Midlifers Go East
We arrived at Krabi after deciding to fly via Kuala Lumpur.
We wanted to start our Thailand adventure from the south and then travel north. If we had flown direct to Bangkok we would have arrived in the centre of the country, so would have had to travel south to then go back on ourselves, so it kind of made sense to start at Krabi and only added around 3 hours to the initial journey.
It was a night flight so we tried to get a few hours sleep and arrived in Krabi early morning.
Transport from the airport is pretty straightforward like most airports worldwide. As soon as you are through arrivals you are greeted by numerous bus and taxi services all wanting to take you to your destination.
We opted for a shuttle minibus which was 150 baht each (just over £3), and they take you straight to your hotel.
Taxi’s seemed a fair price as well.
In Thailand it’s useful to know that you can use an app called ‘Grab’ – South East Asia’s equivalent of Uber and Bolt.Â
We were informed they are usually cheaper than standard taxis – so no doubt we will be using them often throughout our travel’s here.
It took around an hour to reach Ao Nang – the area we had chosen to spend our first 3 nights. We stayed at a lovely hotel -just off the main drag – which was in a quiet location but still only a 5 minute walk to where it was all happening.
We had a quick walk the first morning to familiarise ourselves with the area. After a month in Sri Lanka, as beautiful as it had been, it was a nice change to have something a little more western in style. An abundance of shops, bars, restaurants, supermarkets and if you were missing home, McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks etc.
We weren’t missing anything like this yet but it’s still nice to know that it’s available if you want it.
Ao Nang is a tourist hotspot and home to plenty of nightlife options and has a great vibe. We had to laugh at the many marijuana cafes there were – apparently Krabi has over 142 weed shops. However, not for us, we will stick to the beer and cocktails.
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It was a good base for us for a few days as we wanted to visit one or two of the islands whilst we were here.
We spent the remainder of our first day back at the hotel pool – luxury we hadn’t had for a while.
We were entertained by an American gentleman who was doing a bit of peacocking.
A few press ups here and there when exiting the pool and practicing his golf swing with one of the hotel umbrellas. I spotted him early the next morning whilst I was having a cuppa on the balcony.
He was doing lengths of front crawl in the swimming pool with a snorkel and mask – least it gave me a laugh.
We headed down to the beachfront the next day as we wanted to do a boat trip on one of the long tail boats.
We had read there was a kiosk open from 8am located on the left as you arrive at the promenade from the Main Street.
Depending on where you are staying, there is also another kiosk at the far right side of the promenade, again offering the same trips.
You do not need to pre-book, you can just purchase tickets to many of the islands and bays and as soon as they get 8 passengers, they shout you to head to the boat.
We purchased tickets for Railay beach as I’d read it was one of the most spectacular beaches in Thailand. It costs 150 Baht each way (around £3.30).
Although Railay beach is still on the mainland it’s only accessible by boat due to the high limestone cliffs cutting off access.
It’s only a short boat ride which takes just 15 minute from Ao Nang. The ride itself to Railay Beach was breathtaking and once we arrived it got even better!
We arrived on Railay beach on the west side to a powdery, white Sandy beach surrounded by limestone cliffs.
Railay is divided into 3 parts; the west side where it is possible to swim and excellent to watch the sunset, then the east side which has a mangrove setting. Although not possible to swim here, it is popular for rock climbing.
It was here we saw a parrot up in one of the trees. We were amazed at how big it was, probably had some age to it!
Mesmerised, we watched it for several minutes.
Then you cut through to Phra Nang Beach which is just a few minutes walk from West Railay Beach. You need to walk south along Railey East and follow the track all the way to the beach.
It’s a great walk as it passes by some amazing limestone formations and caves and when you arrive onto Phra Nang beach you are first dazzled by its beauty.
The photographs you see in travel brochures or websites of Krabi and Thailands beaches are just like this; so breathtaking with the white powder sand, emerald sea and magnificent limestone cliffs and surrounding islands.
There are a few caves that lie straight ahead and I had to laugh at the first cave as it was filled with ‘penis carvings’. However, I found out afterwards that they are placed here as offerings to Phra Nang, the Princess Goddess who is believed to reside in the cave and is the female spirit symbolising fertility.
