Beach Holidays in Thailand

Busy Ao Nang Beach in Krabi

2011-07-19T00:58:00.000-07:00

The little Village of Ao Nang in Thailand is sometimes seen as a gateway to other destination like Railay or the Islands of Phi Phi. For those staying around for a few days there is a beach to be enjoyed.

Ao Nang Beach is just a few steps across the road that separates the golden sand from the village with it`s shops and hotels. This is one of the more busier beaches we have been too in Thailand. There is a constant bustle of long tail boats ferrying tourist to resorts along the coast or passengers on day-trips to the nearby islands.

The south end of the beach is much quieter with the road having turned inland. Here the edge of the beach is lined with the occasional place to eat or have that relaxing massage. Noppharat Thara beach is to the north and much longer if you prefer a bit of a walk.

We thought the Ao Nang Beach and town a little bit to busy for our liking. We just never got that feeling of being alone and remote. But if want a little bit of excitement or shopping close by then it would be ideal.

What the beach did offer was fantastic sunsets and views. Just sitting at the edge of the beach and inhaling the changing colors of the skies is something not to be missed. As long as you do not mind a 100 other people quietly sharing your experience and some with much much larger cameras.

The views out the sea are quite amazing, with the limestone outcrops rising out of the clear blue water Ao Nang does have something relaxing about it even with the bustle going on around you.

We enjoyed Ao Nang and the beach with the little time we spent there. The style of life here was completely pleasurable and fitted right in with us. Thailand offers us a lot and unfortunately for Ao Nang we enjoyed other places much more. Saying that I would still recommend it to anybody.

Spectacular Kamala Beach

2011-07-08T01:48:00.000-07:00

Kamala Beach is situated in its own little quiet bay on the west coast of Phuket Island, Thailand. It is far enough away from the main tourist traps of the more popular beaches but still close enough for night of excitement in Phuket town.

This was the last beach before our flight out of Phuket, so we wanted something close to the airport but still quiet enough for our relaxing holiday pace. There was a hint of tourist development here with a few noticeable massage tents dotted on the south end of the beach. On the whole it was quite and clear of anything that would remind us of a package holiday.

While the beach is quite short there was plenty space for us to get our feet on the sand. It was actually a bit too hot on our toes and we walked along the path at the side of the beach for a short time.

The waves crashing on the beach were amazing and even better once in that cool clear tropical water. This was in the low season which is generally monsoon time. Unfortunately for it the skies did open for a while and the rains poured quite heavily. As we sat sheltering in a cafe on the beach side we spotted a few people still enjoying the waters.

High season may see Kamala Beach with more tourists and activities but if you are like us and want for a bit more of that deserted island feel then low season will be up your street.

Thailand has many beaches to offer, the only problem is there are all great. It is hard to choose but Kamala Beach is going to have a return visit from us. If only life was so much longer we could spend more time enjoying the pleasures of the country.

The Beach at Nai Yang, Thailand

2011-06-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

Nai Yang Beach turned out to be quite a surprise on our trip to Thailand. The location is just south of Phuket international airport. That was the main reason we decide to stay here before heading off to other locations.

We had not seen a Thailand beach for many months and we eager to get our feet on the sand. Really any beach would have done. So it came as quite a pleasant shock seeing long stretch of sand.

Situated in Sirinat National Park, which means construction is kept to am minimum and anything built has strict regulations.

While we were there in the low season most of the beach was free from signs of tourism. There were just a few sun-beds at the busier part of town. Maybe in the high season month the place become more tourist but I hope not.

The north end of the beach seemed the most pristine. There seemed to be nothing there apart from the trees and the sea with the golden sand in-between.

During the evening we has our meal on the beach, luckily the weather was favorable as it was supposed to be monsoon season.

This is definitely our style of beach, very quiet and not any sign of tourist traps anyplace. The hotels, restaurants a a few shops were all close together, just at the edge of the beach, but it never felt crowded in the little village.

Luxury at Print Kamala Resort

2011-04-13T02:55:00.000-07:00

Our last hotel for this trip was the Print Kamala in Phuket. This was another little gem of a find for a good cheap price.

We picked another forest style hut here which was a short walk from reception. Past the pool and through an increasing greenery that surrounded the resort to our room. The hut was very spacious and appeared to be well maintained.

The room had a large area for sitting out and enjoying the scenery which included an exotic little jungle pond. We were spoiled again and only had a few days to enjoy it all.

Near the entrance to the resort was an very large pool complete with bar. We never sampled the drinks but we had a nice refreshing cool off in the pool.

The resort is not on the beach but it`s just a few steps across the road to the golden sand. For our stay in September it was the green season and the hotel seemed very quiet. It was a relaxing few days days at the end of our holiday.
If we had to complain it would have been a dripping air-conditioner which, with once call to reception, was quickly fixed. That is really the best I can do at finding fault here. On the whole we were well taken care off by the staff.

There are more luxurious rooms available at the Print Kamala and I believe some even have their own private dipping pool. For us we were more than happy with our little forest hut.

It is worth remembering that we come to Thailand for the long sandy beaches and the tasty food. If your going to spend lots of time in a hotel or resort then your missing out on what Thailand has offer.

Alone in Royal Lanta Resort and Spa

2011-04-12T02:43:00.000-07:00

This would be our second trip to the island and Royal Lanta came out on top here. We have to thank my Other Half for this, I don't know how she found it. Needless to say it was quite a gem.

The rooms or huts were supposedly designed on traditional Thai houses and were extremely roomy. Laying back on the bed and looking past the large fan above our heads we could see forever. That is to say the roof space was big, I`m sure another floor could have been fitted up there.

The bathroom had and indoor and outdoor but enclosed shower. We never indulged in the outdoor shower but I guess being exposed to the elements will be attractive for guests.

Outside we had some decking that allowed us to sit and take in the atmosphere. Altogether I think there might be around 50 rooms here, all spaced out in the gardens. And very tropical gardens they are too. Lots of foliage and trees making it feel very much like your living in a tropical jungle.

The resort had two pools and unfortunately we never took the plunge in either of them. One was near the entrance and the other was nearer the beach. The latter one would have been ideal for use but renovations were in progress.

We were not too sad about that as the Royal Lanta opened up on to the beach. The Green netting in the last photograph is just for storm protection during the low season. Going in the other direction is was just short walk up to the road where lots of great Thai food could be had.

Our four night here were in September and we had expected Lanta to be bit quiet. It turned out much quieter than we had expected. Very few people were seen on the beach and we had noticed the extreme quietness in the resort. As we passed the hotel reception we asked and found out we were the only guests.
It's very hard to accept that this beautiful island and the fabulous resort has so few visitors while we were there.

The resort is more luxurious that we would have needed to enjoy a holiday but it was an amazingly cheap price for us. Would we stay here, definitely.

Cosy Ao Nang Sunset Hotel for 4 Nights

2011-04-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

Ao Nang and another four nights to spend enjoying the delights of Thailand. We had a search and really found no resorts exactly on the beach so I can't blame Ao Nang Sunset for that.

The hotel room had a bit of jungle feel with tree effect furniture along with a nice enough balcony for having a relaxing rest. Ours overlooked enough "jungle" that we could see the animals of the forest jumping around in the trees.

A bit of a shocker was the pool. It was small and crammed in too much of a small space leaving not much room for anything else. Really much too small to enjoy any sort of swim. That was the only slight grumble we had if we had to have a moan.

The location was in a slightly quieter part of town and not really far from anything. A short walk down the road which was bustling with shops and restaurants to the beach and longtail ferries.

Ao Nang Sunset was a satisfactory hotel and like all the resorts we stayed in this trip we got a good price here. It`s not a place we would rule out if we came back to Ao Nang.

Out of the five resorts this trip one of them has to be at the bottom of the list. Unfortunately this is the one to be it, more of a least best than the worst. Don't let that put you off staying here, it was still a great few days. Ao Nang was just maybe what were were not looking for.

Suwan Palm Resort at Khao Lak

2011-04-02T03:53:00.000-07:00

This resort would be our home for a relaxing four nights. The location is about 10 or 15 minutes walk from the town of Khao Lak. The hotel open up right on the beach and it is quite a fantastic beach.

We had a room on the top floor with a balcony that had a nearly wonderful sea view. There is a small garden between the beach and hotel which has a few large trees. This is quite common in Thailand with many areas keeping hotels and resorts below the height of trees.

The room was spacious with a few sparse bits of furniture thrown in. It was clean and appeared to be in reasonable state of repair. I could add quiet here but again there were not many guests visible. Maybe two more couples were noticed during breakfast.

It is quite a small resort with wings forming a courtyard with quite bit bit of foliage. It does give it a bit of that tropical forest feeling along with a reasonably sized pool. We had this all to ourselves so it was big enough for a bit of cooling off.

Unfortunately the low season sees a lot of resorts and associated restaurants closing up due to lack of customers. We did see a small supermarket and pizza shop along with a travel agent around the resort but they were all shut up. These are nice to be near but the town is not far away.

Being on the beach makes up for all that and believe me that is what you should come here for. We were extremely happy staying here and it is one we would consider going back too.

Staying at Nai Yang Beach Resort

2011-04-01T03:41:00.000-07:00

Probably like many other travellers we chose the Nai Yang Beach Resort for it's convenient location near the airport. The journey here was short and took around 10 minutes. We arrived around midnight so we never really had much of a look at the place till the next morning.

Daylight revealed that the resort is covers quite large area but for our green season trip it was very quiet. The room was basic but clean and really had everything you'd need for a few days staying here.

Just outside our window we had a pool mostly to ourselves which was one of three on the resort. It was just a few steps in the morning and you were having a nice refreshing swim.

Breakfast was not included for our stay, we have now idea how typical "hotellish" it would have been. Luckily the resorts location is on the little road that runs through Nai Yang and there were plenty places to grab something to eat.

We used the resort mainly as just a place to sleep for our few days here. The beach which was just across the road was too much of an attraction for us. If we fly in to Phuket Airport late or after a long flight we would use this resort again. It has a great feature of just being extremely well located.

Goodbye Kamala Goodbye Holiday Day 17

2011-03-31T04:10:00.000-07:00

Our final and last day had arrived. We would be leaving Phuket and Thailand behind in a few hours time and jetting off back to concrete, skyscraper and pollution.

First port of call was the hotel restaurant for breakfast. There were a few other holidaymakers staying and the resort put on a good selection of food. But on the whole it was typically a international flavour. That is just something to expect from hotels I guess.

Not enough time left to take in a swim in the pool or a last look at the beach. Just packing bags and looking under the bed for anything we might have left behind.

Kamala Beach did not seem to provide any easy transport to the airport while we were there. We could have easily hopped on a bus and headed down to Phuket town and catch an airport bus from there. I`d guess during the high reason more routes would open up. So our last journey would be by Taxi. Yea we were splashing out.

The drivers were conveniently lazing out side the resort waiting for some trade. It was a hefty price we though, THB 600 to go to the airport. During the last few days we had made a few little enquiries about transport and the price always came back same. Maybe we could have haggled and tried to get a price a few THB 100 cheaper, but it was the end of the holiday and why stress.

Taking a couple of bottles of water from the 7-11 close by we jumped in our quite luxurious taxi and headed north. We passed quite a few built up areas that might be worthy of a visit next time but most of the trip was in silence. both of us were secretly crying inside realising it was time to go home.

The taxi ride was quick, I guess less than an hour, and we were dropped off at Phuket International Airport. We had a few THB left rattling in our pockets and that was exchanged for a couple meals of a sandwich at Subway.

It was the end of a good holiday. My camera was full of memories that would just give a little bit of a reminder of the places we had visited. We usually just jet in to a resort and stay for the whole trip. This time we took in 5 locations and it somehow worked. The travel times were quite short but did take away a little bit of extra time on the beach. On the positive side we found some fantastic locations to visit next time.

Nai Yang and Kamala in Phuket had changed my mind about this island. Both were quiet and had good stretches of clean sandy beaches. Khao Lak was just beach after beach. If we had to have one bad choice it would be Ao Nang in Krabi. The town felt quite a bit more of busy tourist location but it was still a great visit and we would probably go back. Koh Lanta, this trip was much shorter and quieter than our last. I think we should have pencilled in a few more days on Lanta but there is always next time.

The green season trip was extremely cheap with the resorts costing up to 1/3 of the price during the high season. No matter what season it is the beaches never close. We had a few rainy monsoon days but nothing to spoil our trip. The sun was never far away.

All that is left to do is look at our photographs and think of our next trip. Visiting a few resorts seemed to work and for that we needed 16 days. Maybe a quick long weekend might not be far away before we have the time for another holiday.

Sunshine and Monsoon Kamala Beach Day 16

2011-03-25T02:52:00.000-07:00

Our last full day on holiday but not time to look back yet. The sun was up and there was a beach we needed to enjoy. First port of call was the inclusive breakfast in the resort. I supposed typical hotel international breakfast but they did have a good range of foods on offer.

Armed with bottles of water and hats we headed across the road to the sea and it looked twice as beautiful as yesterday. The waves were rolling in and crashing on the slope of the beach with hardly anybody there to enjoy it all.

It was a good morning a few clouds but plenty of sunshine. We took to the north of the beach again, passing the sun loungers and massage tents. Here is was just really us, the trees, the sand and the waves.

After a good couple of hours splashing around and having a bit of youthful fun there was a noticeable darkness in the clouds and a stronger wind starting to blow.

We thought about it for a while and reluctantly decided to move back down the beach.

Not quite fast enough, we got caught in a heavy monsoon downpour and managed to find some shelter in a restaurant located on the beach. The tables began to fill up with other holidaymakers seeking refuge from the storm.

For us it was convenient, a bit of food and a couple of beers while we waited for the rains to stop. It was a long wait, it just seemed to get heavier and heavier. It took a couple of hours and a couple more beers before we thought of chancing our luck.

The rains did ease slightly or so we thought. Hurrying in the direction of the hotel, not more than a couple of hundred meters we got completely soaked. All part of the fun I guess, at least it was not freezing.

Sadly that was our day, we did manage a few hours on the beach but the rains kept up from venturing out for the rest of the day except for an evening meal close by.

We manages lots of monsoon free days it was just a shame we had just a few days to spend in Kamala. Tomorrow would be traveling back to Phuket Airport and home.

First Look at Kamala Beach Day 15

2011-03-24T03:47:00.000-07:00

We checked in at the Print Kamala Resort and had been allocated a garden hut. The room was big with a decking out front to sit and relax. All this was raised above the ground and set in a tropical forest complete with pond. It was quite an exotic and relaxing setting.

The resort is not directly on the beach but it’s just a short walk to the sand. For us we decided to have a look around town and get some food. We should have done a bit more home work here as we set off the wrong direction away from town. Food was, um, pizza and chicken sate with a cool beer.

Having our hunger satisfied we jumped down on to the beach and took in the views. Kamala Beach sits in a little bay and it would be an easy late afternoon walk up the sand.

The southern end just near out resort seemed to be the busiest part of the beach, not that there were many people around. The sand was nice and soft as we headed north.

Tuned out it was a bit too soft to walk on properly. Luckily a track parallels the beach and we walked a bit more firmly. Quite a few massage tents and beach restaurants. Some were tempting but having just eaten it was not for us. That was until a pancake seller on his motorcycle came alone the path – not something we could resist. A few minutes later and a freshly cooked banana pancake was in our hands.

The north end of the bay was quiet, nothing near as touristy looking as the southern end. The waves looked challenging as they broke on the slope of the shore.

Sadly, time was not on our side and darkness was beginning to fall. We sometimes forget how early and quickly it arrives. Saying that we headed back to the resort and took to the hotel pool. I know there were other people staying here but we had the pool alone.

