Wua Art Gallery + Studio

Wua Art Gallery + Studio is something that I almost missed and I was happy to find again. 

I did not actually find Mr Zen (the artist) but I did return to find him to no avail.

Looking carefully at his website I saw that Mr Zen also posted his work on Pinterest.

Gallery : 1 Pang-nga Road Taladyai, Muang, Phuket 83000

Opening Hours : everyday 9.30-9.30 hrs.

 

Lung Dum - Local Thai Ice Cream

You must try some Thai ice cream whilst you are here in Phuket and here is a great place to visit. Choose your ice cream.

Then add all the extra bits...

1= mung bean
2 = kidney bean
3 = pandanus jelly
4 = pomegranate

5 = Peanuts
6 = barley
7 = pumpkin or taro
8 = Pandanus

9 = bread
10 = sticky rice
11 = Black jelly
12 = Lychees

Deeeelicious...

  

Khun Mae Ju in Phuket

Khun Mae Ju in Phuket is someone who was an expert chef in Southern Thai Cuisine - making her name with her 'Namprik Goong Seab' - dried shrimp chili paste and fish kidney.

When she was still alive, Mae Ju's chili pastes wrapped in banana leaves were such big hits across Phuket Island.

Now that she has passed, her secret recipe is carried on by her children who still manufacture and sell different types of chili paste to locals and tourists visiting Phuket until the present day.

Today, her empire has expanded into manufacturing 50 different types of chili paste, 10 different flavors of Tor Sor, a variety of processed food, local handicrafts and herbal beauty products. Visitors of Phuket always make it a note to stop by Khun Mae Ju’s shop, as they’re likely to find just what they’re looking for.

It is said that this shop was the very first to sell local products of this type. And if you’re looking for quality foodstuff like chili paste, curry paste, shrimp paste or old style noodles, this is the place to be.
There are plenty of delectable and healthy snacks as well. Among them, you will find crispy squid, 3-flavored crispy fish, dehydrated Tom Yum flavored shrimps, or local favorites like chili cookies, sesame bars, puffed rice cakes and a different variety of local products.

Different goods are neatly displayed and stacked according to type for shoppers’ convenience. Attentive sales ladies are there to assist customers and there is plenty of parking space should clients bring their own transportation. The shop is located on Thep Kasattri Road, very close to Phuket International Airport.

It would not be an overstatement to say that Khun Mae Ju’s shop is among Phuket’s top souvenir stores today. So do stop by before catching a flight home and we promise that you will not go back empty handed.

(text is from Phuket E-magazine)

Well this was quite a large shop which we passed as we drove to the airport so we chose to go inside it! 

It was certainly the place to go if you wanted some Southern Thai delicacies and more!

Address: 159/21 Moo 5 Thepkasattri Rd., Thalang Phuket Thailand 83110

Tel: 076 621 226-7

Nai Harn beach

Nai Harn beach is somewhere that we first went when our daughter was learning to swim. It has always been a place which we have driven past and have enjoyed visiting - even if it was just for 10 minutes. Today we stayed for the afternoon.

Nai Harn beach is not far from a Monastery - the quiet Samna Song Nai Harn Monastery and an island which is used by camping, more famous 'The Royal Phuket Yacht Club', a nearby Wat (which I have yet to visit) and a few beach side places to eat BUT surprisingly it is a relatively tranquil place.

I must add though that it is clear that the water is not suitable for swimming during the months of May to October and there should be red flags flying. 

There are dogs allowed on the beach which does put some people off but it has never affected us.

The special place that we used a lot was the islet for the island - which I understand has now been made safer because it drew water it through a channel. The beauty of this beach is that it can be so long and so lovely there is a 'water draw' from the lake behind but this seems only to effect the islet area.

This time it did - it left a lot of stuff there though and no doubt it was always there. There does seem to be an element of people who come here are families so it does make it very attractive to us.

They had a couple here for some wedding photographs here today - I wonder what there photographs are like - here are the weddings that I take care of.

Then there were other people on a parasail (or motorised)

and then the tree with the lost shoes - wonderful. We will always visit here.

Previous Posts

 1) Dec 2009 

 2) July 2011

Sang Tham Chinese Shrine

Sang Tham Shrine is what the Chinese Shrine is known as today (The eternal light of Dharma) but you might find it referred to as Chin Jia Keng Shrine.

Previous visits are listed below and it is certainly an interesting example of a Chinese Shine to visit in Phuket Old Town.

The original can still be seen in a glass cabinet.

This visit  was to focus on the entrance and the figures that adorned it.

Then the entrance itself behind the wires which I hear that they are going to remove). There is more careful decoration.

But there is even greater when you look more carefully at the decoration above the entrance to the shrine.

Then there is the actual entrance to the shrine itself, thinking (in this world of health and safety) that this was a ramp?

So what do they all mean? 

Well I imagine that there is a reason and meaning behind all of them but I was unable to find out.

Previous visits
 1) March 2011 
 2) September 2012

 3) February 2014 - Shrine Tour

Sea Gypsy Cultural Centre - Koh Sirey (2016)

So what has happened here since my last post in 2012?

Nothing...

Wat Khun Chee Phuket Nuns' Monastery - สถานปฏิบัติธรรมวัดคุณชี

Wat Khun Chee is a little different from the Wats which I have written about here on this blog.

Wat Khun Chee is actually a Buddhist Nun's Monastery, a Meditation Retreat Centre and Training Monastery for lay women and Nuns - in the Theravada Buddhist tradition.

This tradition was originally founded in 1918 in Phang Ng and it is now located at the foot of Khao Rang Hill in Phuket City - but I could find very little about it.

I was not sure about access to the Wat but I entered with respect and took no photographs - there was a lot going on - I was surprised (but happy) that there was a Facebook page.

Tai Hua Alumni Club

Tai Hua Alumni Club was not the first place to visit but whilst wandering around I found this interesting place.

Reading what little I can find about the Thai Alumini Club I found that they were the organisation which were responsible for the Phuket Thai Hua Museum which is a wonderful place that deserves an investigation if you are looking for inserting things about the history and culture of Phuket.

I understand that it is sometimes a coffee shop.

But it is certainly somewhere to treat with the upmost respect. I have seen it involved with the Baba Wedding Ceremonies and meeting groups.

Shops on the side of the road...

Shops on the side of the road sometimes look as if they don't have a door and they seem to go on forever at the back.

Okay they don't always have the Beat's headphones and the Cartier watch but they do have interesting bits.

We wanted a pair of Muay Thai boxing shorts - they didn't have any gloves though.

There are places like this all over Phuket and what they have is dependent on when they are in Phuket - Patong has a lot of fakes and big T.Shirts; Kata and Karon have swimming toys and beach wear; Phuket Town has bits and pieces.

This row is opposite Ocean Plaza (just realised that I have not been here since 2010) and Robinsons in Phuket Town.  My favourite shop is still Radsada Handmade though.

If you just need something then Phuket Town is a place to look but if it is not convenient there are a great many more places to find like this - some are more quirky than others.