Tamara's Adventuresome February Thailand/Cambodia Trip! Several posts on this thread!
 

It has been one week and four days since we returned from our Thailand/Cambodia trip. Some of you may recall a post that I made before I left titled “Tamara’s Upcoming Thailand Trip: Dark Cloud Hanging Over It”. My dear friend Gloria, a breast cancer survivor, had been diagnosed with liver cancer and the prognosis was 3-9 months to live.

One week before we left Gloria went in for a chemo treatment and had to be admitted to the hospital due to very low white blood cell count. 3 days before we left the doctor took her husband and I aside and told us her liver was failing and she had maybe 3 weeks left. We were devastated. Her mom and her husband insisted I leave for my trip. It is with great sadness that I report that she died on Feb. 6th, two days into my trip, 4 days before her 50th birthday. I am thankful to her family that they waited until I returned to have the memorial.

We arrived in Bangkok on Sunday, Feb. 5th at about noon. Needless to say, Gloria’s death changed the mood of my trip significantly. We missed out on many things because I could only sit in our room, grieving over the death of one of my dearest friends in the world. At this point I am considering going back to Thailand in November so I can fully appreciate all it has to offer.

Now, with all that being said, I will post my trip report that many of you have been anticipating. Andy, thanks for the extension on the due date for my post! ;-) Karen, you put me to shame by posting so soon after your return!

I will post the photos soon. I have photographs of most of our accommodations as well. If you need them right away I will post them but they won’t be titled.

Bangkok:

Flight - We flew EVA Evergreen Deluxe from Portland, OR to Bangkok. This was well worth the extra $250 each RT! The seats were roomy with ample recline although the footrest on the seat was definitely not designed with tall farangs in mind! It has been said before and we will confirm that the food borders on inedible. I am glad we brought some trail mix along. The cost for our flight was $1250 or so per person.

Arrival at BKK - Do not purchase your taxi fare in the inside area where there are several transportation stands. These will cost you 700 baht, double what you will pay at the taxi stand outside. Walk outside and line up at the Taxi Stand. You will see it when you walk outside. The fare will be about 350 baht. The toll freeway is worth the extra 50 baht.

Centre Pointe Silom Serviced Apartment – We highly recommend this place!! Our 1 bedroom apartment was about 800 sq ft. We requested a top floor so we were up on the 19th floor with great views of the city. Large living room with stereo and big TV, full galley style kitchen, huge bedroom with sitting area and a big marble bathroom with shower and a separate bath tub. We paid $80 US including breakfast and tax. We both enjoyed the breakfast here as well. There were lots of western options along with some great Thai dishes every morning. It is well located very close to the sky train and the water taxi. http://www.centrepoint.com/Virtual/Silom_OneBR.aspx

Asia Hotel: We decided to stay an extra night in Bangkok so we changed our flight. Unfortunately, the Centre Point Silom was full so we transferred to the Asia Hotel. Not a bad place but not as nice as the Centre Point and the cost was the same per night. I think it would have been cheaper if we had booked in advance over the internet. The location is great since it is literally connected to the sky train!

I am not entirely happy with this place but it was partly my fault. First of all, they charged us for breakfast even though we told them we were going to check out at 5:30 a.m. and breakfast didn’t start until 6:00. I didn’t look closely at the bill until it was too late to do anything about it. $80 per night

They also arranged an airport taxi for our flight and charged us 700 baht. I was tired and hung over from over indulgence the previous night so I didn’t look for other options. It should have only been a 350 baht ride to the airport.

The Davis Hotel: We stayed here at the end of our trip. This is a nice hotel but it definitely caters to the business traveler and the room wasn’t terribly exciting. The location was ok. It is not right on the sky train but they offer a tuk tuk ride to the sky train and it leaves every ½ hour. You will need to catch a cab back. Breakfast choices included western and Asian dishes but it wasn’t as good as the Centre Point breakfast and service was a bit impersonal. I would not stay there again. $80 per night

Sites and Neighborhoods:

Getting to Wat Pho via River Taxi – We walked to Central Pier to catch the water taxi which is about a 5 minute walk from Centre Point Silom. There are many different types of boats so this can be confusing at first. There is a small billboard that explains the different types of taxi boats. The express boats don’t stop at every stop so make sure you get on the correct boat. Once you board someone will come by and request 5-25 baht depending on what type of boat and what time of the day. It is amazing that these people can keep track of who has paid and who hasn’t! Try to avoid rush hour crush! You will feel like a sardine in a tin can!

