Plastic Bags and the Andaman Sea

Do you know the harm plastic bags can do to the environment?

A trip to the Phuket Aquarium, or a trip on a John Gray Sea Canoe should be enough to enable you to understand the irreversible damage they cause.

The next time a shop offers you a plastic bag, stop and think, "Do I really need one?" 

Or better still, buy a cotton shopping bag that you can reuse every time 

you go to the shops. 

Just think, if we all used one less plastic bag it could significantly help to 

save our seas and our planet!

              

Weddings, technology and photographs

Although technology has moved us into the age of the app, online communication and electronic libraries, we at Cape Panwa Hotel are well aware that there are a great many people who still like to turn a page.

So we took all our digital photographs of the weddings celebrated here and printed them out to make a special "Cape Panwa Hotel Wedding Album" in honour of all the couples who chose to get married on this "little piece of Paradise".

If you have a photograph of a couple who got married at Cape Panwa Hotel and their photograph is not on our site, could you please post or email Tim a copy (am@capepanwa.com) and he will add it - to both the site AND the book!

              

Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek 2012

After spending 5 days at Cape Panwa Hotel for the 9th Phuket Raceweek I now understand a lot more about sailing and a little bit more about sailors.

There was a collection of different boats competing in various classes and it was clear that there was a degree of healthy rivalry between many of the crews. 

Four days of racing followed and I was happy to listen to both young and old tell me their version of what happened on the water that day.

Then the partying began – with the crews all gathering on the private Cape Panwa Hotel beach for the ritualistic ‘After Race Drinks’ debrief.... where many more stories were told.

The crews met again in the early evenings on the beachfront, fondly referred to by many as the 'Raceweek Village', where they enjoyed drinks and amazing buffet dinners with all the trimmings – I even popped in each night to check out the action!

Then there was the famous closing party, complete with prize-giving and live band, to finish off what was in many of the sailors  own words... "still the best regatta in Asia!"

I think the tagline for the Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek 2013 should read, “Extravagant Party Nights and Great Race Days”.

              

Recycle your rubbish.

The above sign is not a common sight here in Phuket though local provincial governments around Thailand began campaigning on this issue several years back.

From what Tim (at Cape Panwa) tells me, these days more and more English guests are discussing the situation back home and how tedious it is getting to sort their rubbish out before putting it in the rubbish bin.

One would think it would have gotten easier over the last few years with all the different bins outside the house but apparently these bins are not emptied every week to the annoyance of the owners.

Tim was told last week of the possibility of fines for putting the wrong rubbish in the wrong bin AND then the microchip in the bin story.

In Phuket, it is not yet necessary to sort out the rubbish by yourself since there are ‘used goods/rubbish sellers’ who take all of the saleable articles from your bin for you before the rubbish truck arrives – much like the ‘rag and bone’ man of olde!

Progress?

              

Where is my Luggage?

I have a number of friends who help me write this blog. We have a lot of fun writing it and hope you enjoy reading it.

While working at Cape Panwa Hotel, we often talk of the occasions when a guest arrives without his or her luggage and the different airline responses received regarding who is responsible for such lost luggage.  

Every airline is different and I have challenged Tim to make a list of websites that can help trace lost luggage. Though I imagine Tim will be able to quickly find an “app” that locates lost luggage, not everybody uses an iPad or smart phone…yet.  

We had a guest who took the wrong suitcase and returned it to the airport while the owner picked it up but did not return theirs; there are a number of websites collating such stories. There are also websites showing how to avoid loosing your suitcase (colour coded ribbons on the suitcases, etc).  

Anyway, while Tim is preparing the website list, I have to tell you what Tim did when he lost his luggage (20 years ago), he bought a pair of Levis 501 and sat in the bathtub – our very own Nick Kamen!!!!                                                  

Have you ever lost your luggage and have a story to share?

              

The anthill’s value to some cultures in Asia

Ant Hill @ Kathu Waterfall - photograph with permission

Last week a guest approached the Front Office staff with a new question...the type that one hardly anticipates, leaving Tim at a loss for words (Ed – not normal for Tim).


The guest was curious about an anthill he had seen in the local park - someone had erected a small tin roof over it AND placed a Jasmine garland as an offering!


Suriya came to Tim’s rescue (once again); he told the guest that the anthill is perceived by some people as an omen of ‘Good Luck’ and so when they find one they put up a shrine to it and pay it due respect.


In fact, these are not “ant” hills but “termite” hills and this belief comes from ancient Hindu folklore, when most people worshipped Animism.

              

Café Andaman – reinvented

Since Cape Panwa Hotel is surrounded by the magnificent Andaman Sea it was decided that the Café Andaman, the hotel's all-day dining restaurant, should be renovated to reflect this. After much thought and planning the Café Andaman’s new look, new feel and new sounds were recently unveiled.

The bar is no longer in the background but is now decorated with a weaved rattan ceiling and pillars and the walls feature patterned tiles – exuding a stylish ambience with a flair of Thai.

Seating has also been changed to offer circular glass tables, rectangular iron tables, solid wooden chairs and beautiful benches. The tables and stairs surrounding the Cafe have been adorned with ropes, which all lends to a very nautical feel. And you can simply look over the pool to the Andaman Sea – think I’ll have a Cape Panwa Sunset Cocktail now.