liked to follow the procession to town, but of course had to go to work :(





Don't think I will ever get tired of the vegetarian festival. Phuket has beaches, nightlife, diving, great scenery, 5 star resorts, but for me it's some of the history and traditions that makes Phuket something a bit special. Might upload some more photos later. Meantime, just a few days until Loy Krathong, which is on Monday 2nd November.

• More Vegetarian Festival photos (Flickr)
• More information about Festivals in Phuket

Some Photos from Kathu Shrine - Vegetarian Festival

The vegetarian festival is underway, there have been a couple of the street processions in Phuket Town already, I have been eating the special Jae diet for 4 days now and driving home last night past the Phuket Brewery I was gagging for a beer.. but part of the festival is purification, cleaning the body.. so no beers until next week.

Would have uploaded a few photos earlier, but the Gremlins struck twice this week. Our wireless internet modem at home suddenly stopped working, and then.. as I was taking photos at Kathu village shrine on Saturday 17th October for the opening ceremony of the festival, my EOS 20D decided to **** up. I got some photos of the people as prayers were said, incense was burned and the Go Teng pole was blessed, and then just as I hoped to get some action shots of the pole being raised, I got "Error 99". Won't bore you with details... looks like a lens issue, so the lens will need fixing. Oddly, it was working just fine a couple of days later.. but can't be 100% trusted, so I have now been and bought a new 75-300 zoom which will see action at the weekend!

The opening action of the vegetarian festival is the raising of the Go Teng pole, a 20 meter high wooden pole - this happens at all the participating shrines. Later at night the gods are invited to descend the poles into the shrines. So here's some pictures around the shrine just before the pole was raised...



Images of the gods were being carried to the shrine as I arrived, and plenty of people were carrying large bunches of incense to say a prayer before the pole was raised.





The Go Teng pole is rather large - it's attached to ropes, and a long line of people were waiting to pull while others were waiting to help push with long forked sticks. Meanwhile the pole was blessed with incense and sprinkled with water.







I imagine the guy below to be one the "village elders". He said a final prayer at the small shrine next to the pole before the pole was hoisted to the sky. It's a big piece of wood - took a while to get it fixed into place... It's held steady by a wooden peg and guy ropes attached to several points around the temple grounds.





The festival is now in full swing - I will get to at least one of the street processions at the weekend, hopefully on Saturday (Jui Tui Shrine) and Sunday (Kathu Shrine). Been too busy this week to get to any of the early processions.

I took another walk in Kathu village and into the shrine with my daughter on Tuesday evening. This evening will take a walk in Phuket town near Jui Tui Shrine which is a very busy area compared to the relatively quiet Kathu. But since Kathu is our "local" it's convenient to head there to get some food and photos!

It was a rather drizzly evening on Tuesday as we headed to the village. Every year at festival time they erect a fancy entrance outside the municipality offices:



We just reached a little Phad Thai stall as the rain fell more heavily. Good place to stop - had a tin roof and tasty Phad Thai (vegetarian, of course). The owners little baby granddaughter kept her big dark eyes on the big foreigner...





Next stop - fireworks. I promised to buy some for the kids. We spent about 100 Baht on various firecrackers, fountains, small rockets etc... Guess we'll get some more today! All the very best in cheap Chinese fireworks. I am careful not to let the kids too close, but they are a bargain. Rockets for 10 Baht!



I find the Chinese shrines fascinating at this time of year. With firecrackers going off all night, everyone (almost) dressed in white, the incense and rituals, it's like another world. Plus for a week the whole area converges on the temple to sit and have a chat. All the old dudes sit on benches in the temple. All the kids throw firecrackers outside. And I love all the lanterns...





Candles and incense were still being lit and prayers being said next to the Go Teng pole...





Also outside the shrine is the burner - a place where people burn prayer sheets and "money" which is to wish good luck in this life and the next. If anyone reading knows more about why people burn things and say a prayer do let me know!



