Reilay and Krabi with Rama and Leah then Bangkok

Ok, another update. We are sitting on Khao San road, Bangkok with its latent heat without wind and the hum of hawkers, tourists and tourist touts. Today is wet and overcast and people subdued.

Mr brother Rama and his girlfriend Leah left for Australia today, via Brunei. After meeting them in Surat Thani we spent several days in Reilay and Krabi town before we split—they went to Ko Phanang for the full moon party while we went ahead to Bangkok to get Vietnamese visas.

Reilay

Our plan was to meet Rama and Leah in Surat Thani and make a cheap and easy trip to Reilay. But our reality was a little different.

Buoyed by several recent successes with public transport, we were feeling confident in our ability to avoid the cramped and usually ridiculously over-priced tourist minivans. But this time public transport turned out more expensive and more of a hassle than expected.

We took several buses backwards and forwards before reaching Krabi town. At one point we were left in a small highway town—the name of which now escapes me—before flagging down another bus that had standing room only. Along the way, Rama lost his wallet full of cards but no cash. All in all not our finest hour (or three)!

We stopped in Krabi town for lunch. Rama cancelled his debit card. Then we took a songthew to Ao Nang and a long boat to Reilay. Although a little choppy, the boat ride offered clear views of the limestone cliffs that guard the shoreline.

Relieved of travel, we checked into Yaya Resort, then ate and drank the night—and early morning—away. Because of our drinking, the next day was quiet: swimming, sun bathing and sleeping. Crab eating macaques played in the trees by the water and scavenged for food. This was Rama and Leah’s first encounter with ‘wild’ monkeys.

The day after was more adventurous. We woke early to find a hidden lagoon before breakfast—demanding free climbing up and down rock using tree roots and frayed ropes for support. The muddy lagoon prompted earlier explorers to sculpt faces, rabbits, and other artistic impressions. The water was warm and boxed in by towering cliffs crowned by palm and other trees.

Next, Rama and I went rock climbing while Claire and Leah enjoyed Reilay’s beaches. The limestone had many bolted climbs of varying grades. We made the most of our half day gear hire despite rain and other climbers.

Later, we took a long boat back to Krabi town to explore more of what the surrounding area has to offer.

Krabi town

As usual, Krabi town was great. We stayed at Smile Guesthouse as our previous sanctuary in Krabi—No. 7 Guesthouse—was full. We ate at the night market and brought fruits and deep fried goodies for desert.

We woke early the next day for a pleasant day trip to Hong Island and several others. The long boat used for the trip was larger than usual—a monster truck amongst minis. It was crowded too with over forty of us enjoying the hard wooden seats and sea spray as we bumped our way between islands.

As is common in Thailand, many tour operators offer the exact same experience—going to the same islands at the same time, eating the same rice-based food and snorkelling at the same spots. We counted at least four other tour groups. So it was no surprise that the small idyllic islands with fine sand and aqua waters we crowded—which made it that much harder to take pictures without capturing other tourists.

After a day of swimming, snorkelling, and soaking up the sun, we slept well.

Relaxed after a leisurely morning, we set off to explore Wat Tham Seua—the Tiger Cave Temple. Just north of Krabi town, the temple is built into a long, shallow limestone cave and houses several monastic cells containing small golden Buddha statues. The woman monks gave us each a blessing in the form of a bracelet. But despite its name there were no tigers at the cave temple.

The cave is interesting, but the best part is the central sanctuary that sits on top of the limestone, some 600 meters above. There are 1237 steps to the top. At times we questioned the wisdom of our ascent, especially after passing others who failed—sweat dripping from their tops and lungs puffing. But we soldered on and were rewarded with magnificent panoramic views of Krabi province, a gigantic gold Buddha, many small shires and Buddhas, a gilded stupa, and a water cooler.

Returning to Krabi town, we stopped so that Rama and Leah could feed bananas to elephants—which had just returned from a tour carrying around several Americans.

The next day we split: Rama and Leah headed to Ko Phanang for the full moon party and we headed for Bangkok. But getting an overnight bus to Bangkok was harder than expected. Not only did one travel agent fail to book us on the first bus, the second bus was late and ultimately replaced by another for some unknown reason. All in all we left for Bangkok five hours late.