For the evening we just took a restaurant just outside of the hotel. I have to admit we were a little bit lost here and not much time to explore but it was a nice place one flight up that allowed us to dine while looking down at the road.

Ton Yum soup and a Green Curry. Both were very tasty and enjoyable but not ranking up with the best. Could we be getting a little bit too fussy with our Thai Cuisine.

The night was pleasingly warm and we sat for a while watching and finishing out beer. We could hear the occasional sound of thunder in the distance.

End of the evening was set sitting at the edge of the beach watching an amazing lightning show far out in the ocean. Too far to hear any nose but the constant bolts of electricity were illuminating up the sky. There were a few locals sitting near but it looked like there were more interesting in their mobile phones.

The lightning is not something the camera could pick up easily and doesn’t really show how fantastic it looked.

End of a nice day, a little bit long in the travelling and not much time to explore. Kamala Beach was not a disappointment but with just two nights here it`s not enough time.

The Trip from Koh Lanta to Kamala Day 15

2011-03-23T00:29:00.000-07:00

An early morning departure for our next and last destination, Kamala Beach in Phuket. The weather was wonderful with a few white clouds high in the sky and the temperature was getting hot. The minivan arrived on time and we departed, from our nearly exclusive resort, Royal Lanta.

As we were near the north of the island there was just one more stop for tourists before we were on our way. We were quickly on the ferries connecting the island of Koh Lanta with the mainland and there seemed to be a quietness in minivan.

Maybe everybody was just as sad as us to leave the island or more likely everybody was still half asleep.

The route to Kamala took us back to the transfer station just out side Krabi where we had breakfast. A couple of bowls of chicken noodle soup which tasted much better than I'd imagined.

The transfer station started to fill up with travellers waiting for onward transport. We noticed a few departing going in our direction but it seemed to more popular beaches in Phuket. Kamala did not seem attractive to our fellow holidaymakers and infact we were the only ones heading there.

We were spotted by a driver and he didn't look to happy to take us initially. He was on the hunt for other destinations. Eventually he gave in and we piled on board with others heading to the west side of Phuket and we were off.

There was some quite stunning scenery along the route but the driver had his foot down and we were on the highway. Everything was flashing past really too quick to admire the rock formations and jungle forests.

After a couple of hours we were back in Phuket Island and left the highway to road that took us at a slight slower pace, a kind of follow the contours of the land road. It was still quite quick going and Kamala came in to view.

Down there was Kamala Bay hidden behind the, believe it or not, red taxi.

The whole journey from Koh Lanta to Kamala Beach took around 5 hours and that was including the stopover in Krabi.

Lazing on Klong Dao Beach Day 14

2011-03-06T03:05:00.000-08:00

This would be our last full day on Koh Lanta. The time passed too quick and we would be leaving tomorrow heading back to Krabi. We still had today to enjoy and the long golden sandy beach was all ours.

At the North end of Klong Dao Beach, near Kaw Kwang, we remembered there was a semi-secret beach from last year. Going there would give us a long walk along the sand along with the occasional splash in the water.

The secret beach was no so secret any more. Last year there was a new resort on top of the hill but they might have missed the beach. Now they seem to have found it and built a set of stone steps leading down to the sand. It was never our beach but we couldn't help feel a bit of sadness finding other people swimming in its waters.

Sanuk Bar offered an opportunity for a cool drink on the way back along Klong Dao before heading down to the south end. Here it was a bit more rocky and there were a few fish trapped in pools but all quite small. The beach and road nearly join at the south end of the beach so it was an easy cross over.

The Thai Orchid Restaurant provided another nice place to stop off from the heat of the day and a bit of something to eat. Our host was praising his brother the chef and how great he was but were were just looking for a little snack and a cool drink, maybe next time we are in town we could pop in for a meal.

An so it as back to Royal Lanta and the beach for the rest of the afternoon. We did not have the whole resort to ourselves now, another couple had arrived so that made two rooms for the housemaids to tidy in the morning. I wonder how they felt about getting a double workload.

Our time was running out and it seemed the the weather was getting better and hotter. The few showers mostly came at night and did not last long before they were gone and dried up by the next morning. Taking in the last of the beach and watching the last of sun go down we reluctantly left.

Our last meal had to be at Arnee`s. We had become quite comfortable eating here and her Spicy Tom Yum soup was quite excellent.

Back at the resort we packed what we could and got ready for an early morning pick-up to go back to Krabi before heading off to the last resort on our holiday. This would be Kamala Beach on the west coast of Phuket Island. It was another new beach for us and we hoped it would just be as fantastic as the rest.

Around Koh Lanta and Ban Saladan Day 13

2011-03-05T02:50:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful morning on Koh Lanta. And it was going to be another hot one. Along with no plan whatsoever. Still some things need to be taken care off and breakfast first.

The German Bakery was close by and convenient so that the first port of call. For some reason I can`t remember what we ate here although it was taste. It must have been a western style of food and something we were ashamed of consuming in Thailand.

Further up the road, North, was Ban Saladan and it was worthy of a walk. Maybe it is our memories but there seemed to be much more buildings and shops along here. One thing we did notice there was much less calls from taxi drivers than our last trip.

The main town of Saldan looked much the same, just a lot lot quieter. Shops were still open and restaurants serving but quite a lacking of tourist. Wherever everybody is going too it is not Koh Lanta. I feel they might be missing something.

Not much for us to see in town, we never needed to buy any supplies and we had just eaten. Everything seemed to be resting, even the dogs we passed hardly raised an eye. Around the ferry piers we did catch a glimpse of some fish swimming under the boats and the houses built out in the the sea. Without going on a dive or snorkelling trip I don't think we will get much of a chance to swim with them. The last place swam with tropical fish was in Kota Kinabalu when we had a trip in Malaysia.

For the afternoon we just had to settle for our paradise beach. Still mostly having it all to ourselves and the sun just to warming to want to do anything else. It just felt quite perfect apart from the occasional need to cool down.

I wonder if the other beaches further south on Koh Lanta would be as quiet as ours. Maybe one trip we might take a resort in another place but would the range of restaurants be as accessible as they are here.

By the time the sun was setting we were back in town on the search for some tasty food to eat. The skies looked like they would bring some more monsoon rains for the night and were laden with water. This gave us a spectacular sight with the sun setting. The hills became a wonderful reddish orange colour with the light. I know there is a name for this but I can't remember it now.
Showers did arrive along with some lightning but it seemed mostly out a sea and we managed to avoid a torrential downpour.

Koh Lanta an Island to Ourselves Day 12

2011-03-04T02:39:00.000-08:00

Our first night in Royal Lanta and the monsoons had brought the rains. There were patches of water still on the ground but the sun was already up and drying things up.

The resort which was situated in its own little tropical forest was not serving breakfast. Low occupancy during the low season means some staff are seasonal. What we soon discovered is that we were the only guest staying here. That came as quite a surprise considering how luxurious the resort was and well the weather was not really a problem.

Our tropical forest cabin, which was said to be a traditional Thai design, had a roof was so high I`m sure we could lie on bed and see stars.

It was just a couple of hundred meters walk up to the road for food and we stopped in at Arnees again. The food was good and the heat was starting be turned up. We relaxed for a while sitting under the shade with a couple of taste servings for breakfast and watched life go past up and down the road.

Having eaten which was one of the main pleasures for us being on holiday it was time to take in the second pleasure. Hitting the beach. Back to the resort to change and as we walked from under out canopy of green the beach came in to view.

I could say there was a scramble for some place to sit down but like the other beaches we had visited this trip the whole length was nearly deserted. It was just as we had remembered it from out last trip but just a little bit more messy. A lot of driftwood had been washed up on the shore and there were a few lines of refuse near the high tide mark.

Royal Lanta has two swimming pools one near the entrance and the other just off the beach. The first one was a bit out of the way and the beach side was getting renovated but we had the sea and that was big enough.

Klong-Dao-Beach stretched into the distance to the north and to the south, we were practically in the middle. In front of us the sand slowly sloped into the sea and that kept the water shallow. No need to say it felt good especially in that heat. There were few clouds in the sky to keep the sunshine at bay so cooling down in the waves felt quite fantastic.

Next door was Sanuk Bar which we spent quite a few days watching the sunset while drinking something cool but it looked like nobody was home. Luckily we were wrong and took up position with a cool beer, 2 glasses, and watched the sunset on the horizon. It was paradise again.

With darkness making us reluctantly leave the beach, the evening took us on a short walk around the town. Well that was the idea, the monsoon rains put a stop the that and some how we ended up in Arnee's restaurant again. It was quite a downpour with thunder and lightning illuminating the skies around us.

That would put and end to our day, but we stayed and ate casually for a couple of hours with the storm torrents outside. The whole experience seemed quite exciting in a way.

Travelling back To Koh Lanta Day 11

2011-03-03T03:15:00.000-08:00

A day of travel and heading back to Koh Lanta. We had fond memories of the island and we just had to include the beaches on our itinerary for this trip.

We were getting picked up around 10.30am. That left us with enough time to take the early morning with ease. Breakfast, included with the room, was over and our bags packed. We waited out side sitting at one of the table of the restaurant having a view of the street.

The skies were looking a little bit more clouded this morning, still incredibly warm and not a hint of rain. That was fortunate as our wait took a bit longer then we had anticipated. When the minivan arrived it was nearly full of other tourist, so we have them to blame for the delay.

We waved goodbye to Ao-Nang and we were on our way down south to Koh Lanta. There was a couple of stops, first at the transfer station out side Krabi Town and in Krabi Town itself as we waited for passengers. I guess picked the wrong transport company for this leg of the trip.

After enough time for a leg stretch we were back on the road again. The trip down to Koh Lanta was reasonable quick and a couple of little waits for the two car ferries to dock. Luckily there were no long queues of traffic waiting and before we knew it we were on the island.

Like our journey from Khao Lak, we just had one other couple in the van with us. We ere all staying near the north end of the island which means there was not a lot of driving around dropping people off.

In the short time it took us to get off the car ferry, past Ban Saladan and over to the west side of the island the heavens opened. Monsoons had brought the rains and it was heavy. It rained the first day of our trip last year, did we bring it with us?

Hotel check in was quick and the whole place was quiet. The Royal Lanta has a bit more quality than we usually make do with and we have my Other Half to thank for finding this treat. The resort looked quite stunning even if the rains were pouring down.

The Royal opens up on to Long Beach but that had to wait. It was getting late in the afternoon and the good food was in the other direction towards town.
As well as opening on to he beach, the Resort was not far from the road. Armed with a pair of hotel umbrellas we headed to find a particular place to eat. When we stayed a Kaw Kwang we had quite a walk but this time it was on our doorstep.

Arnee Restaurant, a place we visited so often last time with a particularly good chef who we kept calling mum. Good food was eaten and the rains eased off. It was getting to late to take in the beach so we had a wander up and down the road seeing what we could remember. The whole place felt a lot more built up, outlets and restaurants that felt like they were new or maybe we just were forgetful.

We took and early dinner with the monsoon opening up again and settled down for another meal, this time with a Muslim flavour. That says no beer but the food was tasty and thoroughly enjoyed.

With the rains having a break we took the chance to head back to the resort. Stocking up at 7-11 with snacks on the way. The dampness brought out the frogs and we were serenaded by their croaks along with a sight that was quite awesome.

With the streetlights behind and nearly complete darkness the air was filled with specks of light passing between of the trees. Flashing on and off, we had entered the firefly zone. Every place we looked they were flying around, flashing in front of our eyes and then vanishing into the darkness.

It turned out to be a wet first day but we still had a few more days here to get some warm beach time.

Recovering in Ao Nang Day 10

2011-02-20T02:37:00.000-08:00

Woke up feeling a little bit better after my little bout of food poisoning. Managed a little bit of breakfast but still nowhere back to normal. Today would be nearly as uneventful as yesterday.

A quiet day spend around Ao Nang with a little bit of lunch. I was not ready for anything spicy so it was pizza. All the way to beautiful Thailand and I eat a pizza, I should be ashamed. Although we did have a beer. The chang helps, I`m sure somebody told me that.

The holiday was going down hill, the heat of the day sent me back to the hotel and a bit nauseous. I had thought I was recovering, I was, just not enough to enjoy myself.

It was our last day in Ao Nang and I was determined not to spend in a hotel room feeling sick. We managed to grab a little bit of the sunset from the hotel and then it was out for dinner.
We always share our meals between us but this time the meals on our plates would be different. The other half went for a Green Thai Curry, lucky girl. Myself I was more sedated and had a little bit of vegetable soup and some spaghetti. It was more Italian food.

Food is one of the reasons we come to Thailand, to taste something more genuine and original. Eating something from Italy felt like I was coping out. To top it off, it never tasted very good either, it was not finished. But I watched the pleasured face of my other half as she enjoyed her curry. Grrrrr
The Monsoon Rains started to fall and we sat for a while drinking a beer while we watched the people go by. It never lasted long and we paid and left.

Getting Sick in Thailand Day 9

2011-02-19T02:37:00.000-08:00

This would not be a good day.
Wakening up around 2am with the feeling of something not quite right. Quickly followed by a rush to the bathroom. I had eaten some bad food. We suspect it much have been a banana shake I had the previous evening. What ever it was it would knock me out for most of the day and keep the bathroom occupied.
I never ventured outside all day apart from the balcony to have a bit of air. By evening I was feeling a little bit better and took for a short walk.

The sun was setting and it was down to Ao Nang Beach for a bit of fresh air and the sound of the sea.

We had read of monkeys venturing out on to the beach in the evenings down at the south end of the beach. It wasn't a long walk but for me it felt like a marathon. My body felt like it wanted to go back to sleep and was empty on energy.

Still the feel of the waves on my legs took my mind of it a little bit and the sunset was worth watching.
Unfortunately we never seen any monkeys and headed back. Not really in much of an eating mood I skipped having a meal and just settled for some juice and sugars.
It was not a good day.

Along Nopparat Thara Beach Day 8

2011-02-18T02:35:00.000-08:00

Breakfast included - I doubt I can ever grow to like hotel breakfasts. Here there were a few more residents which ment the selection was greater. Still it was food in our bellies and set us up for today's adventures.

Ao Nang Beach seemed too touristy and busy with long tail boats spend too much time. Thinking that, we decided to spend the day on Nopparat Thara Beach. A short walk around a corner of the road and the beach came in to view.

Somethings you expect and some you don't. We watched this boat approach the shore and not really thinking much off it until it just kept comming. Up onto the sand and it revealed itself, a DUKW or some variant.

The beach looked long and with what appeared to be a few rocky islands at the end. That would be our destination. The sand was not the best with quite a few broken shells making a little bit rough. At least it was much quieter than Ao Nang. The further we walked the better it felt on the foot. The sun was the opposite the further we went the hotter it got and we could sense our skin cooking a little.

Those rocky outcrops hid a little sandbank a bit like a secret beach but not very secret. A few other people had found their way here but not enough to make it feel like a crowd. The water was cooling and was a relief from the sun. Swimming close to the rocks we had a few tropical fish to keep us company. Not too close, those rocks are sharp and I had a few bits of sliced skin on my toes.
There was one little annoyance here. Long tail and speed boats were constantly passing and there was a slight hint of oil in the water. Not enough to put anybody off but it was there.
Food and refreshment was found just off the beach here, actually quite a selection. We had our regular bottle of Chang and two glassed here are just over 50THB. I think that much have been the cheapest bottle of beer we have ever had.
After the nice cooling refreshing drink it was a few steps next door for some food. Chicken, Some Squid and a rice dish all very tasty.

