Happy New Year
 

Well, someone had to start it!

Happy New Year to everyone, wagons are loaded up, big family trip ( dogs too this time as we've found places they can stay too ! ) and off around the coast to see what I hope will be our new house in the NY. Taking my new Laptop ( Christmas pressy! )

Best wishes to everyone and let's all hope 2006 brings joy, peace, calm and happiness everywhere !

Thanks James, the same to everyone. Unfortunately this yearis not ending well, we were robbed last night.

Drive carefull and don't add to the statistics.

Happy New Year to you too James, and to everyone!

Tangata, I hope 2006 begins better than 2005 has ended for you.

Thanks, James and Happy New Year to you and your family and the entire "fodors family"! Tangata, So sorry about your robbery. Don't want to highjack James nice post with bad news, but maybe you can do a separate post and tell us what happened. Hope everyone in your family is ok.

thanks james...and now with the xmas gift we can expect 24/7 reports and updates from you??

happy new year to you and all...

bob

HNY 2u2

"Hauoli Makahiki Hou" That means Happy New Year Everyone!
Aloha!

Long drive Friday afternoon down to Hua Hin, 10 of us + dogs so stayed in 2 duplex houses near the beach at Takiab Bay. Weather a bit overcast but warm as opposed to hot and no rain at all but today clear blue skies with just the occasional white cloud so on my reconing pretty near perfect.
Yesterday (Sunday) drove another 200 km ( about 130 miles ) to Banito Beach Resort at Bang Saphan Beach, just over 2 hours and road was clear.
We have a 4 bedroom family suite for 10, B 5,000 ( USD 125 ) but work that out for 10 and it's cheap! 2 floor villa/house style, lots of living area etc, normal rates most of year for standard rooms from about USD 22.50, sea view about USD 35. TV, air con etc, patio and own dining area.
Bang Saphan is very quiet though more tourists that I have ever seen before, usually it's local visitors but lots of overseas visitors along the beach. The beach is long and sandy with just a few resorts scattered along the coast.
Weather is perfect, good sunshine but nice sea breeze, refreshing.
Last night it was volley ball on the beach and BBQ which we always enjoy, pool is nice and not busy, nice though to sit around.
We've stayed before at Suan Bankrut which are thatched bungalows and houses in gardens and also Baan klangaow which is similar but the Banito is by far the nicest we've stayed in this area.
This is very local style area but suits us just fine, rest of family going back to BKK and onwards to hometowns tomorrow but we just go back to HH to see what hopefully will be our new house in a few months. Ban Krud Beach / Bang Saphan is just around an hour north of Chumphon where the boats and Jet-Cats go to Koh Tao, Koh Phangan and onwards to Koh Samui, it's the route I sometimes suggest for those who want to 'beach hop' along the coast to Koh Tao / Samui.

To add to my earlier post, the New Year started well and the police recovered everything stolen from us and arrested the culprits. Excellent work from an oft maligned police force.

Glad that worked out Tangata. Someone is looking for a nice place for Valentine's Day Dinner in CM, guess you have some ideas for them. We are still around HH, is so relaxing here compared with Jomtien, busy looking at houses, schools etc are sorted but trying to find ADSL lines etc.
How long are you in CM for?