Patong's Yorkshire Inn is located in the Kathu district of the country, just minutes from the beach and a must-visit for golfers.
It’s no news that a lot of English people’s idea of “far away” is Southeast Asia, both spatially and culturally. If you’re a green wanderlust type, hungry for seeing (and tasting) things done in unique and mind-altering ways, your knee-jerk solution would likely be somewhere along the lines of Thailand.
Imagine then, if you travelled all that way, ready to be overwhelmed by a mesh of amazing smells and sights, only to hop out of a taxi at a Yorkshire themed hotel.
“But, but…” you stammer. “I came here to escape home.”
And a fella called Somsak saunters out from the foyer and says, “Ah, it’ll be reyt lad! Get yoursen inside.”
Image: Patong's Yorkshire Inn.
Well, that could actually happen.
Patong’s Yorkshire Inn is dead popular, I tell thee. Based in the Kathu district of the country, the hotel is just minutes from the beach and a must-visit for golfers.
Their description reads: “The Yorkshire Hotel is in the heart of Patong, minutes from the beach, seconds from the night-life and opposite one of the largest shopping and entertainment complexes in Asia — the amazing ‘Jungceylon’.
“While we respect your privacy, lone travellers will find that the friendly atmosphere in our award winning restaurant, bar & sports pub means you won’t be alone for long. If you want to make new friends, it’s a hive of activity.
“The Yorkshire Hotel Leisure Centre means when you stay with us you can use our five star sauna, steam room and swimming pool our hi-tech Cybex Gym FREE. Click here for more about the Phuket Gym.”
The hotel’s manager Neale is a keen golfer, and the hotel is “focused on all sport at all times.”
A spokesman said: “Most of our regulars are avid golfers and the hotel hosts several special tournaments each year.”
The hotel, which specialises in golf group bookings, also accommodates visitors to any of the seven courses in Phuket.
The TripAdvisor reviews are highly complimentary, with one happy customer writing: “Despite being in a busy location its still a quiet place to stay. It has a very nice exercise room included if you want to stay in shape during your stay. It also contains a sauna. The pool is great too. Yorkshire also has excellent food.
“Whether you want Thai or western food its all delicious. Good bar too. Was able to watch the College Football Championship game, the Super Bowl, and the NFL playoffs there over the years. Great service at the pool bar too. Phyu Phyu and Tuk Tuk are both very friendly waitresses who are always eager to serve. Yorkshire also has very affordable rates. Was able to book rooms for between $35 to $50 during high season.”
Overall, the hotel has 568 ‘excellent’ reviews. So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself to Patong's Yorkshire Inn this summer.
Get ready to take the plunge Leeds, as a community-led sauna and ice bath concept is on its way.
Hidden behind a railway arch in Saxton Gardens, Kontrast is gearing up to bring its popular sauna and ice bath concept to the city.
Following the huge success of its Manchester site, Kontrast Leeds will combine saunas, ice baths and a cafe designed to bring wellness into everyday life.
The Leeds space will feature two traditional saunas, one infrared saunas and four ice baths each varying in temperature between 3 and 13 degrees.
Images: Supplied
Plunge pools can be enjoyed solo or shared, depending on what guests choose, giving people the opportunity to shape each session around exactly what they need that day.
To suit different moods and preferences, Kontrast Leeds will include both a social sauna and a silent sauna, giving guests the option to come for conversation or reflection.
Single sessions will cost just £12 for 45 minutes, with 90-minute sessions from £20.
Image: Supplied
Known for making sauna and ice feel more accessible, welcoming and community-driven, Kontrast has grown beyond regular sessions to become a base for recurring events. These include their live ambient DJ set event, Unwind, which celebrates local talent, and their weekly run club, both of which the team hopes to bring to Leeds as part of building a similar sense of community in the city.
The Leeds site builds on everything the team has learned from Kontrast in Manchester.
Alongside the core sauna, Ice, cafe offering, the new site will include improved facilities, more spacious sauna provision and additional ice baths meaning more room for people to get involved.
Leeds city centre crowned one of the best places to live in the north by The Sunday Times
Clementine Hall
Today, Leeds city centre earned itself a coveted spot in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
What brilliant news to end the week on, hey?
Leeds city centre was amongst eight other locations across the north and the north east to be featured on the list.
The market town of Skipton took home the dazzling first prize, but it's still nice to be included isn't it.
Here's what the judges had to say about Leeds city centre: “Leeds has five universities, the fourth largest urban economy in the UK (with job opportunities in finance, insurance and big business), a youthful vibe and a relatively affordable average house price (£285,100).
Image: Unsplash
“Stay close to the centre, where you won’t have to worry about the patchy public transport, and it all adds up to a fun-filled, fulfilled life within walking distance of stylish shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. There’s a good choice of riverside homes, where you may spot kingfishers and otters, and even the schools are good.”
In total, 72 places across the UK were selected by The Sunday Times to showcase the very best of Britain, with Norwich named the overall national winner.
The full list of locations in the north and northeast include:
Skipton
Howardian Hills, North Yorkshire
Leeds city centre
Morpeth, Northumberland
Newcastle: Gosforth
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire
Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
York
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain.
“It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.
“Our expert team of judges visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live."
Josh Teal -
22nd August 2021 
