In conclusion of this trilogy of street Art in Kata-Phuket, this area down the sidewalk to the small canal to the Kata beach, suns a wall with more modern and free form murals and wall art.
This area was also earmarked for urban renewal, which as all things is slow.
You can still walk down this canal path and see these murals, there were so many more but I think this gives you a good flavour of what’s there.
So following on from Pt1 ,Kata Palm Square Street Art- Phuket Pt1, I’ll put the link in this video which will take you right to it if you’ve missed it.
The photo project on this area of Kata was quite extensive , so I had to break it down into 3 pts, this is no.2! be sure to hit the like and follow button so you can be notified when they come out in the next few days!
Part of Kata’s regeneration scheme after coming out of Covid, this is a great way of brightening up the area for locals and visitors alike.
Look out for pt3 coming soon!
Music free under creative commons licence from You tube music library
Titles;Bonfire by An Jone
I went to Palm Square, Kata Town in Phuket, you will love this place for two reasons, not only for the excellent food they serve but the amount of brilliant graffiti artwork in and around this huge complex called; Palm Square, and this got me excited for two reasons, I love good Thai food and I love great graffiti work so, I was definitely looking forward to seeing Palm Square in Kata Town and let me warn you there is going to be a overload of graffiti artwork in this post so, I hope you love brilliant graffiti artwork because here you will see some of the best graffiti artists work.
I have broken it down into 3 parts this is Part 1, 2 and three are to follow to be sure to hit the like and follow button so you can be notified when they come out in the next few days!
The Palm Square complex was at one point a abandoned building until a Thai group bought it out, and the builders and graffiti artist got very creative and today a large part of this complex has been completely restored and turned into a very famous restaurant which is called the Palm Square Restaurant. It is well known by the local, expats and many tourists and they Makes for a good place to stop and admire the work.
On the top floor you feel like your working on a tropical island underwater scenes give this feeling, with the graffiti artwork around you, some of the window openings, in the back of the room have been closed up with bricks because the views were not great, they were just looking over people’s roofs so they have been replaced with more aesthetically stunning Artwork. Making it look like your looking out at the ocean, how brilliant! and giving you that relaxed chilled out feeling of Island Life.
It really was like walking through a art gallery, I loved this graffiti, also showing the old and the existing culture of Thailand, just looking at these paintings gives you a view into the culture , Old and new.
Part 2 will focus on the street wall that runs across the road from Palm square. Stay tuned!
Music free under creative commons licence from You Tube music Library
Titles: Find Your Way by Nana Kwab
During my Christmas and New Year break i took advantage of being able to finally move around the Island of Phuket and off it back to the mainland. After my first hurried exit in December upto Phang Nga, I promised myself that I would stop on this beach before my next visit to the mainland.
Shaded by beautiful trees I sat and picnicked whilst watching the beautiful scenery in front of me. I am so pleased i stopped the 2nd time passing and hope you enjoy the views too!.
Sai Kaew means ‘glass sand’. Sai Kaew Beach is at the northernmost point of Phuket. It stretches from Mai Khao Beach around the northwestern corner of Phuket and all the way to Sarasin Bridge. There is no physical boundary between Mai Khao Beach and Sai Kaew. They are considered to meet around the area with the rustic restaurants where Thepkrasattri Road meets the west coast.
The 600-meter long Sarasin Bridge is the link from Phuket to the Thai mainland. From Sai Kaew Beach, you look across the narrow channel to a similar beach on the Thai mainland.
Sai Kaew Beach is a thin strip of sand that slopes smoothly into the inviting waters. Considering this channel is a boat passage, the water quality is remarkably good. You will see lots of small fish swimming in the clear water close to the sandy shoreline. The northern end of the beach within view of Sarasin Bridge has the benefit of being sheltered from the rainy season waves.
Behind the beach is the sleepy village, Thachatchai. The friendly locals like to fish from Sarasin Bridge and from the beach at the area below the bridge.
