Western Australia Now and Then

Tomorrow marks quite a difference in this channel because tomorrow's video is the last one I have shot of anything in W.A. Yes, for the first time in years I have no local content ready to go and not much chance of making any more for a while. Quite a sad day for the channel. I will have some holiday videos taken in Phuket to keep things running for a few weeks but they are not core videos for the channel and would normally come out as a Wednesday video. I am still working away on finishing the Attractions video index so you might find some content there that you haven't seen before. Hopefully the channel will get back to normal eventually but I have another trip to Phuket next month and then we have some hospital issues to deal with. We may even miss out on doing our usual wildflower spring trip... It is all rather depressing.

4 days ago | [YT] | 31

Western Australia Now and Then

With the holiday over we come back to reality and the first thing is dealing with this ...

6 days ago | [YT] | 14

Western Australia Now and Then

Well the first Phuket trip is now over but I am heading back in June to stay at the Cape Panwa Hotel. Quite a different area so there will be some content coming up featuring those trips. Only 1 video left with W.A. content at the moment as we have had some difficulty getting out to film - getting old sucks!

6 days ago | [YT] | 10

Western Australia Now and Then

Day 13

Brekky as usual but as we planned a big lunch, today it was a very light one.

Headed off around 11am for about a 15 minute drive to 2 Kan Eng Seafood Restaurant. This is an iconic place set right on the beach and the perfect place for a seafood lunch.

We knew it was going to be heavy on the pocket but we did it more for the experience that anything else.

On the menu was lobster (actually crayfish), large (very large) prawns, squid fried in ink, soft shell crab and seafood fried rice.

For us this was a once in a lifetime meal, something we will never do again because the cost was so high.

If we had avoided the very high end crayfish and prawns, the coast would have been quite reasonable and other dishes on the menu were not too expensive but the cost of just those two items were frightening.

Even so, it was worth it for a once in a lifetime experience and it really was the perfect place to eat seafood.

We still have one full day before we head back to Perth but tomorrow is likely to be just a quiet day around the hotel and packing up ready for the flight on Tuesday.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 14

Western Australia Now and Then

Day 12

Relaxed brekky, which is normal by now, a wander around parts of the hotel we hadn't seen before and then a swim before heading out to the local shops in the evening to get dinner.

An unusually hot and sunny day made it perfect for getting some nice shots of the hotel.

Since the day was so hot it was the perfect time for another dip in the pool.

In the evening we wandered down to the local shops and what is becoming our favourite dinner hang-out, the Chill Grill.

Then round the corner to an ice cream stall where I bought a durian ice cream and filmed the rather unusual method used to make these deserts.

A very tasty and inexpensive meal and back to the hotel. Over all, a very relaxing day.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 4

Western Australia Now and Then

Day 11

Leg still sore as hell but there is no way I am going to let it ruin the trip.

Down to brekky as usual and then a rest until mid-afternoon before grabbing a car north to Patong Beach.

The fare varied on going and coming from 162 to 156 baht.

Stopped at Junceylon, the big shopping centre in Patong and found the prices there were pretty much the crazy tourist prices we saw last time. Bought a drink and left.

Had a quick look at Central across the road but that was just more of the same.

Don't buy stuff in this area unless you have no choice. Even the money changers were giving poorer rates than at Karon Beach.

We then took a walk along Bangla Road to the beach. Bangla is the centre of the sleazy side of Patong. Bars, bar girls (and bar boys), loud music and drunken obnoxious white tourists. A place to keep away from after dark.

We wandered along the beach looking for an old friend, what once was Patong Merlin and is now the Marriott. We stayed there in 1994 and 2001. What a different place it was back then.

I would never consider staying in Patong these days, noisy all the time and over priced for everything. Touts annoying you every few yards and just not a nice place to be unless you are young and want to party hard.

Karon is so much better for people our age.

We eventually found the old hotel that is now almost hidden behind a horrible mess of concrete and noise that poses as a restaurant. What a revolting thing to put in front of such a graceful old hotel.

We stopped for dinner and took a few pictures for old times sake and then made our way back to Karon.

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1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 5

Western Australia Now and Then

Day 10

Woke about 5am with a cramp in my right leg that would just not let go. It took several minutes of jumping around and swearing rather a lot before it stopped. By the time it went away, the damage was done. Walking was very painful. I did manage to hobble down to breakfast and back again but after that the day was a complete wipe out.