Wat Pho – The reclining Buddha is a site to behold. Unfortunately it is very crowded. Near the feet you can pay 100 baht for a handful of coins and drop these into black buckets that are lined up along the back of the reclining Buddha. I did take note that there are a couple of nationalities that consistently show disregard to the dress code when entering a Wat. I won’t mention which nationalities but for those of you that travel frequently I am sure you know the answer. We spent about 1 ½ hours here.

Wat Arun – Much quieter than Wat Pho although we weren’t there at dawn or dusk as is recommended by the guide books. It might be busier during those times. We spent about ½ an hour here.

Grand Palace – This is truly grand! If you only have one day in Bangkok I would put this at the top of your list! We took the river taxi and arrived at about 8:25, before the gate opened. There were a few others coming in at this time but we were able to explore without the crowds and heat that midday visitors would experience. We spent about 3 hours here.

Jim Thompson House – This is a beautiful old teak house filled with antiques. I wanted to move in! There is a compulsory ½ hour tour that runs every 15 minutes. The café is a must for lunch! More about the café under “Libations and Chow”.

China Town – As others have mentioned, China town is a must see even if you have explored China towns in other major cities. It is congested, polluted, crowded, an assault on your senses and absolutely fascinating! We wandered around here for a couple of hours before heading back to our hotel for a shower and a break from the sweltering heat. Did I mention it is HOT?!

Khao San Road: After we left the JT house we didn’t have any plans. We noticed that there was a klong at the end of the road. We took a look at our map and discovered that this klong would let us off near Khao San Road. We took a left out of the JT house and then took a right along the klong to the taxi stop. We boarded the boat for our adventure!

The skipper of the boat raises a tarp up the sides of the boat to protect the passengers from the foul water. When the captain gets close to the next stop the tarp is lowered so people can get on and off. There is also a roof on these boats to protect from the sun. We were amazed when the roof started to come down toward our heads in order for the boat to go under a very low bridge!

Khao San Road is really an unusual experience and a feast for the senses. We wandered around for a bit before stopping for a couple of cold ones at a bar with a big outdoor area right along Khao San Rd. We ended up meeting a group of crazy guys that forced us to drink too many margaritas! We had a grand time watching the world go by as we visited with our new friends. We arrived at this bar around 4:00 in the afternoon and neither of us has any idea what time we took a cab back to the Asia Hotel! We also don’t have any idea what the name of the bar was. Blame it on Jose Cuervo!

More to follow on this same thread...

Libations and Chow:

Sky Bar for a Drink – The sky bar is located in the State Tower Building at the very top. I beer will run you close to $8 a pop but the view and ambiance are well worth the splurge! The bar sits at the corner of the large outdoor area adjacent to the Sirocco restaurant. The bar is illuminated and the lights change color. There is a dress code but semi casual is no problem. I wore capri pants a blouse and sandals and Peter wore long khakis and a polo shirt.

Sirocco restaurant for dinner – Also located at the top of the State Tower Bldg. We didn’t have reservations but we only waited about 10 minutes for a table. High above the busy streets below, the air is cooler, quieter and it even seems cleaner. This restaurant is the perfect place for a romantic dinner. I had a Caesar salad and Peter had the lobster bisque as a starter. Both of these were delicious! I had snapper, which was mediocre at best, but Peter’s prawn dish was incredible! Dinner for 2 ran us about $150 including two beers for Peter and one beer for me. Very expensive for Bangkok. I don’t think I would dine here again although we didn’t regret it.

Jim Thompson Café – Great food and beautiful elegant décor! I am still dreaming of that pomelo salad! I tried to make it at home but we can only find red pomelo and it just isn’t the same. If anyone has the recipe book for the JT house please forward the pomelo salad recipe my way! I will eat here again on my next visit.

Rosebieng Restaurant – What really stood out about this place were the guests. Most of the tables had much older men paired with, you guessed it, very young beautiful Thai girls. It is a fairly nice restaurant and apparently a good place to impress a “date”.

The food was very good although it was almost too spicy. I had the steamed squid with lime, garlic and peppers. The portions were very large and the food and service were good.

Bed Supper Club – We stopped in here for cocktails after dinner one night. We really enjoyed this place! I am not sure what it is about bars in Bangkok but this one also had lights that would change colors every 15 seconds or so. It is a trendy club filled with beautiful people. A good mix of Thais and tourists.

We watched a very interesting interaction between a beautiful young Thai girl and a western guy. I called it spider and fly. The young lady was flaunting herself very close to this young guy. He kept watching her until finally he spoke to her. Within minutes she had her arms around his waist, pulling him close. He must have found out she wanted money because within ½ hour he disengaged himself and moved out the spider’s web. Entertainment at its best!

