Phuket Shooting Range

A Shooting range is not my thing but I do not judge those who do. After our Ho Chi Minh trip wherein Joel was not able to try the shooting range offered at the Cu Chi Tunnel tour, he vowed to do it in Phuket. Just a quick Google search and we found out that there is one Phuket Shooting Range complex in Chalong situated near Kata Beach. 

The place is open from 8am until 6pm and parking space is ample. As we managed our own time, we arrived at the place at a little past 1 in the afternoon. There were a lot of tourists because there are a lot of exciting things to do such as go kart racing, a snake farm, elephant trekking, paintball and many more. We headed straight to the Shooting Range and the staff was quick to give us some ear muffs so we won't be deaf from all the background shooting. 

There is a poster on the wall detailing what type of guns and how much one would pay to fire 10 bullets from the machines. This is also detailed in their website and the staff are happy to help and explain further about it. 

After deciding what he wanted to use, Joel was asked to go to the counter and pay. The cashier then gave him his target and the 10 bullets he would use.

While he was doing so, I looked around the Shooting Range's display and found that they have  a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor. 

After paying, the patrons are asked to queue in the middle of the hall and an available guide will lead them to a seat. 

The place has a lot of reminders for safety such as: not to point the guns to any person. 

Before starting, the instructor is guiding Joel on the how to's of this activity. 

He then started to use his 10 bullets and  finally posed with his target!

He would have wanted another round but it was a bit costly for our daily budget. Anyhow, he was already happy to have experienced it and I was too, for my first time in a shooting range. Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Missing Phuket

It's been 3 weeks since I left the beautiful island of Phuket. It pains me but somehow to ease it is to look at the photos on phone. I miss basking in the sun and looking at the pristine beach while walking barefoot in the fine white sand. 

Though I'm not into night life but the busy streets of Phuket town still amazes me. I miss walking around the old buildings and finding something interesting.

I miss my weekly jogs in that huge park near my dorm. Then stopping to sit and people watch or take lovely photos of the setting sun. 

I miss the places I've stayed and the familiar places I often went to.

I miss my desk back at the office and the assuring feeling that I have a source of income to pay for the month's bills. 

And of course, the people I worked with who later on became my friends. 

It's tough being in a new country and beginning journey. It is even tougher to leave the place which has become my second home. I terribly miss being able to blog about the places I've been but for now, I guess I have to prioritize some things first. Hopefully soon, I can get my groove back.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Hotspring Getaway

During my last weekend in Phuket, me and 2 of my friends decided to go out of Phuket to have some relaxing time. Just a short drive out of Phuket is the town of Phangnga and this time we chose to do some R&R at the Hotspring Beach Resort and Spa.

We were after the 1 day pass only for this trip. At the counter, information regarding this is detailed and we had to pay 400 THB per person. This includes access to swimming pool, hotspring and icy pool, 1 drink, use of locker and towel.

After paying the above and 100 for towel deposit, we then went into the locker room to change. It has an exit directly to the pool areas and we then chose our seats. 

We positioned ourselves in the Hotspring Pool first.

My friend, Tanya, says that after 10 minutes in the hotspring pool, it is recommended to dip immediately to the icy pool. It is said that this is good for body circulation. This is the icy pool enclosed in a building and is very much cold. 

We also wandered thru the usual swimming pools. 

Tired of pools, we ventured out of the place and went to the nearby beach. The resort has a cute walkway towards their restaurant named Sala Thai. This is also the path towards the beach.

Further on, there is another wooden bridge which is a part of the restaurant that allows people to go to the beach side.

It was like a virgin beach to me. The sand is white though they are not as fine as the sands in Patong, Phuket but the peacefulness and serenity of the place is a big bonus. 

It was indeed a great afternoon and one of the best quick trips in my book! Thank you for reading and 'til next time!

Phuket - never try, never know

I know I blogged about the places that I've been to but I have not blogged about Phuket - where I have resided for 3 years. My life was pretty boring here. My schedule was quite uneventful. I work for 9 hours a day, went to the grocery to get some needs, eat somewhere and come home. Repeat this for 5 days a week. I am not complaining. In fact, this is what I like and gotten used to. My work has blessed me with enough annual leave to travel and so I had time to explore. But this blog is not about my routine life. I want to talk about how lovely Phuket is and how it has captured the hearts of foreigners who come here to have a holiday or those who stay for work. In one of my tour guiding role with some visiting friends, I saw the sign: Phuket - Never Try, Never Know. Yes, I agree. Let me enumerate some of the places to visit in Thailand's largest island. 

