Jana and I just returned from...you guessed it... yet another tropical island. This one is called Ko Chang (Chang means elephant in Thai, Ko means island.) This island is in the Gulf of Thailand, near the Thai/Cambodian border. Ko Chang is about 6 hours by bus and boat from BKK.
Ko Chang is yet another beautiful island. The island itself is imposing, coming across from the mainland it looks even larger since Ko Chang is extremely hilly, almost mountainous. This landscape makes for some breathtaking viewpoints and an exhilirating ride to and from our beach.
We arrived early a few days ago after an all-night trip via bus, sangthaew and boat. We were completely wiped out from this marathon and slept until about 1. The rest of the day we spent with a combination of lounging, exploring, and getting massages. Later we met Todd (a friend that works for the same school) for drinks at one of more popular places on the island.
The next day we checked out another beach, further south called 'Lonely Beach.' Lonely Beach is a cool beach, has a very hippie feeling and clientele (negative), but also feels untouched and isolated (positive).
We just got back from another boat/sangthaew/bus combination and are busy teaching, getting organized, and planning one more trip before we make our homecoming!
About Me
- Jana and Sean
- Bangkok, Sukumvit Soi 10, Thailand
- Our Address in Thailand: 27/39 Sukumvit Soi 10 Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110 Thailand
Friday, August 14, 2009
Samui Part II
Our second trip to Samui we were also lucky enough to be joined by some fun travelling companions. John and Patty both joined us on this trip back to one of Thailand's most popular islands. This time Jana and I wanted to try a different beach, so we went to a beach called Bo Phut towards the North of the island on the Eastern side.
We spent three days in Bo Phut, soaking up sun, sipping cocktails, and enjoying a few cocktails. If it sounds idyllic... that's because it was.
Jana and both decided--all things considered--this was our favorite beach in Thailand. Bo Phut is pretty developed but nowhere near its Eastern counterpart, Chaweng. The beach is a little rocky (and extremely hot, impossible to walk on during the day without sandals) but beautiful nonetheless. And you have a great view of an island to the Northeast of Samui, Ko Phangan.
We loved it so much that we're going to try to get back down there for a couple of nights before we head back to the US of A.
Thanks to Patty and John for coming all this way to join us; It's great for both of us to be able to share this experience with people were close to! See everyone very soon.
P.S. Sorry this is more impressionistic than descriptive; if you need more details, check out the pics!
We spent three days in Bo Phut, soaking up sun, sipping cocktails, and enjoying a few cocktails. If it sounds idyllic... that's because it was.
Jana and both decided--all things considered--this was our favorite beach in Thailand. Bo Phut is pretty developed but nowhere near its Eastern counterpart, Chaweng. The beach is a little rocky (and extremely hot, impossible to walk on during the day without sandals) but beautiful nonetheless. And you have a great view of an island to the Northeast of Samui, Ko Phangan.
We loved it so much that we're going to try to get back down there for a couple of nights before we head back to the US of A.
Thanks to Patty and John for coming all this way to join us; It's great for both of us to be able to share this experience with people were close to! See everyone very soon.
P.S. Sorry this is more impressionistic than descriptive; if you need more details, check out the pics!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sukkothai
As we are quickly running out of time in Thailand and since I had a couple of off-days while Jana was teaching, I decided to set off on my first trip outside of BKK without Jana. I chose to travel to Sukkothai, a former capital of Thailand in the 13th and 14th century. Sukkothai is visited mostly for its ruins; I spent the vast majority of time there biking around an historical park set up there. In other words, I rode around in a large circle for two days, hiking up to ruins, taking pictures, and sweating profusely.
The ruins are impressive (check out the photos); my personal favorites are also the main attractions--two wats called Wat Saphan Hin and Wat Sri Chum. The setting of the park--lush, tropical plant life, set against large hills--is also enjoyable. I spent a lot of time out in the middle of the countryside with no one around except for cows.
The large majority of the wats pictured have been restored. Many of the Sukkothai ruins were discovered in the 20th century and subsequently studied and re-built by Thai and Western archaeologists.