Wandering back along the beach, half the time wading in the water the rest of the time under the trees next to the road the time seemed to fly past. Evening was already showing signs of approaching and we arrived back as darkness fell.
I did stop for a banana shake to quench my thirst, it might have been a mistake.
After a bit of a rest and shower in our hotel room it was out in the town again. I knew there were lively pubs and bars around here but I was not allowed to go near them for some reason. We ended up on the other side of town for food and a fairly genuine taste of Thai food. A good bit of spice was included with no extra charge which made the mouth and lips feel extremely pleasurable.
The night was quiet, it seemed the bustle of tourist on our first day had left Ao Nang and the weather was warming.
I did feel good.

Travelling Khao Lak to Ao Nang Day 7

2011-02-17T08:41:00.000-08:00

An early start today for the trip to Ao Nang. Just enough time for the hotel breakfast before our transport arrived to pick us up at the resort. It was on schedule and we were whisked away and leaving Khao Lak.
The minivan was noticeably empty apart from the two of us and heading in the wrong direction. The driver said we were going to pick up more passengers he just never said where. Khao Lak disappeared in to the distance behind us we began to wonder exactly where the other passengers were. About an hour later after a beautiful trip through the mountains with the morning mist rolling down their edges we arrived, I have no idea where.

We were joined by another couple heading to Koh Lanta and it was just to four of us for the rest of the trip. The scenery was going past too quick to grab decent pictures. I even missed a couple of elephants on the road that the other half seen and of course I believe her. Most of the latter part of the journey was on the highway and around 10.30 we arrived at the minivan terminal just outside Krabi Town.

There were minivans arriving and minivans departing constantly and a mass of tourist waiting for their onward journeys. It was busy enough for us not to wait long for the short trip to Ao Nang. Maybe if we were going someplace further the wait might have been longer considering it was really still the green season.
The weather was being kind to us to day, lots of blue skies and not even a hint of rain up there with the few clouds looking fluffy and white.
This time a full van and just after midday were were checked in at our hotel and ready for some fun. Food was a priority and getting the photographs on my camera backed up on DVD was not far behind. We killed two birds with one stone with a couple of bowls of noodle soup while were were getting the photographs copied across the road.
Ao Nang was busy, much busier than Khao Lak and Nai Yang with tourists filling the town. This was accompanied by the constant calls for "taxi sir" and "suit sir" from the residents. Most the the restaurants seemed much orientate to the tourists with outlets selling Pizza around every corner.

The views from the beach front were quite spectacular with islands on the horizon. This with the constant ferrying of passenger by the long boats out on trips and to the other beaches. We spent most of the day acting like tourists with walking around the town, window shopping and snacking.

We took a break and sat down near the beach to watch the sunset like many other people here. With the sun dropping down fast we looked a place to eat that was not selling pizza. Just past our hotel on the road out of town we found an ideal eatery.

This would be a first for us, having our evening meal cooked on the side of a motorcycle. It is something really to be seen. I have no idea how she managed it but we were served with Pad Thai, Papaya Salad and a bowl of Tom Yum soup. No need to say we both enjoyed it as we sat on the plastic chairs at the side of the road.
Evening was just as busy around the town, I still don't want a suit or taxi. We did want to stock up on snacks and drinks and 7-11 was just too convenient to miss.

A Time to Remember in Khao Lak Day 6

2011-02-10T02:04:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful day and the idea of monsoon rains spoiling the fun felt far away. This morning would be like yesterday and taking up position on the beach for some of the warm rays.

We had nothing planned out we were just drawn out on to the sand and it was really too enjoyable to miss. Watching the elephants dancing can wait for another trip.

The waves here and in Nai Yang seemed to be constant, I guess there was a strong wind out there in the ocean keeping them rolling in. Much to my enjoyment but the Other Half found them to be just a little bit too strong,

Where did the day go, time seemed to go fast while we were on the sand. I guess its not everyday you can wake up and just step out on to a tropical beach. I still find it strange how quiet our holidays have been. It is still the same beautiful stretches of beach at low season and why do people not come to enjoy it.

Anyway, their loss and our gain, so to say. The afternoon sees the sun heading out over the Andaman Sea and at the hotel this cast a cooling shade over the pool. It felt like a nice change floating calmed after the rush of the waves.

A plan for the rest of the day was hatched and after a quick late lunch we would head over to see the Tsunami Museum.

These places are really worth a look if only to really get an idea of the forces involved on that day. The most striking is the Police Boat 813 tossed 2 kilometers inland . Across the road is the Tsunami Museum. Tucked away is the “Stabile” sculpture, it wasn’t very well signposted and we nearly missed it.

Our last night here and we just had to round it off with a last taste of the food at “Ga”. Pizza, Pasta Steak and other non Thai foods were on offer in other restaurants but we can get that back home. Ga”s was a good find for us and the food was just to addictive not to go back for more.

Khao Lak was very enjoyable , the days seemed to pass quick and maybe we should have spent a little bit more time here. Tomorrow would be an early start. We had arranged a minivan to take us to Ao Nang over in Krabi Provence.

Great Weather in Khao Lak Day 5

2011-02-09T05:28:00.000-08:00

The morning broke with beautiful blue skies and already we could feel the heat of the sun. The sounds of the waves were audible from out balcony and there was really only one thing to do – head to the beach.

Hotel breakfast again which was just as appetizing as yesterdays. I have to be fair here, it was green season and the hotel was practically empty of guests and staff. They did their best and the only other option would have been a walk in to town.
There are a few resorts here that have beach fronts and it seems the nearly cloud free skies brought the guests out on to the beach. We were the only couple from our resort that I noticed on the sand so it was quiet, very relaxing and by now extremely hot.

It was a relief to jump in the sea to cool down, which seemed to be a constant routine every half hour while we were there. I have no idea how hot it was today, but the sun shining probably added quite a few degree to how it felt.
The hours passed and we reluctantly left the golden beach for the other pleasure we come to Thailand for – Food.
Our first bite arrived as we stepped out of the hotel. A motorcycle complete with barbeque was parked outside and the smell was too tempting. We had a couple of stick of chicken which if I remember right only cost 10 or 20 THB. That kept us happy for the walk in to town.

We stopped at SomSri Restaurant which was situated nice and conveniently just as we hit the main road in Khao Lak. As it turned out we did not feel hungry now. The heat of the day and more likely that big helping of barbeque chicken did not help. So we each had a bowl of noodle soup with a good portion of seafood. That along with a bottle of Chang to cool down.
It was getting very late in the afternoon and not many hours of daylight left. That along with the temperature feeling slightly cooler we walked around the town window shopping.

Twilight is short here and darkness quickly falls. The walking around town seemed to revive our appetite and food was back on our minds. It was back to “Ga” for some more good spicy food and good hospitality.

The meal turned in to a couple of hours of relaxing and eating while watching life slowly go past. Around 9pm the town seemed to decide to close up. Shutters were being drawn on the shops across the road, it felt a little bit like Cha Am as the town descended into sleep.
For us we stayed a bit longer before we succumb to the effect of heat of the day. We would either have a great sleep or maybe that sun was just a little bit on the burning side.

Khao Lak A Long Beach A Long Walk Day 4

2011-01-31T05:26:00.000-08:00

Breakfast was included in the price of the rooms, that is more a preference of the Other Half than mime.

This is the typical style of food that I often try to avoid. We can have this in most places in the world but its not the flavours that we come to Thailand for.

The sun was up shining and it looked like it would be a beautiful day. The restaurant the setting was nice. With the hotel pool on once side and the garden on the other side leading to the beach. The names here are slightly misleading. Khao Lak beach is further south and out side our resort is Nang Thong Beach.
Breakfast over and out in the town of Khao Lak to have a look around in the day light. The sea was far behind and it was quite different from Nai Yang.
Last night while we were looking at out map we decided to walk north to the next village and return along the beaches. We should have realized the tourist maps can deceiving in their scale.

It never looked far to go. Actually turned out the be quite a few kilometres walk. Most of the road was populated by various restaurants or stalls selling a bite eat. It was looking a slightly bit more cloudy than this morning which made the , um, long walk bearable.

This place boasts that it is recommended by a travel site called Tripadvisor. Unfortunately for anybody taking that advice the place was closed. Low season sees a lot of places shutting up for lack of customers, but luckily down the street there are enough places open for food and/or a cooling beer.

On our leg down the the beach signs of rain were felt and the idea of taking cover seemed best. We popped in to a little eatery and the monsoons broke with rain pouring down outside, it was nice timing and nice food. Along with our bottle Chang we had a snack of some chicken sate. The rains lasted for maybe 1/2 an hour. Just about he same time for us to finish our drink and carry on to the beach.

The beach here is called Bang Niang an further north is Khuk Khak beach. It seems like it just a never ending strip of paradise. Even with the clouds still greying the sky, we stripped off our clothes an enjoyed the waters. It was amazingly warn both in and out.
It was a long way back, but the scenery made up for it. Lots of curves on the beach and the waves added a bit of fun as they suddenly rushed up further than we expected.

The day went quick. I guess it must have been that underestimating the distance we had to walk. Sunset saw the skies still overcast but a hint of a beautiful tropical sunset just managing to peek through.

The evening saw us back out in Khao Lak town. The while place was quiet for its size but a little congregation was surrounding the pancake stall and they had a good reason to smile. They were quite tasty.

Another empty restaurant for dinner. It seemed like mother and daughters, they were all sitting outside expecting us to walk past. It got a little bit excited as we started to walk in with everybody springing in to action.
The menu was extensive and somehow we managed to settle for a few dishes that had that mouth watering Thai style and enough spicy heat to keep us happy.

After a walk around town in the warm night and seeing most of the shops close up we decided to head back to the resort. Unfortunately the Running Deer seemed still to be open and we just had to pay it a visit.
It is located just a couple of hundred meters from our beds so it wouldn't be far to go if anybody spend a bit of time here. The day was over and time to retire. The sun kept itself hidden today but it was still warm and the temperature of the sea hardly changes.
Maybe tomorrow would bring a bit of skin burning sunshine.

Goodbye Nai Yang, Hello Khao Lak Day 3

2011-01-26T01:48:00.000-08:00

The last day started with the warm sunshine and a nice morning swim in the resort pool. It was pleasing but still never made up for missing out on getting in the clear blue sea.

Sea View From Nai Yang

Checkout was quick and a short walk for breakfast at a place called. The was nobody there except a young boy sweeping the decking. He quickly said “I get Mamma”, I guess they were not expecting anybody. We had a western style breakfast freshly cooked that would make any hotel envious. This with a great view of the beach too.

Thai Taxi

Heading over to the tourist booth for our transport the call of “Taxi Sir” was head and instinct was to shake my head indication “No”. Somehow I turned around and asked how much, he nicely came back with 200THB which was 50 less than our quote last night and 100 less than the hotel. Naturally we took his offer. The road back to the highway revealed that we missed lost of places to explore and eat if we had more time here. Arriving at night kept us in the dark about this. Next time maybe.
The short ride too us to the bust station or more likely it was merely a bus stop. Good fortune set in again with a coach about to pull out and our taxi driver getting us on board. No idea how long we would have waited for the next one.

Bridge To Phuket

The bridge connection to the mainland reminded us that Phuket is and Island. The coach nearly empty it seemed not many people were going on this trip. It was comfortable and took around an hour with a break for the drivers, there were three of them. Price was 150THB for each of us.

Khao Lak McDonalds

Khao Lak appeared and we were deposited on the side of the road with the bus driving off we were left to gather our directions. Somebody spotted a familiar logo and grabbing a map from a tourist box we headed to McDonalds. Sadly I admit we had fries.

Suwan Palm Resort Khao LAk

We soon figured out where we were and where we wanted to go. The Suwan Palm Resort was on the beach but the town was inland so we had a short walk this time in daylight and remember placed we might go back too.
The resort was one of a few down at the beach but here again everything was quiet. Not an island but it seemed quite deserted with not many tourists or locals around.

Suwan Palm Beach View

The hotel is not quite on the beach, a few meters back with the trees keeping the building hidden. Although we did have a sea view and a balcony to sit out on.

Suwan Palm Beach Side

Unpacked what little we brought and it was outside and just a few steps to have a look at the beach. Unfortunately the monsoons were bringing clouds and the skies were beginning to look grey. The beach was empty, looking up and down we never seen anybody.
The grey skies never kept out of the water. It felt like a warm bath which was still refreshing from the heat in the air. The added addition of great waves made us act 20 years younger.
It was still early and up the beach we went for a walk. It felt like the beach would go on forever. Deceiving with lots of curved bays and just as you reach a headland another bay appears.
We must have walked a good few kilometers with mostly nobody to be seen and nearly nothing human made jutting on to the beach. Just as we were about to turn back we came upon a few bamboo huts. Need a massage or some food then this was the right spot. We shared a bottle of Chang and sat on the beach while watching the waves.
Suddenly the trees started to scream! The wind had picked up and there was a chance of a downpour. If it was dark and alone then even I would have been scared of that noise. It passed quickly and better safe than sorry we headed back down the beach to the resort.

Sunset Khao Lak

The sun was setting and although a bit of sunset was showing the skies were clouded. I guess life can’t be perfect all of the time, we can settle for it being brilliant.
A walk around town in the evening. Khao Lak settles itself on a wide road with everything on either side. The obligatory Tailor shops were here. What I seemed to need most was “getting a new pair of glasses”. It felt like opticians had overtaken the Tailors in looking for trade.

Ga Restaruant Khao Lak

We passed a few restaurants some empty some a bit more full. Our general guideline here is we see a lot of western people eating then we move on to the next place. We are looking for Genuine Thai Food to eat and while it’s not perfect it has worked well for us.
We came up on a place called “Ga” and we did strike it lucky here. The host was extremely friendly and the food was second to none. There seemed to be a bit extra service that made it and extremely pleasurable place to eat.
The first day in Khao Lak was over and while some people may like a bit more excitement and tourist trips, the atmosphere of a place is the pleasure for us. Exploring along with long walks on a deserted beach with the waves lapping at your feet is hard to better.
Khao Lak does have 7-11 so naturally we stocked up the way back to the resort.

Time in Nai Yang and The Beach Day 2

2011-01-24T02:41:00.001-08:00

We woke early and refreshed which I guess means the hotel room was on the better side. Our bellies were hungry for some genuine Thai food it seemed we had to do the obvious.

Alas breakfast would have to wait, outside our room was that hotel pool just begging for somebody to take a dip in its cool waters. How could we resist. A quick swim turned in to a couple of hours relaxing beside the pool with the feeling of that tropical sun warming our bodies. Eventually the need for some food and wanting to get out in Nai Yang won. We would only have one day here and sitting beside the pool was not the best thing to do.

The resort was quite large, lots of 2 or was it 3 storey buildings spread around the grounds which felt like a well manicured jungle with the amount of foliage spread around. The slight downside, our quest for lower cost rooms had us placed far from reception and the beach. Still it was only a few minutes walk.

Once outside we had our first views of Nai Yang. It turns out really to be one road running down the side of the beach with the resorts hidden on the landward side. Straddling the road were shops and restaurants, the beach side being most free from any large buildings. It felt like a nice compromise between nature and development with trees growing through roads and inside shops. It was small, not much to see, which for us meant looking for a place to eat wouldn't take long.

We sat down in a beach front cafe, open ended on to the sea and we had a good view of the long sandy beach. It looked remarkably clean and free from any signs of human flotsam washed up along its length. So food was ordered, Breakfast was chicken and noodles with the necessary bottle of cooling Thai beer.

