Travel Recap: Thailand (written by Andrew)

Travel Recap: Thailand 4/17/13 - 5/16/13

30 beautiful days in Southern Thailand have come to a close, and the map above is a snapshot of the route We took.

Bangkok > Surat Thani > Koh Phangan > Koh Tao > Surat Thani > Khao Sok > Krabi > Koh Phi Phi > Railay > Ton Sai > Pak Bara > Koh Lipe > Hat Yai > Bangkok

Besides our first two nights in Bangkok at the beginning of the trip and our one night in Bangkok at the end, we never booked our accommodation ahead of time. Part of the adventure of arriving in a new town or island was finding a bungalow or hotel room. Typically, we would have a few different places in mind and then try and negotiate for a good price. The prices ranged from 1,000 baht per night ($33) to 200 baht per night (~$7). After having an AC room on Kho Phangan, we realized that we would be just as fine in a fan room and opted for the cheaper option in most subsequent places. Our rooms ranged from fairly luxurious to a step above camping, and while at some points we had to deal with little critters on our walls and floors, never did we feel unsafe.

In terms of getting around, we typically traveled by bus and minivan. We also took an overnight sleeper train, a flight back to Bangkok, and hitched a ride in a 16-wheeler truck.

And as far as the weather, the daily forecast was sunny and hot, typically in the 90s. It only rained a handful of times. Unfortunately, one of these times was when we were scheduled to do an overnight trip to maya bay in Phi Phi. We kind of lucked out, as the 2nd 1/2 of the trip took place during the beginning of the low season on the Andaman coast. My large bag of sunscreen also paid off, as I managed to avoid getting sun burnt and actually developed a half decent tan.

While it was sad to leave Thailand, we'll be back before the end of the trip

Three Nights in Ko Lipe (with pit stops in Pak Bara and Krabi)

As difficult as it was to leave the hippie chill community of Ton Sai, we wanted to end our Thai island hopping in what we heard was one of Thailand's most beautiful islands-- Ko Lipe. 

Ko Lipe is all the way on the South Western part of Thailand right near Malasia so we knew it would take at least a full day of traveling to get there.  We made it all the way to the port town of Pak Bara where the ferry to Ko Lipe leaves from when I found out that my new debit card (I lost the first one in the Bangkok airport) had been sent to a hotel in Krabi. The next fay, while Andrew took our backpacks to Ko Lipe, I took a 4 hour bus ride to Krabi to retrieve my card. I  spent the night in Krabi and took a 7am bus to Pak Bara to make the 11:30am ferry to Ko Lipe.  The day and a half of travel was annoying but worth it and I still was able to spend 3 nights and days in Ko Lipe.

The ferry to Ko Lipe was much more rocky and disorganized than our previous ferry experiences.  Andrew said that the waters were so rough on his ride that many of the people on his ferry needed barf bags.  I was very happy to get to Ko Lipe with only  a small day bag to carry and a bungalow already booked by Andrew. I was able to relax right away.

Our bungalow on the beach

Lipe Beach Resort

Ko Lipe is a beautiful quint island and we were lucky enough to be there during the low season (not too many people) but also got lucky with beautiful weather (which is not always the case this time of year). It seems that it is a very popular destination for Asian tourists and there were also a lot of locals interspersed throughout the resort areas. Our resort was actually next to the island's.  Ko Lipe also had  tons of dogs (we are not sure if they were pets) that roamed the beaches and streets as if they opened the place.

Most of our stay was relaxing and enjoying the beautiful beaches.  The first day we tried to snorkel the water wasn't very clear because it was still pretty rough. Ut the next day we were able to see some fish and Coral. Another treat of Ko Lipe was the fresh and inexpensive fish. Each night we got a different fish that was grilled right in front of us to perfection.

Another highlight was the sunsets in "Sunset Beach" (we were staying on Sunrise Beach).  Sunset beach was very private and although we have seen many sunsets in Thailand, this one may have been the best yet.  We also stopped by a bar on Sunset beach called Boom Boom bar which had very friendly locals and the same chill vibe as the bars in Ton Sai. 