Music free under creative commons licence from You tube library Title and credits to: Floating Home by Brian Bolger
Its difficult to imagine a beach 6 kilometers long, but Bang Tao is just that! So here is Bang Tao II as the beach changes its beauty from one end to the other. Here is the North end of the Beach, much quieter, and fewer people. Somewhere to come and enjoy the sound of the Ocean!
Bangtao was one of the tin mines that made the fortune of Phuket long ago. They abandoned it later, and the land was considered worthless. Laguna Phuket managed to transform it into a very profitable award-winning Eco-project. In the first years, Laguna started as a luxurious complex, but it was a little isolated.
Music free under creative commons licence from you tube music library title; Stellar Wind by the Unicorn Heads
Sun, sea and sand is all Phuket is about? right? wrong, I bring you greetings from Phuket with one of those must see places that non one knows about!
Ma Doo Bua Cafe is an incredible cafe that has become famous due to the incredible pictures you can capture of their beautiful on-site lilypad pond. Situated quite far north from the regular tourist spots like Patong, Karon, and Rawaii beaches to the south, the wonderful images we captured made the trip well worth it.
The fantastic scenery is complemented by a rather extensive food and drink menu with plenty of options for various pallets. From the presentation and quality of the food to the breathtaking lily pad pond, the unique imagery will likely appeal to many travelers and locals alike.
Ma Doo Bua Phuket is a relatively new café and restaurant which has captured the hearts of selfie-loving social media enthusiasts with their irresistible background and relaxed atmosphere. If it isn’t obvious to you already, the entire operation owes its popularity primarily to the giant circular Amazonica lily pad leaves. These being the largest in the species can allegedly hold up to 50kg! you can lay on their rows of pillows and relax while taking in the breathtaking views. The small lake or pond has traditional Lanna-style wooden houses lining the lake and really help complete the picturesque scenery.
Music free under creative commons licence from YouTube library Music: 8th World Wonder By RKVC
On a short trip to Patong recently, driving along the coast road, down from the Patong hills. I saw these amazing seascape clouds. Stunning looking like oil paintings in the sky. Breathtaking but as the weather changed dark and almost frightening!
Karon Beach in Phuket is one of the longest beaches on the island, spanning 5 km of fine white sand overlooking the Andaman Sea. The northern end of the beach is usually deserted, making it an excellent spot for those who want the beach to themselves. The southern end, close to Kata, tends to be busier but it isn’t that hard to find a nice spot for yourself.
There are very few waves during the high season (November–April), resulting in crystal-clear waters. However, Karon Beach experiences dangerous swells and riptides in the southwest monsoon season (May–October). While there are lifeguards on the beach, it’s best to take note of warning flags and be very careful.
Sea turtles often lay their eggs in the sand at night. If you see any turtles or their tracks, inform your hotel so that they’ll contact the Phuket Marine Biological Centre. The organisation’s Sea Turtle Conversation Project aims to help the population grow by rescuing injured turtles and incubating eggs in a safe environment. Sadly I didn’t get to see any that day, but they are reported to be there.
Music; Free under creative commons licence from YouTube music library Song; Pure Potentiality by Benjamin Martins
Blue Elephant Phuket From my recent visit two days ago. Every month we try and go and support our local businesses and community. This month was the turn of the Blue Elephant! Amazing building, and lovely food.
Blue Elephant Phuket is not a casual Thai restaurant, but contrary to what most people think, it is not outrageously expensive (We didn’t say cheap though). Blue Elephant Phuket is perfect for a special occasion, a dining experience to share and remember. We wrote about this fantastic old mansion that used to be a governor’s house, abandoned for a long time in Phuket Town.
Seen from the street, it always had the majesty of a place with a long and mysterious history. They returned the mansion to its original grandeur, and you can now drive up the immense garden alley, leave your car under the trees and proudly climb the stairs like a celebrity to enter the famous Blue Elephant.
Dining in a hundred years old governor’s house adds a new dimension to the experience. The Blue Elephant is a long-established cooking school from Bangkok and a great place to invite your guests or for a romantic occasion. Take the time to walk around the park with your glass in hand and appreciate the majesty of the Sino-Portuguese architecture, shaded by immense trees that witnessed moments of Phuket fascinating history.
