Four-Week Journey Through Southern Thailand and Angkor (page 3 of 12)

+1

and not condescending at all.... !

Uh! I wasn’t talking about Jojoon1’s post, which is actually very well written, but about Marieblue’s comment pointing out that writing without spelling mistakes is some kind of achievement. That’s dismissive toward the author. That’s all!

7/22/2013

We didn’t want to linger too long on the islands—it gets monotonous pretty quickly. Let’s just say it was a quick tour to see what they’re like. If we were younger, we definitely would’ve enjoyed spending three weeks exploring Koh Phangan.

Before leaving the hotel, we slipped a bill into the tip box for the staff. They really earned it.

Mid-morning, we headed to Koh Tao with Seatran. The service was much better than Songserm’s, and this time, at least the ferry actually moved.

We had a super sunny afternoon—it’s really a lottery. The taxi was complimentary from the hotel, which was great because on this island, every ride costs you 300 baht!

We went for something a bit original and a touch of luxury by choosing La Cigale hotel (64 euros—ouch!). The owner, André Allen, is a tall, smiling Anglo-Jamaican with a classic London accent. Its elevated location on the northwest side of the island guarantees peace and quiet. The bungalows scattered through nature offer optimal comfort. We’ve never seen a room so well-equipped—there’s even a DVD player with kids' movies and various magazines. As for the bathroom, though it’s inside the building, it’s furnished with... plants. Toilets, shower, and sink in a tropical setting!



The terrace gives us a full view of Sairee Beach—pure dream landscape.



After our nap, we noticed the weather had changed again. That didn’t stop us from heading down to the beach and taking the paved path from Haad Yao to Haad Mae.

It was dark by the time we returned, and we couldn’t find the path back to our bungalow. Luckily, the hotel’s service includes lending a mobile phone to call the owner. So we didn’t end up sleeping in the jungle with snakes and spiders.

Hi Joel,

I just devoured the five pages of your post and I have to say, I really enjoyed it! You took me on a journey and I want to thank you for that.

Looking forward to reading more from you :)

Good evening, Hmm, it’s not mamieblue 🏴‍☠️, it’s Anne bleue 😏

7/23/2013

It rained a bit in the evening and more during the night. We came to Koh Tao hoping to tour the island by longtail boat during the day, but we’ll have to give up on that plan—on top of the gray skies, there’s a lot of wind. We knew that at this time of year, one or two days might be tough, but this time it’s really not ideal. Goodbye to saying hello to the little fish, goodbye to the stunning viewpoints and dozens of paradise-like photos. The 2,500 baht we saved won’t exactly lift our spirits.

So, we put Plan B into action. In the morning, we set off on foot toward the viewpoint overlooking the Nanguyan islets—those famous rocky points connected by a strip of fine sand you see in all the ads.



It’s a pleasant walk, though luckily it’s not too far since there’s some elevation gain. Every little stroll in Asia is enjoyable—through Western eyes, there’s always something interesting, surprising, or funny to observe. The viewpoint is inside a large resort where staying isn’t exactly affordable. It’s disheartening to see, just before the entrance, piles of trash everywhere, people burning waste in the open air, and let’s not even talk about the smell. It reminds us of that forum member who mentioned the "other side of the coin" about Koh Tao.

After our little trek, we worked up an appetite. We’re far from everything, so let’s have lunch at the resort. Of course, the food isn’t great. Sure, we’re eating on a beautiful balcony overlooking the sea, with views of the beach, rocks, and islets. But what do you make of a resort where a night costs at least 100 €, yet they can’t even provide a crab cracker or an espresso machine?

We spent the afternoon wandering around the village and shops, watching people go about their lives while sipping good milk chocolate and banana shakes at a friendly vendor’s stall near an intersection. In the end, being forced to take a break did us some good. We always pack our days so full to see as much as possible that we end up exhausted but happy. A little pause from activities doesn’t hurt. And let’s not forget—with the heat, humidity, and youth long gone, every step counts triple. Plus, the alien that invaded our stomachs in Cambodia is only just leaving us.



These islands *are* beautiful. But hotels are pricier, taxis are overpriced, and more than one restaurant doesn’t live up to Thailand’s reputation. On Koh Tao, we mostly saw clothes shops, massage parlors, and restaurants.

Now, we’re really looking forward to the highlight of our trip: the east coast of Southern Thailand, from Chumphon to Bangkok...

Oops!! My mouse slipped...😛

Oops! My mouse slipped...😛

Oops, me too!!!!!!

7/24/2013

Waiting for the boat on the dock, we won’t have any regrets: a few raindrops, gusts of wind—seriously, it’s almost chilly. We try not to think that from the day after our departure, it might be sunny for a whole month.