Nai Yang appeared to be near the south side of the beach with a headland blocking us going any further so we chose head in a northerly direction. The further up the beach we went the more natural it became. A few sparse buildings, no deckchairs cluttering the beach, just the sun, the sea, the beach and the trees. Very few people, local or tourists, which made it feel like a personal desert island.

If we kept going at some point we would have reached the airport. Not that we knew it was there. We only noticed one aircraft and that was late at night, only giving itself away by its lights flashing in the distance. After an hour or two of sitting around under a tree and feeling the waves tickle our feet we headed back to Nai Yang. Tanking the road and soon we were back at the resort. As were were travelling tomorrow finding out about transport would be a good idea.

No bus service that we could find serves Nai Yang directly so it would have to be a taxi ride to the nearest bus stop to catch some transport heading north to our next resort, Khao Lak.

Our Enquiries at the hotel indicated that it would be 300THB for the trip but over the road at the taxi stand we were offered 250THB. 50 Baht cheaper but its really only a few pounds or dollars. We had said we would come back tomorrow for the ride and headed for dinner.

Another restaurant on the beach again and you cant get more on the beach than this. Luckily the monsoons were not bringing rain which made it a pleasant evening.

Tom Yum soup was needed and quickly served up. It was tasty but not the best we have had. It could be we are setting our standards a little to high.

A little walk after dinner and with Nai Yang being quite small the walk was short. Back to the hotel and a night time swim in the pool which we still had to ourselves.

Looking back at Nai Yang there is not much there. Nightlife and life in general seemed very quiet with not much happening. There are enough places to eat and drink to have something different every day for maybe a week. The beach was fantastic, clean and not busy. It’s location near Phuket Airport gives it some points as a place to stop off for a few days.

The one thing that we missed out on was actually getting in the water. I guess we never realized how short one day can be and time soon ran out. The waves were quite large and red flags were flying but it was still a missed opportunity.

Maybe Next time.

Tomorrow would be travelling to destination 2. Khao Lak, north of Phuket Island and with a 4 night stay, maybe I’ll get to swim in the sea.

Arriving at Nai Yang, Phuket Day 1

2011-01-20T01:48:00.001-08:00

The first stop on our trip would be Nai Yang. We didn't really know much about this place and it was really chosen for connivance.

We left for the Airport with the darkness closing and the rain falling constantly. With that feeling it would be nice to wake up the next morning in a different country with sunshine and a exotic sandy beach nearby.

Landing at Phuket Airport, Thailand, we had no luggage apart from our carry on backpacks which meant getting through customs and immigration was quick.

Our first hurdle, apart from being slightly tired and hungry, was getting to Nai Yang Beach. We were spotted by the local taxi touts and somehow gravity pushed us together. The price was 300THB initially which I thought was a little bit too much. I kept standing on my toes and pointing “look I can see Nai Yang from here”. The other half was meanwhile looking in her purse and complaining about the exchange rate. Final price was around 200THB by taxi to the resort.

It was a short trip, maybe 10- 15 minutes to the hotel. Standing before us at the hotel check in were another couple from the same flight. If we had found them at the airport then we could have split the price of the taxi between us.

Checked in and after what felt like a mile walk to our room, time to relax. It was around 1 a.m. now and our first bit of pleasure was sitting on the porch out side the room feeling the warm air and listening to the sounds of geckoes.

Across a path and no more then 10 steps away was one of the 3 pools in the resort. A dip in the water was tempting but going to sleep won in the end.

First day over, not sure if it can be counted as a day of the holiday, but at least we had landed, had a roof over our head, a bed to sleep in and the rain was not pouring down.

The Andaman Holiday Resorts List

2011-01-10T01:51:00.001-08:00

The trip planning began to show some sign of coming together. Flights times were looked at and commute times between the resorts were arranged to allow as much beach times as possible.

We settled on 5 different locations that we thought were worth visiting. For me the beach was the most important factor while the Other Half thought about the quality of the hotels. I would have settled for a bamboo hut with a trickle of sea water for a shower but I had to give in and accept that some comforts were needed.

The flight would land on Phuket Island to start us off. With the landing around midnight a resort close the airport was chosen.

Nai Yang on the west of the island looked good and it was just for two nights. I was not really very happy about going to Phuket but it all turned out much better then I expected. We would have two nights and one day here then catching transport to the second beach.

Khao Lak around 50 kilometers north of Phuket was a hopefully short commute and we had planned 4 nights here. This was an unknown for us but it turned out to have an absolutely fabulous beach or rather beach after beach.

Ao Nang took us back into Krabi Provence. This was a longer section of the journey but we had hoped not to waste more than 3 or 4 hours travelling.

The fourth stop was Koh Lanta. The island was so near that we just couldn’t miss out spending a few days here.

Lastly is was back to Phuket and this time we picked out Kamala to spend a few days before catching the plane back home.

That was our list and as it was really off season we managed to get most of the hotels quite cheap and extra offers of stay 4 nights and just pay 3.

Getting transport between the sandy beaches was still largely unconfirmed. We had a vague idea of connections, a mix of bus and mini van routes. If we got stuck we could always fall back on getting a Taxi although that was not really in the plan.

Hoping for some good food, long quiet sand beaches, warm clear water and tasty spiced food we were ready. All the locations were unknown to us apart from Koh Lanta, so excitedly we set off for the first resort on our list at Nai Yang.

Thailand Island Holiday once Again

2010-12-20T00:59:00.001-08:00

Thailand called to us once again and we found it had to resist the pull of the exotic beaches and spicy hot food. We had an initial plan but as it all came together the end result was quite different.

Rather than staying the whole trip in one place, something more adventurous was called for. Not quite totally carefree travel but we did manage to take in five resorts which meant we has a little bit of travelling to do.

Our first plan was to take in some more locations on the Gulf of Thailand. Island hopping through Ko Tao, Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Samiu became a tentative plan. Ko or Koh Samui was the destination of a recent trip which we found quite enjoyable. A little resort on the north shores of the island. It was not far from the town of Chaweng, which was typically busy and full of tourist. Our beach was quite a contrast with hardly another person on the beach apart from a few local Thais fishing in the water.

The idea looked good, a few days on each island before moving on to the next. The plan started to settle for a few days, but Krabi was still on our mind. Maybe something was pulling us back there.

Nothing was fixed yet, no hotels or flights booked yet so it`s of no surprised that the trip suddenly changed. Was it Krabi calling to us? No quite and not even Thailand. Further south in Malaysia the island of Pinang over on the western coast looked a great starting point. It was easy to get too with a direct flight for us and initiated the idea of another trip.

Starting in Pinang then ferrying over to Langkawi with the island further up the coast in Thailand looking like good resting places with their beaches. Taking in Ko Sukon, Ko Libong and Ko Muk then further north.

OH! it was suddenly Krabi and Ko Lanta, how could we not miss a chance to renew some our memories of those long long beautiful beaches. It is an island so we have no reason not to put it on our list. Form Koh Lanta it would be over to the famed Phi Phi islands immortalized in the move “The Beach”. We had been reliable informed that there are no dangerous sharks in the seas around Thailand.

Ending the trip was the island of Phuket to spend the last days before jetting out back home.

As with most plans, there is always something to mess them up. The lure of exotic paradise islands were a real temptation but how do we get there.

The thorn in the plan was “Off Season Travel”. Getting ferry connections to some of the islands would be quite hard for us to plan. I expect when you are there on the ground the possibilities of getting from A to B are much easier, but for us thousands of miles away it seemed like it was not going to be practical.

In the end, taking some of the islands that we thought were going to be hard to get too and the thought of spending precious beach time waiting for connections the second plan began to fall apart.

You`ll be glad to know we eventually did arrive at a suitable plan for our journey. Koh Lanta and Krabi did welcome us along with some new places that will be going on the list of places to return to one day.

Travelling to Koh Lanta

2010-06-07T01:54:00.001-07:00

The trip to Koh Lanta was relatively easy despite the island being quite remote. The closest airport serves Krabi province and is an ideal point of of entry as it was for us without a long overland journey.

There are very few direct flights to Krabi Airport so if you are origination from overseas then Bangkok international airport will be your arrival point. Every time we have entered Thailand via Bangkok we found it to be quite efficient for getting through immigration and customs without much delay.

Bangkok to krabi Airport.

Our flight connections favored us with a short stopover with just enough time for a bite of food before we were off again. Krabi airport is mostly served with flights from Bangkok with internal flights but there are flights from Koh Samui in Thailand as well as Singapore and Malaysia.

Flying time was quick and we were soon at Krabi airport and without waiting for baggage as we were traveling light we were soon ready for the next part of our journey.

Krabi Airport caters well for the traveler with pickup and drop off for minibus routes as well as taxi hire. It was a bit like being herded like sheep as the the passengers were segregated in to groups depending on destination and soon picked up by transport. There is a bit of trust here but the Thai people at the airport do get your sorted even if you do not have much of a clue what is happening.

Krabi Town to Koh Lanta

We could have went to Koh Lanta from the airport by getting picked up by a minivan but we decided to spend a night in Krabi Town instead.

The only problem anybody might have is timing, especially if they are arriving late and taking a taxi. There are two ferry crossings and some drivers may not want an over night stay on the island as the ferries do not run overnight.

The seasons affect how you will get there. Some services run only during the more busy season but the minivan service runs all the year round.

If your staying in Krabi your hotel can arrange a pickup by minivan. We we were just around the corner and took the time to get a coffee and walk to the pickup. It just took a couple of hours with the ferry fares included in the price of the ticket we were dropped off at our resort and ready for the beach.

Our choice of transport suited us as we were just heading for Koh Lanta. If your travelling around a few places and expect lots of modes of transport then you might be a little bit upset. Ferry services and speed boat hire can be had from other locations like PhuKet but may just run a high season service or run infrequent.

Our next trip will possibly be a straight in and straight out single destination holiday like we have done before . But if we were planning to experience a few more locations on a holiday in this part of Thailand then I think we would set aside a few extra for travelling and not expect frequent transport connection.

You will not be stranded but it just might take a bit longer to get there. As this is Thailand and anybody arriving here should have left the stress and speed of city life behind then a few extra hours relaxing and taking in the beauty should not matter.

Keeping Healthy on the Island.

2010-04-15T00:37:00.001-07:00

There is nothing more upsetting about going on your ideal holiday and falling ill. Days wasted perhaps stuck in bed or unable to enjoy the pleasures that you originally came to see.

If you are going to fall ill it is best that it happens at home and not on those precious days that you looked forward too. The biggest cause of sadness here is the one of the main reasons you came to the island. Like all areas in the tropics the Sun can be quite a demon and we tend to learn those lessons the hard way.

The basics apply here, a good strong sun-block no matter how much you think you don’t need it. You will not look silly and it is much better than looking like a cooked lobster along with the aching pain that goes along with sunburn. Hats are more than essential, preferably something with a brim to keep the sun off your face and neck. Water, Water and more Water. Your body will be loosing lots of water and and with the heat instantly evaporating the sweat you may not notice. Keep a bottle or two near by and keep taking the occasional sip even if you thing you might not need it. Do not just rely on the complementary water in your hotel or resort, you will need more than just a bottle each day.

If your planning to get off the beach then do cover up a little bit. This applies both to keeping healthy and as a bit of respect to the local culture here, this applies especially for women.

Insect bites can occur, especially from those little mosquitoes. But on our trips which have mainly been close the coastal areas we rarely have the pleasure of being bitten. It does happen and prevention is better then cure here for anybody who may be a bit more allergic than others.

The other major cause of health problems in food. We enjoy the Thai food and have eaten in western style restaurants and also taken food from the back of motorcycles. I have to say we have never had any tummy problems whatsoever in Thailand. If the local style of food is not to your appetite then there are many outlets along the beach that can serve food western style.

Hopefully your trip to Koh Lanta or other beautiful areas of Thailand will be a happy and health one. Should the worst happen and you may need medical care then the staff at your resort will be able to help. The island hosts a hospital and one thing we should have, but never use, is medical insurance.

Taking those little precautions will will help you enjoy one of the best holiday locations you will experience.

Weather in Koh Lanta

2010-03-21T21:53:00.001-07:00

During our trips to various parts of Thailand the weather has always started off looking a bit grey. Usually while waiting for transport in Bangkok or getting off the plane we are met by a down pour of rain. It’s actually a bit refreshing for a few seconds then you start to think is the whole holiday going to be like this.

Fortunately the rains soon pass and the rest of our trips are mostly full of warm sunshine and blue skies.

Koh Lanta and southern Thailand is just above the equator and is all you could want from a tropical island, even the weather.

The seasons here are dictated by the directions of the Monsoon winds. This can be either one of two directions and splits the year into the hot dry season or the cooler wetter season. The exact months of when the seasons start and ends vary each year but mostly you could guarantee the dry season centered around April and the wetter time around September.

The average temperature across the year is around 30C with this ranging up to 36C during the hot season and 21c for the cooler monsoon. If your coming from someplace much cooler then either season would seem warm enough to be enjoyable.

During out stay in October we has a few darker skies and some short light showers. But overall we had lots of sunshine , clear blue skies and maybe someday a little too much heat.

The cost of hotels and resorts can be twice as costly during the dry season when koh Lanta becomes more busier. Our visit was low season and I think we had the best of what was on offer. Sometimes the sand was a little to hot to walk on barefoot and shade was a bit welcoming.

Maybe we missed the heavy downpours of rains, there was some evidence of dirt on the roads after being washed down from the hills. Koh Lanta was extremely enjoyable and the weather should not put us off going there again at any time of year.

Ban Saladan Town

2010-02-28T22:41:00.001-08:00

Really much more of a village than a town, Ban Saladan situated on the north east of Lanta Yai is where nearly all travellers will first set foot on Island.

Holiday makers arriving by road will arrive by the car ferries slightly south of the town and those coming by sea come alongside the docks in town.

There are not many roads here for you to walk around and do a bit of window shopping, keep that for the cities. From the passenger ferries a short walk to the north passing a mixture of houses and restaurants just out in to the sea standing precariously on stilts. Reaching a junction the road continues north with more sprinklings of places to eat or stay.

At the junction going East means your paddling in the sea so it`s best to head west where this road continues and eventually runs down the west coast of the island with the abundance of beaches.

In the town itself, you should find everything you need. clothing stores, maybe you need an extra hat or forgot a bikini. Dive shops if you want to arrange some underwater activities. Tourist centres for those who have wandered here and need to find some accommodation for a few days. Optical shops are abundant, I noticed at least four in this tiny village so you wont have problems finding some sunglasses.

As a side note, We did not see many Thai people wearing glasses for seeing, maybe they all wear contact lenses or just have excellent eyesight here.

The mini mart in town is stocked well and should be a one of your fist stops to stock up on all those sun creams and toiletries that have been left behind at the airport security. 7-11’s , ATM Machines,Pharmacies and Banks for those currency exchanges can be found and even a tailor shop should you even need a suit.

There are lots of restaurants, some with quite an international flavour. Italian, Mexican and of course Thai. As you continue further along this road, the buildings become a bit more sparse and the spaces are take up by local food stalls and travelling markets.

Ban Saladan is small but it still can offer a nice visit and break from the beach.

Koh Lanta The Island

2010-02-22T00:33:00.001-08:00

Situated near the southern tip of Thailand are the islands of Lanta, A little bit more remote than some other destinations that the country has to offer but nonetheless just a beautiful.

Regionally the location is Krabi Provence and comprises the area of Amphoe District. Here is where the islands are situated. Koh Lanta Noi and Koh Lanta Yai are the two main islands and generally Koh Lanta Yai is referred to as Lanta for us tourists.

