Perhaps a mysterious gravitational force is what draws me inexorably back to amazing Thaiand. This beautiful country and her kind and gracious hosts never fail to disappoint, and there are always more beautiful islands to explore for the first time. After all, this is one of the world’s premier travel destinations. The only change I would note since my last visit is the recent obligation for travellers to complete an online form prior to arrival, but it’s a breeze and only takes a few minutes. To the best of my recollection the immigration official didn’t even look at the QR code, and it seems a drama free entry is still pretty much a formality. Anecdotally I had heard a lot of western tourists have been overstaying their visas, perhaps this is why they have tightened up the immigration procedures. Anyways, a quick flight from Sydney on my favourite Singapore Airlines via a brief stopover at Changi airport, and here I am back in Thailand.
How wonderful, I am full of anticipation at the commencement of five weeks exploring South East Asia. Thailand is the gateway to South East Asia, and the planned itinerary includes revisiting Laos and Cambodia after twenty long years. The first thing that strikes me every time I visit Thailand is how easy and effortless Thais make the travel experience. As I mentioned, I was through immigration and customs in next to no time, and sorted with a local SIM card in five minutes flat. Heading downstairs at Suvarnabhumi airport, travellers will be in an authorised taxi within five minutes for the trip to the heart of bustling Bangkok. I booked in to a hostel near the centre of tourism, and found myself nursing a Chang beer as I soaked up the experience of being overseas. I booked a tuk tuk tour the next morning with the staff, and my driver took me to visit the magnificent temples of Bangkok. It has been many years since I had taken the time to visit, and the temples with their gorgeous grounds are world class. The Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun on the river are all superb travel destinations and wonderful for photography. This includes the gardens which are also exquisitely maintained. Don’t forget to bring (or buy) long pants for the visit to ensure entry.
I caught a minivan down to Krabi, and linked up with a driver to the coast for the ferry ride to Phi Phi Island. It has been twenty years since last visiting, and I have always wanted to return. Unfortunately the Andaman Sea receives substantially more rain than the Gulf of Thailand during the monsoon season, but it’s so warm the constant rain is an inconvenience at best. I checked in to a lovely little hostel with a kind host and I was the only guest during my stay in low season. After a few days I booked on a boat trip that visited Monkey Beach, Maya Bay, Rileh lagoon and finally swimming with the plankton after dark. It was a super day with absolutely divine views. Maya Bay is the location for Di Caprio’s The Beach and is a magnificent location. What a great day, despite the rain at times!
I pushed on to Ao Nang which started with a two hour ferry ride, and then a minibus to the centre of town. This is my first visit to the town, and I’m glad to be here. The weather, however, proved to be quite dire, but its all part of the fun of being on the road. The next morning I booked a seat on a long tail boat to the legendary Railay Beach. The peninsula features stunning cliffs surrounding the beach, and the little town centre is super cute. I was lying on the beach in the morning taking advantage of a little sun when two local ladies walked by. They simply informed me rain is coming. These ladies really know the signs, for within five minutes there was a torrential downpour and galeforce winds that had me scrambling for cover. I booked on a boat trip the next day, which started on the other side of the peninsula, before we visited three other islands during a wonderful day on the water. The islands within Phi Phi National Marine Park are stunning, and the tour included a delicious lunch on an island paradise in the company of great fellow travellers.
The next day I booked on another tour of the Hong Islands. The weather was dire during the day, but due to the warmth of Thailand it never became unpleasant. This tour included several secluded islands that are absolutely beautiful. The only downside, if you could call it that, is the number of longtail boats full of tourists that all seem to arrive at the same time. Some magical power always seems to draw me back to Koh Samui, my favourite island in all of Thailand. I was on this paradise only three years ago and it wasn’t part of the initial plan, but before I knew it I was on a minibus across the narrow strip of the country to the Gulf of Thailand, and then jumped on a ferry to Koh Samui. A tip for travellers that I have learnt through the benefit of experience. The weather during monsoon season on the Andaman Sea can be quite severe, and after arriving in Koh Samui it was like being in another country.
There were brief downpours in the early evening, but it was amazing to relax like a lizard in the sun back on Chaweng beach under blue skies and warm waters on the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Samui fits like a glove for me, I even chose to return to the same hotel I stayed in three years ago. The staff are different, but the service and quality of the hotel remains at a high standard. The motorbike hire store across the road is still open, and with a little prompting the owner recognised me from the last trip. Koh Samui entailed riding out to either Chaweng or Lamai beach for days full of sunshine, superb meals at the multitude of restuarants on the island and enjoying the nightlife with live bands and a vibrant atmosphere. I love this island and ended up staying nearly a week.
I wanted to go on a separate boat trip from last time when I visited the magnificent Ang Thong National Marine park, so booked on the day tour to Pig Island, which included a snorkelling stop out in the ocean. I had seen footage and photos from Instagram about this location, so figured it was time to visit in person to find out what all the fuss is about. It is a one of a kind travel experience, with Koh Mudsum being very picturesque. The free roaming pigs are everywhere, and are known to be friendly. However the guide issued a stern warning not to try and feed the pigs, or you may end up losing a finger or two. I really enjoyed the visit, at one stage I was relaxing on a deck chair taking in the sun and a pig walked right up from the shore and passed in front of me while checking me out. The tour group enjoyed a great day under blue skies, as my visit to Koh Samui is the final stop on a jam packed two weeks on one of the world’s great travel destinations. Come and visit amazing Thailand where basically, all of you should be here now!
“Take only memories, leave only footprints.” Chief Seattle
As I continue my travels, until next time it’s signing off for now Tom
Tom's music blog can be found here:
http://www.tomrooneymusic.com
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