Besides the ruins there is a national museum with Sukkothai artifacts and additional eclectic items. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed inside the museum, but I did take photos outside the museum. The main attraction of the museum was getting to see the evolution of the Thai writing system. King Ramkhanaeng created Thai script and I was surprised by how little the system had changed since it was first used. (Check out the picture of the King--he has a tablet in his hand and a sword at his side.)
Other than that, I'll let the photos speak for themselves; Jana and I are both anxious but excited to return home soon!
The ruins are impressive (check out the photos); my personal favorites are also the main attractions--two wats called Wat Saphan Hin and Wat Sri Chum. The setting of the park--lush, tropical plant life, set against large hills--is also enjoyable. I spent a lot of time out in the middle of the countryside with no one around except for cows.
The large majority of the wats pictured have been restored. Many of the Sukkothai ruins were discovered in the 20th century and subsequently studied and re-built by Thai and Western archaeologists.
Besides the ruins there is a national museum with Sukkothai artifacts and additional eclectic items. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed inside the museum, but I did take photos outside the museum. The main attraction of the museum was getting to see the evolution of the Thai writing system. King Ramkhanaeng created Thai script and I was surprised by how little the system had changed since it was first used. (Check out the picture of the King--he has a tablet in his hand and a sword at his side.)
Other than that, I'll let the photos speak for themselves; Jana and I are both anxious but excited to return home soon!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Bike Tour
This was one of my favorite things we've done in BKK. Bangkok is often a difficult city to navigate and see a lot of for several reasons: traffic is often terrible, sidewalks are in bad shape in many places, and overcrowding can make moving from one spot to another on foot a challenge. On this tour, though we were able to see a lot of Bangkok quickly moving from the center of city out to the suburbs and then on to an island that is not even part of BKK.
As mentioned, we began near the center of BKK and headed through one of several chinatowns. These "chinatowns" are so named because they're populated largely by Chinese immigrants and their descendants. These "towns" are densely populated with houses made out of lots of improvised materials (see the pictures). At many places during our ride the sun was almost completely blocked out--like riding through a cave or a dense forest. Bangkok is a city of stark contrasts: We went from riding through an area with gigantic skyscrapers and extravagant condo buildings to neighborhoods with shacks built on top of shacks built on top of more shacks in a matter of minutes. The differences are certainly more than aesthetic; the physical proximity of these distinct neighborhoods underlines the wealth gap in this still-developing country. (Our guide said that almost everyone that lived in this area had an air-conditioner and cable tv; but I'm not so sure).
After our trip through Chinatown we headed across the Chao Praya river to a small island opposite BKK. This "island" is called Prapadaeng and is created by a large bend in the Chao Praya river that almost completely circles the area. The area is a government-protected, partially-developed swamp. In many places the only way to get around is on bike or motorbike since the "roads" are 4-5 foot brides suspended over the swamp water. At times this can be a little harrowing and our guide said that she has about one person fall every trip. Unluckily for me, I helped meet that prediction; coming around a corner a little too quickly my bike headed off the bridge while I headed onto the ground, face first. I was fine, just a little cut on my hands. Luckily for me, I have no shame, so I was completely unembarrassed.
As mentioned, we began near the center of BKK and headed through one of several chinatowns. These "chinatowns" are so named because they're populated largely by Chinese immigrants and their descendants. These "towns" are densely populated with houses made out of lots of improvised materials (see the pictures). At many places during our ride the sun was almost completely blocked out--like riding through a cave or a dense forest. Bangkok is a city of stark contrasts: We went from riding through an area with gigantic skyscrapers and extravagant condo buildings to neighborhoods with shacks built on top of shacks built on top of more shacks in a matter of minutes. The differences are certainly more than aesthetic; the physical proximity of these distinct neighborhoods underlines the wealth gap in this still-developing country. (Our guide said that almost everyone that lived in this area had an air-conditioner and cable tv; but I'm not so sure).
After our trip through Chinatown we headed across the Chao Praya river to a small island opposite BKK. This "island" is called Prapadaeng and is created by a large bend in the Chao Praya river that almost completely circles the area. The area is a government-protected, partially-developed swamp. In many places the only way to get around is on bike or motorbike since the "roads" are 4-5 foot brides suspended over the swamp water. At times this can be a little harrowing and our guide said that she has about one person fall every trip. Unluckily for me, I helped meet that prediction; coming around a corner a little too quickly my bike headed off the bridge while I headed onto the ground, face first. I was fine, just a little cut on my hands. Luckily for me, I have no shame, so I was completely unembarrassed.