Basking itself in the Andaman sea on the west side of Thailand the islands is mainly covered in tropical forest and with high hills running down its spine. Most of the locals and have set up home around the coast in small fishing villages.

View Larger Map

The first port of call for visitors is usually the small village of Ban Saladan on the north of the island which hosts the car ferry crossings to the mainland and the passenger ferries from islands further afield. Roads lead down the east coast to Lanta old town near the south of the island and on the west coast little settlements and tourist resorts are speckled among the long beaches.

Shops, markets, street stalls are abundant along the roads and you are never really far from the smell of something tasty cooking. Buildings on the island are not high and keep nuzzled below the tops of the trees. The signs of concrete can be found but mostly the island looks natural and untarnished by construction.

The beaches stretching down the coast are long and we found them to be extremely peaceful and quiet. A lot of the resorts sit on their own little bit of beachfront along with lots of restaurants and a few bars. These places are ideal for that lazy afternoon meal or in the evening watching the fabulous sunsets while sipping a cool drink.

The people of the are are mostly Muslim along with a mix of Buddhists, Thai-Chinese and the ocean settlers the sea gypsies. This mixture along with the influx of tourism makes the island very accommodating to everybody. But still everybody should be a little bit aware of customs.

Violence is extremely low and even with it being a destination spot for western tourists. The unwelcome baggage that is generally associated with them is left behind and the island still keeps it ambience of peacefulness.

Secret Beach on Koh Lanta

2010-01-27T11:49:00.001-08:00

Before we took our trip to the islands of Lanta we had read about the resort having a secret beach hidden away someplace. I guess there are lots of little secret beaches around the world either made up to for adding a little bit of spice to the location. At the other end of the scale they are so secret that every body knows and decided to visit on the same day as you.

The resort at Kaw Kwang was really spoilt for its beach front and with not many other tourists soaking up the ambience of the place the secret beach idea drifted from memory. We were just spoilt for space and sand and had no need to go searching for that little bit extra quietness.

But on chance after a few days it did cross our minds and although we never really went searching our curiosity made it’s location reveal itself. Really we could have just asked and somebody would have pointed us in that direction.

Kaw Kwang beach ends at the top of the island with a rocky outcrop with covered in lots of tropical greenery, trees and bushed growing thickly. But Through this jungle a little path was spotted leading up the rocks. Climbing up the hill expecting a long trek which really turned out to be 50 or so meters of well kept path and suddenly ending at the edge of a cliff. Climbing here in darkness and you`d be over the edge.

Down below gradually exposing itself was the secret beach. A short stretch of sand bounded by rocks on either side and totally deserted. The clear water gently lapping up the sand as the waves break on the shore.

Unfortunately the sun was setting and probably not the best time to venture down – actually there was a set of wooden steps leading down to the beach. Managing a few photographs and walking back down the path the only animal life here I noticed were a few hermit crabs, not where you`d expect to find them far from the water.

Maybe next time we might make a point of really going there, but as the other beaches were extremely quiet the idea fell from memory. But if you want a little bit of tranquillity you might find it here or maybe there a few other hidden beaches along the island.

Looking back it was a missed opportunity. Then we did have a lot of happiness from the days we spent on the island. It is probably something that will keep for the next visit unless everybody finds out about it.

Krabi, Bangkok and Home – End of the Dream

2010-01-04T07:01:00.001-08:00

Weather – Dry and Sunny

Woke early, really early about 4 hours too early for being on holiday. At 6.45 a.m. I was out on the streets of Krabi Town on the search for some 7-11 and a dose of chocolate milk for breakfast.

The streets were practically deserted, well what sensible people would be up walking around town so early apart from the foreigners. It was a good chance to get a look around without the crush of people and standing in the middle of the road without, much, fear of getting ran over by a speeding taxi driver.

Later we had breakfast proper and with a few hours to spare headed over to a morning market a few streets away. The place was full of everything imaginable here. Vegetables of all kinds, fruit and flowers along with a good sampling of fresh fish and seafood. It was a shame we had breakfast as there was also quite a bit of cooked food on offer.

Weather – Getting much Hotter

Decided to have a little walk along some of the roads and double back to the hotel to freshen up before heading to the airport. Using our excellent navigation skills of angles of the sun to gauge our direction everything was going fine until we realized we were lost.

It was turning out to be a good morning, forgetting to take our hats, the sun getting hotter and the sweat making us look like we had just stepped out of the shower clothed and the impending realization of not getting back to catch our flight.

Buddha or whatever must have been looking down on us and on the most deserted of roads sent along a little motorcycle and sidecar. Thinking this was a taxi we waved it down and it passed looking like it would never stop. Turns out it wasn’t a taxi but just some locals and their intuition that we were lost in Krabi Town. Despite us not speaking Thai and them not speaking English (how do you say “oh no another lost foreigner” in Thai) they took us back to the centre of town and relieved we walked the familiar streets to our hotel.

If that was not enough, Buddha also made our flight late just in case we somehow were late at the airport. The delay, unknown, at this time would call for a bit of skill by the pilots once we reached Bangkok.

Finally taking off and leaving Krabi and Koh Lanta far behind we had some nice view of the East coast. Gulf of Thailand where a few more island paradises. In the distance was Koh Samui and the memories more sandy beaches, great food and sunburn.

Weather – Monsoon and some more.

Approaching Bangkok and the reason for the delay was appearing. The blue clear skies of krabi were replaced by dark grey clouds as we slowly descended to land. It was difficult to catch any glimpses of the ground but the plane carefully tried to line itself up for the runway. It was not to be, the clunking of the flaps going up and the screaming of the little Boeing 737’s engines indicated an aborted landing. It was hard to see how close we got but I’m guessing a few feet more and the wheels would have touched the flood that was once a runway.

Luckily after a bit of holding and a break in the rains we landed. The thickness of the clouds must have helped obscure the dangers from the passengers as they mostly seemed unconcerned.

A short stop over in Bangkok and then boarding the flight back to home and reality. It was all over and the warming sun was gone, no more getting up in the mornings and lazing on the beach. The speed of life was about the change and the time on the clock will begin to rule our days again.

Afternoon at the River in Krabi Town- Day 10

2009-12-27T08:19:00.001-08:00

Weather – Wet, Wet, Wet

Having arrived in Krabi Town and settled in to the hotel a look around town was needed. The first time we were in Krabi it was already dark and not really ideal for taking in any sights. It was also raining all those days ago, so far the town for us is wet.

We had brought just one umbrella for emergencies and the hotel gladly offered us an extra one. It wasn’t really needed for long, the monsoons eased and eventually stopped. Some food needed again and keeping in with the Thailand style we had pizza and chips.

The town is not really big and most things seems localized on the one or two streets running along side the river. That included the banks and currency exchanges. These were getting badly needed as our Thai money was running out and unknowingly we were also running out of time. The bank we approached had already closed and the money exchanger had already done her calculations for the day so we realized we were left to scrimp and save until the morning.

Having a walk along the river to pass the time and take in a bit of the Mangrove views we were approached by a rather large gentleman. He was a fisherman touting for some business, offered to take us on a trip up the river. We had a little and large conversation about our cash flow and our need to wait till tomorrow for the banks to open. It was then he dropped a bombshell about tomorrow being Saturday and the banks being closed.

Tonight's dinner was looking like seafood, fish and crab, with a little cigarette to finish the meal off. In our 24 hours a day life we have been to complacent.

The views up the river were quite pleasant although the tide seemed to be out and the river banks were exposed with mud. At least it wasn't cluttered with thrown away shopping trolleys.

Away from the river there was a night market happening. This was taking place in the square behind the hotel that we spent our first night in. It appeared more of a fun-fair atmosphere with a few rides for the kids along with lots of home made wares and food. Extremely busy with lots of people in very small space. But we managed to get hold of some deep fried ice cream.

Sometimes events take place that come completely unexpected and have quite dramatic consequences. Needless to say one of those events happened to us and completely filled the rest of our evening. To skim over it quickly we were treated completed free of charge to the spiciest meal we have ever had in Thailand. Spread over 6 dished of delicious food specially prepared for us both. The earlier wondering of how to catch dinner in the river seemed much like a silly idea now.

Leaving Koh Lanta on the Ferry Crossings – Day 10

2009-12-16T07:44:00.001-08:00

Weather – Brilliant

Woke to sunshine peeking under the curtains and it felt particularly crystal this morning. This was our last day here on Koh Lanta and we arose together and not much conversation was had. It might have been the sadness of leaving or maybe the more than healthy amount of beer consumed the night before.

Whatever the reason it didn’t last long once we were out on the veranda gathering the heat and the occasional pop back inside to pack another t-shirt. Somehow the bags became full and the beach hut returned to the tidier condition in which we first found it.

Pool towels returned to the reception and turning for a last look at the resort we sat down to wait for the mini-van to arrive. And we waited…And waited. After about half an hour later it arrived fully laden with other passengers that were scooped up from all corners of the island. I guess waiting in the shade of reception was probably much better than waiting inside the stuffy hot bus for other passengers to arrive.

Bags loaded and we were soon off to the first ferry crossing. There was very little waiting to get on here but a little wait for more vehicles to fill up the vacant spaces on the ferry. The second ferry was similar with just a short wait. The longer stretch of water gave a little time out to take some pictures of people taking pictures.

It was a busy little strip of water with at least four ferries chugging back and forward. Fortunately the water would be warm and the distance to the shore looked swimmable, I mention that for no particular reason.

Weather – Monsoon

About 15 minutes after crossing the two Koh Lanta islands the heavens opened and the rain came down in buckets. You could say we were lucky with the weather apart from the first few days. The journey of a couple of hours, which felt more like four, gave a little bit of time to remember the things we were leaving behind on the island but Krabi Town was nearing and soon we would experience a little but more of Thailand's hospitality.

Passengers were dropped off at the airport and some at a ferry terminal in town, we were getting dropped off at our hotel. One passenger had booked an onward journey only to find there was no onward connection. The driver offered to take him to a tourist agent to buy another ticket so we all piled back in the bus expecting to go at least a few blocks. Unexpectedly the driver just did a U-turn to the opposite side of the street and there was the destination. We all looked at each other with smiles that indicated we were laughing out loud inside. Here we were asked where we were going and offered a taxi to the airport tomorrow – we declined (can`t fault them for asking for the business).

The excitement over and dropped at our hotel and while checking in the reception asked where we were going and offered a taxi to the airport tomorrow – we declined (somehow that sounds familiar).

There was still some light so after a shower it off to do some adventuring in krabi Town.

Sun Down and Arnee Food Gets Spicy - Day 9

2009-12-13T08:51:00.001-08:00

With our time on Koh Lanta nearly over it was back to our hotel to arrange for transport. We were heading back to Krabi Town by minivan again and asked at reception to make arrangements for pickup the next day. The price was around 200THB each which was a little bit more than the cost of the outbound leg.

Still very quiet but the view here was good, looking past the table and chairs towards the pool and the beach in the background.

We were hoping to see lots of brightly coloured fish, sadly nothing came our way. The long sandy beaches were probably not ideal for tropical fish with no place to hide from preying sharks or the heat of the sun (no sharks either). Probably if we tried harder we would have found them, but as a consolation the Kaw Kwang hotel had a few carp swimming around at the doorway.

Tickets booked, morning pickup arranged and as the sun going down time for a last dip in the pool. The last Lanta sunset was showing for us and that secret beach was still being elusive. Maybe it was just a myth made up by somebody looking for more than paradise. I`m sure somebody could make that idea into a great movie!

The evening started with the usual long walk along Klong Dao beach. We were beginning to know all the bumps and curves having walked across here many times. To be honest, we were really a bit far from things, especially with the whole off season quietness. Probably next time we venture here a resort a bit closer to food would be better, for peace and relaxation it’s prefect. During the peak season with more restaurants open it should be even more desirable being slightly away from the crowds.

Food is always a good place to end the day and a bit of Tom Yom would go down nicely, Our host was Arnee`s again, it seemed like we lived there. As with Sanuk Bar it was really at the right location for us, not too far but close enough.

Along the beach, along the strip and all in-between were hotels, resorts and restaurants but it was hit or miss to find some open and serving food. Night was probably not the best time to go wandering around the jungle, I’m sure there are a few creatures that you wouldn’t want to startle lurking in the bush.

So soup and extra spicy was requested, I`d guess this about the level a Thai baby reaches when they go on to solid food. For us it was hot. Apart from the great combination of flavours the feeling of getting a roasting red hot poker stuck in your mouth is somehow very pleasantly addictive.

With the day closing we try not to think of leaving Koh Lanta, the combination of spice and a few more beers than usual helped to sedate those thoughts. The knowledge of all those bumps and curves of the beach became very handy on the wandering winding way back to the resort. From this point on the rest of the night seems like a blur and I think we behaved …. hopefully.

Kaw Kwang Beach For The Last Time – Day 9

2009-12-05T08:32:00.001-08:00

Weather – Brilliantly Hot

The Lanta Holiday is nearly coming to an end with our last full day here on the island. The beaches are still quite deserted which is quite unbelievable, I guess in a few years time the beautiful views of desolation will be hard to capture as the tourism industry becomes more commercial. But for now this seems to be the place to be for anybody that wants a few days of quiet relaxation.

Today the weather was hot, nearly unbearable without a few attempts at cooling off in the sea. The low tide exposes a huge stretch of sand down to the sea and once in the water there is still quite a distance for the coolness to reach a depth over your knees.

It really probably was a day to take cover under some sensible shade, but as it’s all nearly over for us we were out trekking along the sand. Suitable amounts of bottled water along with hat for survival but for me I had already been exposed too much to the rays and my skin was peeling off like paper.

There were more signs of preparedness happening in the resorts. Storm nets were getting removed and a bit maintenance on the grounds, but still relatively few guests around to be seen.

The empty Golden Leaf Restaurant and Royal Lanta Resort sitting empty. Both places, along with all the other resorts and restaurants, looked just as quiet as the beach. It might have just been the heat keeping everybody indoors, probably where we should have been as the temperature was getting too much for some and any cool place was a welcome relief.

Food and shade for a while, then off on our travels again. Getting away from the beach front there are quite a few buildings that are not quite what they used to be. Maybe once the high season picks up these places will be buzzing with life, just maybe.

Late afternoon, it was still just as hot, there was a little bit more life on the beach. It was hard to find but it was there. Time moves slowly here but for us the past 8 days seem to have really been a flash.

Not everybody’s perfect holiday but one of our most enjoyable. Secretly, I think this is because we just took each day as it came without sticking to any schedule. Spending a day on a touristy trip might have felt like a day wasted. Maybe next time we will see the elephants, caves, forest, monkeys, island trip and all those other things that you spend 2 hours getting there , half an hour watching and 2 hours getting back from. If that is your style then it is available here on Koh Lanta if the quietness is too much for you.

Thailand Food and No Lanta Monsoon – Day 8

2009-12-02T05:47:00.001-08:00

What do people do on holiday, get herded like sheep on tourist outings or relax and take it easy. We mostly fit in the second category of letting life pass slowly at its own pace which is quite a contrast to normal life being run by the time of the clock. What ever speed we take our holiday at there is one thing we all have in common and that is food. The time to eat gets us moving again across the long deserted beach.

Kaw Kwang was not the best location during the off-season to grab a meal. The resort still running at low capacity can be forgiven for not providing a constantly open restaurant for just a few people. No doubt they could spring in to action if the need arose and source a tasty meal for guests that wanted to feast close to home. For us it was a regular and pleasant walk along the beach even at night to satisfy our hunger.