Since this was our last stop in Thailand (our Visa only lasted 30 days), we needed one last Thai massage. We found a massage parlor on the beach and I think that this was my best massage so far.

Overall, Ko Lipe was a perfect island to end our one month in Thailand. We were able to relax and enjoy is beauty but we were also ready for the city life again. Off to Vietnam!!

 

Three Nights in Ton Sai/ Railay

We spent one night in Railay and then trekked to the isolated beach of Ton Sai. The next morning. Below is Andrew's post about our stay in Ton SaI (see his Tumblr for more pics):

Ton Sai is an isolated beach community of rock climbers, hippies, and locals located on a peninsula near Krabi. Time moves slow, partly b/c there is only electricity from the hrs of 7pm to 7am, and the lingering saying amongst locals and long-time inhabitants is ‘Why Not.’ Go for a swim? Why not? Go for a climb? Why not? Have another beer? Why not?

Jess and I, along with two new friends (an Israeli girl named Veronika, and a guy from Brazil named Rafi) reached the community via a 30 minute trek up and down a small mountain in the jungle. The journey proved most difficult for Rafi, who had a large suitcase which he balanced on his head while hiking. The vast majority of accommodation in Ton Sai is in the form of basic bungalow, with varying degrees of basic and location, either nestled into the mountain or closer to the beach. Jess and I found a half-decent bamboo bungalow near the beach for 300 baht per night, or about $5 pp

Veronika and Rafi (we met Veronika in Ko Phi Phi) 

Our bungalow in Ton Sai for two nights

The surrounding limestone cliffs make Ton Sai the premier rock climbing destination in Thailand. I was told firsthand by Dan R that I had to go. Besides bolted climbs, which there are hundreds of, when the weather is right climbing shops also run deep water soloing trips, which consists of climbing without a rope over deep water, which you inevitably jump or fall into. Jess and I did one of these trips with 7 others and a local guide. To start most climbs you would swim over to a hanging ladder, which you would climb up to the rock face. The outcome of the day was me wishing that I was a better rock climber, but I still was able to push myself on some pretty good climbs and had some great drops into the water. I should also note that Jess, who had never rock climbed before, also put forth a notable effort. 

(I did not get much further than this)

What more of the experienced rock climbers could do

The vibe in Ton Sai is intoxicatingly chill. Essentially all of the bars have slack lines, hammocks, and seat cushions to lounge on, and most travelers are friendly and welcoming. On the afternoon of our first day we met a group playing polish horseshoes on the beach. A Canadian couple (that had a comically strong Canadian accent) had made a set of poles out of bamboo sticks, and Jess and I joined them for a few matches.

The locals were equally friendly and we met several of them. One guy, named Maxy, could have been a professional on the slack line, and some of the pictures below capture his better moves. Jimmy looked like he was right out of cheech and chong - he was a skinny Thai guy with a humungous afro. He wore many hats at the chill out bar, bartender, head chef of the nightly chicken BBQ, maker of happy shakes, and maestro of chill. The bartender at the sunset bar, whose every 3rd word was the phrase ‘why not’ was also the lead singer in a cover band that played our first night. Hilarious is to soft of a word to describe their performance. Their rendition of ‘hey jude’ sounded a bit like the viral video of the Asian child singing the song spliced with hard rock chords. What the locals did best was chilling - with beers, with the bamboo bong, with acoustic guitars - and making sure that foreigners were just as chill in their universe.

Maxy on the slack line

Jimmy and two two people we met with a happy shake

While I would of loved to stay a week, with the Thai section of our trip winding down we were only able to chill for 2 days and 2 nights. That said, I would strongly recommend this little community for anyone traveling in the region who wants to climb or forget about the outside world.

Two Nights in Koh Phi Phi With a Pit Stop in Krabi

Shortly after the jungle adventures of Khao Sok we found ourselves in another adventure: navigating our way to Krabi.  Our next destination was an island called Ko Phi Phi but it made sense to first spend a night in Krabi Town which was on the way.  Our tour guide was trying to be helpful and dropped us off at a bus station and gave us very quick directions which ended up being not so helpful. Long story short, our connection bus never showed up and we hitched a ride with a lovely Thai couple (or father and daughter) to Krabi Town. 