Inside the shrine, expect plenty of noise, banging drums, lots of smoke from the incense, if you are visiting try to keep out of the way of the locals who wish to pray. Oh and dress properly if you visit a shrine. It's not the beach. My daughter and I watched one of the Ma Song as he said prayers inside while kids banged away at drums and a black flag was waved around his body. It's in the shrine where the spirits of the gods are said to enter the bodies of the Ma Song. This guy (with no shirt, see photo below) seemed quite exhausted when he finally left the altar. It's all quite intense and is certainly no show. I mean, if it's a show, who's it for?!





I hope to be at street processions on Saturday and Sunday, plus find time for some firewalking somewhere in the next few days. Work does get in the way, though! For now, here are some tasty spring rolls (vegetarian).

Phuket Vegetarian Festival Schedule 2009

Updated - Festival is all done now - some of the best photos here:

• Vegetarian festival 2009 - Street Procession Photos

It's nearly here! My favourite festival in Phuket - the amazing vegetarian festival. If you are in Phuket between the 17th and 26th of this month, you'll have a chance to see something special. BUT here's a hint.. you will not find anything much going on near the main tourist beaches. No, this is a local event with a rich history going back almost 200 years, this is not a tourist show. Want to see something? You need to make a bit of effort. The festival is centered around Phuket Town and the many Chinese Shrines in Phuket that reflect the Chinese ancestry of many of the people here. Most of the shrines are in or near the town, with a few around other parts of the island. The main processions take place early morning around the town - if you want to catch one, best to stay in town, or you'll be needing an early morning ride from the beaches, as processions start around 7am.

It all kicks off on Saturday 17th in the late afternoon when the "lantern pole" is raised at each temple down which the gods are said to descend. I'll be having a look at my nearest shrine in Kathu village a few km outside town. The street processions take place every morning from the 20th to 26th. There are events in the afternoons and evenings too and in town and areas around the shrines, food stalls galore selling the special food that is eaten during the festival. There are some stalls and restaurants doing this food at the beaches but not many. If you head into Phuket Town around the market area near the Jui Tui shrine, that would be a good place to sample the food.

This blog has featured the Phuket vegetarian festival a lot in past years, and there are many pages devoted to the processions, lots of photos, information about the shrines, the food... you can find a lot more information and links here:

• The Amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Not too much happens for the first couple of days after the raising of the lantern poles, but any evening is a good time to visit one of the shrines. Things really kick off on the 20th with the first street procession. Here's a listing of the main events during the festival:

Saturday October 17th

All shrines, starting around 5pm - raising of the lantern pole. Events at the shrines will go on all evening. The lanterns are hung from the pole at midnight, signifying the start of the festival. There will be plenty of firecrackers and fireworks too. Well worth a visit on Saturday evening. Not sure if I will be awake at midnight, but I will be at Kathu shrine for the pole raising ceremony.



18th - 19th October - no big events, but you can visit any shrine at any time, and now the food is available too. I will again try to stick to the special diet for the duration of the festival.

Tuesday October 20th

Street procession starting 7am for Sapam Shrine - this shrine is a few km north of Phuket Town. Photographers and TV news always cover the first procession, as everyone wants to get the first photos for the paper, and local TV always covers the festival.

Wednesday October 21st

Street procession for Sam Kong Shrine - it's not far from my house - see more here: Sam Kong Shrine. They will walk from the shrine in the north of town down through the old town. I might try to catch the start of this procession, but note that the street around Sam Kong shrine is very crowded and if you go with your own transport you may need to park some way from the shrine.



Thursday October 22nd

Street procession for Ban Tha Rue shrine which is in the Thalang area of Phuket in the center of the island - this used to be the main town in Phuket a few hundred years ago and there are several historic temples in the area as well as a museum of Phuket history.

In the evening the schedule shows "Oil bathing and bladed-ladder climbing" starting 7pm at Kathu shrine. Now, last year we went to see these events but they were not being held.. and a brochure I have from the Kathu municipality does not show these events in the schedule.

Friday October 23rd

A big day! Street procession in Phuket Town for the Bang Neow Shrine, which is in the south of the town on Phuket Road, one of the biggest shrines participating in the festival. There is also a procession for Cherng Talay Shrine in Thalang district.

Later in the day the schedule has Fire Walking at several locations including Sapam Shrine, Sapan Hin (for Jui Tui shrine) and Sui Boon Tong shrine (couple of blocks to the west of the market in Phuket Town)

Saturday October 24th

Street procession for Jui Tui shrine, which is the biggest one of all, found just west of the market in Phuket Town. Since Saturday is normally my day off I do believe I will be in town for this one!

