Back in Thailand – Island Style
After another exhausting series of bus rides, we were back in Thailand and heading South to Kho Phengang Island, one of three well known islands on the Eastern side in the Gulf of Thailand. Kho Samui to the South was much larger and more heavily populated while Kho Tao to the North was quieter and required a longer boat ride so we split the difference. A two-hour long ferry ride later, we were dropped at the main port and we managed to reserve a great room at a guesthouse overlooking the ocean for around $11. The whole area was beginning to fill up for New Years so we were lucky to arrive in time to get a good spot.
The island was lush, mountainous and colorful with a laid back feel and very friendly locals. It really had everything but waves. Only 6 miles across, though large enough to have distinct communities each with a different flavor and speed. It is also a haven for snorkeling, diving and partying Europeans and Australians, but we were more interested in unwinding so we chose to stay on the quieter Western side at Hat Tao Beach. We enjoyed some down time on the golden beaches, snorkeling and kayaking in the turquoise waters and rented a scooter for $4 per day to explore the other parts. Our hotel had a full service restaurant with cheap meals and drinks, so we had nothing to do but relax for 3 full days. However, since the place was getting a bit crowded with over-eager partiers for New Years, we opted to make a run to the Andaman Sea on the West side of the country to get to Kho Phi Phi before the big night.
A 7-hour ferry–bus–ferry combination landed us on Phi Phi (pee – pee) island on December 30. Phi Phi is the jewel of Thailand’s islands with a quaint feel and breathtaking natural beauty. From the beach, a boat or a hilltop lookout, the view is amazing turquoise water, colorful reefs and green-covered mountains. Shaped like an hourglass, the only real development is in the thin strip in the middle where you can see both bays at once. Best known as the spot where “The Beach” was filmed, it welcomes a good amount of visitors without seeming too crowded, even as it recovers from the 2005 tsunami which decimated shops, hotels and restaurants and killed many. The island has a mature, festive vibe and moves at a slow pace. There are no cars or even motorcycles so walking the streets of the main town center is a joy. The only headache is where to stay when you show up the day before New Year’s Eve with no reservations.
As we exited the ferry, we were immediately struck by the fact that we weren’t being hounded by people offering hotel deals as at other spots. There were a few luxury options available but word on the street was that all the budget hotels were booked. Walking the town hoping to find somewhere, anywhere reasonable to stay, the mood quickly turned to near panic as guesthouse after guesthouse told us they were booked full indefinitely. We realized the situation was dire when we saw people snatching up tent sites for $15 or even paying $5 to sleep on massage parlor tables for the night! Just when we were about to give up, we were approached by a woman who had one room left to rent behind her laundry shop. A cramped room in an alley with no A/C and a shared bathroom was a lifesaver, even at $22. Clearing that hurdle, we unloaded, cleaned up and got right back into the relaxed feel of the place.
The next day we awoke early hoping to catch a room opening up at a better guesthouse and we lucked into finding spots at 2 different places for the next 3 nights. We booked our return ferry for 4 days away, a snorkeling trip for our last day, then set out to getting ready for New Years. After a great dinner we realized we were actually getting older as we decided to grab a quick nap before midnight. Several snoozes later we dragged ourselves up and out to follow the crowd to the beach for the fireworks show. It was worth the effort as the whole island was out in this one spot celebrating, giving cheers and well-wishes and enjoying the show. The fireworks didn’t disappoint with the ocean backdrop and neither did the attitude of the locals. Instead of the usual drunk fest you would see back home, we were approached by countless locals who just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year with the biggest smile on their faces you can imagine. After partying hard for about an hour we were back in bed, sound asleep.
The final two days on Phi Phi were spent touring some beaches by kayak and taking an amazing snorkeling tour. We visited Monkey Beach, which, aside from great reef snorkeling, has (you guessed it) wild monkeys roaming the beach. Monkeys are apparently easily conditioned to follow tourists who have food and we saw at least one encounter where a lunch was stolen by intimidation. The monkeys are definitely cute in the wild but can be very nasty when it comes to food. We fed them a few bananas bought from the locals and rushed off while we still had all of our fingers. The snorkeling cruise lasted most of the day with lunch and gear included for around $18. We visited Maya Bay (site of “The Beach”) but the greatest part was just swimming around with the endless schools of fish, exploring the reef formations. We were instantly addicted and hope to maybe get our Scuba certification down the road. Upon hearing the Great Barrier Reef in Australia would be even better, we couldn’t wait to get there.
Our last visit in Thailand before heading back to Bangkok to fly out was a stop off in Phuket. Hardly worth mentioning, this once famous resort town on the Western coast is now just an overgrown cesspool for aging bikini-wearing male sunbathers. It was hard to even find the beach among the bars, street stalls and hotels and despite the damage from the tsunami, Phuket is raging stronger than ever with a certain Daytona Beach feel. However, it could in no way affect our love for Thailand as a whole that we got from the people, culture and places elsewhere.
Tags: Travel
pcschroeder
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