Our night in Krabi was spent eating at the local night market and checking out some of the nearby bars. Our accommodation was very inexpensive as well as most things in Krabi.

The night market in Krabi

We took a ferry from Krabi to Ko Phi Phi and arrived early on the May 5th.  We  only stayed  for 2 nights but still got a good sense of the small island:

Pros: 

Size: Pretty small so you can walk to most places. There were no cars or motorbikes but the walkways were still crowded with people (even in the low season).  The main "party beach" was right near the center or town. The longest walk was about 25 minutes to a beautiful beach called Long Beach

Long Beach: a decent walk from the main beach where we were staying but one of the most beautiful beaches I've seen yet. Quiet and clean with nice resorts and restaurants. We spent a few hours at this beach but wish we could have stayed longer. 

***On our walk to this beach we ran into a few girls who had just slipped on some wet rocks and warned  us to walk a different direction. Andrew's response was "Eh, I'm feeling a bit like Robinson Crusoe", walks two feet and slips and falls  immediately.  It was prettyyyy funny (since he wasn't hurt).

Pp A few  

Long beach

View from lunch on Long Beach

Night Life:: Ko Phi Phi has probably had my favorite nightlife  so far. There are several bars lining the beach  but it is not as overwhelming as Ko Phangan.  There is also a strip of bars in the center of town. The first night we met up with Andrew's fried from abroad and her friends. We of course had to get Thai buckets and I ended the night with a huge slice of pizza which they were oddly had selling at every corner. The second night we hung out with a group of people staying at our hostel. It was an eclectic group of Chileans, an Israeli and an English guy. We all swapped stories and  travel advice and then headed to the beach for a dance party (we ended  up running into some of these people again in other Thai cities) 

Maya bay: This is where the infamous movie "The Beach" was filmed and is ultimately what has made Ko Phi Phi the overdeveloped tourist destination that it is today.  This beach is breathtaking--  it is a national park and is only accessible through a  boat tour during the day. We booked  a unique tour that allows us to stay on the beach until late at night (when all of the tourists have left) and sleep on a boat right in front of the beach.  The tour also had us snorkel at night which allowed us to see nd swim with flourescent plankton!! Unfortunately, our first and only day of bad weather was the night of this trip so we ended up only doing the tour until around 8pm. We were still able to get a few hours of this popular beach to ourselves. Even with clouds and rain this beach is magnificent.

The island in the distance is where The Beach was filmed 

Maya Bat during the day-- full of tourists

Maya bay with less tourists and in the rain-- still beautiful

Cons

Over developed- the popularity of the island has led to too many people, hotels and therefore waste. Near the main beach and town there is tons of trash and a waste management pant that the locals call "poo river". Ecologically the island is not what it used to be.

Expensive- the popularity has also allowed for prices to be much higher than average (although still cheap by US standards)

Crowded- the streets and beaches were very crowded and this was low season! Apparently, during high season it is difficult to walk den any of the main roads in town because of overcrowded ness.

Overall we really enjoyed our stay in Ko Phi Phi and probably woud have enjoyed one or two more nights. We met great people and felt spoiled with beautiful beaches.

Two Days and One Night in Khao Sok

This is a post from Andrew's Tumblr (I would have written essentially the same thing). I have added some pictures:

After 6 amazing days on Koh Tao, it was time to move on. We booked a night ferry to Surat Thani where we would then board a bus to Khao Sok National Park and figure it out from there. The scene at the pier was almost comical. The ferry had two stories and many of the westerners were hoarded onto the bottom floor. With the ceiling being not much higher than 4 feet, we had to crouch and crawl to make it to our bed. The mattresses were only slightly wider than the width of a human body, and about 20of them lined the floor in a row. I now know how human smuggling works. My one lucky break was that a fan was above my mattress, so at least I was able to stay moderately cool as I bumped elbows with the person next to me.