The Lomprayah boat looks like a hovercraft. Inside, it’s a bit like a movie theater without a screen. It rocks a little, but that’s just because the boat is going much faster. For the same price, we definitely preferred Lomprayah.

For this part of mainland southern Thailand, planning wasn’t easy. Paper guides don’t go into much detail, and even on this forum, only a few people seem to have explored it. We were able to complete our itinerary after some tedious online research.

Our luck was finding a hotel where one of the employees speaks English fluently and responds quickly and efficiently to questions. This helped us optimize our stay. That’s how the hotel driver was waiting for us right at the pier so we could start our visits.

Of course, things didn’t go as planned. We later realized that, probably to please us, the hotel had added unplanned—and unwanted—stops to our itinerary. So at the first stop, we were a bit surprised to pay 200 baht each for entry. We ended up in a small, poorly maintained natural park with a museum, a walk through a large mangrove with a suspension bridge over a channel near the sea.

We were a little annoyed, especially since the driver, who was otherwise very friendly, didn’t understand what we were trying to explain. He finally handed us his phone, and after some difficulty, we managed to make our contact understand that we preferred to stick to the original plan.

That’s how we arrived at the memorial of a prince, son of a former king of Thailand. He’s venerated, along with a few monks, in this place made up of two small chapels and a courtyard. The whole thing was built to resemble a boat. Below, you can even board a small torpedo boat. It’s quite unique.



We had a peaceful lunch by Sairee Beach.

The afternoon was more interesting. Our driver took us to a viewpoint on a hill overlooking the small town of Pak Nam, a few kilometers south of Chumphon. The view alone was worth the trip. You can see the lush, mountainous countryside, Pak Nam with its river and port facilities, the beaches and islands, and the sea where the green, blue, and brown waters create a pastel tableau that photos can’t fully capture.



Our last visit was to Wat Fa Sala Loy, a temple set in the countryside and forest. We loved the atmosphere with its large central tree, roosters, and dogs. Monks were in the middle of a ceremony, and we took a discreet peek—those prayers and chants always delight us; that’s what travel is all about.

In an old dwelling, a mummified monk rests under a glass bell. It was time for our small donation.



The long half-day cost us 25 €, including the vehicle and guide.

It wasn’t late yet when we returned to the hotel after this packed day. The Tanisa Resort costs 25 € per night. Large rooms, good bedding, AC, and friendly staff. The buildings surround a slightly chilly pool that’s not perfectly maintained. When we arrived, young Asian guests were swimming in it fully clothed, as is customary.

Even though the hotel restaurant has a good reputation, we preferred to head into town. It was only two or three kilometers away, but the taxi overcharged us by asking for 60 baht.

Chumphon itself isn’t particularly interesting, but in the evening, there’s a lot of activity on the main street. There are tons of street vendors preparing all kinds of dishes. After enjoying the scene for a while, we had a seafood omelet at one of the stalls—40 baht, a bit greasy but delicious.

We stopped elsewhere to enjoy fried fish and fish eggs with garlic (total 120 baht).

To help it all go down, we walked back—it was so pleasant out...

25/07/2013

For this second and final day in Chumphon, we let ourselves be guided around again. We didn’t opt for an island excursion—we were quoted too high a price for a private trip, and we weren’t in town long enough to find a sailor who’d offer a better rate. For those passing through the area, we’d like to point out that there are a large number of small islands off the coast of Chumphon, roughly divided into two chains, one further north than the other. The photos we’ve seen online are really tempting—there are about half a dozen that look stunning, like the northern duo Ngam Hoi and Ngam Hai, as well as Ko Chorakee, and to the south, Koh Marttra and Rangka Chio. It seems the best time to visit is in the spring. Maybe someone will volunteer to do a little report one day?

We drive for a while, and the scenery remains very pleasant.



Part of the Thep Jaroen temple is located under a rocky cliff. There’s also a mummified monk. Steps lead to a large circular cave where we discover a substantial collection of old Buddhas, most of them made of wood. For once, they’re not flashy, gaudy, or freshly repainted representations. You really feel like you’re in an authentic place, clearly left as it was. A beautiful, isolated spot where we’re alone. In this cave, we see the only snake of our trip—a gray creature about a meter long. It seems to be dying and barely moves; this will be its final resting place.



The next visits take us to another cave, still lost in the middle of nature in a pretty setting, then to a small waterfall, but nothing remarkable.

We have lunch at a small beachside restaurant in Thung Wallaen. The place feels a bit like a holiday village, but at this time of year, like everywhere else along this coast, we see very few people. Authentic Thailand can also be found along these 700 km of coastline south of Bangkok—we keep noticing it. As soon as you leave the towns, you quickly feel that pleasant sense of "the way things used to be" and "the end of the world."



