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Thailand : Phuket - November 2009
Country Code: Dial +65 for Thailand

FROM THE AIRPORT

Taxi:  Pick up a yellow taxi outside the arrivals terminal. Fares are charged on a meter and guarantee a direct route.

Bus:  A coach service runs between the airport and Phuket City, leaving the airport exit gate at regular intervals from 6.30am to 8.30pm. The hour-long trip costs 52 baht.

Car hire:  There are car rental stands at the arrivals terminal and outside the exit gate. Book in advance.

Limo:  Limousine operators are available outside the arrivals terminal. Fares range from 500 to 600 baht. Share mini-buses are cheaper, but it will take you twice as long to get to your destination.

TABLE TALK

Cheap chic

Tung-Ka Café
(Korsimbee Road, Phuket Town. Tel. (0)76 211500)
Right at the top of Phuket TownÂ’s Rang Hill, with stunning views across the island, Tung-Ka off ers authentic Thai food, great value and a breezy openair environment. Look out for the friendly monkeys who oft en come to visit diners.

Mid-range magic

DaVinci
(BZenter, 28/46, Nai Harn Beach Road. Tel. (0)76 525 1400)
Music plays and families feast in this wholesome Italian eatery serving country-style cuisine and a surfeit of good-value wine in an inside-outside environment. A host of locals make this their regular haunt, so itÂ’s important to book. www.davinciphuket.com

Gourmet

Sala Bua
(Impiana Cabana Resort, 41 Beach Road. Tel. (0)76 340138)
Thai and Pacific Rim fusion cuisine, stunning westward-facing views across Patong Beach and the Andaman, candlelit elegance and a superb wine list, keep guests at Sala Bua lingering long into the night. www.impiana.com

AFTER DARK

Cocktail hour

The Ninth Floor
(47, Rat-U-Thid Road. Tel. (0)76 344311)
Inside PhuketÂ’s highest restaurant, indoor and out at the Swiss Inn Condotel, find a European-style bar with great cocktails and superb wines by the glass. www.the9thfloor.com

Late night

Seduction Disco
(Soi Bangla, off Beach Road. )
PhuketÂ’s most stylish disco has been pulling in the crowds since it opened in 2006. An extravagant interior design, and local and visiting DJs keep an eclectic crowd dancing until late. www.seductiondiscotheque.com

BODY & SOUL

The Rawai Muaythai Boxing Camp
(42 Soi San Yuan 1 Road, Rawai. Tel. (0)81 476 9377)
This friendly well-run training camp is primarily dedicated to the Thai martial arts, but also features detox, meditation and dietary work. Also find on site an inexpensive cottage accommodation and a cooking school.

BOUTIQUE BEDS

The Mangosteen Resort
(99/4, Moo 7, Soi Mangosteen. Tel. (0)76 289399)
Set in tropical gardens, with pools and fountains playing around the fringes of a delightful open sala restaurant, this is a hidden oasis high on a hill overlooking Chalong Bay. The mangosteen, a fruit native to South-East Asia, is one of the underlying themes here; even the candleholders and coat pegs incorporate its design. www.mangosteen-phuket.com

HOT SPOTS

Yowarat Road –Walk though a slice of history inside Old Phuket Town with Sino-Portuguese architecture, Chinese apothecaries, art galleries, music studios, sidewalk cafés and restaurants. ThereÂ’s a selfguided tour booklet with maps, shopping tips and recommendations of the best places to eat along the way, which you can collect from any of the restaurants and bars along Yowarat Road.

INSIDER TIPS

Mom TriÂ’s Boathouse WritersÂ’ Nights –This beautiful boutique resort on Kata Beach holds a monthly gathering of literary types and wannabes, where readings, presentations and lively discussions are fuelled by good wine and finger food. www.momtriphuket.com/events

DAY TRIPPING

Koh Racha –Take a ferry or longtail from Phuket pier to this pristine island 20km south of Phuket. The island has crystal waters, white beaches, great snorkelling and bikes for hire. For a longer stay, beach huts go for 500 baht, or for something more luxurious, head to the five-star Racha Resort.

IN THE KNOW

Good givings –Between the hours of sunrise until about 8am, spot orange-robed Buddhist monks quietly walking around the island collecting alms in their bowls. Far from begging, they are providing local laypeople with the opportunity of “making merit”, thereby increasing their chances of a better life aft er their next reincarnation.

Compiled by Baz Daniel

Previous issues for Phuket
 
   
Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy,
please confirm event/venue details in advance.

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