Tawandaeng Brewery – This is another place I will be sure to go back to! A Thai businessman owns it but the brewer is from Dusseldorf. It is a HUGE place and it fills up by about 7:00 pm on the weekend. The food was better than we expected and the beer was decent. Very tall tubes of beer with keg type taps on them are delivered to the tables serving larger parties but you can also order the beer by the ½ litre or litre. Live entertainment on stage kept things interesting. Mostly Thai hipster crowd. As we left we took note of the parking lot. It was full of brand new Mercedes and BMW’s.

I am sorry to say that we didn’t really experience the full gamut of restaurants while in Bangkok due to the time I spent grieving. I didn’t have much of an appetite.

Shopping:
Chatachuk Weekend Market – Great shopping here with some incredible bargains! There were very few tourists at this market, maybe 10% or so from what we could see. I recommend going early in the morning when the heat is still bearable. We arrived at about 10 and left by 1 or so.

MBK – We walked into this mall and right back out again after less than 5 minutes. Neither of us are big fans of malls. MBK didn’t impress us.

Siam Paragon: This is a huge new luxury mall that still has a lot of vacant space. Very upscale with beautiful things at prices high compared to the outdoor markets but the merchandise is top notch. We just walked in and checked it out for about ½ an hour. Lots of older men walking around with very stylishly dressed beautiful Thai women. This phenomenon is seen in many places around Bangkok. I guess that there is something to be said about symbiotic relationships!

Transportation:

The sky train is fantastic! It is cool and efficient although it doesn’t extend to all of Bangkok. There are two lines and it will cost between 10-40 baht depending on what zone you are traveling to.

The river taxi is also a great way to get around. It is much cooler on the water than in the streets of Bangkok.

Don’t get taken by the tuk tuk drivers! They often request double what it would cost to take an air-conditioned metered taxi! They may tell you the fare is 200 baht for a short distance. We had this happen a couple of times but we just walked away and took a taxi.

Metered taxis are a great way to get around and very inexpensive. Every one that we rode in had air conditioning and it was a welcome relief.

Activities:

Yes, even an outdoor sport! We did a 4 hour bicycle tour with Amazing Bangkok Cycling. The owner is a Dutch guy named Michel and he was a hoot! You think we are crazy? I have to agree but we both said it was something we would do again. We met at the ABC along with 2 other people that were going on this tour. It was nice that it was a small group.

We began our ride through some back streets in Bangkok, stopped for a visit in a glove factory where we watched how gloves were made. No air conditioning in this work place, just fans and it was HOT! From there we rode through a fresh food market. In one stall there were fresh chickens with numbers on them. They could be ordered live and taken home to cook fresh that night. There were not tourists in this market and they all looked at us as if we were insane!

After riding to the river we carried our bikes on to a long tail boat to cross over the Chao Phraya River. Once we crossed over we were in a different world! We biked along narrow cement sidewalks that were raised above the canals about 6 feet or so. Let me tell you, these were not straight passages! They zigzagged like a high mountain pass and we would slow around every curve to make sure we didn’t hurl ourselves into the canal! We passed by rural homes for a couple of hours, taking in sites that I can’t even put into words. This was really one of our best days in Bangkok!

Along our bike route we stopped at small schools to watch the children play games, we had ice cream from a small bike driven cart and we drank a refreshing beverage at a tiny neighborhood grocery.

We rode through small streets that passed through banana groves and beautiful greenery.

On our way back to the bike place we rode our bikes through rush hour traffic. Talk about an adrenalin rush! We would weave in and out of the cars that were stopped at a traffic light and then as soon as the light turned green we peddled fast and furious in order to avoid asphyxiating on the fumes left behind from the cars. To no avail…

I will sum up our Bangkok trip with a few observations but I am happy to answer any questions.

Favorite things in Bangkok:

Bargain shopping at Chatachuk weekend market

The bike tour with Amazing Bangkok Cycling

Lunch at Jim Thompson Café

Tawandaeng Brewery

Drinks at the Sky Bar

Grand Palace

Drinks at BedSupper Club

People watching on Khao San Rd.

These things are not in order of preference but I added them to give you a sense of what we found most enjoyable. As you can see, I enjoyed MANY things in Bangkok!