After finding our receipts, it turns out the first day was charged at 800 baht, and the second at 1200 baht for a much longer distance. Very reasonable and super comfortable.

On the way back, as usual, it’s the pineapple-banana stop. This time, we send the driver. Sure enough, the prices aren’t the same. A very large cut pineapple costs 30 baht, and a bunch of about fifteen small bananas goes for 15 baht!

Since our street-dinner experiment was a success the night before, we go back in the evening. There are so many improbable rural looks, so many funny scenes, so many old-fashioned shops—we love it.

It’s another feast, and our T-shirts end up smelling strongly of fried food.

Thanks again for this new page! It makes me want to take a look over there, especially since there’s an airport and you can easily get there from Bangkok. I hardly know this coast, except for a few days in Hua Hin (which wasn’t a favorite for us at all) and a night bus ride to Krabi.

I’m waiting for the rest to see everything you enjoyed... Did you travel back up the coast to Bangkok?

Thanks so much for taking the time to share what you liked (and sometimes didn’t like), as well as the beautiful photos and the text, which is always such a pleasure to read. 😛

Good evening, and thank you for the encouragement! Without any reactions, we sometimes wonder if anyone’s really interested. You’ll find the route we took at the start of the story. We promise a few more original stops ahead—including one with photos of our new vacation buddies. Hang tight...

Good evening and thank you for the encouragement. Without any reactions, we sometimes wonder if it interests many people.

Hello,

Your story is incredibly interesting, and I’m sure many people enjoy reading it. That doesn’t always mean they’ll leave a comment, though. But it’s true—when you take the time to share a great experience, you hope for a little reward in the form of a kind word… Keep it up, it’s fantastic.

Philippe

Hello, A big thank you for sharing your wonderful experience and all the practical details. It’s helping me plan a trip to Thailand in January and February 2014.

You’re such a pleasure to read, and your photos are stunning. I can’t wait to read more.

🙂 Magali

26/07/2013

In the morning, we ask to be taken to the bus station. We end up in front of a small shop where minibuses are parked. It’s simple: you announce your destination, wait about half an hour, and the cost is reasonable—240 baht for two people to Bang Saphan. Of course, the driver turns back after a few kilometers when he realizes he forgot a passenger who had booked a seat. By the time we’ve driven through the outskirts and picked everyone up, three-quarters of an hour have passed. So, two hours for a trip of about 80 kilometers. Luckily, this north-south "highway" (well, sort of) is very drivable.

That’s the day we discover that buses and minibuses don’t go through the center of every town, and there we are, like two clueless travelers, stranded on the side of the highway a few kilometers from our destination. Seeing motorcyclists on the other side, we use the pedestrian overpass to cross. We don’t want to risk a moto-taxi with our heavy luggage. Oh, back in the day, these two were braver... One of the guys agrees to make a call to our hotel. The owner kindly comes to pick us up a few moments later in his big pickup truck. We had found the Palm Gardens Resort online—a web ad (the *Bang Saphan Guide*) had caught our eye. This place had the perk of offering a small vehicle for rent, which would make the next day much easier.

You can see why the resort is called Palm Gardens just by looking at the garden.



It’s spotless, with a lovely pool and just a few rooms at 1200 baht. We’re surprised to see a Western-style building with high-quality materials—it really stands out in this country. Larry, who’s English, tells us that during construction, the Thais thought he was crazy for building something so sturdy. Over there, they spend as little money as possible on buildings. Larry also explains that he refused to list his place on hotel booking sites because the loss of income is too significant. It’s true that it’s not worth it for small hotels.

The beach is just a few hundred meters away. We take a quick look before heading to I-Talay, a small beachfront restaurant recommended by some on this forum. It’s okay, but we’re not blown away. At least it’s very close.



It’s too late to do anything else, so we take advantage of our full recovery to hog the pool. It’s all ours—a real luxury.

Nearby, a bird we’ll come to love hops around. It’s common in appearance but remarkable for its whistling. So *that’s* one of the birds whose song is characteristic of tropical countries. It starts with a low growl, then a half-dozen different high-pitched, melodic trills. They seem happy in such a quiet, green corner like Bang Saphan. They’re not skittish, but it’s true that no one bothers them, and there’s often someone willing to share their breakfast. That day, we listen to them with our feet in the warm water—it’s amazing.



In the evening, we pop into the bar next to the beach restaurant. The *Why Not* has a retro vibe. The music and the people there have a whiff of the 70s. Just in case, we’d brought the walking sticks Larry lent us, but the few stray dogs on the beach were more interested in their own lives than in ours.

Alright, rest is good, but bring on tomorrow and the days ahead—time to get moving!

Thanks Joël for this new page! I’ve saved Palms Garden to my favorites. Small, comfortable, pool, and close to almost deserted beaches... amazing, really!