Where Kaw Kwang beach joins on to Klong Dao there is a length of undeveloped jungle which is completely dark and all we can see is the lights in the distance and the sound of waves lapping on the beach to guide us. Occasionally we came across other life, a family pushing a pram or a local couple just having a bit of together time. There wasn’t much fear of anything horrible happening, maybe we were being too carefree.

Passing a few resorts in semi-darkness, where we might have sampled the food if there were open, it was Sanuk Bar that offered the hospitality of something hot to fill our bellies. It is a regular spot for us, the food is great and the hosts friendly but the main reason was it was the first place after the long walk and the last place before when we were heading home.

Tom Yum, oh how we love that, very spicy – that is very spicy on the non-Thai scale but probably still at the bottom on what the local can tolerate. Along with the customary bottle of beer and two glasses produced a satisfying starter. Sitting practically on the beach with the sound of the softly waves in your ears we thought of family and friends back home. We laughed as we guessed they would be rushing home after a hard days toil. it made us quite happy that we seemed to be in a little paradise, at least for a few days before we joined the other world outside again.

It was still monsoon season, and while a monsoon is really a wind, the rain that it brings is what we normally associate with the word. Far in the distance out in the Andaman Sea someplace a storm was brewing and the occasional large orange glow in the clouds could be seen on the horizon. The lack of thunder sounds made is all so much more beautiful to watch. All through the holiday, the few days we had rain they were short lived and very light showers.

There were a few more places that we thought of trying some food so reluctantly finishing out drinks we left Sanuk and wandered along the sand for a little while before heading inland. As it turns out our tentative plan never worked out, we were passing Arnee’s (mum’s) and the smell of barbecue outside caught our attention. Either we were over powered by the smell of chicken and sausage or Mum talked us into eating, but we were seated and had ordered faster then we could think.

The chicken tasted wonderful, it might have been slowly cooking for hours but it ended up so soft and brittle but still amazingly juicy. Now I`m not sure what was in the sausages and I probably do not want to know but these excelled the chicken. Sweet and juicy made us want a few more, unfortunately there were no more and no time left to get them to the same cooked perfection. Rice and a spicy vegetable stir-fry was the accompaniment along with a range of spicy sauces. A bottle of Ketchup was included for some reason.

A little word of caution here, careful what you eat. The innocent looking bit of green vegetable may just be a super hot chilli in disguise. Waiting for somebody not paying enough attention to give it a big chew. It’s one of those looks you cant help bursting out laughing about, the O.H will never forgive me.

A second good helping of food and the time seemed to fly past, we never made it to where we had initially planned and headed for home.

All the foods we sampled the few days on Koh Lanta were very delicious. Some requests, and particularly fish, were unavailable which is probably due to off-season stocks. The restaurants were extremely quiet and I guess it would be silly to have lots of fresh food hoping customers would arrive. Still there was enough variation and extremely good quality Thailand meals to keep us happy for a long time.

Saladan and Sunset at Kaw Kwang, Lanta – Day 8

2009-11-23T09:37:00.001-08:00

Weather – Would you believe it`s hot.

The morning was spent at the pool in Kaw Kwang. We could say we had it all to ourselves again, but not today. There was at least one other person taking a cooling dip although the whole resort was virtually deserted. All the sun loungers were untouched with the mats laid out to dry and the gardens remained empty apart from a few brave animals risking the sunshine. Here I caught a little bird taking a bit of shade under a sun lounger.

The bay here has its own little bit of mangrove and coral reef along with the coconut filled jungle. The secret beach still seems to be keeping its location hidden.

The afternoon was started with a trip to Saladan, well its such a small town we have seen it all before but we might have missed something along its two roads. Getting a little feel of town life after the remoteness of the beach does actually feel good, even if it’s a few minutes in a town as basic as Saladan.

Looking over to Koh Lanta Noi from Saladan Town

Down the empty streets of Saladan, I guess when the high season starts and the ferries begin their runs the town will become much busier.

It does have a few places to eat although and even if quite a few were still closed for the season the opportunity arose to sample the food again and how could we refuse. Butter fried chicken with peanut satay along with some deep fried onion rings. The O.H. delved in with fish and chips, no beer this time but a couple of cooling coconut drinks.

Today seemed to be an eating day and somehow we ended up down the strip and outside the German bakery. The lack of coffee the past few days seemed not to be affecting me at all, no caffeine withdrawal symptoms, short tempered outburst or aching sore heads. It must have been the thought of nice fresh cake that took us here and to justify it more, we never has dessert after out late lunch.

Like most of the places here, the bakery is open ended to the road and the local Koh Lanta life can be watched passing by as you sip your drink. The coffee did taste good and the cake reminded me of something my mother would make. The O.H enjoyed her slice just as much and never even voiced any concern that it might make her fat.

Popping across the road to the 7-11 to get a few more snacks and drinks then we headed back to Kaw Kwang Resort to laze beside the pool and catch a bit of the sunset. Nothing really seems to be happening, eating and sunbathing and eating more, the days seem to go fast and I think the long walks make up a lot of our day time are not really noticed. It`s a funny feeling not being bored while really doing nothing for over a week.

The football seems to be a regular thing and I`d guess with a few more holidaymakers that are a bit fitter than myself a few larger teams would be playing on the beach.

This would really be our first sunset at Kaw Kwang with the few days of cloud and catching the sunsets at Sanuk bar it seems we were never here at the right time to witness the scenes.

The rocky jungle outcrop here means the sunset comes a bit earlier and sets behind the trees rather than descending on the horizon but the site is just as beautiful to witness. The day is not over yet and I guess it will soon be time to eat, again and actually again. Luckily we have a long walk to burn up those calories. Koh Lanta, Thailand in the low cost monsoon season is turning out to be very nice indeed.

Day 7 – Koh Lanta Thailand Sunsets at Sanuk Bar

2009-11-16T08:28:00.001-08:00

Sanuk Bar provides another welcome relief from the heat and refreshments just in time to catch the Koh Lanta sunset over the Andaman Sea. Having lived for many years in a very northerly part of the world, I am used to long slow sunsets that last for hours and it really only goes dark(ish) after 10p.m. Here down in Thailand it comes much earlier and much quicker, not quite blink and you will miss it, but fast enough.

Having the usual nice cool drink, that salt water does make you a bit thirsty, and a little bit of a snack. If I remember correctly and I am ashamed to admit that the O.H had “Toast” , a not very Thai Choice.

The time was around 5.30pm when we sat down to watch the skies and the Islands of Koh Phi Phi can be seen just on the horizon.

I`d like to think that the animals of the jungle came out to watch the sun with us, bit of a Disney moment there.

It was actually a Childs toy, a family was having dinner in Sanuk and the hosts provided something for the kids occupied with in the sand.

I`m really hoping for the best with my photographs. The Canon G10 thankfully takes care of most of the settings automatically but it’s still up to me to frame the shot. I have no idea. Fortunately, snapping 100`s of photographs costs nothing with digital (except battery power) and maybe a few will look good.

Just before 6.10pm and Koh Phi Phi catches the sun.

The beach was not quite empty, a few other diners mingled with the Thai football players on the beach.

This was our destination, Kaw KWang, along the dark beach. By now we had travelled back and forth a few times and could really do it with our eyes shut. In fact it was so dark eye open or closed made no real difference once the sun went down.

6.30pm and it`s gone for another day.

Watching the sunset go down on Koh Lanta along with the atmosphere of the island was just as enjoyable as, if not better, than any all star cast blockbuster movie. Not everybody will enjoy it, but I know many that once it`s been experienced then you will want more.

Day 7 – Hot Day on Klong Dao Beach Koh Lanta

2009-11-10T07:25:00.001-08:00

Weather - Like an oven with the door closed, hot

The morning revealed another beautiful day in Koh Lanta, Krabi. Our exertions over the first few days seem to have caught up with us and along with the heat made us a bit more lethargic.

We needed no excuse to spend the morning by the pool again. As usual the crowds were absent and we virtually had all the coolness to ourselves. It was badly needed, today was feeling a lot hotter than the past few days.

The beach was a little bit more active, the regular crabs were there someplace, filtering out the sand and leaving behind lots of tiny little balls. As soon as anybody approached they scurried back in a hole to hide.

A fisherman's longboat had anchored on the beach sometime in the morning and joined by a group of what looked like school kids. The heat was even a bit much for them, a bit of shouting was heard and we noticed one kid flat out on the beach collapsed before being carried under some shade of the trees. They soon recovered after a few minutes but they kept in the cool spots.

Being the sensible people that we are, ignoring the heat we set out along Klong Dao beach for a little bit of a walk. Walking in the water helped to keep us cool until we decided to head off the beach then we felt the heat on us again. Without the cool breeze from the sea any bit of shade was a welcome relief.

Lunch at Arnee restaurant, we had it all to ourselves again. After a minute of chatting “Mum” started to notice that I was starting to get dripping wet in sweat. Kind of noticed it myself, quite scary. Mum quickly got us some drinks with plenty of ice. Guess she has seen it all before with sill foreign people taking too much of the sun. Outside in the heat we never realized how much water we were loosing from out bodies. Probably a good lesson to learn there.

After Lunch it was back to the beach, probably quickly forgetting our lesson. The sea was there to cool off in and the waves not to strong, but still enough to be fun. It was a little bit more busy today, more local and foreigners taking to the sand. Even a group of Thai kids that seemed to make us their adopted parents for a while and jump all over us in the waves. It was a bit of good harmless fun or maybe they just wanted to down the outsiders. The sea was nice today, probably because it was cooling, and I guess we must have spent quite a few hours catching the waves along the beach.

The sun was about to go down and we timed it nicely with reaching Sanuk Bar. We didn’t have time to ask before we were offered 1 beer, large, 2 glasses. A lot of people seemed to remember us in the short time that we were here, I wonder if it would be the same during the busier season. Either way it made the Koh Lanta holiday feel like we were there with a group of friends.

Day 6 – Very Hot Day in Koh Lanta, Thailand

2009-11-06T21:47:00.001-08:00

Weather – Like an oven with the door open.

Started the day with what is becoming a bit routine in Koh Lanta, back at the pool, how boring!

All this clean air, sunshine and blue skies are starting to get us down, we don't know if we can take much more of this. And to make things worse the tide was out, far too far to walk for a paddle.

Well seriously, it would take quite a while, months or years, for us to find the slightest need for a change. We were loving every minute and were already thinking about when are we coming back. After the speed of city life, the rate here is much much more more slower, even the Thai taxis seem to get to their destinations at a leisurely pace.

Sun was shining brightly, so taking a sun lounger under the tree for a bit of shade, we relaxed. The occasional cool off in the pool was needed and still, mostly, all to ourselves. This is supposed to be the off-season but apart from the few downpours of rain the weather has been fantastic. We are still amazed at how deserted the beaches and resorts were.

The local fishermen were out in the bay just off Kaw Kwang beach, I have no idea what they were doing, couldn't see any nets. Maybe they were just waiting for the right moment.

We were running out of local currency and the weekend had just finished, so a trip into town was needed. The problem with Thai Baht, for us and probably other currencies is the conversion rate. At around 33 THB for a US$ and about 50 THB for the UKPound. Having a thousand THB seems like a lot of money and then spending 300 THB on a meal for two seems very expensive. But in reality it’s just the big numbers fooling us. A thousand is just around US$30 and actually can go a long long way in Thailand.

We were thinking of walking to Saladan but an excuse showed up in the form of a taxi sitting in the shade just outside our resort. Naturally the driver tried to offer his services and oh so reluctantly we accepted. From Kaw Kwang the cost was 40THB each. Speeding along the coast road at about 15 miles per hour was just enough to create a cooling breeze and a short conversation was started. A bit of confusion may have arose here, we were exchanging names and I passed mine and he said “mine is same”. Luckily I played safe and never said “bye same” just in case.

So off to the bank in Saladan and up to the money exchanger. We handed over a few notes and the cashier did quite a bit of typing, rubbing, looking, hoping for help from his colleagues – I guess they don’t see much of our currency on the island. With wads of cash now stuffed in our pockets we were going to hit the town.

Despite the smallness of Saladan we never got really too far, the heat was really too much for walking about. Refuge was sought in a restaurant complete with a good helping of food and 1 beer, large, 2 glasses just to get a bit of liquid back into our bodies.

It was going to be a really lazy day, had a nice slow long long lunch. In keeping with the theme of the day, we hailed over a taxi to take us back to the hotel. Not much more was going to happen today and we took up our spot under the trees beside the pool and let the day go by. We would probably die if we tried to exert ourselves. The heat was a bit much and tomorrow would show that even the locals found it too much to handle.

During our treks along the beach we stopped by a few of the resorts and restaurants hoping they would be open. Most were still closed, others were gearing up and be open in a week. Some were open but too far along the beach from us. Sanuk Bar was our regular place, not just because it was the closest ( or we didn`t want to walk any further), but also the hosts were nice and friendly. The food was also pretty good too. That was our destination for tonight.

The sun had gone and although it was still very warm, there was no burning sun bearing down on us and a refreshing cooling breeze from the sea.

Tom Yum Koong along with a chicken curry was sampled here. We asked for spicy and sure enough it was. Very tasty and completely addictive, we were both nearly licking the bowl clean.

While we were proud of on our ability to handle chilli (or silly) our nice hosts let slip that they have two versions of “extremely spicy”. One flaming spicy for born and bred native Thais and a baby spicy for the rest of us. We immediately lost all sense of achievement and ordered another large bottle of beer.

The day ended quietly.

Day 5 – Sunset at Sanuk Bar, Klong Dao Beach, Koh Lanta

2009-11-04T05:25:00.001-08:00

Not letting an opportunity pass our little oasis appeared. Sanuk Bar was there at just the right time and having our usual, beer, large, and 2 glasses, we sat on the side of the beach and watched the sun go down and our first views of the sunsets here.

There were still a few clouds out in the Andaman sea and the photographs capture some of the beauty, but it is something to be experienced.

Our host at Sanuk with her dogs taking in the evening.

The gentle slope of the beach made for some good reflections with the waves keeping the sand wet.

The Locals also take advantage of the slope and have their game of footy here.

The sun goes down quickly and soon it was all over too quick. Finishing our refreshments we start back to our resort and I managed to take some more long exposures of the night sky now a bit clear from clouds. With city lights I often forget how much is actually up there.

In the above picture we seem to have caught a UFO streaking past.

Day 5 – Kaw Kwang, Klong Dao and Phra Ae Beach

2009-11-03T06:54:00.001-08:00

Weather – Still a bit Cloudy

The morning was a bit cooler with the clouds still hanging around from yesterday’s monsoon. There was a slight wind blowing that made some people decide that it would be a bit too cold to get wet and opted out of a pool swim and preferred to sit wrapped in their towel . Actually in the pool felt a lot warmer than sitting outside, but who can argue.

Relaxing and getting a suntan was not really an option today and going to see the dancing baby elephants was not really something that entices us. So off along the beach again and a bit further.

Along Kaw Kwang and Klong Dao there were a few brave souls venturing into the water. Along with some Lanta fishermen casting out their nets. I did see the occasional fish jump or fly out of the water but apart from that no shoals of brightly coloured tropical fish to take pictures off. We had packed a waterproof disposable camera but just took a few shots in the surf and it never seen much use.

The sky was still cloudy but a few clear blue patches could be seen, hopefully it would brighten up in the afternoon and we could get some pictures of the sunsets.

It was off to one of our now regular haunts for food, Arnee, this time it was the daughter’s or to be more exact, daughter number one. I really should have taken more photographs to jog my memory on the food but sometimes it looks too tasty and all you want to do is eat. If I remember we had chicken soup, creamy with lots of large chunks of chicken and a nice but not overpowering bit of chilli heat.

