Four-Week Journey Through Southern Thailand and Angkor (page 5 of 12)

So the cleanest beach is in the same area, let's say about 1 to 1.5 km from where you can watch the monkeys. The setting is charming and peaceful.

Sawadee krap

For future travelers, I’d like to add to your comments with a video: http://voyageurasie-soleillevant.blogspot.com/2011/03/ao-ma-nao-video-hd.html

On the other hand, Thailand didn’t leave us with a strong impression

Well, you should’ve come to Thailand first! 😏

a week in Koh Samui

😏😏😏

Congrats on this amazing story—like everyone else, I’m eagerly waiting for the next part! I didn’t know this side of Prachuap, which I love, and I can’t wait to go back this winter.

Hurry up with the rest… and your gorgeous photos! Have a great day

07/30/2013

For this last day, without even needing to discuss it, we decide to go both in the morning and the afternoon. First, we make a quick stop at the market, and this time we're loaded with bunches of small bananas.

The monkeys have completely won us over. No shame at all. We’ll see many other temples, many other markets, many other viewpoints, but who knows if we’ll ever see these adorable little mammals again?



The hotel manager told us that a few years ago, she’d only see about ten of them, but now there seem to be three different troops, each occupying its own space, with a total of no fewer than a hundred individuals. Handing out bananas is unforgettable. Now, they know us, and we’ve become buddies. So, well, no reason to hold back, right?



At one point, when we move to observe another group, we wonder why they’re following us—obviously, a banana was sticking out of one of the poorly closed backpacks!

We end the afternoon with a stroll through town and observing local life scenes.



Lunch at our favorite street-side spot, dinner at Ma Prow—a day that was a gastronomic success.



The only annoyance of the day comes when we show some photos to the hotel manager. When we show her the one where the monkey climbed onto her back, she spontaneously says to my partner: "He's cuter than you." (He’s cuter than you! It’s tough to hear, but that’s life...)

Thanks for this new little story... Those little monkeys must really like it where they are, since they're multiplying so happily! And finally, we get a picture of the narrator! "Cute," I think! !

Hi there,

Thanks for taking the time to share these travel stories. I’m really tempted to head to the Chumphon, Bang Saphan, and Prachuap Khiri Khan region. Do you think the weather in January will let us enjoy the landscapes and seaside (sun and temperatures)? After that, we might head to Khao Lak, Koh Phayam...

Good evening and thank you.

Right now, we don’t have any other choice but to leave in July. While it’s clear that in the far south, especially the southwest, the weather should be nice and hot, I’m not sure if the same will hold true a bit further north. The real experts—I’m calling for backup here—might be able to give you a better answer. But you know, this is the second year in a row we’ve traveled with the fear that the sky might fall on our heads, and it still hasn’t happened yet. If you’re someone who doesn’t book everything in advance, you can still take the chance. Less than a day’s bus ride later, you’d be somewhere safe...

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to share these stories. It’s really tempting to head toward the Chumphon, Bang Saphan, and Prachuap Khiri Khan region. Do you think the weather in January allows for enjoying the landscapes and seaside (sun and temperatures)? Maybe then heading toward Kao Lak, Koh Phayam...

No worries, the weather is great in January. As for temperatures, you can count on it being hot no matter what.

Philippe

Thanks again for this beautiful travel journal and these amazing photos. I’m heading to Chumphon and Bang Saphan next week—maybe I’ll go see those monkeys. If you have a message to pass along to them, let me know...

Philippe

Hi there, and thanks! Do me a favor and hand them a few bananas...

Good evening, I apologize if my thoughts offended anyone. This is just a personal reflection and only concerns me. I don’t claim to live in luxury while looking down on other places. Isn’t it a bit pretentious to judge someone based on a single comment without knowing them!

Hello, My message is for Tokara, who thinks Koh Samui isn’t in Thailand. You’re not at all concerned by what I wrote. 🙂

Good evening, I apologize if my comment offended you. It’s a personal reflection and only concerns me. I don’t claim to live in upscale places while looking down on other spots. Isn’t it a bit pretentious to judge someone based on a remark without knowing them!

Sawadee krap

Nothing aggressive in my reply, just a smile Sorry if I offended you—that wasn’t the goal You say after spending a week in Samui: (I lived there for 3 years)

On the other hand, Thailand didn’t leave us with a strong impression

Imagine a Thai person coming to Corsica for a week and making the same remark about France

Wouldn’t you smile? Don’t hold it against me if I don’t reply further I don’t want to spoil such a lovely travel journal

Best regards

31/07/2013

Convinced by the rail experience, we’re doing it again. The wait at Prachuab station turned out to be long—this time, a three-hour delay, which cut our day short. We added the next destination to our itinerary almost at the last minute. It turned out to be a great call. The show goes on inside the train.