See you tomorrow (maybe?) for the rest of your travels! When can we expect the description of the sound a big gecko makes? The one of the bird was already beautiful, so a big gecko would be fantastic (I love its call and miss it when we’re in Europe! Goes to show...)

Talk soon! !

When will we get the description of the sound made by a big gecko?

😏 http://youtu.be/V66nsqL88SE

We're heading south in early December, and I've been following your adventures with great interest, post after post. Thanks for sharing and for these stunning images!!!

I loooooooooooooooove it! Thanks, Obeo!!! Now it's Jojoone's turn to write up a description and I'll be completely thrilled!!! 😛

7/27/2013

Since, to our knowledge, there were no vehicle rental agencies in the area, we had strongly insisted via email when booking that we be able to use the little apple-green Nissan. It’s Larry’s daughter’s car, and the 1,000 bahts paid daily by clients who use it go toward her savings.

We weren’t exactly reassured, knowing that any potential issue could lead to lost time and maybe big trouble. But on the BangSaphan Guide website, one of the maps highlighted temples and natural areas of interest. We wanted to explore this region with total freedom, even if it’s less comfortable for the driver. You get used to driving on the left, except you forget sometimes—you’re surprised when someone passes on the right, and you’re constantly on guard for the unexpected. The nice part is being able to stop anytime, change your route on a whim, and truly find yourself alone.

So we hopped about fifty kilometers south in short bursts. We took our time, especially in the fishing villages, where time seems to slow down... or does it?



In beautiful spots at the ends of long beaches, which—over hundreds of kilometers—are invariably framed by lush, rocky hills stretching between land and sea. In villages where everyone smiles kindly or watches us with curiosity.



The last part of the route is where nature is at its most stunning. Taking a detour, we even discovered an area covered in tall limestone karsts—a spot with a low population density to boot. It’s a place where some might want to settle, especially with the sea just a stone’s throw away.



Just a little farther, we climbed to a huge and surprising Chinese temple. The old temple, first of all, mainly offers a wonderful view of the surroundings. It’s hard to tear your eyes away from the scenery when you’re *in* the postcard. Could it be arranged any better?



The new temple is massive, still under expansion, with a giant Buddha that’s visible from afar. The most incredible part is the forested area next to the temple, filled with dozens of statues of people and animals. The whole menagerie is there—you even spot prehistoric monsters. A fireworks display of colors; our Asian friends always find new ways to blow our minds!



On the way back, we passed Bang Saphan and stopped by the port, then drove through more charming villages, including one where the air reeked of canneries. An entire village that constantly smells like a fish market! It’s pretty, but you’d better not be sensitive to smells...

Ban Krut Beach is unbelievably long and almost deserted. We had to admit it was time to turn back without seeing Thangsai Temple—this long day had flown by. After refueling, we luckily found our way straight back to the hotel. In this part of the area, all the roads look the same.



Just a few hundred meters from our destination, on a tiny back road, we swerved sharply to avoid a big pothole. That’s when a young Thai guy decided to overtake us, speeding on his moped. We only noticed because of the long screech of tires that broke the silence. Then, half a second later, the teenager zoomed past on our left, yelling every Thai insult he’d ever learned. It was clear he could’ve just as easily ended up in our rear window or on our roof. Go figure...

A quick dip in the pool, and we were ready for dinner. When we arrived at I-Talay, it was fully booked—karaoke night was about to start. We decided to head to the Coral Resort, just a bit farther. For those who don’t know, it’s the hotel praised for years by the *Guide du Routard*. It’s obviously a hotspot for French travelers, especially those who prefer sticking together. It’s true the place has charm. The building is gorgeous, the huge pool is stunning, and the interior and exterior decor are really well done. The nighttime lighting is lovely too. When we arrived, the welcome from the French couple managing the place was so commercial, their smiles so forced, that it put us off. Around us, a mix of *franchouillards* and rather upper-class types. Very upper-class, judging by how some looked at us. On vacation, we wear our 10-year-old T-shirts and unfancy shorts with plenty of pockets. Our sneakers and backpacks could’ve used a second wash after two weeks of traveling. Still... At a nearby table, a very posh young woman—think corporate communications director for a big international group based in La Défense—spent the whole meal scolding her kids to behave perfectly and stay as quiet as possible. She was mortified when her 8-year-old son didn’t sit up straight! We could already picture the scene on their return: *"Oh, my dear friends, we had such an adventure in the depths of Thailand—thank goodness we were safe at the hotel, and to think the kids were little monsters..."* The meal was a huge letdown. That’s when the word *sterile* really hit home. Did they rinse everything in water before serving? And the spring rolls arrived pre-cut—unheard of. In short, it’s four times better anywhere else for a quarter of the price.

This day of exploring will stay in our memory for all the things we did and saw.