Night ferry to Surat Thani (did not mean to take a picture of a couple making out)

One ambien later I awoke at the pier in Surat Thani at about 5am. We were quickly bearded off to a bus station where we waited about 1 hr before boarding a bus.
After passing out close to immediately on the bus, I awoke dazed and confused in Khao Sok, not knowing what time it was or where I would be staying. We arranged for a taxi driver to take us to a hostel for free, and when we reached the hostel we were greeted by a friendly guide who was leading a 2 day, 1 night tour in the national park. We also found out that it was 8:50am and that the tour departed in about 10 minutes. After quickly consulting our lonely planet guide, we agreed and were off - sometimes things fall together perfectly, even after a nights sleep in the bottom of a boat.

Long tail boat ride through the National Park

During the next two days I reconnected with my childhood self, feeling like a mix between Huck Finn and Mowgli from the jungle book. We were on Chieow Laan lake which is navigated only by longtail boat and surrounded by high rising cliffs and the jungle interior. We were staying at a village of raft houses, essentially a series of connected bamboo bungalows that floated on logs and stilts in the lake. A sketchy wooden walkway connected the bungalows together and to the main dining hall and to the mainland and bathroom. While the bungalows themselves were very simple and only had one light that functioned for only a few hrs at night, the novelty of being able to dive right into the lake from your front porch made it well worth it. 

Our guide, Ya-Ya, took us on two treks through the jungle. Our group also consisted of a couple from England, a couple from Switzerland/Austria, and two German girls.The first day we hiked for about an hour to reach a cave where Thai Communists used to hideout in back in the 70s. As we walked through the jungle, Ya-Ya would point out things that the untrained eye would gloss right over - chameleons, birds, interesting insects and vegetation. Just as impressive was his ability to maneuver swiftly through the jungle while barefoot and holding a large knife.

On the second day we started by making a similar trek through the jungle - climbing over fallen trees, wading through streams, and following Ya-Ya on the rugged path. During the hike everyone in the group got at least one leach on their foot….which was less disgusting after you pulled it off and experienced it once. We were lead to a different cave - except this time we were following a path straight through the cave. Once everyone in the group took out their headlamps, we were off.
I’ve been to a few large caves before - in South Africa and America - that were very touristy, having railings, electricity, and exit signs inside.This was a completely different experience. We started by walking on dry rocks and through a shallow stream with bats hanging overhead and large spiders and insects crawling on the walls. After about 15 minutes, we huddled together and Ya-Ya instructed everyone in the group to turn their torches off. It was pitch black, so dark that you couldn’t make out your own hand by waving it in front of your face. With the headlights back on, we moved forward following the stream. It progressively got deeper - first we were walking through knee-deep water, than waist deep, than after climbing through narrow rocks, we took a big step into neck-deep cold cave water. While I’m sure some people would hate going through a dark cave, Jess and myself both found it really exhilarating and interesting. It took about 1 hr to reach the other side of the cave.

Besides the two jungle treks, cave expedition, and swimming in the lake, we also went on two safaris on the lake by longtail, one at night and one in the morning. While we didn’t see much more than some birds, an eagle, and some monkeys, being able to slowly glide through the water at night under bright stars and to hear the sounds of the jungle the following morning made the trips worthwhile.

Monkey with her baby grabbing on to her!

We were slightly nervous that we would have two consecutive nights of terrible sleep since the raft bungalows had no fan and only a mosquito net. Yet once the sun went down there was a cool breeze off the lake. We were also advised by locals that there aren’t any Mosquitos (something about the water being too deep for them to lay eggs), so Jess and I kept our door and window open through the night, allowing the breeze to come straight through. It actually ended up being one of our most comfortable night sleeps so far. 

The food was delicious and we were with a great group of people

All in all, our journey through Khao Sok was a great experience and our first taste of life in the jungle. Check out the other recent posts for pictures from the trip.