To reach Sam Roi Yot National Park, travelers usually go as far as Pranburi, a bit further north, and take a taxi from there. We decided to try a shorter route: get off at Sam Roi Yot station and figure things out on the spot. We’re a little bolder than when we started, having noticed it’s easier to make ourselves understood here than in Vietnam. We’re the only ones getting off at this tiny station, and our hearts sink when we see that, apart from two oxen parked by the exit, there’s only one person around.



The man is a shopkeeper whose family runs a small grocery store just past the station exit. Only one of his daughters speaks a few words of English. Luckily, we have our hotel reservation printout with Thai characters and our travel journal to sketch the route and the numbers essential for any negotiation. They explain that, even though we’re close as the crow flies to the beach side, we’ll have to go around the massive rock barrier—no crossing point—which means a thirty-kilometer detour.



A bit of back-and-forth follows, during which we wonder if they realize we don’t speak Thai. Starting at 1000 baht, we manage to settle on 600 baht.

The man takes us in his pickup. When he stops for gas, he asks us to pay. Is it because he’s short on cash or doesn’t trust us? The whole trip goes smoothly, except for the last few kilometers. We finally spot a sign with the hotel’s name and point it out to him. But his reaction makes us doubt he can read. We probably need to turn somewhere, but there’s no sign anymore. Then comes what often happens in these situations: he asks someone for directions, and they send him the wrong way. At first, we’re not sure ourselves, but after a few kilometers, we stop again at a resort. Of course, they don’t really know either, but since we’ve passed the hotel sign again, we convince him to turn back. A little further than the first time, we notice he seems really worried about driving much farther, as if he’s afraid it’ll cost him more than he’ll earn. The nerves are contagious. We decide to put him out of his misery. Plus, he’s terrified we won’t pay him what we still owe. Do we really look that shady?

We’re stranded on the side of the “highway” with our four bags. It’s two or three in the afternoon, and we’re starving. Fifteen meters later, we’re sitting in a small restaurant after pulling the owner out of her hammock. Ten minutes later, we’ve devoured our pad thai, Coke, and Fanta. Sixty seconds after that, the owner’s son arrives with his car and takes us to our hotel for 100 baht—it was at the end of the same street, about four kilometers away.

We chose the Baan Jeen Hotel, located at the southern tip of Dolphin Bay, almost opposite the islands. A few dozen meters away, there’s a kayak rental place that also offers taxi service. The kayaks let you reach Monkey Island, just a few hundred meters offshore. The hotel is new, very well-kept, and tied with the one in Koh Phangan for the friendliest and most helpful staff. When we arrive, we’re the only ones there. At first, we wonder why there are so many hotels and resorts along this big bay when there are so few tourists. Later, we confirm it’s packed during high season. The 37 € per night for this hotel—with great beds and quiet AC—probably isn’t the January rate.

We happily splash around in the beautiful pool, completely alone.



In the early evening, we walk along the beach heading north. It’s lovely—lots of pretty homes with gardens, surrounded by large plots dotted with coconut trees.



We stop for a drink somewhere and chat with a 30-year-old English guy who lives a bit further down, at a training camp. Here’s a young man who’s still a student and spends weeks away from his girlfriend just to be a punching bag for local Thai boxers! Not sure that’s any easier after a few beers...

It gets late, and we have to settle for the first restaurant we come across. We see the luxurious setting and the huge neon sign boasting five stars. If it hosted tour buses in high season, we wouldn’t be surprised. There are lots of waitresses in traditional costumes. Bad sign... So nothing amazing on the plate. We share our spicy shrimp with a hungry cat that comes begging.

We don’t linger—big day tomorrow.

08/01/2013

We take advantage of the bikes lent by the hotel in the morning to head back in the same direction as the night before, but to go further. My wife is delighted by this ride, even though the sky shifts from milky to deep blue, as it does almost every day. We see more gardens and lots of birds, including the beautiful whistler we love so much. The scenery is stunning, in any case.



Toward the end of the morning, we leave by pick-up truck for the goal of our visit: Phraya Nakhon Cave. To think we hesitated to come—this day turned out to be fabulous!

At the entrance to the national park, we first recharge our energy at a small snack shack.

There are two route options. The first involves two climbs and two descents to reach the cave. Taking it easy, it takes about an hour. The second requires taking a boat at the start, which only skips the first climb and descent. However, the second climb is much longer than the first. Given the exorbitant price of the taxi boat (400 baht!), unless you're someone who goes to the beach every day or doesn’t mind spending, work those muscles—it’s a pleasant hike through nature, and there are always steps. The choice we made proved to be a success when, toward the end of the first descent, we catch something moving in the branches out of the corner of our eye. Sure enough, they’re langurs! These ones are wilder and keep their distance. It’s magical to see them like this by chance in the wild, living their peaceful little lives. The icing on the cake: a tiny one, less skittish, comes to check out these strange two-legged creatures. It’s there, two meters above our heads, swinging on a flexible branch. We look at it, it looks at us. A moment of pure magic.