One thing from the selection of Thai food that I have samples, is the quality of the ingredients. The meat which I am quite fussy about normally has all been cut and trimmed of excess, skin, fat, bone, gristle etc. Usually I have a pile of un-eatable on the side of my plate but here nearly all of it is eaten.

As the clouds were out and the sun wasn’t beating down on us, we walked further down “the strip” today. I don`t know where the energy came from, a short walk occasionally is really our limit, but here we seemed to walk and walk with only the slight occasional outburst of “too far”.

So passing the last “7-11” shop we would be going in to un-mapped territory and towards Phra Ae Beach or Long Beach. It`s not easy to get lost here, not many roads to travel on but not many indications of where to go. We kept looking for a “to beach” sign, they might have been in Thai, but we never seen any. In fact I would guess most roads lead off to the beach, It would have been nice to know that after we passed a few. There was the occasional “toot” of a taxi passing that wanted our custom and the temptation of some of the street side restaurants, most of these empty.

Turning off the road and heading in the direction of the beach, we pass little outlets. Like the other side streets here, you have to know those little shops, internet cafes, foot massage, designer suits and other places existed or you would never know they were there. The last place we passed was a tourist centre offering everything complete with a large “Visa Run” sign on the window.

Phra Ae Beach, Long Beach, came into view and was just a spectacular as our own, maybe better. The slope here looked much steeper and the waters edge was a bit closer. Waves were breaking as they reached the beach in a mass of white foam.

Like Kaw Kwang beach and Klong Dao beach this was quite deserted, a few people around, some locals, but no masses of holiday makers to spoil the atmosphere. Everybody can have their own 300 meter of beach to themselves. It looked like there were not as many resorts trying to grab a slice of beach here and pine forest could be seen right up to the beach with just the occasional bar and restaurant poking through.

We must have walked quite a bit as we arrived on the beach quite far down. So a leisurely stroll back up the beach with the waves washing up to our ankles. Getting off was really easy, just took any open space and eventually it would lead to the road. We had to get past a rocky headland between the beaches.

Weather - Still a bit cloudy.

Short walk to the bottom of Klong Dao beach, this was easily seen from the road and the walk back home began.

Oh, is that an oasis we see, complete with refreshing drink and friendly hosts coming to greet us…..

Day 4 – Koh Lanta, Thailand Sunshine and Monsoon

2009-11-02T06:19:00.001-08:00

Weather – Another Beautiful Day

Wakening up to another beautiful sunny day in Koh Lanta helps to forget that the world outside is not so nice. The peacefulness of sitting on the balcony and taking in the views and sounds of the morning is something you`d want to happen everyday for the rest of your life.

The sun brings out a little more activity around the resort. Here, like the other places along the beach are getting a clean up and makeover. So the quietness did not last long, the occasional sound of hammering around Kaw Kwang gives us an excuse to depart. But only a few steps to the pool side to admire more of the beautiful views and take in a bit of the sun.

It wasn't long before the heat was starting to take its effect and the water of the pool was a convenient place to get back to a more comfortable temperature.

The sea was just as inviting but as the tide seemed to be out and when it goes out it really goes out, the short walk seemed just too long at that moment.

Weather - Looking a Bit Cloudy

We seem to enjoy the long walks to get anywhere, here. Even with the warm weather the distance didn`t seem too much with the scenery to look at. Along the coast road to Saladan was today’s afternoon walk. Suitable supplies of water carried and off we went.

The Scenery, with the sea to the north and to the south the Jungle that looked much tamer during the day. There are not many signs of civilization here, just the occasional building until we get closer to Saladan Town.

A few road signs popped up and gave a little reminder of what happened a few years ago. It`s a reminding thought that it is unlikely to happen again and disasters could erupt in any part of the world, even your own back garden.

The local wildlife did not seem to care and bulls could be seen grazing along the road side.

Soon Saladan was in view and the restaurants started to appear, quite a few of the shops were still closed here with a few “for sale” or “or rent” signs of businesses that didn`t quite make it. The town is really quite small, but has most things you would need. Bank, Supermarket, Tourist Centres ( well every hotel could really sort out your tickets no matter what you wanted to do or go)

Stopped for food in a restaurant, can`t remember its name but it was next to the aptly named Barr-acuda, Beer, large, and 2 glasses, the food samples was pizza, Thai style, along with a tasty array of stomach filling goodies. The price, including the beer, was under 400THB. All reasonably priced but I’m not sure the pizza will be on order again. But we did come back. Apart from ourselves the place was deserted until a Korean couple popped in, had a cooling drink and then departed on their moped. Oh dear, they should have sipped slower…

Weather - Looking a bit Cloudy

The weather quickly changed with the wind gusting a little and Monsoon downpour starting so we decided to stick around under cover for a little bit. I managed to snap a few pictures before the heavy rains and where a few minutes earlier the town was reasonably busy with people passing by but now completed deserted. I guess the lesson here is when the people of Koh Lanta take cover, you should too.

Weather – Monsoon

The rains did not last long, but this would be the last of the sun for today. Clouds took over, at least it was a bit cooler. Heading away from Saladan we had a stroll down “the strip” we came across the “German Bakery”. We were both tempted here, the O.H could hardly hold herself back at the thought of some thick creamy fruit gateau and I was tempted by the idea of Coffee.

With my normal consumption of caffeine and the lack of any intake for the past few days, I should have been climbing the walls with withdrawal symptoms. The island itself must have been looking out for me, but I wasn`t Lost!

There were a few people here, I guess mostly German, tempted by the cakes and deserts along with us. Although we never talked to our host, we made eye contact and were noticed. A few days later ,in Slaladan, we were greeted with a friendly shout from a German lady as she sped passed us on her moped. It`s nice to be remembered.

There seemed to be an evening market but the rain was starting to come down again, light but enough to make things a bit uncomfortable, we had a quick look around and decided to head back to the hotel at Kaw Kwang.

I should point out here that we only had one umbrella and from this picture you can see I wasn`t holding it.

The rest of the evening was spent around the hotel, the threat of more rain kept us close to shelter. Frogs on the other hand seemed to enjoy the weather and quite often they could be heard calling followed with replies erupting from all around before all going quiet again. One was close and with the help of the flash on the camera his or her little eyes shown out. Location revealed I managed to get a little close up.

A few hours relaxing, it`s sometimes really nice just to do nothing. The night was ended with a last look over Kaw Kwang beach and trying to take some pictures.

I propped up my Canon G10 on the beach wall and set it off for a long exposure. If I really knew what I was doing I might have managed some better photographs.

It was a nice day, even if cut short by the rains. But already the strength of the sun is starting to show. For one of us at least is turning a little bit red and needing a bit of a shave.

Day 3 – Koh Lanta, Thailand Sunshine and Arnee

2009-10-30T09:18:00.001-07:00

Weather – Extremely Sunny

Day three and while it would be nice to wake naturally to the sound of tropical birds soft calling out from the distance, it was not to be. Violently shaken from my dreams and sounds that reminded me of “hello kitty” alarm clocks, the voice was squeaking “the sun is out, the sun is out”. And sure it was out, curtains being drawn and the brightness of the morning sun blinding my eyes.

After a stretch and shower to wash away the sleep, outside for a look at Koh Lanta revealing all its beauty. The Monsoon had gone for now and clear blue skies dotted with a few fluffy white clouds was all that was left.

The pool at the Kaw Kwang resort was a welcome place to settle for a few hours. Exposing our somewhat un-tanned bodies to a bit of sun and a lashing of suntan oil we lay enjoying the heat and it was a bit more than we realized. After a few minutes we dragged the sun loungers under a tree to get a bit of shade. The sun seemed to being out a few more residents, well one couple, to the pool side.

Kaw K wang had a large beachfront mostly to itself and here the slope is extremely gentle. The down side is here you have to walk a little way into the sea to get a depth that might reach your knees when the tide is in. When it decides to go out then the walk to actually get your toes wet is a bit longer. The waves were gentle in this part of the beach and ideal for just sitting out in the bay cooling off in the water without the fear of going over your depth or getting swamped in the surf.

Breakfast was being served but we were too lazy to tear ourselves away from the pool side. Eventually the hunger got to us and the search for food was on again. This would mean a walk along the beach which was our plan all along, really.

Suitably dressed in swimming gear and T-shirts and shorts to cover our exposed flesh. Partly to keep some that bleating sun off our bodies and partly not to offend the locals. The camera was left behind here as the water looked too inviting and electronics and water do not mix very well. A slow walk along around the curve of the beach and then up onto “the strip” to find some breakfast/lunch was the plan. There was a bit more activity today, a few more people venturing out onto the sand but still relatively deserted. A few of the resorts were making starts of cleaning up ready for the high season visitors and a little construction work was noticed. But still peaceful and quiet.

Passing Sanuk Bar on Klong Dao Beach we were greeted by a friendly wave from yesterday’s hosts, but we wouldn't be dining there today. A few paddles in the water to cool off our feet and feeling like kids again hoping over the waves we came to our exit and landed on “the strip”. The restaurants were patched up and down this road along with various shops. We chose a street restaurant called “Arnee” which would turn out to be not one but two places we would frequent as the food was out of this world.

Hi-class it was not, exposed brick walls, hello kitty table cloths (oh my god) and plastic chairs. But all that did not matter we were not going to eat the furniture. The food was the attraction here and while I am sure if we looked we could find better, but this was probably the best Thai food we had tasted for quite some time and all prepared before our eyes.

It was back to the beach for some more childlike fun in the waves, the slope on Klong Dao was similar to Kaw Kwang but the waves were a bit more stronger here. We were not the only ones enjoying the clear cool water, by now a few heads could be seen bobbing up and down in the water along with quite a few locals taking advantage of a cooling off.

This was repeated along the slow walk back along the beach, a cooling off followed by a few 100 meters walk followed by another cooling off. By now the salt of the water was taking its effect and a bit of refreshment was needed. Luckily our oasis, Sanuk Bar was close and our dryness quenched by beer, 1 large, 2 glasses. This whole beach is ideal to relax while watching the sunset but there was still a few hours before that happened , so we were on our way again back towards Kaw Kwang.

There was a rumour of a secret beach, a hidden secret beach. The hotel staff never mentioned it, I guess it was too secret to tell. At the end of Kaw Kwang there is a rocky headland and perhaps the beach was around there, so putting suitable foot wear on, flip-flops we scrambled over the rock in search of “the beach” while doing our Leonardo Dicaprio impressions.

Did we find it, well no. The rocks got the better of us and back we went. Or maybe we did but want to keep the secret safe.

A freshen up washing off the sand and salt of the day and a little relaxing as the sun went down. Then we were off for the evening again. The distance along the beach seemed to take up a lot of time but this was not really noticeable, but now it seems like we were just going back and forward each day. But the beach was there and every bit of it was enjoyed.

It was a little bit difficult finding a beach restaurant, a few looked open but were not open for food others still closed for the season. Luckily after a few no`s we found one yes, although no other customers than ourselves. We were adventurous here and while the O.H savoured the exotic burger and chips I forced myself to try the Thai special, Deep fried chicken and chips. How strange, all the way to Thailand and we end up eating western style food. The wind was getting a little bit fresh now, still warm but we decided to pack up after our snack and head back inland to “the strip”.

This is where we came across the “Arnee” street side restaurant, the name didn't register with us and I don't think we really noticed, but this wasn't the same place we dines this afternoon. Going all Thai again, we asked for two large bowls of Tom Yum Koong. There is just something addictive about this soup that makes up keep wanting it. So it might be the attraction to the spice but sometimes things might be a little too hot for some people.

While sitting satisfied and sipping our beer watching the world outside pass the interesting part of the evening happened. A motorcycle drove up (Everybody has a moped in Koh Lanta, even the kids) and off stepped a face that looked familiar. This was the great cook from the afternoon’s restaurant. With the friendliness of the people an exchange back of forth was made and as it turns out, this was mother and daughter. A bit of a coincidence but a nice one for us as both places had great food. We called the mother “mum” affectionately and in the following days , “are we going to mums” was heard quite often.

Beer bottle empty it was time to wander back home, this time we hailed a taxi thinking the walk would be too long.

Day 2 – Wet First day on Lanta, Thailand and Food

2009-10-29T08:41:00.001-07:00

Weather Still Cloudy…

Hunger getting the better of us, we never really had breakfast yet. we set off into the unknown in the search of food. Well it was really a walk along the beach. Kaw Kwang sits in a bay at the top of Klong Dao so we had a good view all the way down the beach, it looked like it was miles long.

Leaving our resort behind we walked along the shore in our flip-flops, the sand seemed quite hard and looked very fine. Following the curve and getting our feet a little bit wet as we paddled in the warm water, we passed and area what we would come to call “the darkness”. A stretch of beach practically devoid of hotels, with Jungle right up the edge of the sand. In day time we could see our way easily but come night then it was a different story.

On one side the sound of the waves lapping on the shore and on the other side the sounds of the Jungle sending shivers down your spine. A total lack of lighting added quite a lot to the effect here with the occasional and near collision of strangers coming in the opposite direction. Only guidance was flickering light of Kaw Kwang guiding your home in the distance.

In reality most of the strangers were quite often a family group, complete with pram trekking along the sand, and the only wildlife were the abundance of little sand crabs scurrying away hoping not to get stepped on.

So onward for feed, signs of civilization started to appear as we moved along the beach. Hotels and resorts, most of them still looked devoid of life and protected from the sea with windbreaks were passed by. We thought we would starve to death until we came across a palace which would become a frequent stopping off place in the days to come.

Sanuk Bar emerged as an oasis for us, indicating “food food” with our now under-nourished bodies we were welcomed inside as the heavens again started to open and Monsoon came down. The place looked like it had been here for years and had been constructed from whatever was washed up on the shore but that just added to the ambience of the place. Nourishment here was a plate of noodles for the O.H and vegetable fried rice for myself along with a soon to be customary bottle of beer, large, and two glasses.

Rain off…

With the hunger famished and a little rest while we chatted with the hosts and their dogs we were ready to go on our way again. Further down the beach we went passing nobody else and looking for some road or track to get off the beach. Actually exists are all along the beach but not really noticeable as all the hotels and restaurants are crammed close together to try and get a patch of sand.

Finding a little passage we headed inland and hoped to exit on the road that runs down the island. It wasn't a long walk and relatively easy after trekking through the sand. The sounds of traffic were heard and no sooner we were on the road. It stretched into the distance in each direction and abundantly patched along each side with restaurants, shops and markets. The name we gave this was “The Stip”. In the distance we spotted what we had been looking for. Perched high calling to us was the “7-11” sign.

Passing down the road, paved on one side and scattered with puddles and red mud washed down form the hills with the seasons Monsoon. We reached out destination and stocked up with supplies to keep ourselves well snacked and quenched during our stay. Realizing the weight of our greed and the distance back to the hotel along with the potential downpour we hailed down the Lanta form of a taxi. The same style as in Krabi, a motorcycle with a sidecar bolted on the side. The price here was 50THB for each of us to get back to the hotel.

A quick storage of the supplies and we were off again, another walk this time along the road that leads into Saladan. running along the coast at the north of the island with more Jungle on the other side and like “The Darkness” quite devoid of streetlights. Daylight was still penetrating through the clouds to show our way but by the time we got to Saladan the night came quick. We had a look around the town which is really really quite small so that was short and along with it being dark we wandered in the direction of food again.