Five Nights in Koh Tao

Andrew guest reporting on Koh Tao:

After 7 nights on Koh Phangan, Jess and I were both eager and ready to move on to our next destination, Koh Tao, a smaller, much more relaxed island renowned for its scuba diving and about a 1.5 hr ferry ride to the north. The day before leaving, we booked a scuba certification course with Roctopus, a small dive shop that got rave reviews online. Upon arriving at the pier, we were met by an Aussie and a pick-up truck and brought to the Roctopus dive shop. Koh Tao is one of the cheapest places in the world to learn how to scuba dive. For 9,000 baht (~$320), we got a 3.5 day course and 3 nights accommodation.

The ferry from Koh Phangan to Koh Tao... Everyone seemed like they needed a break from the Ko Phangan's parties

With a free afternoon, we checked into our bungalow and explored the main stretch of beach. Compared to the constantly thumping bars and the shops that sell all the same neon clothing on Koh Phangan, Koh Tao was a refreshing change of pace. The main walk way is for pedestrians and motorbikes only and was dotted with hostels, massage parlors, and nice restaurants/bars overlooking the ocean. As we slowly made our way up the beach, we came across a scene that would be more fitting in a 5-star resort: trendy beach chairs and beds on the beach with European lounge music playing from the speakers. While it looked exclusive, we only had to buy a $2 pineapple fruit shake to lay out on the cushioned chairs for the next several hours.

That night we made our way back to Roctopus for our scuba orientation. We met the two other people in our class - a British guy and a Canadian girl that were traveling together - and our instructor, Jack, a chilled out Aussie with short blonde dreads (with a pink bead in one of them).

The next morning we went over basics in the classroom, such as the scuba equipment and proper techniques. In the afternoon we went to a pool to learn how to wear the equipment, get used to breathing under water and some other techniques in case of an emergency. The experience was foreign and a bit nerve-racking. While we started off in the shallow end, both Jess and I had to raise up out of the water within the first 5 minutes of going under. Jess felt like she needed more air, and I felt light headed, probably because I was breathing too fast. While we progressed to the deep end, we left at the end of the day a bit discouraged and nervous to be going in the ocean.

While I skimmed through the textbook the night before, I went back and carefully read through the sections on how to descend, ascend, and become neutrally buoyant in the water (the state of being able to float effortlessly under water without rising or dropping in depth) in hopes of better preparing myself for the next day.

After a good night sleep, we returned to Roctopus the next morning for our last classroom session. Afterwards, we were faced with the multiple choice certification exam. I got a perfect 50/50. Jess only managed to get 49 (Andrew 1, Jess 0).

In the afternoon we packed up our scuba gear and headed out with other groups of divers for our first open water dive. Before we knew it, we were in the water ready to make our first descent. There are ropes at many of the dive sites that go from the surface down to the ocean floor. After equalizing once at the surface (holding our nose through our mask and blowing to pop our ears), we let all of the air out of our BC and started to sink under water while holding onto the rope. Every few feet we made downwards, we equalized?? As we reached the bottom, I tried to control my breathing but I could feel my heart racing, making me want to breath faster and faster. Luckily, our instructor was on top of his game and helped me calm down. We spent a lot of the dive going through safety procedures but also got to enjoy the marine life, seeing a blue spotted stingray, parrot fish, among other things. As we slowly made our way to the surface, I was relieved to take out my regulator and breathe normally. Looking over at Jess, I noticed that her face was bloody. While she has supposedly never had a noose bleed before, she was diving with a bit of a cold, and the pressure coupled with equalizing meant that she got a bloody nose every time she came up to the surface.

While the learning process was challenging, after dives 3 and 4 on the last day Jess and I were both confident under water and greatly enjoyed experiencing the coral and interacting with the fish. We are now certified to dive anywhere in the world and hope to dive a few more times during our travels.