We force ourselves to move on and emerge a few moments later onto the beach. The sun has come out again, and it turns out this beach next to the pine grove is one of the most charming we’ve discovered. Paths are laid out everywhere, and there’s a large refreshment stand and restrooms. Given the heat and high humidity, we take the time to grab a drink.

Off we go for the second, longer climb, still through the forest. At the top, workers have just cemented a few damaged steps—you’ve got to be determined to work in these conditions.

As we start the final descent, the setting becomes quite grand. It’s actually a double cave whose ceiling has partly collapsed. In one of them, the famous royal pavilion bathes in light, surrounded by darkness. Places like this alone make a winter of work and saving worth it. Of course, it’s the most photographed spot in the area.



We won’t have time to explore the national park further, but the massif and its surroundings might deserve more than a day.

At the end of the descent, just before the refreshment stand, we’re lucky enough to spot a large monitor lizard crossing the path a few steps ahead of us before disappearing into the bushes.



Our taxi picks us up as planned. These are the kind of days where you fully savor the benefits of the pool.

Of course, we change restaurants for the evening. We bike to Koram Resort, which, as the name suggests, is also a hotel—cheaper but without a pool. Actually, we stopped there in the morning to quench our thirst. When it came time to pay, the owner didn’t have change for us; for once, we only had large bills left. We asked to see the menu, the selection seemed convincing, and we proposed to settle up in the evening when we came back to eat. No problem, and a big smile to go with it. We enjoyed one of the best meals of our stay. Curry soup, satay chicken, gourmet pad thai. In a place where they know how to treat customers well. Along with pad thai, red (or green, or yellow) curry soups are a must in Thailand. Even when mildly spiced (for Thais), many dishes make your nose sweat. That’s the sign. We often specify "mai pet" to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Some Thais pronounce it with the "t," as it’s written, while others say "maa pêê." Generally, if they don’t understand you, pronounce the words by swallowing them a bit and skipping some consonants like "r," and it’ll go better.

One last little coconut shake to finish, since we’d sweated a lot, and a well-deserved rest.

02/08/2013

After tipping and thanking the staff for their kindness, we’re back in the same pick-up truck as the day before. We wanted a more comfortable and faster ride. At the train’s pace, we wouldn’t have arrived until the evening... We’d negotiated the trip for 800 baht, hotel to hotel, all the way to Hua Hin.

We cast a final nostalgic glance at the place we’re leaving behind.



The Chalelarn Hotel is a bit more upscale, at 47 € per night including breakfast. Gorgeous reception—just as you’d expect—thoughtful decor, and top-quality thick mattresses. Its main perk, aside from its central location, is the small rooftop pool. We arrived before our room was ready, but it didn’t matter—they gave us another one right away.

We didn’t waste any time and headed straight to the daytime market.



Then we took a peek at the charming little royal train station.



On a whim, we stopped to enjoy a delicious pad thai on the terrace of a guesthouse, served by a rather curious waiter (or waitress—we never found out). On our way back, we quickly visited the downtown temple, which wasn’t all that interesting. As always, though, we still captured a few details.



In the afternoon, we took advantage of the pool when the sun broke through for about an hour. Still the only ones there. There’s something surreal about swimming at the edge of the void.

We headed out again in the evening, exploring the small streets of the city center.



A little too Westernized after what we’d just experienced—downsides like fruit milkshakes that were worse and pricier. Every bar had its giant TV, and tourists were everywhere (ugh, tourists!). It was way more fun at the night market, where the seafood stir-fried noodles ended up satisfying us more than the grilled lobster.

It's always a real pleasure reading you. I can't wait for tomorrow, and for my part, I wish you a great evening dreaming of beautiful landscapes.

Thanks for this new page in your travel journal—I’m hooked! Personally, Hua Hin really let us down. It’s super westernized and, when we visited (February 2012), it was packed with retirees.

The night market was also way too tailored to Western tourists, and expensive compared to everywhere else we’d been.

On a scooter, though, we found more authenticity about twenty kilometers south. No one on the beach except for a pretty elaborate temple and a single beachfront restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious squid garlic and pepper dish!

See you tomorrow!

Thanks for this new page in your travel journal—I’m hooked!

See you tomorrow! !

A real addiction 🙂!

From the start, I’ve been following your wonderful story. Thank you for enchanting us! Last year, on our way back from Myanmar, we also spent a few days in Prachuap. It was February and really quiet. We rented bikes and discovered those adorable spectacled monkeys. From the small temple clinging to the hillside, you can visit a cave with a Buddha. We had quite a scare there—our little flashlights barely lit the way, and a dog started barking at us before we even saw it! Turns out, there was a monk meditating with his dog. We must’ve gotten too close. On the way back, I ate a *crêpe bretonne* at a little market... They came in all sorts of colors!