Things we didn’t find time to do but hope to next time:

Day trip to floating market
Dinner at Harmonique

Suan Lum Night Bazaar (if it is still open when we visit again)

Visit to the Jim Thompson Outlet Store

Experience at one of the luxury movie theatres

Muay Thai kick boxing

Vimanmek Teak Mansion

Exploring the neighborhoods more

I will post more about our trip on this same thread in a couple of days. Next comes Ko Phi Phi and Krabi…

Tamara - I am so sorry that your friend passed away. It must be a devastating loss. Making the decision to go to Thailand must have been very difficult, but I think your friend Gloria would have wanted you to go and live life to the full. It sounds as though you did that, even if you perhaps didn't do as much as you had planned in the circumstances.

Lovely detailed trip report btw, looking forward to your next adventure.

Thinking of you
BB

Tamara-I'm sorry to hear of Gloria's passing. My mother died two weeks before our first trip to Thailand. I took some solace in the Buddhist attitude towards life and death.

Your report is wonderful. It conveys your delight in the magic of BKK. I look forward to the other locations.

Tamara,

I am sorry to read of your sad loss of your dear friend.

Thank you for posting so fully in the circumstances and I am enjoying all the detail.

The bike tour sounds fantastic, but I can't imagine pedalling through that traffic. It sounds like you saw a side of Bangkok that is somewhat off the tourist trail. I hope you kept your mouth firmly shut on that klong ride from JT House. Despite the tarps on the sides, I was still splashed with that foul water. Did you notice the hard helmets the boatmen wear? Do you think they have to duck to avoid the low bridges as they speed along?!

Looking forward to the rest of your report.

BB, the reason I decided to go through with this trip is because I knew Gloria would have wanted me to go. It was on the top of her list of places to visit so I saw everything through her eyes.

Andy, you are spot on about finding comfort in the Buddhist way. The smiles each day warmed my heart!

Kippy, although riding bikes through Bangkok traffic was a harrowing experience, we both noticed how careful the cars were about NOT hitting us. Prior to this tour we had already been amazed that we had not been witness to any mishaps with all the different types of transportation vying to move forward through traffic.

Yes, we did take note of the helmut the skipper had on! I would guess those low bridges do have something to do with that! :-)

Tamara so sorry to hear of your loss. Continuing with your trip was without doubt the right thing. Take care.

Thanks for your report you may be the one that has really convinced me to go for the Center Point to stay with all the great reports yours cap them off and will probably push me in that direction so Thank you. I have just skimmed over the rest of your report because I really should be working but I can see I am going to really enjoy reading it properly.

Thanks again J

Jules, I will soon be posting photos of all our accomodations during our 3 week trip. I have some great ones of Centre Point so keep your eyes out.

I separated the accomodation photos from all my other photos so they will be easy to find.

I also separated the Thailand photos from the Cambodia photos.

I will be posting a link to them all as soon as I put captions on all of them!

Now, get back to work! ;-)

Tamara,

I haven't read the report yet, I just want to say how sorry I am for the loss you have experienced. It was a hard decision for you and I hope you don't feel guilt.

Two years ago one of my sisters got very sick. One of her best friends was leaving for Egypt and actually debated not going to see how Elain was doing. But she urged to go on her trip anyway. Elain passed away while the friend was gone.

She called from Egypt to find out how Elain was doing. We didn't tell her because we didn't want her trying to get on the next plane home. We wanted her to finish her vacation and enjoy it.

There was lots of time to grieve when she returned.

Thanks Wayne. I am sorry for your loss as well.

I do not feel guilty about going. Gloria's mom and her husband urged me to go. I made them promise to tell me everything, no matter what and they held to their promise.

I couldn't have been in a better country when this took place. I really did find peace visiting the wats.

I will have to return to Thailand soon!

great report....thanks so much for sharring....look forward to more..

bob

Well, Bob, I had to repay the favor since you posted such a nice report on your last trip.

As I write this next chapter of our trip, it is SNOWING in Portland, OR!!!! We rarely get snow at any time of the year but this is March and it is extremely rare to get snow this late! It is a winter wonderland here with about 3 inches on the ground. I am dreaming of the tropical beaches of Thailand...

Ko Phi Phi:

For many years I have dreamed of staying in a bungalow on the beach in Thailand. Peter tends to like fancy accommodations and I tend to lean towards places with more character. I had to talk him into going a bit more rustic than usual and he was glad that I did on Ko Phi Phi!

We opted for simplicity while on this small island. There was little info to be found on Toh Ko Bungalows but we trusted our luck and booked this place for 2 nights. It seems I have an innate ability to “sense” out amazing accommodations on all of our trips.

This place is located on the eastern side of K0 Phi Phi Don and it is only accessible via long tail boat. The only accommodations on the beach are these bungalows and there are 20 of them. When the bungalows fill up they will put guests in tents on the beach. Our bungalow was literally a stones throw from the ocean!

