Day 6, Sunday 17 February
Final Effort…….. The loss of Katoon’s PC yesterday has left me with more work to do setting up the Tab A android device to at least continue with my blog. Social media aps also need to be set up. However, I manage to get most of it done before we leave at 11am.
By most measures of progress, I should have finished my tour of Phuket by now particularly as Ellie and Leo are leaving today. However, I’m going to give it one more day and hope that it will be enough to declare reasonable coverage of Phuket Island. I’ve tried to keep to my normal categories of natural, historic, religious and cultural sites keeping the ‘other’ category to the minimum. Fortunately Phuket has a lot of 'other' things to do to persuade tourists to part with their hard earned cash. All I have to do is record them and move on.
After a series of late nights though, I could do with a break. We really need to be selective today while packing in as much as possible. The intention is to leave Phuket by late afternoon. Every site we intend to visit now is to the north of Phuket City and we waste no time reaching the first location at around 11am.
Phuket Pearl Company…….. As well as being an attraction in itself, I have a reason to add this to my list. It’s not too far out of the city in our direction of travel. There is a birthday coming up and pair of pearl earrings would make a nice gift. The company accepts a lot of fresh water pearls from China but the main reason their shop is here is to make jewelry from the more valuable salt water versions cultured on the nearby island of Rangyai. Job done we move onto the next location 15 minutes away.
Baan Teelanka (Upside Down House)…….. source
Baan Teelanka in Phuket is a family-friendly attraction located around 10 km north of Phuket Town. The complex offers 3 main activities to entertain the whole family. Baan Teelanka is a 3-storey upside house with A-Maze-in-Phuket and a maze-shaped garden in its backyard.
The Chamber of Secrets at Baan Teelanka has 2 escape rooms, where you need to find clues and solve puzzles to open the doors. It also has a modern coffee shop and a souvenir store. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, allowing you to instantly share quirky pictures of Baan Teelanka on social media.
It’s built into my itinerary that I should visit this popular location but as it falls into my 'other' category, as mentioned above, I am prepared to pass it by. When I discover the entrance fee is 350 baht, it definitely becomes a nono. I'll let others review it.
The next location seems more promising and required a trip into the hills above Patong Beach.
Phuket Mining Museum…….. source
Already aware of the importance tin production was to the local economy, I'm hopeful for an interesting visit to Phuket Mining Museum. Arriving at the site I'm impressed with the modern fabric of the building indicating the importance of their heritage that the authorities have placed on this site. One thing though, is that sadly there are very few tourists here. At the ticket office I gladly part with 150 baht for the two of us.
Phuket Mining Museum is one of the island’s most interesting museums. Located in Kathu, on the road between Loch Palm Golf Club and the British International School, the museum features displays ranging from tin mine models to a recreated scene in an opium den.
Obviously the extraction and refining processes involved in the production of tin is a key part of the museum's diplays but I hadn't quite realised the complexity and hard labour that was involved. Nor had I appreciated that tin was not the only mineral that was extracted.
The addition of a section on the development of the universe, the birth of life on earth and of human development is something I hadn't expected here nor is the emphasis on the human and cultural aspects of the life and times associated with the mines.
The visit to Phuket Mining Museum is far more in line with the type of subject I normally find in Thailand but is rare on Phuket Island. It's a real experience to have made it here and it could well prove to be the highlight of my visit to Phuket.
Moving up to the northern parts of Phuket Island and our eventual exit there are less attractions to visit and to move things forward we skip anything on the eastern part of the island and that includes the elephant sanctuary. As we move north we hug the coastline with the intention of visiting the remaining beaches on the island.
Kamala Beach…….. Kamala Beach is another beach populated with beach chairs and umbrellas, generally busy and a nightmare for a casual visitor. It’s a typical package tour location.
Surin Beach…….. Surin Beach is one of the smaller beaches located near a rocky headland. It too is over populated and geared up for the sun seeker and beer drinking community.
Bang Tao Beach…….. Bang Tao Beach is the longest sandy beach on the island but is also the least accessible. Inland is a series of lakes or lagoons and the area is dominated by top of the range resorts including the massive Laguna Resort. All this means is that there is limited access to the beach, a nightmare for the casual visitor due to parking issues. Moving to the north of the lagoon there is more general access to the beach lined with sea pine trees. Here you can park up without hindrance if you are more resourceful.