[We did not take any pictures of our Scuba adventures but we did buy a video provided by Roctopus]

Per the recommendation of the two friends in our scuba group, we spent the last two days on Koh Tao in Hin Wong bay, a scenic, relaxing bay on the other side of the island. Picked up by the Clive, the owner and a talkative Brit with gray hair and rotting teeth, we climbed into the back of his truck and had a bumpy ride up and down the island's mountainous interior. Our room had gorgeous views of the bay and had tremendous snorkeling right off the coast. Because of the salt water, we were able to float effortlessly and swim amongst the fish and coral. On our last day on the island, we rented two kayaks, backed a dry bag with water, snacks, and snorkel gear, and kayaked from bay to bay, stopping occasionally at small strips of beach to snack and swim.

View from our balcony in Hin Wong bay (see andrewandjess.tumblr.com for more pics)

All in all, we had a fantastic time on Koh Tao - it's the island to beat as we continue our travels.

One Week in Ko Phangan

To get to our first island from Bangkok we had to take an overnight sleeper train, a bus and a ferry. The train left Bangkok at 7:30 pm on the 19th and we arrived in Ko Phangan at noon on the 20th. Although far from luxurious, the sleeper train was comfortable enough and allowed us to maximize our days.

Sleeper Train

Once we got to Ko Phangan were immediately approached by different representatives to stay at their hostels. Instead of giving in, we decided to check out a few places that we had researched prior and settled on a place called Sea Breeze Resort. I think that our hotel/ room was by far one of my favorite parts about our stay on Ko Phangan. The region of the island we stayed on is almost like a "Spring Break" destination for Europeans, Australians and especially Israelis and revolves around its' crazy parties. Our resort was central yet private; it had a beautiful view of the beaches and ocean, was walking distance from the party beach and was also minutes away from a more relaxing quiet beach.

The temple that was located next to our hotel room and overlooking the beach and ocean

Sea Breeze Resort Bungalows

Our first full day, we decide to take a day trip to Ang Thong Marine National Park which is made up of 42 islands featuring lime stone massifs, tropical rainforests and deserted beaches. The islands were breathtaking-- we felt as if we were in pirates of the Caribbean. Throughout the tour we went snorkeling, took a small hike to a lagoon in the middle of one of the islands, relaxed and swam on a perfect beach and took a pretty strenuous hike up to the most magnificent viewing point.

The boat to Ang Thong Marine National Park (it had a diving board and water slide)

Another boat tour that we did a few days later was a tour around Koh Phangan which has many beaches other than the few that we were staying near. This tour was fun but could not compare to our amazing tour of Ang Thong.

One thing we found strange/ interesting about our stay in Ko Phangan is how EVERYTHING revolves around the parties, specifically the full moon party. We arrived on the island 5 days before and it was pretty much deserted until about two days before the full moon party. Something else that came as a surprise was how many Israelis were there. There were as many signs in Hebrew as there was in Thai or English! We found out that it is an extremely popular destination for young Israelis who just finish their time in the military and are about to start university or a job.

We of course had to check out Ko Phangan's infamous parties. The first one we went to was a few days before the full moon called "The Jungle Experience." This was a very trippy environment filled with black lights, body paint, trance music, and drunk tourists who thought they could mimic the professional fire performers.

I have heard many things about the full moon party but it is something you can not really describe, only experience. I will do my best to describe: The beach was lined with bars that turned into dance clubs. There were dozens of stands selling "Thai Buckets" full of some mixture of liquor and red bull. The usually breezy beach was hot and smelly from who knows what and there were very inappropriate things going on in the ocean. There were people passed out on the beach everywhere we looked (with the cops walking right by them). We went with a large group of people (friend who has been teaching in Thailand happened to be there) but we lost all of them within seconds. Everyone was wearing neon colors, body paint and some variation of the same shirt and/or shorts. It was either Andrew's food poisoning he got earlier that day or something in the Thai buckets but we embarrassingly did not make it till sunrise. Thailand- 1/Andrew and Jess- 0.

We needed one last day in Ko Phangan to recuperate from the full moon party so spent it lounging on a quiet beach (although we heard music from the "full moon after party" all day).

Overall, Ko Phangan was a relaxing/crazy/bizarre experience. I am glad that it was our first stop because it is definitely very touristy and we would probably have liked it less later in our trip. We were once again ready to leave and go to the chill scuba diving haven of Thailand: Koh Tao.