As you explore, it becomes easy to imagine how the held parties and ceremonies within these walls. Then climb the stairs to the second floor and walk through the several large rooms with their dark wooden floors and the many windows so typical of this era.
Then, it’s dinner time, and you will walk through the ‘Blue Elephant Gallery’ to the air-conditioned indoor or outdoor dining area. Service is as impeccable as you expect it to be, the restaurant and tables setting are beautiful.
Earlier this year I stopped at an unfinished building that I had kept passing from time to time. It was easily accessible from the road and had been in its current state for at least the two years I have lived in Phuket. Always interested in Architecture of all sorts I stopped to photograph this “unfinished project”. Which for all the info I could find was supposed to be finished in three years! Sadly it seems that the funds/donations ran out and it is left for the future, when some benefactor may leave some large sum of money so it may be finished.
Also named as Kew Ong Tai De Am Rawai, I couldn’t find anymore than the translation below about this place. What appeared to be a great vegetarian, community effort that ran out of funds. None the less an interesting visit and view of what might have been and what still might be one day!
Co-construct the Kew Ong Tai Tam Temple Center of Dharma Practice And eat vegetables throughout the year. By Thewasan Kew Ong Tai Tam (Rawai) located at 60 Moo 6, Rawai Subdistrict, Mueang Phuket District It is a land belonging to the “Sukkaew” family, formerly owned by Father Lamead Sukkaew and Mother Lamead Sukkaew. And both of you Had a wish for this land to be the construction of the Kew Ong Tai Te Temple When he died, the said land became ownership of the heir. And the heirs who hold all rights have inherited the spirit of the parents And jointly hand over the said land of approximately 2 rai, almost 3 rai to the Kew Ong Tai Tam Temple (Rawai). And has been carrying out the ceremony to eat vegetables throughout the year 2006 until His Majesty Kew Ong Taitae He has assigned the Lord Oun Kong to climb Tae. As Lord Aam manages to build a temple And has appointed an official construction committee With the ceremony of laying the main pole on May 5, 2012 already Therefore immediately proceeded the construction Expected to be completed within 3 years, ie in the year 2558
By Thewasan Kew Ong Tai Tam (Rawai) located at 60 Moo 6, Rawai Subdistrict, Mueang Phuket District It is a land belonging to the “Sukkaew” family, formerly owned by Father Lamead Sukkaew and Mother Lamead Sukkaew. And both of you Had a wish for this land to be the construction of the Kew Ong Tai Te Temple When he died, the said land became ownership of the heir. And the heirs who hold all rights have inherited the spirit of the parents And jointly hand over the said land of approximately 2 rai, almost 3 rai to the Kew Ong Tai Tam Temple (Rawai). And has been carrying out the ceremony to eat vegetables throughout the year 2006 until His Majesty Kew Ong Taitae He has assigned the Lord Oun Kong to climb Tae. As Lord Aam manages to build a temple And has appointed an official construction committee With the ceremony of laying the main pole on May 5, 2012 already Therefore immediately proceeded the construction Expected to be completed within 3 years, ie in the year 2558, however, at the Shrine of Kyushu Ong Ah, the titration (Rawai) There is a story about the history. “Maha Pho Footprint” by Mother Lamed Which is a villager with good hearts Has a wonderful wisdom, touches according to beliefs To bring down the Bodhi tree growing on the Phrao Duan tree and plant it Mae Lamead brought the Bodhi tree to walk around, ready to plant many times until she found this point. Which is the point where Ong Ong Tai Tao has his footprint Therefore bowed to worship around the Buddha’s foot as a preliminary And is the origin of “Maha Pho Footprint” said.
While Mr. Arun Soros, Mayor of Rawai Sub-District, said that for the festival of the Yom Kippur Festival of Phuket residents Of the local government organization Has supported the tradition for a long time Both on facilitating the participants to eat vegetables To get comfortable Including supporting various factors To be used during the festival as well
As for the construction of the Kew Ong Taiteam Temple (Rawai), the municipality invites the people of faith to donate money. Although the construction has progressed a lot. But people can still donate money When this temple is completed, it will be a beautiful place that will promote tourism in the Rawai area as well.