Bangkok

Having already organised our tickets to Bangkok we realised a major flaw in our plan: we would arrive on the weekend when the Vietnamese Embassy was closed. Nevertheless we continued on with our journey and spent Saturday and Sunday leisurely enjoying some of what Bangkok had to offer.

We visited the weekend market—which has over 8000 stalls selling everything you could possible want to buy and many things you might not. We also wandered through Chinatown, recognising many familiar sights from other Chinatowns and soaking up the bustling atmosphere.

Taking the commuter ferry down the river offered another perspective of Bangkok—although the river was only slightly less bustling than the streets with barges and other ferries competing for space.

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We are off to Chang Mai tomorrow on an overnight sleeper train. We are excited as these trains are comfortable and full of character—the views from the train are also great.

Our next post will update you on our time in Bangkok and train ride north.

Peace,

xxx

Thailand: Ko Lipe to Khao Sok

Sorry for being slack with our blogging. Day to day life consumes us more than the words to describe it.

After leaving Malaysia, we arrived in Hat Yai in southern Thailand—our first stop before heading to Ko Lipe on the west coast, Krabi town further north, then Khao Sok National Park.

Ko Lipe

Eli here.

Staying at Cathay Hostel in Hat Yai, we woke early for our minivan to Pak Bara pier and the speed boat to Ko Lipe. Clean and cheap, the Hostel was central to the local night market and street stalls selling cheap t-shirts. It also sold packaged tickets to Ko Lipe—the nearby island that was our first destination.

With over 800 horse power, the speedboat was quick and packed full of tourists and supplies for the island. Toilet paper and cashew nuts sat peacefully under our seat as the boat bumped along for the 1.5 hour trip.

Our first stop was Ko Tarutao—a tranquil island managed by park rangers and less frequented by tourists. Several passengers alighted. In hindsight, we should have alighted too.

Next, we stopped at a small uninhabited island that offered crystal clear waters and a rock arch. Still unsure why we stopped as it was not part of our itinerary, no tourists stayed and no supplies were left. Even more intriguing, another speedboat arrived as we left with ubiquitous tourists eager for a photo.

Finally the boat arrived at Ko Lipe. Well not Ko Lipe exactly, but a pontoon nearby. In apparent conflict with good competition policy, the locals run a cartel that requires all tourists to buy longboat transfers between pontoons where the boats dock and the island. With no other options, we were forced to oblige.

Surrounded by sandy beaches, clear coral reefs, and palm trees, Ko Lipe is over-developed yet nice. Unlike Ko Tarutao, Ko Lipe is not subject to the strict development regulations of the Tarutao National Marine Park. As a result, the island is thick with bungalows and restaurants, minimarts and dive shops, European tourists and clothing stalls. Rubbish lines the interior and roads are not complete.

But all that development doesn’t mean the island is not nice; far from it. If you stick to the coast, take in the sunrises and sunsets, swim, and eat at your leisure, your time on Ko Lipe is just fine. So that’s what we did for the four nights we stayed. Our only adventure was Claire’s run in with a sea urchin—which embedded several barbs into her foot.

After all that inactivity, it was time to head north to Krabi town: a boat back to Pak Bara; a minibus to Hat Yai; and a five hour government air-conditioned bus to Krabi town. Cheap transport, but time-consuming.

Krabi town and around

Expecting to stay only one night, we ended up staying four. Such is the ease of life in Krabi town that we had no desire to find another stop before heading to Khao Sok National Park.

Cheap and cheerful, Krabi town offers great value guesthouses, night markets selling food, art and clothes, tours, and more locals than tourists. We stayed at No. 7 guesthouse, which was tidy, homely, and run by a nice Muslim lady—our best accommodation so far.

During the day we explored the town and its surrounds: kayaking around some of Krabi province’s limestone cliffs and mangrove forests one day, taking local songtheaws (pickup truck buses) to and from Ao Nang beach another. During the night we ate authentic Thai food and fruits at the markets. Including pad thai, all the curries you can imagine, Thai pancakes, fried noodles, and rice done a hundred different ways.