The owner of Toh Ko Bungalows is a lovely lady named Pon. The most important thing on her agenda is making her guest feel at home and she does a fabulous job as a host! She kept teasing Peter about his buddha belly!

I can’t say enough about this place! It was truly a slice of paradise!

We ended up with the “superior” bungalow. It will sleep 4 people. There is a flush toilet and a cold water shower hose that you can use in the bathroom. It was very refreshing after spending a day in the ocean and sun. I think the cost was 800 Baht a night so about $20 US.

As I was researching this trip I had asked the question, “is air-conditioning a necessity in Thailand” and everyone said it was. I must disagree with this. We had an electric fan in our room and with the windows open it was very comfortable! We were lulled to sleep by the sound of the ocean!

There is a restaurant on the beach and the food is very good! Later in the evening everyone heads up to the beach bar about 100 yards away to top off the night. The people that were staying here were great! It is small enough that you get to know your neighbors quite well!

Pon has a longtail boat captain that will take you to other islands for 300 baht for several hours. We headed over to Ko Phi Phi Leh for some great snorkeling and, of course, a visit to “The Beach”. Personally, I could have skipped “The Beach”. We stopped at some other places that were much nicer.

On the way back the ocean was quite rough. Peter and another guy we met named David sat white knuckled as waves crashed over the boat while I laughed hysterically. I love roller coasters for the thrill and this was definitely a thrill equal to a mild rollercoaster! We were drenched to the bone by the time we arrived back at Toh Ko.

The three of us immediately ordered a round of beer and toasted the fact that we arrived without having to swim from a capsized boat!

We spent some time exploring Tonsai Beach. This is the apple core shaped beach that was devastated by the tsunami in Dec. 2004. It is recovering and there are new resorts being built. We were glad we didn't stay on this part of the island as it is far too touristy for our taste.

We only spent 2 nights at Toh Ko Bungalows but I could have spent a week relaxing in the beach chairs, visiting islands and meeting up with other travelers. It is definitely a different feel from a mega resort and I really liked that aspect of Toh Ko!

As we were getting ready to leave, Pon gave me a big hug. She then reached out to Peter, put her hands on his sweaty belly and gave it a big kiss!! It was a precious moment and I couldn't stop laughing! I will visit again one day.

I took many photos of these bungalows that I will be posting a link to as soon as I get captions on them.

Next chapter will be the Krabi region...

Tamara, my condolences on the loss of your dear friend.

You are so right about air conditioning not being a necessity if you are right on the beach! Of course, there aren't a lot of accommodations like the great bungalows you described. Most beach places are situated farther back from the water and don't catch the cooler air the way yours did.

It sounds like a great trip - I'm looking forward to more!

(No snow in Seattle today, but it's predicted for tonight - makes me want to be back in Thailand, too!)

Kathie, it is still snowing here and I think my blood thinned while I was in Thailand because I can't seem to get warm. Brrrrr!

BTW, we also stayed in a bungalow in Chiang Dao and it only had a fan. We actually slept with blankets over us.

you can have all the places in thailand without a/c...i will not stay there period, i don't care what you NW people say...

Bob, you are too funny! Seriously, when it is 75 degrees and breezy you don't need air conditioning! :-)

It was the perfect tempurature in in both of our fabulous bungalows!

Cheers!

Tamara

Tamara,
Thank you so much for posting your report. I really look forward to reading the rest. Condolences for the loss of your friend. That had to be really hard to leave given the circumstances, but I know she would have wanted you to go and enjoy Thailand.

Tamara,
I too send condolences on your loss. I understand the peace you would feel in Thailand.

Another lover of Tawandaeng Brewery!! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It is such a fun place. I see you also enjoyed the view and ambience at Sky Bar.

Keep the trip report coming. It's a great read. Brings back lots of fond memories.

Carol

LA and Carol, thanks for the words of comfort. I missed a lot on this trip because spent a fair amount of time grieving in my hotel room. Because of that (and also because I loved Thailand!) I am trying to figure out if it will be feasable to go again for 3 weeks in Nov.

I appreciate your report and am sorry for your loss. Keep it coming and if you can return in November by all means, do.

T-I don't know whether this will encourage or discourage you, but Bob and I will be in BKK 11/28/06-12/1/06. Bob will be there for Loy Krathong, earlier in the month.

Tamara, we will also be in Bangkok in November, for a few days near the beginning of the month (including Loy Krathong) and a few days near the end of the month (though we'll just miss GPanda.)

Kathie, what is Loy Krathong? Is it one of the New Year celebrations?