Hua Hin Part II
We recently returned to Hua Hin, a medium-sized beach town about 3 hours South of BKK. As I had just returned from Sukkothai, I think Jana was a little jealous and eager to get out of the city.
After a quick and refreshingly efficient minibus trip, Jana and I cleaned up and went to a restaurant/pub to watch Wimbledon. The food is the true highlight of Hua Hin; both Thai food and Farang food are noticeably better in Hua Hin. Jana and I both ordered Thai food--Jana ordered pad pak ruam mit (stir-fried vegetables with oyster sauces) and I got gai pad med muang (stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts). We then spent the rest of the night trying to avoid vendors and watching tennis.
The next morning we headed out to the beach. Hua Hin's beach is certainly not as pretty as the beaches in Southern islands--the water is a little sandy and the beach is a little muddy. (Hyper-development has contributed to the discoloring of the water). But the beach was very peaceful (not many people around at all) and later in the day the water looked much prettier. We also received massages on the beach--a common benefit at most beaches in Thailand. After about four or five hours on the beach we decided to head in. We spent this night as we had the previous, eating delicious food and watching tennis. The next morning, after some haggling, we arranged a taxi back to BKK. Even more effecient than the minibus; our driver had us at our front door in under 3 hours.
Not the most active of our trips by far but since we only had a couple of days (really a little less) this little trip worked out perfectly. It's a shame we didn't find out about the minibus before now; this was a much better way to travel to Hua Hin and still provides a great break from the urban jungle that is BKK. The guidebooks we have tend to mostly reference government-subsidized transportation, which is cheaper but considerably slower.
After a quick and refreshingly efficient minibus trip, Jana and I cleaned up and went to a restaurant/pub to watch Wimbledon. The food is the true highlight of Hua Hin; both Thai food and Farang food are noticeably better in Hua Hin. Jana and I both ordered Thai food--Jana ordered pad pak ruam mit (stir-fried vegetables with oyster sauces) and I got gai pad med muang (stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts). We then spent the rest of the night trying to avoid vendors and watching tennis.
The next morning we headed out to the beach. Hua Hin's beach is certainly not as pretty as the beaches in Southern islands--the water is a little sandy and the beach is a little muddy. (Hyper-development has contributed to the discoloring of the water). But the beach was very peaceful (not many people around at all) and later in the day the water looked much prettier. We also received massages on the beach--a common benefit at most beaches in Thailand. After about four or five hours on the beach we decided to head in. We spent this night as we had the previous, eating delicious food and watching tennis. The next morning, after some haggling, we arranged a taxi back to BKK. Even more effecient than the minibus; our driver had us at our front door in under 3 hours.
Not the most active of our trips by far but since we only had a couple of days (really a little less) this little trip worked out perfectly. It's a shame we didn't find out about the minibus before now; this was a much better way to travel to Hua Hin and still provides a great break from the urban jungle that is BKK. The guidebooks we have tend to mostly reference government-subsidized transportation, which is cheaper but considerably slower.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
April
April was a busy month for us with Sean's Birthday, Kylie and Shannon coming to visit, and Songkran.
Sean's Birthday
The BIG day was celebrated at Vientien Kitchen which serves Northern Thai food and Laotian food. Shannon had only been here one day so it was a great place for her to try lots of spicy food. One of our students, Keng, was able to come with us along with another couple, Andy and Nicole. We ate a great dinner and then we got to experience some traditional dancing by the performers and also Sean and Shannon.
Also, we got to experience a Laotian Birthday Tradition. Everyone at the party ties a single string on to the Birthday Persons wrist. You should make a wish for that person, and they cannot cut the strings off. They have to keep the strings on until they fall off otherwise the wish will be broken.