Because most tourists pass through—rather than stay in—Krabi town on their way to coastal areas such as Ao Nang and Reilay Beach, tourist prices are low and touts less common. Backpackers like us love the place. One night we even meet another like-minded kiwi couple who were heading south as we were heading north. And, as is so often the case with New Zealanders, we had mutual friends.

After our four nights we took a 2.5 hour minibus to Khao Sok National Park.

Khao Sok National Park

Claire here.

Khao Sok National Park was another one of the places I had wanted to visit since before we left Australia. The idea of accommodation floating on a lake seemed like something not to be missed.

So we arrived from Krabi and choose one of the many accommodation options near the entrance to the park. We spent the evening trying to figure out if there was some way of getting to the floating lake bungalows without joining one of the many tours on offer—which all sounded pretty much the same and all came with a fairly high price tag. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that getting to the floating bungalows independently would come with a higher price tag as we would have to charter a long boat just for us and pay the whole price. So a tour it was.

But first we spent the next day exploring the jungle on foot. Cascading waterfalls and trails criss-crossed with tree roots. Tall bamboo plants from over seven different species and constant reminders that animals were near but never quite in view; including the morning call of gibbons, birds fluttering past, and signs warning of contact with wild elephants. The jungle held our interest.

The walking was easy but made more interesting by the need to check for and remove leeches every so often. We swam a couple of times in the slightly muddied waters and ate takeaway rice for lunch near a small gorge. But we were somewhat bemused at the number of travellers who hired guides for seemingly fairly short walks on pretty well-labelled and mapped trails; the guides looked uniformly bored and the hikers not that enthusiastic either.

The next morning we were off early with our guide Lek, three Germans and two Aussies for our tour of the lake and night in the floating bungalows. To get to the bungalows there is a fairly long drive to the dam (about an hour) and a long tail boat ride past some impressive limestone cliffs until the boat comes around a corner and there, floating on the water, is a row of floating bamboo bungalows.

After a swim in the surprising warm water of the lake and a fantastic lunch, it was time for the part of the tour I was least looking forward to: exploring one of the caves in the area. Being the compulsive ‘Googler’ for information that I am, I had of course come across the articles about the tourists who died in a flash flood in the very same cave we were about to enter. Reassured that this took place in the wet season and it was now the dry season and the many signs along the trail warning not to enter if it even looked like raining, I decided to be brave.

Apart from the short part with neck high water, making our way through the cave was actually relatively easy. Even so, I was exhausted by the end simply because of how much adrenalin I used up during the experience.

Back at the bungalows we—well I—calmed down from the caving, swam some more and enjoyed a very yummy dinner of massaman curry, fried whole fish, and noodles. A night safari on a long boat followed, which searched the edge of the lake for animals. But despite Lek’s tireless efforts, we only saw a hornbill and a number of owls.

After a restful sleep and an early morning swim, we set off on a pre-breakfast morning safari. This time we saw a lizard, long-tailed macaques, some wild pigs, and several different birds. After the safari there was time for breakfast and more swimming before heading off for a hike up to a view point for a stunning view over the lake.

After returning from our tour, we spent one more night in Khao Sok before catching a bus to Surat Thani the next day. Our plan was to meet Eli’s brother Rama and his girlfriend Leah.

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Now that Rama and Leah are about to join us, our next update will tell tales of adventures with them.

Much love,

XXX

Perhentians and Penang

Thailand. We made it but our blog has not. Before arriving in Thailand we visited the Perhentian Islands and Georgetown on Penang Island.

The Perhentian Islands

Claire here.

The Perhentian Islands was another one of the places I had heard about and really wanted to see. White sand beaches fringed by coral reefs and aqua blue water. Slight hills covered in tropical jungle. Palau Perhentian Kecil was pretty much everything one looks for in an island paradise. A lot of lying on the beach was in order after all the jungle trekking Eli had suckered me into in the Taman Negara national park. No leeches here!