If I put this trip together I would love to try to meet up for a cold chang with you all! It is conditional though. Andy, you would not be able to wear the speedo! ;-)

Tamara

BTW, I posted a separate thread with a link to my photos but I will put it here as well.

www.windjammer.smugmug.com

The best way to view is to click "slideshow" in the upper right corner.

I hope you all enjoy and feel free to leave a comment on a photo in the album that you particularly appreciate!

Cheers!

Tamara

I just looked up Loi Krathong in one of my guide books! Can someone tell me what date the full moon is in Nov? Where is the best place to experience it?

I bet it is a site to behold!

T-Loy Krathong is amazing. We were in Chiang Mai in 2004 for LK and the sky was alive with floating lanterns.

In my defense, there were many Europeans at the Sheraton Krabi with much smaller bathing suits. Mine was somewhat demure.

I was in Bangkok for Loy Krathong last year and it was delightful! You want to be by the river where people are floating their Krathongs and so you can see the fireworks. We stayed in a suite at the Royal Orchid, and watched one set of fireworks after another, the shells often breaking at our eye level. (You may remember all the fireworks photos from Cheryl's website.) Let's see, this year, it's on Nov. 5, I believe. I can't find my notes, it might be Nov 6.

Tamara - very much enjoyed hearing about your Bangkok experiences. Was wanting to compare notes with what we did! The klong trip after Jim Thompson sounds great - wish we'd known to do that. Also, we arrived at the Grand Palace about 15 minutes after it opened and had a VERY different experience from yours. It was already packed with people.

The bike tour does sound wonderful (and your pics are great, by the way). It's definitely on my list for next time.

Eagerly awaiting more!

Tamara-
My condolences on the loss of your friend. I know how much you agonized over going before you left.

Just want to say that I'm enjoying your report very much and also checked out all your photos! Some of those from Siem Reap are identical to mine. I enjoyed the trip to the Lake as well when we were there.

I was also interested to see the photos of the Sunset Tropical as were were thinking of staying there at one point (now going to Phuket instead). Did your room have any view-my understanding was that they do not.

Can't wait for more...

really cool report nice range of places you visited, I think you got a good taste of what bkk has to offer.

that cycle tour seems kick ass. I'm still weary about riding a bike in bkk, hell yesterday as I was walking on the side walk on rama 4 a motorcycle rode up behind me a clipped my foot.

orgy---we miss you!!!!

bob and the rest of fodors

Thanks for the info, Kathie! Sounds magical!

Karen, I am curious as to what day you visited the Grand Palace. Was it on the weekend? Maybe that is the difference. BTW, I did pick up that little note pad you asked me to get for you at JT House. You have my email address still, right? Send me your mailing address and I will send it to you. You owe me a beer when our paths cross again!

Kristina, the Sunrise Tropical does not have a view of the ocean. It looks the lux bungalows are all in a very tropical and beautiful garden setting with beautiful tropical foliage. This was Peter's favorite hotel on this trip. It was fantastic!

Wow, orgy! Any broken toes? The bike tour was really great! I tend to be an adrenaline junky so the ride through the traffic was quite a thrill! It is actually a good thing that we went during rush hour traffic. The traffic was moving pretty slow so we would have only been thrown 10 feet rather than 50 feet if we had been hit. ;-)

I realized that I had neglected to elaborate on out transportation from Bangkok to Ko Phi Phi so here are the details.

Our flight was scheduled to depart Bangkok at 7:40 and arrive in Bangkok at 9:05. All the research I had done indicated that there was a ferry that left for Ko Phi Phi at 9:30 and another at 1:30. We knew that we would miss the 9:30 but we would have ample time to catch the 1:30 without the stress of being stranded for a night on Phuket.

We took a taxi from the airport to the pier on Phuket. As we got out of our ferry we were approached by some people telling us the ferry was leaving at 10:30 and it was about 10:28. We hurried to get on the ferry and it took off shortly after that. This particular ferry was almost empty so we had a comfortable ride over through relatively calm waters.

We arrived on Ko Phi Phi and as soon as we hopped off the boat, people trying to steer us towards accommodations and tours surrounded us. We made it clear that we had a place and one gentleman asked us where we were staying. We told him Toh Ko and 2 seconds later he had Pon, the owner of Toh Ko was on his cell phone. Of course we had arrived early due to catching the 10:30 instead of the 1:30. She told us the longtail had already returned to the bungalows and that we could either take get a long tail and pay 400 baht or wait until they came back at 3:30. We wanted to explore Tonsai and have lunch so we agreed to wait until 3:30 for the next one so we could have a nice leisurely lunch.

