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The west-coast town of Kamala Beach is hosting a beach festival on
July 28, with the action set to start about 6pm. A Miss Kamala
competition, live music and fire shows are among the entertainment
offerings. A range of local food and drinks will be on sale, too.
 
Kamala is a fishing village that has now grown into an international
resort destination, with several luxury Phuket resorts and villas to
be seen along a headland road south of the village, known as the
'Millionaires' Mile'. In spite of these developments, Kamala retains a
strong local culture, as festivals such as this one show.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce Thailand is holding a marine
industry seminar on trends and updates in both the Australian and Thai
markets. The July 30 seminar will be followed by the AustCham Thailand
Sundowners networking evening, which is expected to attract a range of
guests including senior Embassy personnel, AustCham members and Board
from Bangkok, and several business operators in Phuket.
 
The seminar starts at 4pm and is free for AustCham members.
Non-members pay a 300- baht entry fee. For the networking session,
starting at 6pm, members pay 400 baht and non-members are 600 baht.
Both events take place at the Skippers Bar at Royal Phuket Marina.
 
For more information and to register, contact Harry Usher at
harry@ladypie.com, or visit www.austchamthailand.com.

Phuket's Buddhist temples will be alive with candlelit processions on
the Buddhist holy day known in Thailand as Arsana Bucha Day, taking
place on July 26 this year. This full-moon day of the eight lunar
month celebrates the first sermon made to five disciples that the
Buddha made after reaching Enlightenment.
 
Phuket's famous Wat Chalong will join several other temples across
Thailand in marking the evening event.

China's fourth-largest carrier, Hainan Airlines, is launching non-stop
flights between Beijing and Phuket on July 31. Three weekly flights
will run every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday using a Boeing 737-800
aircraft. The new flight will cut air travel time to Phuket from
China's capital city by more than five hours.
 
China is one of the fastest-growing sources of tourist arrivals for
Phuket, with strong cultural ties enhancing the island's appeal for
Chinese visitors.

The Phuket International Boat Show is still five months away, but
organisers are already reporting a healthy turnout for the 2011
January 6-9 event. More than 40 yachts will be able to be displayed in
a new in-water space, of which 25 spots are already reserved. The
exhibition, now in its eighth year, will have some 95 companies
displaying their yachts and marine industry products and services.
Already confirmed are luxury motor yachts including Sunseeker, Gulf
Craft, Formula, Chris Craft, Princess, Riviera, Pershing, Ferretti,
Crowneline, Windy Boats, Cranchi, Fairline, Azimuth, Benetti, SeaRay,
Horizon, and Mustang. Luxury car brand Lexus has also reserved a space
at PIMEX.
 
The success of PIMEX, together with Asia leading the way in global
economic recovery and Phuket's recent industry recognition as the
Marine Capital of Asia, it looks as though Phuket will remain a top
yacht charter destination for some time to come. For more information
on the Phuket International Boat Show, visit www.phuketboatshow.com.

Whether you're here for a few days or a lifetime, there's always
something new to discover in Phuket, and the best way to do it is on
its roads. Hiring a car is easy, provided you have the right license,
and it's a great way to see its local culture away from the resorts
and beaches, not to mention some spectacular scenery. Three of our
favourite car cruising routes are:
 
Rawai to Nai Harn. A fun little road that sees little traffic, the
Rawai to Nai Harn route offers panoramic sea views and wonderful
stopping points along the way, including the vaunted Cape Phromthep
lookout point and the little gem of a beach at Ya Nui.
 
Millionaires' Mile, Kamala. This rocky headland that starts at the
south end of Kamala Beach is an enclave of luxury resorts and private
villas. Drive this winding sea-view road, passing five-star villa
after five-star villa, and dare to dream of the good life.
 
Big Buddha Hill, Chalong. Atop the Nakkerd Hills sits the recently
built Big Buddha statue, a giant marvel of marble sculpture that
reaches 45 meters high above the hill. Getting there requires
navigating a winding road for 6km up the hill, past an elephant camp
and a few restaurants that offer delicious Thai food and refreshments.
Well worth the journey, you're rewarded with views of Phuket's entire
south end and vast stretches of the Andaman Sea upon arrival.

Phuket Town is one of more than 900 city locations around the world
that will be captured in photos in the social photography event,
Worldwide Photo Walk, on July 24. Groups of photographers of all
levels of ability are set to come together to share the joy of
snapping shots of their favourite sections of town. The walks are free
to join, and there are prizes on offer for those who choose to enter
the prize competition. More than 32,000 people joined last year's
Photo Walk. Official Photo Walk T-shirts are on sale online, with
proceeds going to the Springs of Hope orphanage in Kenya.
 
The Phuket event is being organised by professional photographer Karim
Khamzin, and will start at 10am from the 154 Coffee shop at Royal
Phuket City Hotel on 154 Phang-nga Rd, Phuket Town. Check the Phuket
page on www.worldwidephotowalk.com for more information. The walk is
limited to 50 people, so be sure to sign up in advance to ensure
entry.

Jet-setting women's tennis champion Venus Williams is the latest luminary to give Phuket a top score as a holiday destination. In this week's 'Celebrity Traveler' article in the Chicago Tribune, Ms Williams says her hectic tournament schedule leaves little time to travel, but when she gets the chance for a holiday she escapes to Thailand. 'It is very peaceful and relaxing,' she says. 'The people are so friendly and beautiful. From the hustle and bustle of Bangkok to the beaches in Phuket, I love going there. The food is incredible as well. Seafood, curry — you name it. I indulge in all different types of food when I am there.'
 
She did not disclose where she stays during her Phuket vacations, though it is usually in and among the villas and resorts of Surin Beach where celebrities are spotted in Phuket. Another sports star, Finnish Formula 1 driver Kimi Raikkonen, owns a villa in Phuket, while several other famous figures including Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, Roman Abramovich and Kate Moss have travelled to the island in recent years.

The Phuket International Women's Club will hold its annual members
mid-year get together on July 15 at the newly opened Blue Elephant
restaurant on 96 Krabi Road, Phuket Town. The evening starts at 7pm,
with a Thai fusion buffet on offer for 600 baht per person, excluding
drinks. Thirty per cent of the night's proceeds for drinks will be
donated to breast cancer research.
 
The Blue Elephant has been wowing culinary fans since its opening
earlier this year, with its glamorous setting in a restored
centuries-old Sino-Portuguese mansion.
 
Call Carole Dux on 085-782 1332 or visit www.phuketiwc.com for more information.