So during Chinese New Year we managed a short four day break to Kho Phi Phi, one of the few Islands still running boat services. This is one of the two main beaches we visited during our stay.
The arrival point and central area of Koh Phi Phi, Tonsai Bay is a crowded busy area overlooked by Tonsai Village.
Tonsai Bay is the main arrival and departure hub for Koh Phi Phi as it is deep water. The bay is stretched out along a 2km long cliff which, as it heads to the east, is punctuated with promontories and smaller beaches.
Tonsai Bay is unsurprisingly flanked by the beaches of Tonsai East and Tonsai West. While it initially appears a scenic spot on arriving at Koh Phi Phi, the water at Tonsai Bay tends to have a fair bit of boat traffic continually coming in and out of the bay. As this is where the main Pier is for drop of and embarking on other Island Journeys.
Music free under creative commons licence from You tube music library Music: The Future Ancient Now by Nathan Moore
In February this year (2021) I was able to take a short break to the beautiful island of Koh Phi Phi, not that I would say that hoards of tourists packed over every inch of sand is beautiful, BUT there are no tourists at this present time, except for local Thais from the mainland and those of us who are expats here from working or in my case retirement.
So back to the beautiful Phi Phi, one of the few Islands still running ferries. This video is from the day I took one of my obligatory, walkabouts, and I was struck by two things, the intense colour and beauty of the sea around this area, and the sadness of so many boats tied up and not working. The streets empty and most businesses closed and shuttered up. There were a few places open and serving food and taking guests, but at this present time it is a shadow of it’s former self. Still a Jewel of an Island and even more stunning with less crowds.
One thing we did love seeing were all the cats, no dogs are allowed on the Island, but there were many cats, and friendly ones. The locals feed them as do the few tourists that come to visit, bags of kitty cookies are available in most stores.
Tonsai Bay is the bustling heart of Phi Phi. The bay hosts Phi Phi Island’s main village, and it is the main arrival port in Phi Phi. Here, there are no cars or roads, only footpaths. The village is located on an isthmus, for which Phi Phi is famous, with Tonsai Bay on the south side and Loh Dalum (Dalum Bay) on the north.
Before 14:30, when the last ferry leaves, the streets are busier with day-trippers and people arriving/departing. After that, the island is more relaxed and the difference is tangible. In the evening the streets fill again with diners looking for a place to eat. Additionally, as most business is done at night, the tour shops, dive shops and every other kinds of shop come to life. Later on, some isolated nightlife areas heat up; especially on the east side of the village and of the bay.
Phi Phi is a very bohemian type of place; after all, bicycles and long-tail boats are the only alternatives to walking.
Music credit to :The Future Ancient Now by Nathan Moore Free under creative commons licence from You Tube music library
My recent trip on a Catamaran included stopping off at some beautiful Islands close to Phuket.
My favourite one was Koh Racha, where the water is crystal clear and the sand is white and so so soft.
As there is no jetty as such you are picked up by a long tail boat and ferried to a floating pontoon, an aerobics session in itself getting to the beach as it bobs up and down in the water!
The water was so calm and clear I was even confident enough to take my dslr into the water with me to get some different perspectives of the boats and bay.
If you watch the video you might even see me!
The Racha Islands (or Raya Islands) are best known as among the best diving and snorkelling destinations in Thailand. Located some 12 km south of Phuket, Racha Noi is uninhabited, but there’s some great diving in the area. Racha Yai has several bungalows and resorts if you want to stay on the island for a day or more.
Racha Yai reveals itself in splendid fashion, with most arrivals landing onto a strip of fine white sand tucked deep into the long, U-shaped main bay, called Ao Tawan Tok or Ao Bungalow. The waters are clear and excellent for snorkelling, though the bay gets quite busy with visiting boats in the afternoons. Racha Yai is home to The Racha, a splendid getaway resort. The other large bay, Ao Siam, is a pretty place that’s great for peaceful strolls.