Nai Thon Beach…….. Extending around a headland from the more peaceful part of Bang Tao Beach is Nai Thon Beach, a relatively small and unspoilt beach. Far less commercialised with discrete development, this beach is ideal for the casual visitor with modest resources.
Mai Khao Beach…….. Mai Khao Beach is a long sandy beach with Phuket Airport and Sirinat National Park at its southern end. A popular viewpoint along this beach is on the flight path for the airport located at the end of the runway. While there is parking at Mai Khao Beach, access to the runway viewpoint is only available to motorcycles or motorcycle/sidecar taxis (20 baht). The latter is the option we have to use on this occasion.
Sarasin Bridge…….. The Sarasin Bridge refers to the original bridge across the channel dividing Phuket Province from Phang Nga Province. It is now a tourist attraction and has its own history. A pair of elopers forbidden to marry, threw themselves off the bridge to their death. Of course the bridge offers an outstanding view of the channel. The new bridge in use today is known as the Thao Thepkrasattri Bridge.
Thao Thepkrasattri Bridge (see above)……..
Phangnga…….. Phangnga is a province we are familiar with from previous tours. However, the southern district of Takua Thung has not been on our visit list before. Now, not long before dark, we need to find accommodation in or around Khok Khoi. Reaching the small town, there aren't many options; the only one matching our needs is full. Searching further afield, I check what's available in our price range at Natai Beach. Accommodation on this beach is bound to be expensive but I locate Natai House Resort within our budget. Developing a system whereby we can call ahead using the speaker phone with Katoon driving, we determine availability and soon reach the resort.
Natai House Resort (800)…….. Natai House Resort offers bungalow style accommodation and has a swimming pool. It's similarly priced to our last accommodation accepting that breakfast is extra. This doesn't seem unreasonable as we are really close to the beach. The other thing of note is the peaceful location, such a contrast to Phuket. Local shops provide basics at local prices but the resort has a restaurant anyway. As for the room, it is spacious if a bit tired but outside on the patio you can sit and relax within the gardens. It really doesn't take us long to settle in with the luxury of a peaceful evening for a change after a meal in the restaurant. The only issue so far is that we are a bit far from the car park and some of our belongings.
Next Page.
Final Effort…….. The loss of Katoon’s PC yesterday has left me with more work to do setting up the Tab A android device to at least continue with my blog. Social media aps also need to be set up. However, I manage to get most of it done before we leave at 11am.
By most measures of progress, I should have finished my tour of Phuket by now particularly as Ellie and Leo are leaving today. However, I’m going to give it one more day and hope that it will be enough to declare reasonable coverage of Phuket Island. I’ve tried to keep to my normal categories of natural, historic, religious and cultural sites keeping the ‘other’ category to the minimum. Fortunately Phuket has a lot of 'other' things to do to persuade tourists to part with their hard earned cash. All I have to do is record them and move on.
After a series of late nights though, I could do with a break. We really need to be selective today while packing in as much as possible. The intention is to leave Phuket by late afternoon. Every site we intend to visit now is to the north of Phuket City and we waste no time reaching the first location at around 11am.
Phuket Pearl Company…….. As well as being an attraction in itself, I have a reason to add this to my list. It’s not too far out of the city in our direction of travel. There is a birthday coming up and pair of pearl earrings would make a nice gift. The company accepts a lot of fresh water pearls from China but the main reason their shop is here is to make jewelry from the more valuable salt water versions cultured on the nearby island of Rangyai. Job done we move onto the next location 15 minutes away.
Baan Teelanka (Upside Down House)…….. source
Baan Teelanka in Phuket is a family-friendly attraction located around 10 km north of Phuket Town. The complex offers 3 main activities to entertain the whole family. Baan Teelanka is a 3-storey upside house with A-Maze-in-Phuket and a maze-shaped garden in its backyard.
The Chamber of Secrets at Baan Teelanka has 2 escape rooms, where you need to find clues and solve puzzles to open the doors. It also has a modern coffee shop and a souvenir store. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, allowing you to instantly share quirky pictures of Baan Teelanka on social media.
It’s built into my itinerary that I should visit this popular location but as it falls into my 'other' category, as mentioned above, I am prepared to pass it by. When I discover the entrance fee is 350 baht, it definitely becomes a nono. I'll let others review it.
The next location seems more promising and required a trip into the hills above Patong Beach.
