Wine & Dine

Even on holiday one needs to indulge a little and enjoy the finer things in life, such as delicious French cuisine that goes down just right with an excellent bottle of wine. There are plenty of special wine and dine night in Phuket, but one on particular caught my wine loving eye.

On May 25^th Kata’s popular Boathouse Wine & Grill will be hosting a special wine night with guest speaker Emily Putnam from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. This incredible night will feature some of the wineries best wines including a Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Cabernet, and they will be paired with French cuisine cooked by Jean-Noel Lumineau.

The evening costs 2,000 Baht per person for the wines and a four-course meal. Be sure to sign up early as I am sure this fantastic opportunity will fill up fast. To ensure a spot email the PR team at the Boathouse or contact Annie S Chuaywang by calling (66) 76 310330.

Trail Running Marathon

Phuket is always coming up with new and exciting events to challenge not only the locals and expats in the community but also tourists looking for something different to do. There is often something new and exciting going on nearly every weekend in Phuket, and this weekend is no different. Sunday will be the first ever trail running competition.

What exactly is trail running? Well it is running on a trail in the wilderness, like in a national park or in the mountains, as opposed to a street track. This event, which is entitled the ‘Columbia Trail Masters International Championship’ is being organized by AMA and is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear. It consists of a half marathon race, a 10km run and a kid’s three kilometer run, so the whole family can get involved.

The event starts and ends at the Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club, and you can register all day today or early in the morning on the 4^th or the 5^th of May.  For more information go to http://ama-events.com/index.php/sport-events/races-dashes/the-columbia-trails.

Those that do participate I wish you the best of luck. And remember to stay hydrated. It is bloody hot out there!

Wow! It is hot!

Many of you in Thailand may have noticed the spike in temperature over the past two days. I have heard that these have been the hottest days of the year, with today being the hottest it has been in nearly 10 years. I am not sure if this is the case, but I do know that it is scorching hot. So this week’s post is dedicated to ways to keep cool.

The obvious is to head to the beach and spend the day in the sea, although heatstroke and sunstroke can be a factor. The next likely thing is to stay in the pool at your resort, or to head to Central Festival Phuket, Jungceylon Shopping Mall or Ocean Patong and cool off in these air conditioned shopping centres. Those travelling with kids in tow should head to the Splash Jungle Water Park in Mai Khao just north of the airport.

This fun water park features numerous water slides, a wave pool, a play pool and a 335 metre swimming and tubing river. It is great for the whole family and is a superb way to get the kids out of the scorching heat to have some fun.

You can also just stay in your air conditioned room and relax with a great book. Whatever you do be sure to keep hydrated and don’t forget to use sun screen.

Phuket Pride Festival

Thailand is pretty accepting when it comes to same sex couples, and many young Thai’s are very openly gay, be it male or female. There are also a high percentage of transvestites and transsexuals in the Kingdom, and this too seems to be welcomed with open arms. This can be seen everywhere, such as in cabaret shows, like at Simon’s Cabaret here in Phuket, and in many comedies seen on television.

Each year there is a festival to honour and celebrate the gay community in Phuket, the ‘Phuket Pride Festival’. This lively and sometimes jaw-dropping event will take place in Patong from April 23^rd to April 28^th, and this year will be the 13^th year of this popular festival.

The fun starts with an opening pre-party this Monday (the 23^rd) and the celebration will continue every night following, ending on the 28^th. April 27^th and 28^th are the two main days of the festival, with a fantastic and flamboyant ‘Afternoon Gay Pride Parade’ followed by a massive street party.

All can enjoy this festival, whether gay or straight; bi-sexual or transsexual. It is a great way to show your support for the gay community living in Phuket, and to get out and have a little fun.

18th Annual Phuket Bike Week

Next week the streets of Phuket will start to fill with motorcycle riders from all over Asia. On Friday, April 20^th is the first day of Phuket Bike Week, an annual event that is now in its 18^th year. This makes it one of the longest running bike weeks in the country, and it is definitely one of the most popular.

The event’s main attractions will take place at the Loma Park and Football Field in Patong and along with some beautiful custom motorcycles will also feature a bike contest, Miss Phuket Bike Week, a tattoo competition, sand castle art contest as well as live music and a grand opening dinner.

The event is sponsored by PTT, Chang, the City of Phuket, Tourism Thailand, Phuket Riders Thailand and many others, and I am sure this year will be as great as all previous years have been. There are a total of nine events taking place over the three days, and entrance is only 300 Baht. Those that would like VIP treatment can get a ticket for 1,500 Baht, which includes VIP dinner, a t-shirt, a cap, pin, stickers, a bandana and a keychain.