I can`t remember exactly what we had here but the food must have been good as we returned later in the holiday for some more. Needless to say we had beer again, large, 2 glasses. This restaurant was deserted, just the two of us here again. People were going back and forth outside but most of them must have been locals going about their business. Entertainment here was supplied by the Optical Girls across the road, all dressed in white looking very pretty. When I said entertainment, I mean watching them trying to keep busy with no customers around. Like some of the hotels , quite a few of the shops seem to have given in and closed down for a length of time.

After a satisfying meal ( i`m sure it was Thai style food) it was an another taxi ride back to the hotel 40THB each from Saladan and the last part of the evening was spent relaxing on the balcony sipping something cold and listening to the sounds of the Jungle. Frogs croaking out to each other and the occasional buzz of a mosquito as it passes your ear. Other than that complete silence of the human kind.

The first days weather was not ideal and we were more than surprised at the lack of other holidaymakers here. If we had realized this we might have chosen a resort further along the beach for the quiet season. Kaw Kwang resort itself was more than we could have asked for, a nice quite place but not too remote to be stuck there.

Tomorrow I confidently predict the sun will shine.

Day 2 – Krabi Town to Kaw Kwang, Koh Lanta

2009-10-27T08:51:00.001-07:00

Weather – Cloudy and wet…

Still Monsoon season in Thailand….

Breakfast was not included in the hotel stay, it was still low season so I guess it was not worth opening the kitchens for only a few guests. So after a quick shower and getting dressed we headed down stairs, checkout was quick.

Last night we spotted the location of our transport to Koh Lanta a few blocks down with departure times around every hour. It was getting near the top of the hour so having a long breakfast would probably mean waiting for the next departure.

Breakfast showed itself before us in the form of a quick cup of coffee, getting a few sips as we walked over to the bus station. Not really a bus station more of a parking spot with a desk. The price from Krabi Town to Koh Lanta was 200 THB each / under US$6 and that included the fares for the two ferries that we would use.

Our hotel could have actually arranges the whole thing for us along with a pickup at the hotel door. If the station was a bit further away we would have probably taken this option.

Coffee half sipped and it was time to go, looking around for a place to dispose of our waste nothing was to be seen. This seems quite normal not to have places to deposit your trash but luckily a nice woman who we had just given 400 THB indicated she would take the cups off our hands.

Bus departed and after a little windy route around Krabi Town to pick up a few more passengers looking for paradise we were on our way.

By the time we got back to the airport to pick up a few more travellers the skies were starting to clear up a little bit and the sun started to beam.

The journey down was not too long or uncomfortable, most of the time we had the shades pulled to keep out the shine of the sun and did not really get much of a look at the scenery. Our view was mainly little glimpses of what was in front between the other passengers heads.

Reached the first ferry terminal and practically drove straight on without much waiting. Here we had a chance to get out and stretch our legs and have a little look around.

Lanta Noi is the first island crossing, the whole area looked like it has not been touched since it was created. A few bits of human developments poked through but mostly it looked quite pristine.

Two or three ferries seemed to be in operation here, back and forth when they have a full load and they seemed to be busy enough with the locals that I was wondering how long a wait would be in the more busy high season.

On our way again and across the top of the island we caught our first glimpse of Lanta Yai, our holiday island. The channel here was not as wide as the first one and the second ferry trip was even quicker. The town of Saladan was spotted half perched in the water and half on land just to the north. This is where the passenger ferries arrive during the months that they operate.

Our resort was on the north of the island and after one stop for dropping off a much needed bit of equipment for one of the hotels we were deposited at the front of our hotel. The other passengers probably had the same treatment but some may have had a longer trip than we had.

The whole trip must have taken less than 3 hours including the slight waits for the ferry and the occasional pickup and drop off for passengers. But it never really seemed so long, I guess if you were doing it every day you might grow to tire from it.

We choose our hotel for the location. It`s not too far from town and may have been a bit quieter than some of the other resorts further down our beach and the other beaches. The theory of this was sound, but only failed by the complete quietness of the whole island. During the coming days we were to realize that this little bit of paradise seems to have been overlooked by the masses and hopefully will continue to be.

Kaw Kwang Beach Resort was the name of the hotel and from what I gather was the first resort established here. Situated at the top of the island on Kaw kwang beach which runs into the longer Khlong Dao beach where there is a slight more mass of resorts each try to grab a little bit of beachfront.

So hotel check in and the normal complementary drinks of fruit juice. In fact it was so quick that the O.H nudged me and said “they are waiting for us”, I was too engrossed in sipping my drink and peering over at the sea trying to catch a glimpse of the waves.

We had a second row room/hut, garden view, the huts were well space out and enough foliage to create the ambience. Inside was clean with just the occasional bit of wear and tear showing through. Just one cockroach was found lurking in the bathroom, as it was the only one found the whole holiday. I could presume it was left behind by the previous guests but I doubt it. The hotel was running really on maintenance during the low season, still open but not running at full capacity. The Kitchens were closed but the staff said that they could source food from other places if we wanted to eat in.

Good sized garden with tall coconut filled trees between the huts and beach all mostly surrounded by untamed jungle. The pool was more than enough for the two of us and frequented often for a refreshing cooling off

Weather – Back to cloudy and some light rain

Day 1 – First Night in Krabi Town, Thailand

2009-10-26T07:50:00.001-07:00

We stayed at The City Hotel in Krabi town, right in the center of the town. Situated between two markets, across the road was the night market with looked more food and vegetable style and behind the hotel, a currently empty space, which became bustling with a more fairground type market on our return trip. The room was quite basic, more of a stay over room than a stay in room. But the essentials had to be checked, while the O.H examined in close detail the quality of what was behind the bathroom door, I checked out the important things like the television. Enough south East Asian channels and a few feeds for the Europeans. As for the bathroom, the toilet flushed so I was satisfied.

Showered and then headed out on the town for a look around and something to eat. Night market across the road which we`d think about checking later and 7-11 next door to the hotel (Always a big plus).

“Taxi Sir”, shouts were coming from a little group men standing at their taxis -motorcycle with bolted sidecar type taxis. These calls for custom were regular and often, but not too pushy to be an annoyance. Walking around town, the time might have been about 7.30 to 8pm, the place was still quite busy and the rain was off.

Weather Monsoon…..

The heavens opened and the streets cleared, luckily most of the pavements (sidewalks) are covered, fortunately we had an umbrella for crossing the road. We decided to stick it out for a while at a corner and wait for the rains to ease. We were not the only ones, sometimes it is tempting to try and strike up a conversation with the locals but the tugging on my arm persuaded me that this would not be a good idea.

The rains eased and we headed back to the night market which by now seemed to be closing, either the time was late or the rains had driven them away. Passing by the hotel again and heading in the opposite direction towards the river side hunger was starting to become more important than exploration. We came across a little place, with the front open to the world and what looked like the family living room in the back with mom, dad and the kids sitting watching TV. I can`t remember the restaurant name, but the décor was quite homely – tables, chairs, flower pots, book shelves, pictures, sofas, rugs – it could have really been somebody’s home and they were too polite to tell us to leave.
Well the menu on the table indicated otherwise and we sat down for what was to become a growing trend in the coming days. Great locations, great food, polite, friendly hosts and virtually no other customers.

Well no customers but we were not alone; the little animals of Krabi came to visit on occasions. First up was a mass of ants that appeared out of no place, streamed along the wall to our table, turning around and went back to wherever they originated and completely vanished. The second visitor was a little lizard, he or she was probably hiding there all along, I may have heard it say “taxi sir” but that could have been the beer affecting me.

Tom Yum koong, again, was on order with a bowl of chicken green curry, some kind of vegetables stir fry with chestnuts and beer. It appears that in Thailand plates with rice are usually used and the two of us prefer bowls and sometimes confusion arises. Life would be much easier is we learned to speak some Thai. But the meal was just as we had expected, great tasting and spicy, and finished it off with another beer (just in case we never realized the warmth of the country and were getting a bit dehydrated). In total the price came in around 400 THB / US$10 for the three courses and two beers. For that price we could sit there and eat all night but I don’t think our bellies would manage to take much more…..

To finish off the evening we took a walk down to the water front. Came across another food market and from the style of dress we fathomed that this might be a Muslim orientated area. Despite the fact that we were not Muslim, and why should that stop us from something tasty:), we went over. Spied a stall and ordered our first pancake roti for this trip. I was still quite stuffed from the meal but the O.H jumped at the chance but was not adventurous enough and just went for the banana roti.

Deciding it was late we headed back up the waterfront towards the hotel. The place was dark and quiet then suddenly a voice came out of the darkness “where are you from…”. We replied and have a few more back and forth conversation but talking to the darkness is a bit silly so we preceded a bit closer to find a fisherman sitting on his boat coming ashore to meet us. We had a bit of a talk but he was really hoping we would hire him to take us sightseeing up the river the next morning. Just in case we forget what he looked like he suggested we take a photograph which I did, he and the O.H looked a perfect couple.

So ended the evening with a quiet walk in the darkness and back to the hotel. From the quick look we had Krabi town was nice, clean, extremely quiet and friendly and the trip up the river would have been a nice sightseeing trip, the limestone cliff and the mangrove swamps were promised alone with a look as his cows for some reason.

Tomorrow we head for Koh Lanta and the beach.

Day 1 – Traveling to Krabi, Thailand

2009-10-25T08:25:00.001-07:00

The first day arrived with the sound of the alarm going off at 6 am. Some sounds are annoying and some are intolerable to wake up too. A happy “hello kitty” jingle chimed out from the other side of the bed. It`s at these times you wonder if murdering an alarm clock is a crime or justified.

Yawned, showered, dressed and coffee – as a 10 plus cup of coffee a day drinker, I did not realize this might be the last ever taste of the delicious liquid for quite some time to come. Grabbed our bags, two small backpacks full of as little as possible. We were travelling light this time after I manage to convince the O.H. that a full wardrobe with matching handbags and shoes were not really required on a remote island beach.

So last check around the house, door locked, pushed the elevator button while somebody else checked the door was locked again, then held the elevator door open for somebody ( I refuse to mention who) checked the door was locked finally.

Weather a bit cloudy….

First bit of transport, apart our sets of white and yellow legs, was catching the bus to the airport. Quite a long trip especially when you have to stand up but watching the faces of those seated with glum faces going to work and some trying to catch a few more minutes of snooze time broke up the journey. Airport arrived and after a walk to Terminal 2 ( yes we are travelling in the cheap seats), checked in and back to Terminal 1 for breakfast.

The foody places seemed to be more busy than usual and not many places to grab a seat. So we ended up in Burger King, now fast food is not the best food in the world and fast food breakfast is something you wouldn't give your worst enemy. The tomato ketchup and heaps of salt helped disguise the flavour but I only managed half. I was sure that when I accidentally dropped a bit of scrambled egg on the floor it bounced, but maybe I was still half asleep.

Time to board and yes it’s a cheap budget airline, Air Asia, where every little extra costs more and usually the price adds up to more than a traditional fair. No luggage so we saved a few $$s there, no food on the plane, so saved even more $$. Looking at the prices they were actually quite fair, a few 100%`s mark-up compared to buying for the cheapest places ever. Seating was better then I had expected too, enough leg-room for me and it was a short 2 hour-ish flight to Bangkok.

Arrived in Bangkok with a few hours to spare before our next leg of the journey, the flight to Krabi.

Weather even more cloudy, rain……

Had some lunch at the airport food mart. Now it seems handling money is too tempting in Thailand so all the mart used a voucher system. We handed over 100 THB and got our tickets back and after a wander around inside looking at what was on offer we spotted something we just love.

Tom Yum Soup, we are both a bit addicted to this and go out of our way to have it as often as possible. Two large bowls of Tom Yum Fish Noodle soup for a total of 70 THB. Along with 3 bottles of water for the other 30 and our vouchers spent. All spiced up and all for the cost of around US$3, not bad for airport food much better than the breakfast.

Waiting around and doing a bit of people watching, apparently somebody famous was - I have no idea who – in the terminal and I managed to catch a picture through the dirty glass.

It seems we were not the only ones going on holiday, I wonder what retreat this chappie was off too.

I expect it will not be the same destination as this group of people who probably have quite different thoughts on their minds.

Through airport security and a last bite of food. More can’t be trusted with money situation here. This took less than 10 seconds in total

Order 2 donuts and 2 drinks
Tried to pay cash but was asked to use electronic money
Took 2 steps and handed over 500 THB and got an electronic filled tab
Walked 2 steps and Handed tab to cashier
Took 2 steps back and returned Tab and got refund
Grabbed donuts

It’s not a problem but will not be doing that again, the cost was a bit too high, around 400 THB.

Short flight to Krabi, just over an hour and a bit but it was already getting near to dark time (6 pm) and there wouldn't be much to see on our first night of our holiday. Krabi airport was small but smart and this would be really the first contact with the people living there.

Tourist Touting, well it is their business and be prepared for lots of touting for your custom. It was quite light actually, just two booths inside the airport were trying to attract my attention here, one for taxi to Krabi town for around 300THB and next to it mini bus for I think 80 THB each. Needless to say we chose the economical transport. Went outside for a, um smoke, and really unnoticed the attention paid to us. The whole process was taken care off, somebody glanced at our ticket and soon a mini bus arrived without us even attempting to find one. People came and went were picked up and driven off to their locations, it was just two of us in a quite luxurious mini bus and soon we would be off to Krabi, and driven right to the door of our hotel.

It was a nice start, no stress of wondering where to go, wondering about connections or problems with language (English) especially when its your first time at that location.

Check in at the hotel was quick, we had booked one night here and after a quick shower we were going to head out for a look around Krabi town and find some delicious Thai food.

Lanta, Kbrabi – Lead up to the Holiday

2009-10-24T06:43:00.001-07:00

It was vacation time again and the Other Half and I getting itchy. The thoughts of previous holiday locations seemed like distant memories even although they were only months ago. In reality I think we just need to justify an excuse to be lazy for a few days.

Where do we go? It`s usually a long process of the O.H. checking flights, hotels and beaches trying to narrow down a location which can last for days and usually ends up with more options than before we started. I just leave Her to it and pretend I have something more important to do, like watching a program on television.

Somehow Koh Lanta in Krabi, Thailand seemed to be at the head of the queue and that is where we decided to go. The big world wide web was full of links but most of them were for hotels and resorts. Information on the actual place was quite limited. So we really never knew what to expect, just that it was full of long sandy beaches, dirt roads and motorcycles.

We knew how to get there but were just not sure on the connection times so we played safe and made bookings for hotels and flights leaving enough time to work out any connection problems as they arrived. This actually turned out to be much easier than we had expected due to the kindness and helpful people of Krabi.

Our search process includes looking for other people holiday snaps on Flickr and Picasso, thinking that will be us soon, along with a delve in to YouTube.

Warning, video may contain strong language and scenes that may distress.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNR5zacQihU

This is where we found a few videos of the Tsunami of 2004, waves rolling into the beach we were going to stay on. The day it happened, I had noticed the report of an earthquake on the BBC news website in the morning before we headed out for the day. When we came back the news was reporting the catastrophe that had just happened. Our daytrip was at sea, but fortunately we were not affected by the wave.

Not put off, we looked forward to the date of departure and tried to ignore the weather reports of Monsoon rain and hoping typhoon Parma would not come close to cause any delays.

In the following blog posts, I will try to describe our trip and the wonderful area of Krabi and the Island of Koh Lanta full of very amateurish photographs that I happen to take. The friendly people we met (and named in our own particular style), the tasty food (which we love) and the beach we walked on (a lot) and a few little unexpected events that took place.

Comments are most welcome if you have been there, planning to go or know of any other similar paradises in South-East Asia.

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2009-09-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

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