Phuket Mining Museum…….. source
Already aware of the importance tin production was to the local economy, I'm hopeful for an interesting visit to Phuket Mining Museum. Arriving at the site I'm impressed with the modern fabric of the building indicating the importance of their heritage that the authorities have placed on this site. One thing though, is that sadly there are very few tourists here. At the ticket office I gladly part with 150 baht for the two of us.
Phuket Mining Museum is one of the island’s most interesting museums. Located in Kathu, on the road between Loch Palm Golf Club and the British International School, the museum features displays ranging from tin mine models to a recreated scene in an opium den.
Obviously the extraction and refining processes involved in the production of tin is a key part of the museum's diplays but I hadn't quite realised the complexity and hard labour that was involved. Nor had I appreciated that tin was not the only mineral that was extracted.
The addition of a section on the development of the universe, the birth of life on earth and of human development is something I hadn't expected here nor is the emphasis on the human and cultural aspects of the life and times associated with the mines.
The visit to Phuket Mining Museum is far more in line with the type of subject I normally find in Thailand but is rare on Phuket Island. It's a real experience to have made it here and it could well prove to be the highlight of my visit to Phuket.
Moving up to the northern parts of Phuket Island and our eventual exit there are less attractions to visit and to move things forward we skip anything on the eastern part of the island and that includes the elephant sanctuary. As we move north we hug the coastline with the intention of visiting the remaining beaches on the island.
Kamala Beach…….. Kamala Beach is another beach populated with beach chairs and umbrellas, generally busy and a nightmare for a casual visitor. It’s a typical package tour location.
Surin Beach…….. Surin Beach is one of the smaller beaches located near a rocky headland. It too is over populated and geared up for the sun seeker and beer drinking community.
Bang Tao Beach…….. Bang Tao Beach is the longest sandy beach on the island but is also the least accessible. Inland is a series of lakes or lagoons and the area is dominated by top of the range resorts including the massive Laguna Resort. All this means is that there is limited access to the beach, a nightmare for the casual visitor due to parking issues. Moving to the north of the lagoon there is more general access to the beach lined with sea pine trees. Here you can park up without hindrance if you are more resourceful.
Nai Thon Beach…….. Extending around a headland from the more peaceful part of Bang Tao Beach is Nai Thon Beach, a relatively small and unspoilt beach. Far less commercialised with discrete development, this beach is ideal for the casual visitor with modest resources.
Mai Khao Beach…….. Mai Khao Beach is a long sandy beach with Phuket Airport and Sirinat National Park at its southern end. A popular viewpoint along this beach is on the flight path for the airport located at the end of the runway. While there is parking at Mai Khao Beach, access to the runway viewpoint is only available to motorcycles or motorcycle/sidecar taxis (20 baht). The latter is the option we have to use on this occasion.
Sarasin Bridge…….. The Sarasin Bridge refers to the original bridge across the channel dividing Phuket Province from Phang Nga Province. It is now a tourist attraction and has its own history. A pair of elopers forbidden to marry, threw themselves off the bridge to their death. Of course the bridge offers an outstanding view of the channel. The new bridge in use today is known as the Thao Thepkrasattri Bridge.
Thao Thepkrasattri Bridge (see above)……..
Phangnga…….. Phangnga is a province we are familiar with from previous tours. However, the southern district of Takua Thung has not been on our visit list before. Now, not long before dark, we need to find accommodation in or around Khok Khoi. Reaching the small town, there aren't many options; the only one matching our needs is full. Searching further afield, I check what's available in our price range at Natai Beach. Accommodation on this beach is bound to be expensive but I locate Natai House Resort within our budget. Developing a system whereby we can call ahead using the speaker phone with Katoon driving, we determine availability and soon reach the resort.
Natai House Resort (800)…….. Natai House Resort offers bungalow style accommodation and has a swimming pool. It's similarly priced to our last accommodation accepting that breakfast is extra. This doesn't seem unreasonable as we are really close to the beach. The other thing of note is the peaceful location, such a contrast to Phuket. Local shops provide basics at local prices but the resort has a restaurant anyway. As for the room, it is spacious if a bit tired but outside on the patio you can sit and relax within the gardens. It really doesn't take us long to settle in with the luxury of a peaceful evening for a change after a meal in the restaurant. The only issue so far is that we are a bit far from the car park and some of our belongings.
Next Page.
