Page 19 - Flipbook

MONOLITHS FROM THE SEA: The Phi Islands are a natural wonder and are a favourite backdrop for many Hollywood movies, from James Bond to The Beach.
ROLL UP, ROLL UP
FOR PHUKET FANTASEA
Conveniently located on Kamala Beach, Phuket FantaSea has labelled itself “the ultimate nighttime cultural theme park”, and as the island’s biggest
show it’s hard to find as much entertainment anywhere else.
But FantaSea is more than the nightly stage show. The village combines an assortment of shopping options from jewellery to Thai crafts to beachwear, and the elephant rides and carnival games will keep kids entertained for hours. You can even eat here in a number of special restaurants.
Back to the show – look up to
find whirling and twirling trapeze artists above a cast of hundreds, look to your left to find performing elephants and horses, and look in every direction for a magical blend of tradition and fantasy that will leave your heart pounding in your chest and a strange desire to visit all over again.
Coral Island, or as it’s known locally, Koh Hae, offers swimmers and sun-seekers two main beaches, Long Beach and Banana Beach. Snorkelling off Banana Beach is particularly popular with families and both offer myriad dining options along the shoreline.
CULINARY DELIGHTS OF PHUKET
If the thought of trying some new culinary delights on your holiday to Thailand leaves your mouth watering, you’ll be pleased to know it isn’t all Thai green curries, palm hearts with shredded coconut, fresh rose apples and mangosteens in Phuket – although those are some of the best things to eat in Thailand!
Thai natives also eat a lot of fried insects including cockroaches, ants, crickets and spiders. Fried crickets come lightly coated
in herbs and are crunchy, but remember
to take the legs off first or your throat
will be itching later. The Thai delicacy
of deep-fried tarantula is called ‘a-ping’ and is usually freshly cooked and coated in a sugar solution by street vendors just after being harvested from their burrows – yummy. The best way to eat them is to snap a couple of legs off first, savour the slightly nutty flavour and try not to vomit.
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting in October, you can’t go past the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival. This 10-day festival is held in honour of the local Chinese community and their belief that abstaining from meat and other stimulants during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar will aid peace, harmony and good health. Body piercing is a popular activity, as are other astounding acts of self-mutilation, as the celebrations
only serve to demonstrate faith and devotion to the gods.
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a time for local residents of Chinese ancestry
to observe a strict 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet in order to cleanse themselves spiritually, and the performance of
sacred rituals at various Chinese temples and shrines ensures that thousands of participants and tourists come along. Of course, watching people walking barefoot over hot coals always adds something extra.
EXPLORE PHUKET’S
BUDDHIST TEMPLES
You can’t visit Phuket without engaging with Buddhism somehow – around 95 percent of Thailand follows the Buddhist religion. And there’s no shortage of temples to visit.
ENDLESS VACATION 17