We left our luggage with a tour operator that has a place right of the main pier. They don’t have any lockers but others had left their luggage so we paid 100 baht to leave our bags for a few hours.

We wandered down the main shopping strip and then settled down for lunch. 5 minutes into our lunch a guy walks up behind me and says “Tamara and Peter?” it was Ben, the guy who runs the bar at Toh Ko! He was picking up supplies so he came and found us to take us to our bungalow!

The ferry schedule is sporadic so I recommend you have plan B in place if you miss the ferry.

There is no need to worry if you arrive on Ko Phi Phi without a room. Someone will help you find one.

More to come later this weekend!

Our next adventure was ahead as we boarded the ferry from Ko Phi Phi to West Railey Beach. Someone had recommended that we board the ferry about ½ an hour before departure. We are still not sure if we were wise to heed this advice!

We boarded the ferry and found seats in the air conditioned main cabin, which was one deck below the open top deck. We settled in and watched as more and more people piled on board. By the time we departed the ferry was definitely beyond capacity with people lined up along the outside railing. Good bye view of beautiful scenery, hello view of butt cheeks leaning against the windows!

As we started the trip across the water things started off ok. I should paint a clear picture of this scene. Peter is generally a worrier and I tend to throw caution to the wind. When things get a bit scary Peter always watches my expression/reaction to see if he should, indeed, be terrified.

Within ½ hour of departure from the pier, the weather changed, the sea churned, the air conditioning failed and the boat began to list to the port side. At this point Peter wasn’t gaining much comfort in watching me! I was soon turned toward the port side with my back starboard, my feet pressed against the port side of the ferry and my eyes searching for the nearest emergency exit! Much to my dismay, there wasn’t one in the cabin. The only exit was about 10 rows behind me. The life vest in front of me would do no good underwater stuck in the cabin! We discussed moving but there really wasn’t anywhere to go.

I am sure that part of the reason the boat listed so badly was because the wind was driving the rain on to the starboard side of the ferry and everyone from that side headed to the port side to stay marginally drier. The view was also better from the port side (for those actually outside, anyway. Remember, I see nothing but butt cheeks lined up against the window!).

I have a few words of advice:

1) Avoid taking the ferry from Ko Phi Phi in the afternoon. This is when all the day trippers are returning to their originating destination.
2) If you do find yourself on board during peak travel time, make sure you are not trapped inside a cabin without emergency exits.
3) If it is windy, you will get wet on the top deck. This option is much more appealing than the situation we were in!

Don’t fret! We obviously didn’t make headline news due to the fact that I am typing this from the safety of my home office!

We arrived NEAR West Railey and we were piled on to a smaller boat to make the 3 minute journey to the shore. You will not be deposited on dry land so make sure you are prepared by wearing shorts and water sandals. The water is shallow but you will probably be up to your knees.

West Railey is really a spectacular setting with the karst cliffs surrounding it! Once we were deposited on the beach we had no idea where to go. Porters of the hotels on West Railey met their guests but we were left to fend for ourselves since we were staying on East Railey. One of the porters took pity on us and allowed us to put our bags on his cart until we got to solid ground.

There is a concrete path that leads from West to East Railey. The porter said it was a 15-minute walk. It actually took us less than 5 minutes to get to East Railey and the path is smooth so if you have a rolling bag it is a breeze, especially if your hotel is located right at the east end of the path as ours was.

More to come…

Thank you so much for the info on the ferries! I'll be sure to take your advice on seating :) I can't wait to read the rest of your report, especially about Sunrise Tropicl. I am booked at Central Krabi Bay Resort, but I really debated between there and Sunrise Tropical. I also have the option of leaving Koh Lipe a day early in order to spend one night at Sunrise and to spend a little more time in Railay than a day trip. Then again, I'm afraid I won't want to leave Lipe early either! Decisions, decisions.

now i remember why we avoid ferry boats of all kinds in 3rd world countries.... we were worried about the koh chang boat, but it was ok

V good tip not to go into the cabin of the boat. Aside from issues of being trapped in there, it is the worst place for seasickness by far! Better to be wet and be up top than green and down below :(

I'm sorry not to offer my condolences on the loss of your friend Gloria earlier but I've been away a few days. Now I'm trying to catch up. I've looked at your photos - great and thanks for the ones you put up of Centre point - nice to get the really thing not the ones smartened up for a website.

Glad you have had a good trip despite your sadness.

Krabi:

We arrived at the reception area of Sunrise Tropical Resort and we were greeted with a nice glass of fresh pineapple juice although I could have gone for something a bit stronger after that harrowing ferry ride!