I do take pills to try and combat this as cramps a pretty common for me, but I must not have been taking enough or drinking enough water.

The hotel staff were very helpful, loaning me a hot water bottle so that I can use it on my leg and giving me a tube of cream something like Deep Heat to rub in to the area.

I hope this doesn't last too long because it is very debilitating. No new pics today so just a few older shots that I haven't posted before.

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1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 7

Western Australia Now and Then

Day 9

A very grey, wet day today. Fairly heavy rain almost all day long. Did some more filming around the hotel and then went to the local shops in the evening. Good job the Pullman provides big umbrellas as the rain didn't let up at all.

Had dinner at the little restaurant called Chill Grill, (Luang Phor Chuan Rd.) where we first stopped for a meal on the second day we were here. Nice food and very reasonable prices.

Had a quick wander round the shopping area but it isn't that big so we then walked back through the seemingly never ending rain to the hotel.

The one good thing about the rain is that the temperatures drop and become much more comfortable.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 10

Western Australia Now and Then

Pullman Karon Resort Review Part 2

THE ROOM - LIVING AREA
Initial impressions of our room were good. It was large and spacious and, as requested, had twin beds — in this case both queen size.

There was ample room to store our clothes and other items, and a lovely view over the pool and out toward the beach — although in our case we could not quite see the beach due to the palm trees, but they were a good alternative.

One of the big measures of a good hotel these days is the availability of international power points and USB plugs. In this regard we were very happy, as there are many international power points and plenty of USB recharging points, both USB A and USB C.

There was a good-sized desk with plenty of room for our laptops. Since we both use laptops, we did need to request a second chair, and this was swiftly provided.
There was just one comfy chair with a stool, and I think a twin-seat lounge chair would be an improvement. The only other options are the desk chair or lying on one of the beds to watch TV.

Speaking of the TV, it was nice and large, so even someone as sight-impaired as I am can see it easily. Apart from local TV stations, there is an option for Netflix* and access to YouTube.

*You must have your own Netflix account to log in, BUT it will not work for everyone. Our account is not supported outside of Australia as far as we can tell, so we cancelled our subscription.

Under the TV is a large cupboard that contains the fridge, glasses and various consumables (tea, coffee, sugar etc.), as well as a pod coffee maker and an electric kettle.

Other facilities in the living area included a safe, mood lighting, bedside drawers, an iron and ironing board, a large umbrella, plus robes and slippers (thong style). There was also a nice glossy hardcover book with plenty of pictures that featured places to stay, see and eat around Phuket. This was a particularly nice touch. The book included QR codes to make getting more information simple.

On the desk there was a QR code that will allow you to download the Pullman Hotel App. This is useful for finding your way around, booking meals and accessing all sorts of other information on the hotel.

There is plenty of hanging space for clothes, an area to store luggage, and an entry space for removing footwear used outside.

There were two mirrors: one large one over the desk and another full-length one (essential for females for some reason) on an outer bathroom wall.

The air conditioning worked very well, and adjustment was simple.

The overall decor of the room was plain but pleasant, with a couple of brighter feature panels on the wall behind the bed.

Finally, there was a large bin for the collection of rubbish.

BEDS

A bed can easily make or break your holiday, and we have had some shockers over the years. Thankfully, the beds at the Pullman were excellent — not too soft and not too hard. I have back problems, so having a good bed is essential for a good night's sleep.

Initially I thought the pillows might be a little too soft, but after several nights' sleep, they turned out to be just fine for my rather fickle neck.

LIGHTING

There were many different settings for lighting depending on your mood, from fully bright all the way down to a nightlight style that allowed you to sleep but kept on some essential low lights to make using the bathroom simple and non-disruptive to others in the room.

There are net curtains for diffused light or full blackout curtains if you like the room to be nice and dark.

THE BATHROOM

This was a combination bathroom/toilet, and again it was spacious and well designed.

The lighting around the large mirror was excellent, and facilities included a flush toilet with bidet hose, a large bath and a roomy shower.

Water flow was good, and if hot water was required, it arrived at the shower head quickly.

Large bottles of shower gel, body lotion, hand wash, shampoo and conditioner were provided, as well as a bath mat, hand towels, large bath towels and face flannels.
Consumables such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower cap, sanitary bags and cotton pads were also available.

