After Hoi An we had a long travel day/night with an overnight train ride up to Hanoi (yes, we opted for the train...MUCH better choice, was comfortable and we actually got some sleep!), then a flight back out to Bangkok. We stayed in Bangkok one more night - at our favorite hostel that makes the best iced coffee ever - and then made our way down to the beaches...
The coast in Thailand is so beautiful...there are huge limestone karsts rising up out of the sea and scattered along the mainland with jungle-y vegetation and gorgeous turquoise water. The only thing that is a bit of a bummer is the hoards of tourists and the jacked-up tourist prices. It was definitely the most expensive part of South East Asia that we experienced. Even still, we really enjoyed our time and soaked up a ton of sun, read lots of books and just did nothing for a week or so...
The coast in Thailand is so beautiful...there are huge limestone karsts rising up out of the sea and scattered along the mainland with jungle-y vegetation and gorgeous turquoise water. The only thing that is a bit of a bummer is the hoards of tourists and the jacked-up tourist prices. It was definitely the most expensive part of South East Asia that we experienced. Even still, we really enjoyed our time and soaked up a ton of sun, read lots of books and just did nothing for a week or so...
First, we spent a few days in Krabi, which is gorgeous. We stayed in a lovely place with a huge pool, and swam in the evenings after our days at the beach. We had a few days there and basically all we did was lay out in the sun, tan our bodies, eat yummy Thai food, shop, read and swim in the warm water. It was great. One day we took a long tail boat out to Rai Leh and relaxed there...it was beautiful.
(beautiful Rai Leh beach in Krabi)
(nathan rocking a dirty stache with the reflection of beautiful Rai Leh beach in his lenses - artistic or creepy?)
(long tail boats - main form of transport)
Next we headed down south for a more "deserted island" feel. And getting there definitely made it feel deserted...it was a long bus ride down to the port where they drop you off to find a boat to your selected destination (there are a few islands off the coast here). We chose the one that seemed the cheapest, the most mellow and least known for crazy partying. After waiting most of the day for our "speed" boat ride out to the island, we were finally walked down to the port - with one other traveller, our friend Jim - and put on a tug boat. Honest to God it was just some random local fisherman's boat and we tugged slowly along to our island for about another hour and a half. Once we got to the island, we had to wait for a long tail boat to come out and pick us up to take us ashore. By this time the seas had definitely gotten a bit rough and lets just say we were happy that we made it to the island...we were being tossed over huge waves, swells coming into the boat, we were soaking wet (along with our bags), and we kept checking to make sure our driver was still on the back of the boat and hadn't gotten tossed off! We were glad that at least one other tourist had made the trip with us or we would have been wondering what the heck we had gotten ourselves into. Although, once we made it to shore (after a long day and looking very disheveled), it was actually a beautiful and quite peaceful little island. We ended up getting a little bungalow right on the beach and had a few days to just chill and do nothing on our island paradise...it was wonderful.
Some favorite moments....
1. Pineapple pancakes with honey syrup for breakfast on the beach.
2. Finding our friend Jim on the beach in a tiny black thong a few days later...awkward...we all averted our eyes and pretended not to see each other.
3. Phillipe...Phillipe looked like he was in his 50s or 60s, was dark and leathery tan, had long greyish-blonde hair, wore cut-off short jean shorts and no shirt every day, and looked like he had gone to visit the island sometime in the 70's never to return. He had a hammock that was permanently set up on the tiny beach and a sign that read "Phillipe" over an entrance into the jungle where he apparently took up residence. He knew everyone on the island (i think the population was under 50) and tromped up and down the beach staring at the tourist girls in their bikinis. Creepy, yet entertaining.
4. Amazing Thai food at our resort - the last for us since this was our last stop in Thailand!
5. Our cute little bungalow, complete with mosquito netting over our bed and sea breeze coming through the walls...it was perfect!
Some favorite moments....
1. Pineapple pancakes with honey syrup for breakfast on the beach.
2. Finding our friend Jim on the beach in a tiny black thong a few days later...awkward...we all averted our eyes and pretended not to see each other.
3. Phillipe...Phillipe looked like he was in his 50s or 60s, was dark and leathery tan, had long greyish-blonde hair, wore cut-off short jean shorts and no shirt every day, and looked like he had gone to visit the island sometime in the 70's never to return. He had a hammock that was permanently set up on the tiny beach and a sign that read "Phillipe" over an entrance into the jungle where he apparently took up residence. He knew everyone on the island (i think the population was under 50) and tromped up and down the beach staring at the tourist girls in their bikinis. Creepy, yet entertaining.
4. Amazing Thai food at our resort - the last for us since this was our last stop in Thailand!
5. Our cute little bungalow, complete with mosquito netting over our bed and sea breeze coming through the walls...it was perfect!
(our bungalow on the beach)
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