Tiger Temple
We visited Tiger Temple with Shannon the third day she arrived. We paid a driver to take us to Kanchanburi in order to go to the Tiger Temple and Bridge over River Kwai. The Temple was interesting. It is located outside the city on several acres of land. The land has lots of wild animals that are all pretty used to humans. The deer would just come right up to you and let you pet them.
The tigers were an interesting part of the visit. The website about Tiger Temple states several times that the tigers are not drugged. However, after our visit it seems at least possible. They were all sleeping all the time. So it is a real tiger but it did not move at all.
Bridge Over The River Kwai and Allied War Cemetery
These two are also located in Kanchanaburi Province about two hours outside of Bangkok. The Death Railway Bridge or Bridge Over the River Kwai was built during WWII by POWs of the Japanese. The museum, cemetery and bridge were all very interesting and also really well maintained. There is a movie about the Bridge but most consider it fairly inaccurate.
Jim Thompson's House
Jim Thompson was an American who ended up in Thailand after WWII. He basically started the silk trade in Thailand, and put Thailand's silk on the map. There are Jim Thompson's shops all over Bangkok and other parts of Thailand, mostly in five star hotels. It is one of the must haves for tourists and the silk is very expensive. However, he also gave back a lot of what he made to Thai people and was very interested in Thai culture and artwork. So, his house that he lived in is now a museum showcasing his art collection and also the house. He lived in a typical teak house but changed several elements of the house making it unique and very beautiful. In 1967 he mysteriously went missing while he was on vacation in Malaysia, his sister was also killed in the US in the same year. There are lots of conspiracy theories but no one really knows what happened to Khun Jim.
Songkran
Songkran is the Thai New Year and the biggest holiday here by far. It is celebrated by everyone going home to be with their family and then having a giant water fight. There are also several elements of Buddhism thrown in the mix. However, the water fighing is what you see everywhere. There is really no way to avoid getting totaly soaked. While Shannon and Kylie were here, we would just be eating dinner, a truck would drive by and dump water all over us and the table. It was one of the best experiences we have ever had. Everyone drives around in the back of trucks shooting people with water guns. When you walk down the street everyone is dripping wet and holding a water gun, no one is exempt from getting wet. We got to experience Songkran in Chiang Mai up north, which is the place to go for Songkran, and then also in Samui. Definitly worth seeing once in your life, because there is nothing else like it. Everyone becomes a kid again.
Chiang Mai Trek
The trek in Chiang Mai was interesting mix of Karen Long Neck Village, Elephant Riding, Hiking to a waterfall, and white water rafting. The best part by far was our mode of transportation, a sawngthaew which is basically like riding in the back of a truck with two benches placed on each side.
The trek started at the Butterfly and Orchid Farm, which was better for the orchids and less on the butterflies. Next stop was Karen Long Neck village. They place gold brass bands around their necks and knees, only the women. They start at about age 8 and they only take them off once a year for cleaning and new brass bands. The neck bands alone weigh about 20 pounds, and it was originally started to protect the women from tigers.
The next leg of the journey was hiking to a waterfall. It was beautiful and the water was freezing which was great.
Next we did elephant riding. The girls, Shanon and Kylie, seemed to enjoy it and no one fell off. The last part was white water rafting. This was the favorite part for all of us. Shannon fell in, which was great. We were terrible and our guide did nearly all of the work.
Samui
After hanging out in Chiang Mai for a few days we caught another plane to Samui. Samui is a beautiful island off the southeast coast in Thailand. It was a great way to spend a few days after our very active days in Chiang Mai. We spend most of the time on the beach, but one day we rented a boat and went snorkeling. Kylie described the boat as "a canoe with a lawnmower on the back" which is pretty much accurate.
The first stop on the boat my snorkel broke, so our boat driver ripped off a piece of plastic from a bread bag and mended it perfectly. Our second stop Shannon was stung or shot by a sea urchin that produced three purple dots in a triangular pattern. So all in all a great snorkeling trip. Oh and we forgot the camera, so we have no pictures.
All of the pictures from everything above are on the right side of the page. We will try to get better about posting. Can't wait to see everyone in three months.