Free Wifi at our resort meant we were checking the news over breakfast each day which meant we heard the news about the Christchurch earthquake on the 22nd. It was very surreal sitting in paradise surrounded by strangers reading about the devastation. If anything going into this trip I thought it would be you guys reading about a disaster in some far flung corner of the world and worrying about us not the other way around. Home seemed very far away.

As a diversion from all that lying on the beach we took a snorkelling trip. We saw some pretty fish but overall the trip was a bit of a dud. There were no turtles to be seen and I was too chicken to look for sharks at Shark Point.

After five nights and feeling well beached we headed off to the mainland and onwards to our next destination: Georgetown.

Penang Island

Eli here.

Georgetown is the capital of Penang state and sits on the east coast of Penang Island off the northern west coast of the Malay Peninsula. We stayed two nights before heading to Hat Yai in southern Thailand.

Formally a key British trading port in the Straights of Melacca, Georgetown is a World Heritage City—and every bit the charmer, much like Melacca. Indian merchants and Chinese business people line the streets selling silk dresses and shirts, gold jewellery and watches, spices, fruit, money changing, and Bollywood music. Some taxi drivers offer helpful advice while others do not. And a Thai consulate giving away free 60 day tourist visas. It had all we needed.

Our first day started early after arriving from Kota Bharu on an overnight bus. Tired, we taxied to Chinatown and found a delightfully overheated and unventilated hostel with hot water, towels, and a smoky corridor.

After sleeping a bit we headed for the Thai consulate for a spot of visa shopping. New Zealand nationals are allowed 15 days in Thailand without a visa if arriving by land or boat and 30 days if arriving by air. Neither option gave us enough days so we needed a visa. Ordinarily a 60 day tourist visa costs US$25. But to boost tourism, the Thai government is giving away free tourist visas if sought before 31 March 2011. We were in luck!

The visa process was simple. Turn up in the morning to file the paperwork and then return in the afternoon to collect your passport with enclosed visa. This gave us about five hours to explore the city on foot.

Using the free hop-on-hop-off bus, we made it the wharf to see the old Chinese jetties and start our walking tour. Still in use today, the jetties jut out from the shoreline and support houses, shops, and storage buildings. Small boats moor and old Chinese men wheel trolleys with sacks of goods as if they were in their twenties. Historically each jetty was kept—and named—by a single family. But today life on the wharf is as much about tourism as anything else. The novelty was ours.

Next we did the colonial building circuit: the Victoria memorial clock tower, Fort Cornwallis, Town Hall, City Hall, the Supreme Court, St George’s church, Penang museum, Cathedral of the Assumption, and Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. Hot and sweaty, we were ready for a cool drink before heading back to the Thai consulate. Dinner was curry and chapatti in Little India.

Our second day was more adventurous. We bussed out of Georgetown to a tropical fruit farm laden with over 200 varieties of fruit from mangoes and dragon fruit to macadamias and lycees. Set on the side of a hill, the farm exports fruit products and offers tours—which we accepted.

Our tour group consisted of three Arab couples, two Chinese girls, us kiwis and an animated Chinese guide who describe the intricate health benefits of each fruit using both Arabic and English. When our guide did converse in Chinese it was only to yell at the Chinese girls who failed to stop picking fruit.

The tour ended with an all you can eat fruit buffet. Fresh, ripe, and varied, the fruit hit the spot; it only took four rounds at the buffet before I was full—which even surprised me.

Miscalculated the bus timetable for our return trip we did. Waiting two hours for the next bus, Claire read while I threw stones at plants and power poles. At one stage I even tried hitching, but was thrown aback when an apparent ride wanted to charge us more than a taxi.

Then, out of the blue, a nice Australian couple from Brisbane stoped to pick us up; I didn’t even have my thumb out! The gentleman was ex Australian military and had been posted to and then left Penang Island over 20 years ago. They returned for a holiday before heading to Thailand for their son’s wedding. We were grateful for the ride and enjoyed learning about how the island had changed over the 20 years.

That night we ate Indian, again, before our trip into Thailand the next day by ferry to Butterworth and then minivan to Hat Yai.

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Well, that brings us to Thailand. Our next post will explore Hat Yai and Ko Lipe.

Love to all,

xxxx