1. Beaches

Patong Beach

This is most probably the first reason holiday goers are here in Phuket. And why? Because of the pristine beach and fine white sand that the island has been bestowed. I still remember the first time I saw Patong Beach, my jaw dropped because of its beauty. Beach lovers would surely not get enough of it.

Kata Beach

2. Island Tours

Phi Phi Island Tour

Numerous companies allow tourists to book for day trips in the many islands near Phuket. These options are online and there are also a lot of booths town or in Patong. Even hotels can help make a booking. Definitely worth having as there are a lot to choose from.

Similan Island Tour

James Bond Island Tour

3. Viewpoints

Karon View Point

These are sites usually in elevated parts of Phuket to see from the bird's eye view. Aside from seeing a lot of places from afar, it is also very cooling and lovely.

Rawai Viewpoint

Promthep Cape

Big Buddha

4. Dining Options

A restaurant in Chalong

There are a lot of dining options in Phuket nowadays. From Thai food to Japanese to western food. You name it, I'm sure you will find it. It is lovely to dine in places where there are nice views such as my favorite restaurant in Rang Hill. 

Tunk-ka at Night

4.Night Markets

Best to hunt for souvenirs or outfits. The first market I knew was in Naka (near Phuket town). For me it was big and like a maze but definitely way smaller than Chatuchak Market in Bangkok. I can easily spend 2 hours just by walking around and seeing different clothes, food and souvenirs here. I feel that the most interesting stall here is the one selling  cooked insects. Exotic food at its finest!

5. Pagodas

What is a trip to Thailand without seeing its majestic temples and Pagodas? I'd say it would be incomplete. There are a number of temples around Phuket but I think the biggest cluster is in Chalong. Interesting place to see how Thais pay respect to their monks and their beliefs.

6. Other Activities

If unfortunately there is rain on your holiday, don't fret! There are still things to do in Phuket and I have enumerated them here

Come and give Phuket a try! You'll never know you'll have so much fun here!

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog :)

3 Places not to miss near Bangkok

I love Bangkok but it is also worth it to discover what's outside of this big bustling city. I'm happy to have the opportunity to travel and would like to give suggestions to future travelers that there are also nice places outside of Bangkok. I know there are a lot but here are 3 of  which I went to: 

1. Ayutthaya

The full name of the place is Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. It is 85 km north of Bangkok. Accessible by minibus and trains, this is popular for daytrips from Bangkok. As an avid fan of UNESCO world heritage sites, I kept this on my bucketlist and fulfilled it. My story here.

2. Hua Hin

About 199km southwest of Bangkok is the lovely Hua Hin. It is a beach resort town popular for Bangkok residents to have a getaway to. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the name means "Stone Head" after the rocks at the north end of the powdery sand beach. Me and 4 of my friends went there for a 2 day getaway and I've detailed the story here.

3. Pattaya

Another resort city but this time located 100 kilometers south east of Bangkok is Pattaya. It is a major tourist destination in Thailand where there are a lot of entertainment and activities. Me and my friend went for a short trip and you can see it here.

I wanted to visit another place called Kanchanaburi but maybe during the next time I come to Thailand. I hope this inspires you to visit these places soon! Thank you for reading and 'til next blog :)

8 things to do in Phuket on a rainy day

For most people, going to Phuket means going to the beach. But what if due to the unpredictable weather, this activity is not possible? Well, there are still quite a lot of things to do in Phuket on a not so sunny day and some of these I have tried out myself. I know there are a lot but here is my list: 

1. Dine Out

This is the first on my list. Of course when travelling, it is not only about the beautiful sights and sounds of the place but also how it can please our palates. This is best because you are in Thailand and who does not love Thai food? It is better to go out and choose a restaurant of your liking and taste the dishes that are offered. One of my favorite restaurant is Tunk-ka Cafe which I wrote about here.

I even brought my mother and sister to this place to enjoy the food and ambiance. 

There are numerous places for dining in Phuket as well as other cuisines like Japanese and Vietnamese. Doing research on where to go and what to eat will definitely pay off. 