Later there are lots of events at various shrines including bladed ladder climbing at Sam Kong and Bang Neow shrines and something called "nail bridge crossing" at Sapam Shrine.



Sunday October 25th

Street procession from Kathu shrine to Phuket Town. It's a fair walk this one, about 5km from Kathu Shrine all the way to town, around the old town and ending at Sapan Hin. Kathu is my "local" shrine, I will aim to be at the shrine before 6am to witness the piercing rituals as I did last year. The procession then heads out of Kathu village around 6:30am.

Later in the evening - fire walking at Bang Neow and Sam Kong shrines.



Monday October 26th

The last day of the festival. A final morning procession for Sui Boon Tong shrine, then events such as firewalking at Kathu shrine at 3pm. Then, in the evening/night a big procession around Phuket Town, carrying statues of the gods to Sapan Hin. Lots of firecrackers and fireworks. Ends at midnight with the "farewell" to the gods. I do hope to summon up energy enough to be in Phuket Town in the night for this event - I have seen it on TV, looks mad!


Tuesday October 27th

Around 5pm the lantern poles are lowered at the shrines marking the very end of the festival.


Now, I would happily go to see all processions and events every night at various shrines, but of course have to work and have a family too.. If you are lucky enough to be in Phuket during the vegetarian festival, DO make an effort to see something. This is a special time of year. And don't be afraid of the food! I am (almost) looking forward to a week of tofu and beansprouts :)

Restaurant Tip: The Coffee Pot

I don't know about you, but .. as a long term resident here in Thailand I am still learning to appreciate different Thai foods. When I first came here, I think I ate fried rice or green curry about 50% of the time and was a bit scared to try new things especially anything too spicy. These days I love spicier foods and can eat just about any Thai dish. Nevertheless, sometimes my English stomach says "hold on, enough chili, enough rice, enough weird spices... I want proper food". No offence meant, but now and then I get that need for something from the old country, something simple, meat and veg, potatoes or a big English breakfast. I have touched on this before, and during the high season, the Pineapple Guesthouse near our diveshop does some good English food.

The Coffee Pot has been around for years, owned by an Aussie guy called Tony who can sometimes be seen outside fixing up big bikes. Somehow I had never been in there until a few weeks ago. Many people had told me that the Coffee Pot was good for big breakfasts, for steaks and for coffee of course. The restaurant is on Patak Road (the back road in Kata and Karon) just north of the PTT gasoline station on the same side of the road, just opposite the turning into Thaina road.



Inside there is a lot of space, room for at least 50 people. I have been a few times at lunchtime, but it's low season and there were never more than a few people seated. Tony says in high season, especially in the evenings, it can be pretty full, as his BBQ is famous throughout the land!



The decor includes photos of John Lennon, James Dean, Motorbikes and Marilyn Monroe. I reckon I will have to go sometime in high season for a meaty dinner. First time I had a late breakfast as advertised on the front of the restaurant - 2 eggs, toast, bacon, tomato, beans and fresh coffee - 120 Baht. I was surprised by the size of the plate and impressed by the use of proper thick crusty bread to make the toast. And the coffee was good too...



So having had this breakfast special, I had to try the Full Monty breakfast - 220 Baht including extras - orange juice (fresh), hash brown, mushrooms and sausage. Surely enough to sink a boat? And a very good cure for that well known Changover. I am not sure if the Full Monty was worth the extra 100 Baht, as the 120 Baht breakfast is very good value and very filling. Breakfasts are served all day. Here's the Full Monty:



I checked out the BBQ & Grill menu while I was there - click the photo below to enlarge. People tell me that Tony's steaks are fit for a giant, which would suit me, thank you... I reckon that after the coming vegetarian festival, a big steak at the Coffee Pot might be in order!



Check out that Mixed Grill - 2 eggs, bacon, mushrooms, onions, sausage, pork chop, lamb chop and a steak and chips and salad - 690 Baht. During the vegetarian festival I try very hard to stick to the special "cleansing" diet. I think this mixed grill might be the way to get all dirty again :)