JBR(7) – HKT Day 4: chasing sunsets

On our last full day in Phuket we again had use of a rental car and set off to accomplish the last few remaining things on our to-do list.

First stop, Premium Factory Outlet mall which Lis spotted on the drive down from the airport the day we arrived. We arrived just as the shops were opening around 11 am and stayed until 3-ish pm. We could’ve gone on shopping but we had wisely scheduled a massage back at the Hotel for 3.30 pm. Anyhow, the property looks fairly new as some shops were still in the process of being readied for opening. And I’m afraid I’ve no pictures of this part of the day as my hands were tied down by shopping bags.

Post-massage it was time to hit the road again as the sun began its descent.

Taking Highway 4233 yet again, we made a brief stop at Kata beach for a stroll.

Red flags were flying so there were no swimmers in the water. There were some friendly local fisherman fishing along the edge of the water though.

Could be Miami?

I can see why Kata / Karon is favoured by Phuket regulars over Patong. The beach front was definitely more spread out than Patong’s where buildings stand cheek to jowl. And just overall, the energy exuded by the place felt more relaxed and casual compared to Patong’s frantic vibe.

Following Highway 4233 brought us next to the Kata/Karon viewpoint. At 6.12 pm, signs were looking good for a fantastic sunset. I grabbed a couple of shots but Lis told me to hustle otherwise we’d miss the show at Laem Promthep.

As we head towards Nai Han, the signage becomes a little few and far between and the width of the road progressively narrower.

But we were too busy enjoying the coastal scenery to be bothered by that. Relying on Lis’ sign-spotting skills and instinct, we kept driving until we hit a huge parking lot and rows of salls. No mistaking that we’d arrived at Laem Promthep because of the big express buses and hordes of tourists.

Unfortunately, our hopes of a glorious sunset were somewhat dampened by the appearance of that huge rain cloud that you see there in the middle of my picture.

Buts we didn’t care. It was still an awesome view.

Our last dinner in Phuket was at Patong Seafood. THB 380 got us steamed mussels, minced pork with vegetables, and stir-fry asparagus. Tasty and relatively cheaper than back home, no complaints.

JBR(4) – HKT Day 1: Rawai cheap eats

Travel research told us that Rawai is famous for cheap seafood so later that night, we decided to grab dinner from one of its many seafood stalls lining the beach.

Rawai is situated on the southern end of Phuket and is about 45 minutes drive from Patong beach via Highway 4233. It’s a hilly single carriage highway which hugs the coast line for most parts. In other words, you get awesome views balanced with treacherous bends. Go slow, enjoy the scenery and you’ll have a great drive.

We elected to eat at the stall located opposite where we’d parked our car. Seating is rustic, on woven bamboo mats.

Whereas lighting is semi-romantic; candles on the table top and fluorescent tubes hung from trees lining the beach.

Dinner consisted of:

(1) Prawn and herb salad

(2) Mussels steamed in basil

(3) Grilled sea bass

Plus fish in tom yam goong, 2 glasses of freshly squeezed OJ and 1 plate of white rice. And the best part is that this entire feast cost us THB 360 only!

All pictures from Day 1 are here:

HKT1

Macro Food

Amongst the goodies which the sister brought back with her from Oz was her collection of lenses, one of which is the Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 macro.  When we had the old girls over for dinner on Sat, it gave me a chance to break into it by taking shots of all the delicious food the sister served up.

First up – ingredients for our starter of Vietnamese spring rolls:

Cucumber slices

Enoki mushroom

Lettuce leaves

Carrot strips

Basil from our garden

Then for mains, there was spag with mussels in pesto sauce:

Sides was a sweet potato mash:

For meats, we had roast lamb leg:

And yummy tu-kar courtesy of Li’s mummy:

And finally, dessert!

Creme caramel in their lil pots

Voila! The finished product in its crowning glory

I hope the pics did the food justice because everything tasted awesome that night. Tis the season for piling on the pounds.