Shopping / Windows and doors

Southern Thai traditional rice salad with miso dressing & fermented fish dressing.

Open daily 06.30am-10pm.

From the spacious hall you enter a cave-like tunnel and come face-to-face with a hominid – well, an ape-like, wild-eyed mannequin with matted black hair, crouched in a cave, stone-age tools in hand. The main hall features an elaborate miniature diorama of an open-pit tin mine operation in action. Hundreds of tiny workers are seen working busily on the site.

"If people can walk, they mostly can climb," says Gop, from King Climbers. "It's natural. When we're born, we crawl around on all fours first, after all." But as I stood at the bottom of the sheer, soaring cliff face, craning my neck in disbelief, his words, like my arms, seemed to lose all their power.

The monumental rocks in Railay are part of a 30 million year old chain of limestone karsts - stretching from China down to Borneo – and formed from compacted shell and coral. As I squinted into the sunlight, the summit was way out of sight, hidden behind jagged outcrops and the odd solitary tree that had managed to get a hold in the grudging rock.

Climbers from all over the world come to Krabi to scale these heights. Many beginners also try their hand here, whether they are looking for an adventurous day out, or are more serious about the sport. I was one of those making my debut.

The romantic image of a solo learning experience, where I could pretend I was the first person ever to ascend the rock, quickly vanished as I turned the corner to find what resembled a small climbing factory. A whole gaggle of first-timers like me with their guides were gathered around the base of the cliff.

Ingredients

• 880 gm boneless short loin lamb
• 600 gm carrots
• 60 gm cooking
• butter
• 40 gm spring onions
• 160 gm snow peas
• 60 gm onions
• 20 gm olive oil
• 120 gm shitake mushrooms
• 120 gm abalone
• mushrooms
• 4 gm black pepper
• 4 gm salt
• 60 gm anchovies
• 160 ml red wine sauce
• 40 ml port wine

Method: Marinate lamb with salt, pepper, red wine, port wine, chopped garlic, and rosemary. Set aside in olive oil. Sauté the snow peas, mushrooms, tomatoes, spring onions, and carrots with butter; season with salt and pepper. Preheat a frying pan and sear the lamb's surface then bake lamb in the oven for three minutes. Place vegetables in serving plate then arrange the lamb on top; garnish with mint.

One of the truly standout international sporting events in the Southeast Asia region, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta prepares to set sail once again, swelling Phuket’s visitor numbers and making a large contribution to Thailand’s important tourism industry. Inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand, this event has been held every year since, during the first week of December.

The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta 2015 will be held off Kata Bay, Phuket, from 5 December to 12 December, with various international racing classes competing. Approximately 150 boats and 1,500+ sailors will compete for one of sailing’s most prestigious trophies.

Consisting of five days of racing with challenging, scenic courses held amidst the beautiful Andaman Sea islands, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta hosts some of the world’s fastest independent racing teams, in addition to its famed prize-giving party series. A big draw for Thai companies and international brands keen to have their presence on a highly visible cosmopolitan platform, the race series and parties are not-to-be-missed events on the Phuket local calendar. The regatta offers sponsorship and media engagement opportunities as well as premium networking opportunities at party venues each night following conclusion of each day’s racing.

"If people can walk, they mostly can climb," says Gop, from King Climbers. "It's natural. When we're born, we crawl around on all fours first, after all." But as I stood at the bottom of the sheer, soaring cliff face, craning my neck in disbelief, his words, like my arms, seemed to lose all their power.

The monumental rocks in Railay are part of a 30 million year old chain of limestone karsts - stretching from China down to Borneo – and formed from compacted shell and coral. As I squinted into the sunlight, the summit was way out of sight, hidden behind jagged outcrops and the odd solitary tree that had managed to get a hold in the grudging rock.

Climbers from all over the world come to Krabi to scale these heights. Many beginners also try their hand here, whether they are looking for an adventurous day out, or are more serious about the sport. I was one of those making my debut.

The romantic image of a solo learning experience, where I could pretend I was the first person ever to ascend the rock, quickly vanished as I turned the corner to find what resembled a small climbing factory. A whole gaggle of first-timers like me with their guides were gathered around the base of the cliff.

Young spinach leaves, potato purée, shaved garlic cream, white truffle oil

Open from 6pm-1am

"Nowadays many believe that success and happiness have to do with accumulating material wealth. But there’s a very true American saying; 'you can only eat one steak a day, so why have 20 in your fridge?'" – says Philipp Graf von Hardenberg, Thanyapura Phuket President & CEO and the founder of Children’s World Academy Foundation.

Philipp Graf von Hardenberg is a man with a big last name and an even bigger reputation due to his restless engagement in humanitarian causes. He was recently named one of Forbes Asia's 40 'Heroes of Philanthropy' for having established the Yaowawit School and Lodge for underprivileged children in Phang Nga, Thailand. Yet he appears to be down to earth - a trait that probably contributes to his success.

Philipp came to Phuket right after the tsunami in 2004. His trip to Thailand had been booked prior to the disaster as he was going to help a friend run a small orphanage north of Chiang Mai. He was supposed to assist with fund raising activities and even bring his two daughters to volunteer at the orphanage.

The Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX) brings together the best of Phuket. Sure, there are lots of boats on display – from dinghies and trailer-boats to daysailers, cruisers and superyachts, the options are near limitless – however, it’s more than boats. Held 7 – 10 January 2016 at Royal Phuket Marina, Phuket’s boat show is a great day out for all.

Family friendly
The venue, atmosphere, facilities, and activities combine to make the Boat Show a great day out, and with Children’s Day on Saturday 9 January, there’ll be a packed activities programme for kids of all ages to enjoy, including the all-new RPM Children’s Zone.

Check out the MissionShip project (IXDOS) from the British International School – a project to carry a clinic with medical staff to remote islands where children are not yet vaccinated against preventable diseases – and you can also visit the Phuket Has Been Good To Us stand and enjoy their kids’ activities.

On the Boardwalk
Savour the views and enjoy some great dining options at the restaurants and pop-up stalls on the Boardwalk. Also on the Boardwalk is Whisgars™ with the largest selection of premium whiskies and cigars in Southeast Asia, along with craft beers and vodka. Add Italian, Vietnamese, Thai dishes, a fine patisserie, classic burgers, and The Speakeasy, and there’ll be no shortage of eateries to enjoy.

The outlook today for the residential property market in Phuket is solid. One of the most popular locations in Thailand for overseas buyers, Phuket has seen villa and condominium sales growing year-on-year since 2013 and the indicators are that the demand for affordable villas and condos will continue to be strong.

The entry level sector consistently proves to be the strongest performer, while the luxury segment is the weakest. However, it should be recognised that the total value of entry level homes sold in any particular year is still less than the total value of luxury sales over the same period!

During the first decade of this century, the predominant Phuket property buyers were Europeans, Russians and Australians – with virtually no Thais in the mix. However, there has been increasing demand from Hong Kong and Singapore buyers since 2012. Also since 2012, banks have been far more active in offering mortgage-loans, although Thai banks continue to be reluctant to lend to foreigners. However, the increased availability of loans has meant that Thai buyers have become very active in the acquisition of entry-level villas and condominiums. Thai developers, in particular, are acutely aware of this segment and are increasingly designing projects specifically to attract Thai buyers.