Sunrise Tropical Resort - Our room was stunning! It was spacious and comfortable and nicely decorated with beautiful wood furnishings. The bed was up on a raised platform so it had a very throne like feel to it. There was a step down into what I would call the “dressing/make-up area” and then another step down into the bathroom. Although this bungalow was a one level there are a few steps to navigate. The tile in the bathroom reminded me of pralines-n-cream ice cream! We reserved a standard bungalow but the deluxe ones have an outside shower. We paid about $80 USD during high season.

Our bungalow was a free standing one but we noticed that others were attached to another unit. All the bungalows are located in a very nicely landscaped tropical area. We are not big on pools so we didn’t use it.

The restaurant does have a view of the ocean. It is laid out very nicely and has a romantic ambiance. It is too bad the food doesn’t mirror the atmosphere. I think the resort tries too hard to cater to the western palate. We had dinner there one night and breakfast each morning. Dinner was not memorable so I can’t even tell you what we ate. The breakfast was very odd but there were plenty of choices including fruit, omelets and noodles. I am not quite sure how hot dogs fit into the breakfast picture but they were there every day in one or two different forms.

Beaches –

West Railey – This is a beautiful stretch of beach with several bars and restaurants. When the tide is low there is a very wide beach with some good beach combing opportunities near the cliff walls. The best way I can describe the sand is that it felt like I was walking on powdered sugar! The softest, finest sand I have ever felt and I have been to many islands and beaches! In the evenings the bars put out on the beach. Candles are lit and drinks are brought out to the people enjoying the sunset. This beach is very nice albeit crowded with tourists.

East Railey – During high tide the tree trunks are a couple of feet deep in water and it is actually quite a pretty site. At low tide it is just a big mud flat although still appealing in an odd sort of way. In the evenings a huge tractor with a flat bed behind it would take divers out to a boat for their night dives. There are many bars and restaurants along this beach and it is definitely more geared toward partiers than West Railey. In my opinion, it doesn’t really matter if you stay on East Railey or West Railey. Many of the places on West Railey had bungalows that backed up to East Railey.

Phra Nang – This is a must visit at sunset! We went here the first night and then returned with Andrew and Anka, some new friends from Seattle that we had met. Andrew and Anka had been traveling for a few months and hadn’t had any decent wine in a while. I was happy to share a bottle of red that I had brought with me from home. We spent a couple of hours on this beach laughing and drinking in the spectacular scenery (and the wine!). This is one of those beaches that make you think that no other beach would ever compare.

Ao Nang: We took a long tail over here to spend the day and we were relieved that we had not chosen to stay there. There is a main road that separates the beach from the shops and hotels. This area reminded me a lot of some of the beaches I have been to in Florida or California. Lots of shops selling trinkets, a few cool bars, dive shops and tourist info places. As we were just beginning to explore this developed little area the rain began so we stopped to have lunch at Phra Nang Kitchen. The service was so terrible that it was laughable and it WASN”T busy! It was a good ten minutes before someone even took our drink order and another 10 for our drinks to arrive. We almost walked out and after our lunch was delivered we wished that we would have! It was hardly edible. We then wandered up the road away from the beach and stopped in for a couple of cold beers at Chanaya’s Thai Dutch restaurant. We loved this little place! There were so many plants in and surrounding this place that we felt like we had a table in the jungle!

Kayaking – We did a ½ day kayak trip to Ao Thalene with @rt Canoeing (that @ sign is not a typo). We took a songthao to the starting point, donned our life vests and headed out into the water. There were only 6 of us plus the guide. Actually, the guide didn’t speak much English so I guess I just considered him our leader. We kayaked through beautiful mangrove forests with towering cliffs. We made a quick stop at a small beach and I shot some photos of the monkeys. These little guys are not shy having been subjected to the flashing bulbs of cameras their entire lives. I enjoyed this trip but would I do it again here? Probably not but we were happy that we did it. We have breathtaking kayaking areas near where I live (sans monkeys) so it wasn’t much of a novelty for us.

I had hoped to dive while over in this area but it rained 2 out of the three days we were there and the visibility wasn’t desirable.

My general impression of our stay in this area is that it has some truly magical scenery but the food was unremarkable. There isn’t a particular place that we ate or had a drink that stands out so I apologize for not being able to provide more details.

If you are a rock climber this is the place to be. I am not a climber so I don’t think I would visit Krabi unless I returned to Thailand with someone who insisted in visiting this area. Keep in mind that my opinion may have been affected due to so much rain for 2 days.

Feel free to ask questions.

I will post info about our fabulous visit to Siem Reap in the next installment. Thanks for your patience!

thanks for this addition