The bathroom also had a large rubbish bin.

The only item I wasn't fond of was the toilet paper. I prefer stronger sheets, but that is purely a personal choice.

One interesting feature is a pane of glass between the bathroom and the living area that, at the flick of a switch, turns from clear to frosted. Perhaps clear may be an option for the young and beautiful, but we kept it on frosted!

THE BALCONY

In our case, the balcony looked out over a lovely pool with palm trees as a backdrop. If we had been higher than level 3, we would also have had a view of the ocean.

There was a next-to-useless towel rack that was set far too close to the wall, making the inner rail useless for drying clothes on. This was a minor issue, though, as the other items — including a double lounge seat and a table and chairs — were all good.

HOTEL GROUNDS

It would be hard to find another hotel with such extensive and well-kept grounds. Beautiful lush tropical vegetation, extensive walkways, lakes, streams and waterfalls all combine to make this the most attractive garden setting of any hotel we have ever stayed at.

There are five pools, with the smallest and possibly least interesting being right at the front of the hotel near the beach.

The other pools are spectacular in every way.

When you first look at the pool near our room, you think, 'pretty, but about the same as many other hotels'. It is only later that you discover there is a hidden pool on a slightly higher level leading away under the building to the other side. This is the tranquillity pool, reserved for those who enjoy peace and quiet. It snakes around a circuit and leads through a man-made cave where you can look out onto the pool in front of G block.

From here there is a water slide for children to use.

The other main pools are near the central tower blocks. Again they don't seem that special until you find that what looks like one pool is in fact two, and is very extensive.

Pools are open from 7am to 7pm, but we would like to see them open just a little later, with perhaps the caveat that children stop using them at 7pm and noise must be kept to a minimum after that time.

OTHER FACILITIES

The Pullman offers a number of facilities including a spa, gym, children's play centre and several bars and restaurants.

We cannot comment much on these as we don't tend to make use of them ourselves. The main reason we stay away from hotel bars and restaurants is the price. Drinks are 2 to 4 times what you pay outside, and food markups — while generally not quite so bad — are still substantial.

There are bicycles and electric scooters for hire. If you take out Accor membership (this is free), then you can use the bikes for an hour at a time for free. Scooters still cost money, and they are something I would not recommend as there really isn't anywhere besides the roads to ride. If it were possible to use the pathways around the hotel to explore more widely, then they might be a good choice, but you can see everything from the road on one of the shuttles.

The one food area we can comment on is the breakfast buffet. We bought this with our package, so it was substantially cheaper than if we had purchased it on-site.
The variety was very good, and the menu changed often enough to stop eating there every day from becoming boring.

Options included English style, Indian, Thai, Japanese and speciality items cooked individually for guests. There is fresh fruit, ice cream and other variable items like waffles, crepes, cheeses, cold cuts — the list just goes on and on.

Drinks include a range of speciality coffees, either hot or iced, milk and fruit juices. There are also fruit smoothies.

There are so many things on the menu that it is impossible to list them all here.
The staff at the buffet were 'next-level' wonderful.

THE STAFF

While the Pullman is a visually stunning place to stay and has exceptional facilities, it is the staff that really shine.

Every member of staff we met was friendly, caring and very helpful.
We have stayed at other 5-star resorts and hotels, but nothing we have experienced before matched the excellence of the staff at the Pullman. Nothing was too much trouble, and although we were just two among hundreds of other guests, they always managed to make us feel special.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 11

Western Australia Now and Then

Day 8

Lazy again, just mooching round the hotel and relaxing until evening when we used another InDrive car to go and have a look at Kata Night Market and Walking Street. Again 124 baht to get there and only about a 5 minute drive.

Interesting enough but the same old touristy souveniers and pretty much the same food that is everywhere in this area.

We are looking into going the the Elephant Sanctuary in the next coupleof days. Normally I will not have anything to do with animal based attractions overseas because most of them exploit the animals. In this case the sanctuary rescues (I assume that means buys) elephants from places like timber camps and gives them a happy place to live where they can just be elephants.

No physical contact is allowed with the elephants which is very good.

The tours are not cheap, normally 3000 baht ($150 au) per head but right now they are about 2000 which will save a chunk of money. The tour is about half a day and includes transport to/from the hotel and a meal. As this place is well regarded and is doing a good job helping elephants, it is money well spent.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 10