Jana and Sean
Sean's Birthday
The BIG day was celebrated at Vientien Kitchen which serves Northern Thai food and Laotian food. Shannon had only been here one day so it was a great place for her to try lots of spicy food. One of our students, Keng, was able to come with us along with another couple, Andy and Nicole. We ate a great dinner and then we got to experience some traditional dancing by the performers and also Sean and Shannon.
Also, we got to experience a Laotian Birthday Tradition. Everyone at the party ties a single string on to the Birthday Persons wrist. You should make a wish for that person, and they cannot cut the strings off. They have to keep the strings on until they fall off otherwise the wish will be broken.
Tiger Temple
We visited Tiger Temple with Shannon the third day she arrived. We paid a driver to take us to Kanchanburi in order to go to the Tiger Temple and Bridge over River Kwai. The Temple was interesting. It is located outside the city on several acres of land. The land has lots of wild animals that are all pretty used to humans. The deer would just come right up to you and let you pet them.
The tigers were an interesting part of the visit. The website about Tiger Temple states several times that the tigers are not drugged. However, after our visit it seems at least possible. They were all sleeping all the time. So it is a real tiger but it did not move at all.
Bridge Over The River Kwai and Allied War Cemetery
These two are also located in Kanchanaburi Province about two hours outside of Bangkok. The Death Railway Bridge or Bridge Over the River Kwai was built during WWII by POWs of the Japanese. The museum, cemetery and bridge were all very interesting and also really well maintained. There is a movie about the Bridge but most consider it fairly inaccurate.
Jim Thompson's House
Jim Thompson was an American who ended up in Thailand after WWII. He basically started the silk trade in Thailand, and put Thailand's silk on the map. There are Jim Thompson's shops all over Bangkok and other parts of Thailand, mostly in five star hotels. It is one of the must haves for tourists and the silk is very expensive. However, he also gave back a lot of what he made to Thai people and was very interested in Thai culture and artwork. So, his house that he lived in is now a museum showcasing his art collection and also the house. He lived in a typical teak house but changed several elements of the house making it unique and very beautiful. In 1967 he mysteriously went missing while he was on vacation in Malaysia, his sister was also killed in the US in the same year. There are lots of conspiracy theories but no one really knows what happened to Khun Jim.
Songkran
Songkran is the Thai New Year and the biggest holiday here by far. It is celebrated by everyone going home to be with their family and then having a giant water fight. There are also several elements of Buddhism thrown in the mix. However, the water fighing is what you see everywhere. There is really no way to avoid getting totaly soaked. While Shannon and Kylie were here, we would just be eating dinner, a truck would drive by and dump water all over us and the table. It was one of the best experiences we have ever had. Everyone drives around in the back of trucks shooting people with water guns. When you walk down the street everyone is dripping wet and holding a water gun, no one is exempt from getting wet. We got to experience Songkran in Chiang Mai up north, which is the place to go for Songkran, and then also in Samui. Definitly worth seeing once in your life, because there is nothing else like it. Everyone becomes a kid again.
Chiang Mai Trek
The trek in Chiang Mai was interesting mix of Karen Long Neck Village, Elephant Riding, Hiking to a waterfall, and white water rafting. The best part by far was our mode of transportation, a sawngthaew which is basically like riding in the back of a truck with two benches placed on each side.
The trek started at the Butterfly and Orchid Farm, which was better for the orchids and less on the butterflies. Next stop was Karen Long Neck village. They place gold brass bands around their necks and knees, only the women. They start at about age 8 and they only take them off once a year for cleaning and new brass bands. The neck bands alone weigh about 20 pounds, and it was originally started to protect the women from tigers.
The next leg of the journey was hiking to a waterfall. It was beautiful and the water was freezing which was great.
Next we did elephant riding. The girls, Shanon and Kylie, seemed to enjoy it and no one fell off. The last part was white water rafting. This was the favorite part for all of us. Shannon fell in, which was great. We were terrible and our guide did nearly all of the work.
Samui
After hanging out in Chiang Mai for a few days we caught another plane to Samui. Samui is a beautiful island off the southeast coast in Thailand. It was a great way to spend a few days after our very active days in Chiang Mai. We spend most of the time on the beach, but one day we rented a boat and went snorkeling. Kylie described the boat as "a canoe with a lawnmower on the back" which is pretty much accurate.
