Monkey Seeing on Siray Island (nr. Phuket Town)

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This is not the road which you will immediately take to a place which you don't know that you are sure of....


Each time we have visited here we have not met any tourists - just locals and the lady selling food for the monkeys.


This spot is on Siray Island and is a must to meet monkeys - of course the monkeys are wild so please be careful.

Siray Island is another undiscovered part of Phuket for the tourists and not only me.There is the opportunity to take photographs of the canal that runs alongside the main road 



AND there are more places to see wild monkeys in Phuket.

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Have a tattoo...

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I have to add that it was not me who had this done but two of the guests who were staying at Cape Panwa Hotel.

I had no idea of where to go but they were clear what they wanted to have

 - a bamboo needle?

After a trip into Patong the place was found and the tattoos were drawn on two very happy customers.

Po Ta To Sae Shrine - พอตาโตะแซะ

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Po Ta To Sae Shrine is a Chinese Shrine which is not always visited because it is not in the most obvious place.

The hill in Phuket Town is the hill where you can see a great number of Thai people choosing to walk up it in the late afternoon  I never have though.

As you begin up the hill you will see Wat Chaoroen Samankit carefully tucked away on the left hand side (coming in another post). As you start to drive up the hill you will notice that the number of monkeys in the trees and people jogging up the tree begins to increase.

The road flattens half way up and you can visit "Green Forest Restaurant" - a reasonable Thai restaurant with a great view. 

It is here that you will see Po Ta To Sae Shrine. This is a small and old Chinese shrine  - undergoing some renovation in 2012 - and a smaller Chinese shrine adjacent to it. I could find very little information the shrine but if you are travelling around Phuket Town this second hill (Rang Hill has a lot more written about it). The shrine was initially a shock because it has some of the old Sanskrit symbols on the wall - I thought that the shrine had been defaced with Nazi symbols.

You can then visit "Monkey Observation Fitness Park".

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As you reach the top (there is some building work on the way) you will reach a radio and a television relay station. An interesting hill.

Things to do when it rains - go to the dentist

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After being asked this (more than once) I am going to write up 

a number of things that I do. 

So what did we do yesterday?

Go to the dentist.

A local dentist near to King Rama IV park.

Phone No: 076 222 579

Phuket Concierge - D 

Wat Tha Ru

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Wat Tha Rua is a Wat set back from the main road (Thepkasattri Road - 402) and can easily be missed. There is also a Chinese Shrine called Tha Rua shrine if you visit here - both are worth visiting.

The beauty of this pace is the feeling of serenity you receive when you first arrive. There is a feeling of calm that you get as soon as you walk past the first Buddha figurine (above).

At the time of writing (May 2012) the main temple is undergoing some maintenance work which you may feel is a reason to wait but it should not. There was a private ceremony ongoing whilst we were there but this only added to our pleasure. The Thai people only welcomed us in to share celebrating Buddhism.

There are any number of sources of information to indicate how you are supposed to act when you walk into a Wat. Please remember to be respectful when you visit places of religious significance.

I would visit here simple because of the feeling of peace that I had when I entered - it was interesting to note that when I looked on Google maps I found that the entrance was covered and not obvious.

Here is a Google Map of the Wats in Phuket which I have personally visited.

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Wat Bang Riang in Phang-Nga - Part I

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This may not be in Phuket but you can drive to Phang Nga - 

so I reckon that I can write about visiting here.

As we drove along the roads to reach Wat Biang Rai it was clear that there was something exciting to see.

The temple, situated on Khao Lan hill, contains several structures including an elaborate bell-shaped pagoda called Chedi Phutthathambanlue. 

The hilltop pagoda overlooks surrounding undulating mountains and hills as well as a huge Buddha image and a Guan-yin Chinese Goddess statue. 

Wow - these statues were amazing.

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Many Chinese Shrines in Phuket

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There are a number of Chinese Shrines in Phuket and I have not visited them all.

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Bang Neow Shrine


Jang Ong Shrine


Jui Tui Shrine


Kiew Tian Keng Shrine


Lim Hu Tai Su Chinese Shrine


Pud Jor Chinese Shrine


San Chao Phor Suea Chinese Shrine


Sang Tham Chinese Shrine


Shrine of the Serene Light


Sun Sae Hud Chinese Shrine


Thni Kong Thua Chinese Shrine

Wat Thepnminit

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Wat Thepnminit is the temple that Cape Panwa Hotel choose to go to to celebrate Songkran in the morning.

The Wat itself is a small temple and it is not a common 'tourist destination'.

Wat Thepnminit is a standard temple with a Chedi, a Bodhi Tree, a bot and Ho Rakang with a bell.

What I have found interesting is the small Chinese Shrine which can be found in the grounds and 'tucked away' at the back on the left hand side - another demonstration as to how Buddhism does not dismiss other religions. 

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Please remember to take off your shoes if you enter the Wat.