2. Shop

image taken from asiawebdirect.com

If its cloudy outside,it may be best to spend time on shopping. Stores and malls are all over Phuket and offers a wide variety of products such as dresses, souvenir shirts, keychains and whatnots. Great gift ideas too for loved ones who are back at home. 

3. Watch a movie

It was cloudy and we were afraid to be wet and sick so my sister and I decided to try out the cinema in Jungceylon Mall in Patong, Phuket. Here she is ready with her snacks. One tip for cinema goers in Thailand, you have to bring a jacket with you or you'll freeze inside. 

4. Strike a pose at the Upside Down House

It was actually my second visit to the upside down house and I still had fun this time with family. Striking a pose can be enjoyable especially when the staff helps out and takes your photo. You can read my about my first experience at this post.

5. Pose a lot more at Phuket Trick Eye Museum

Can't get enough of poses and photos? Try out the Trick Eye Museum located in Phuket Town. Funny and challenging positions ensuring memorable photos. How me and my friends had fun can be browsed here.

6. Attend a Cooking Class

Eating is good but I think learning and experiencing how to cook the dish is better. I tried this out in Bangkok but there is also a class being offered in Phuket. It is quite expensive but I am sure that it will not only fill the stomach but enhance the experience of eating Thai food. My cooking class adventure can be accessed here.

7.Karaoke

I remember we used to go out and celebrate birthdays in Karaoke bars. Its a fun time for us Filipinos to sing and a lot of these kind of places are already in Phuket. Go ahead and sing your heart out. It does not matter if you don't have a nice voice. What's important is your having fun!

8. Watch a local show like Siam Niramit

A showcase of Thailand's history and ancient heritage is a good idea to attend to. I was especially amazed at how the performers delivered the show. I thought it would be a boring one but the 1 hour seemed to run fast. My story here.

Phuket is great during sunny or cloudy weather and there are amazing options to choose from. Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

12 things to try out in Bangkok

Bangkok is my happy place. I really don't know why but amidst being a busy metropolis with thousands of people all over, I feel happy visiting it. Maybe because I have not lived in a huge city as that of the capital of Thailand. 

I found that there is a lot of things to do and see there. Here are some of the  exciting things to I have done in Bangkok so far:

1. Visit the Wat Arun Temple. You can read more about my story at this blog post.

2. The city has its fare share of old Catholic Churches as all religions are being respected here despite being a predominantly Buddhist country. Me and my friends were able to visit one of the beautifully preserved Catholic church also detailed in this post.

3.  Visit an attraction/restaurant like Chocolate Ville. My story here.

4. Be close to some famous people and have a photo opportunity with them. All possible at Madame Tussaud's Bangkok. Our fun experience can be recalled on this post.

5. For a fun and romantic night, why not try a cruise. There are a lot of Chao Phraya Dinner Cruises to choose from. Me and a friend had an amazing time. You can read about it here.

6. Shopping and walking around is such a treat in Bangkok. There are a lot of nice places worthy of an instagram photo as well as places worthy of time for good or cheap finds. This is taken at Siam Paragon.

Funny and cute statues outside Siam Center.

7. I don't quite get tired of temples and awesome unique structures. When a visiting friend came to visit, I joined her adventure to visit the Grand Palace. However, we got lost and ended up in another temple which is also amazing. It was still a good day :)

8. Try out Bangkok's colorful taxis. But due to the city's traffic, it might be a good idea to try some alternatives such as riding a public bus, or the BTS or MRT. 

Otherwise, trying out a boat is not that bad too. I tried one when I had to go for a morning appointment. I had to let 3 boats pass me by because it was so full! Finally, I was able to squeeze in to the 4th boat.

Or ride the famous and colourful tuktuks of the city.

9.  Be adventurous and try visiting a floating market. Our half day tour here.

10. See the city and dine with good food and great view at Baiyoke Tower. Details here.

11. Discovering nice restaurants with good ambiance is a nice treat.

12. And of course, satisfying the palate is not to be missed. I never get tired of Thai food though I've been here for 2 years now. It's still as exciting as the first time I tasted it. From the street foods, to fancy dishes, these are all accessible in Bangkok.

I have yet to come back to Bangkok and discover other amazing things to do. I will make sure to share my stories on this blog. Thank you for reading 'til next post! :)