The first stop on the boat my snorkel broke, so our boat driver ripped off a piece of plastic from a bread bag and mended it perfectly. Our second stop Shannon was stung or shot by a sea urchin that produced three purple dots in a triangular pattern. So all in all a great snorkeling trip. Oh and we forgot the camera, so we have no pictures.
All of the pictures from everything above are on the right side of the page. We will try to get better about posting. Can't wait to see everyone in three months.
Jana and Sean
Monday, February 16, 2009
Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, and Railay
We just got back from another great trip to the islands. It was relaxing, adventurous, and definitely the most beautiful place on Earth. (Besides Kansas City and Springfield)So we left last Monday and landed in Phuket at about noon. We then took a mini-bus to Patong beach, about 45 minutes away. We stopped at a travel agent along the way to set up our tickets to go on the ferry that will take us to the other islands. Then we checked in to our hotel and headed to the beach. The beach was loaded with tourists, hence why we wanted to go to other islands. These islands take a little bit of work to get to so some stay away, which is better for us. That night we went to Bangla Rd, in Patong. The whole road is blocked off from cars and is filled with people, you can see from the pictures. It is just restaurants, bars, dance clubs, and craziness stacked on top of each other.
The next morning we took an hour ride to a pier to catch our first ferry that was going to Ko Phi Phi. Chuck and I went here, but this time we were going to have more time on the island. We were also not with a group, so we were able to do what we wanted. When we arrived, we hiked up one of the huge limestone cliffs to get an incredible view of everything below. You can see in the picture the isthmus that separates the two sides of the island, really amazing.
After the hike up and down we laid on the beach for about three hours before we had to catch our next ferry headed to Railay Beach.
When we arrived at Railay it was the giant rock formations that were most striking. Then, we noticed that the beach was all sand and mud. Also, we had to jump out of the ferry boat, into a long tail boat, and then walk in the mud to get to shore. Sean and I thought this was pretty funny, and pretty typical of Thailand. The other people in the boat, were very upset. You could tell by the looks on their faces, especially about walking in the muddy sand.
Railay was the strangest beach we have ever seen. When we arrived it was all mud, but by eleven pm that night, the water had come completely up covering all the mud. Railay also provided the most beautiful sunset either of us has ever seen. The sun looked so close, it was as if we could touch it. It was fiery orange and sadly none of the pictures turned out. I guess you will have to go and see it for yourself. Railay is the most natural beach I have ever been on as well. I would say that by American standards Railay would be too rough, and not cleaned up enough. However, it was great to see something so untouched.
Overall the trip was great and we can't wait to get back to Phuket when the girls come!!!
By the way, Happy Belated Valentine's Day. We both forgot about it :)
The next morning we took an hour ride to a pier to catch our first ferry that was going to Ko Phi Phi. Chuck and I went here, but this time we were going to have more time on the island. We were also not with a group, so we were able to do what we wanted. When we arrived, we hiked up one of the huge limestone cliffs to get an incredible view of everything below. You can see in the picture the isthmus that separates the two sides of the island, really amazing.
After the hike up and down we laid on the beach for about three hours before we had to catch our next ferry headed to Railay Beach.
When we arrived at Railay it was the giant rock formations that were most striking. Then, we noticed that the beach was all sand and mud. Also, we had to jump out of the ferry boat, into a long tail boat, and then walk in the mud to get to shore. Sean and I thought this was pretty funny, and pretty typical of Thailand. The other people in the boat, were very upset. You could tell by the looks on their faces, especially about walking in the muddy sand.
Railay was the strangest beach we have ever seen. When we arrived it was all mud, but by eleven pm that night, the water had come completely up covering all the mud. Railay also provided the most beautiful sunset either of us has ever seen. The sun looked so close, it was as if we could touch it. It was fiery orange and sadly none of the pictures turned out. I guess you will have to go and see it for yourself. Railay is the most natural beach I have ever been on as well. I would say that by American standards Railay would be too rough, and not cleaned up enough. However, it was great to see something so untouched.
Overall the trip was great and we can't wait to get back to Phuket when the girls come!!!
By the way, Happy Belated Valentine's Day. We both forgot about it :)
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