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Tags: Andaman Sea Field Trip / → All Tags

Phuket Hint: Aim For The Sand-less Bit In The Middle

Thailand... Are we nuts?! Nah: The airport trouble is over, and while politicians keep bickering in Bangkok, the rest of the country is ripe for exploration. Claire Duffett just spent two weeks in southwest Thailand sailing the Andaman Sea from Krabi to Phuket.

After Koh Phi Phi, we approached Phuket with trepidation. Surely, tourists literally spill into the ocean there, right? Well, not really, if you know where to go.

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Tags: World's Wildest Bungee Jumps / Bungee Jumping / Bungee-Jumps-Map / → All Tags

Bungee Jumping When Safety Seems To Matter

Let's be honest: We're pretty scared about bungee jumping. But there are a few reassuring facts about the Jungle Bungy in Phuket: It's over water, so we figure we've still got half a chance if our bungee cord breaks; it's cheap--first jump of the day is 2000 Baht ($55) and it gets heaps cheaper if you do multiple jumps; and it's safe because the boss jump master is a guy from New Zealand who totally knows his stuff.

So what can go wrong? Nothing apart from us losing our nerve, perhaps. Maybe the tandem bungee is for us, but they also offer a catapult bungee, backwards bungee and a water touch bungee.

For nervy jumpers like us the website is very reassuring about safety, and then they say that if we have any troubles, "We can give you a nudge if you like!" If you make it (if you jump, that is, not if you survive) you get a "Certificate of Courage." We'd display that proudly on our most prominent wall, we think.

Related Stories:
· Jungle Bungy Jump Phuket [Official Site]
· Phuket Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: ciao-chow]

Tags: Fall Festivals / Food / → All Tags

Vegetarian Travel: Phuket's Festival Starts September 28

Calling all meat-haters: The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is coming up from September 28 to October 7 and there won't be a beef steak or a deep-fried chicken wing in sight.

The Vegetarian Festival is a special time for some locals, who strictly observe a vegetarian (or for the extremists, vegan) diet to basically cleanse their souls. There are daily processions from various Chinese shrines around Phuket which are colorful and meat-free.

If you want to take part yourself there are a few rules you have to follow: As well as avoiding all meat dishes, you have to wear white, can't drink alcohol, can't have sex and must "behave physically and mentally." While this isn't exactly our idea of Thai holiday fun, there's surely something to be said for a purely vegetarian parade.

Related Stories:
· Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2008 [Official Site]
· Phuket's Vegetarian Festival [Jaunted]
· Thailand Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: Electrostatico]

Tags: Festivals / → All Tags

Vegetarians in Pain

The wild card in VegNews' list of the "10 Best Veg Destinations in the World" is near the bottom: "Phuket Vegetarian Festival is not the kind of festival populated by gentle tree huggers in hemp pants playing djembes, doing yoga asanas and drinking spirulina smoothies. And it's not for the faint of heart. But it is a colorful event every vegetarian will want to attend, though perhaps not something every vegetarian will wish to participate in."

So we know what it's not, and we know it's colorful, and we know it's mandatory. Why so cagey? Could it have something to do with the copious amounts of repeatedly pierced body parts you're likely to see?

Related Stories:
·   Phuket Vegetarian Festival [Official site]
·   Phuket's Vegetarian Festival [Jaunted]
·   Vegetarian Festival [Flickr]
·   Spectacular and Mysterious [Thai Ways]