For more information on the event or to reserve your tickets go to http://www.phuketbikeweek.com

Get ready for Songkran

Everybody loves a water fight, especially children and adults with young hearts. Songkran is the most celebrated holidays in the Kingdom and is basically a massive water fight. What some don’t know is that Songkran is actually the traditional Thai New Years. In the past water was spilled on ones hands as a symbol of good luck, but today this is a little more than a sprinkle and has turned into one of the world’s largest water festivals.

Songkran takes place each year from April 13th-15^th; although in some parts of Thailand it can go one for a week. Here in Phuket the main celebration is dome on the 13^th, although some people to carry it on for the entire three days.

When wandering through the streets of Phuket during Songkran be sure not to leave empty handed. A water pistol, bazooka or bucket of water will be needed, especially if you want to join in on the fun. Most of the water will be thrown throughout the Patong area, which can last through the night on Bangla Road.

If you do not wish to join in on the celebration then I suggest you stay in your resort. Otherwise grab a water gun and have fun!

Bar closures?

Phuket is famous for its nightlife, and most tourists while visiting Patong visit main strips such as Bangla Road. This road consists of bar after bar, many which are girl bars that cater predominately to men.

It is known throughout the Kingdom that all night entertainment venues are being asked to close from April 8^th to 10^th for the funeral of HRH Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda. It will be interesting to see how many of these bars actually do close their doors or what will happen if they don’t.

As visitors to Phuket this may be a bit annoying, but like in all countries it is important to respect the culture where you are visiting. This funeral is pretty important in Thailand and should be treated as such. As a tourist I imagine it is annoying and many will complain, but what if it was the funeral of a princess in your country?

Phuket International Boat Show

Boat lovers from all over the world will soon be gathering in Phuket for the Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX), Asia’s biggest boat show. The event will take place from March 29^th to April 1^st and will showcase a number of yachts, motorboats, day boats and boating gear. Last year the event attracted over 5,000 visitors and a number of yachts and luxurious cars were sold.

Of course you don’t have to be in the market for a yacht to enjoy PIMEX, anyone can go just to get a peak at these beautiful boats. On display will be over USD50 million worth of boats, and it will feature such beauties as the award-winning Princess V52, the Fairline Squadron 42 and the power catamaran Prout G-55 among others. The show will also be a social event with plenty of restaurants and waterside bars joining in on the fun.

PIMEX will be held at the Royal Phuket Marina and will be open from March 29^th to 31^st from 11am to 8pm and on April 1^st from 8am to 6pm. For more information go to http://www.iirme.com/pimex/home

Phuket Car rally

I have just found out about a great event that will take place this weekend, the ‘Phuket Invitational Car Rally’. This is a family friendly treasure hunt that as well as being fun will also guide participants to some  off the beaten track places, allowing guests of Phuket to truly see a different side of the island.

The event takes place on Sunday, March 11^th and is supported by a number of well-known expat organizations as well as the Phuket Tourist Police. It starts and ends at the Chalong Pier Beer Garden and takes you on an adventurous treasure hunting tour of the island. This is not a race but a fun way to spend a day exploring the island.

The day starts at 9am, with a lunch beak at ‘Flying Hunamin’ at Kata Waterfall, and ends at 5:30pm with a buffet dinner at ‘Kan Eung Restaurant’ where a prize-giving ceremony will also take place.

Each team must have a least two players, one driver and one navigator. Only 50 teams are accepted to play, and the entrance fee per team is 2,000 Baht. For more information visit http://phuketinvitational.com/index.html.

Relaxing on Rawai

Rawai is a great place to head to get away from the notorious crowds of many of Phuket’s other famed beaches. It is a bit further from the tourist trail and offers visitors a more serene holiday experience, complete with excellent restaurants, a favourable nightlife and a laid-back expat community. This beach is definitely not for those wishing to be around herds of other tourists, but rather for those looking for a tranquil Phuket holiday with a nice bohemian vibe.

The beach itself is not one of the islands best, but the old school vibe more than makes up for it. Rawai is home to two five-star resorts, but it is the great priced middle of the range accommodations that are most appealing. Prices here tend to be much lower than on some of Phuket’s more populated beaches, drawing in a completely different crowd.

Rawai is home to many alfresco beachfront restaurants where a great cosy meal can be had for a fraction of the price than in more built-up areas, and there are also a few nicer digs for those wishing to splash out. There are also some great bars and lounges around where tourists can mingle with the large expatriate crowd that call Rawai home.

If you are looking for something a little different and quieter while in Phuket, Rawai is a fantastic option.