It’s a sacred place and should be treated with respect when visiting.
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Both Railay beach and Phra Nang beach are stunningly beautiful.
We have visited some beautiful beaches in the world but I’d say these would take some beating.
When you arrive at the west side (where you get off the boat), the beach is lined with a few beach bars and we thought this was it, but as you walk towards the cafe bar to the far left it leads you to a street. This little street is jam packed with bars, restaurants and shops and has a really great vibe.
I was aware you could stay at Railay beach and there were quite a few different accommodation options, upmarket and budget.
However, I didn’t realise that it had that much going on, with bars and restaurants in abundance.
We would like to return and definitely spend a few days here at least.
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The other big thing we were excited about when arriving in Thailand was the food and up to now it has certainly not disappointed.
So many Thai dishes to try we will not get through even half of them.
The street vendors sell so many delicious savoury and sweet dishes for just a few baht.
Up to now though I haven’t had anything ferociously hot and the people that know me well will know that I’m a chilli fan.
When asked if we want spicy we have said ‘yes we love spice’ – but nothing yet has blown my socks off. All have been deliciously tasty but I’m missing that lip tingling chilli fire.
Hopefully, it is yet to come. (I’ll let you know).
We enjoyed our boat trip so much that the following day we decided to do another.
We decided on Hong island which takes around 1 hour on the long tail boats. This trip costs 500 baht per person and you pay another 300 baht when you arrive at the island for the national park entrance fee.
On the way to Hong island, all the boats – long tail or speedboat – take you to Hong Lagoon, where they have to navigate through a narrow rock opening to get inside the lagoon.
As you enter the lagoon the water is calm and crystal clear, and the surrounding rocks are spectacular. We were able to get off the boat for 20 minutes and as the tide was quite low were able to wade in the shallow lagoon and had an opportunity to take some photos.
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Shortly after, we arrived at Hong Island at the floating pier and from there it’s just a short walk to the Sandy beach.
It’s a beautiful beach with powdery white sand and the beach is protected on three sides by rock cliffs with just a narrow entrance to the open sea.
This makes it a perfect place for beginners and non-swimmers to snorkel – you can just stand in the water and be surrounded by hundreds of fish and with a mask and a snorkel, you can get a glimpse of this underwater world.
It was very busy when we were there as it is such a popular island to visit, but this didn’t diminish its beauty.
There are a couple of places to purchase drinks and snacks just by the beach and if you’ve got the energy you can climb the 400 or so steps to the Hong Island 360 degree view point.
It takes around 15-20 minutes to reach the viewpoint and there are rest points as you climb.
We had climbed that many steps in recent weeks, that thankfully, this climb didn’t seem to bother us so much.
However, the fear of heights got the better of Shane and he couldn’t do the last set of stairs – so I took one for the team and made it to the top alone where the scenery is absolutely stunning as you have the 360 degrees of the archipelago.
It was worth all the effort and every drop of sweat for the view.
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Back down you can also follow the nature trail which is an easy trail that goes in a loop through a stretch of trees and by the side of the limestone rocks.
You’ll find signs along the way giving information on the surrounding fauna and wildlife and we were lucky enough to see some ‘Orienral Pied Hornbill’.
So, another great trip was had by all and yet another we would highly recommend.
We enjoyed Krabi and would definitely return and spend a few more days on Railay and visit the other islands in the area we didn’t get a chance to see this time. But tomorrow we are going to move onto Koh Samui.
Onwards to ‘Koh Samui’
We decided our next stop would be Koh Samui and some of the islands in that area.
We couldn’t possibly explore the entire area – as there are so many islands and different places to visit, but we just wanted a taster, and then if necessary could always revisit if we felt we had missed out on anything.
We looked into how to get to Koh Samui just a few days beforehand – as we are trying not to forward plan too much in case we fall in love with a place and that way it means we can stay longer.
The quickest and obvious way to travel is to fly from Krabi direct to Koh Samui but that would take the fun out of our experience, so we decided to go by minibus and chose a company that combined the minibus and ferry in one price.
They also picked us up from our hotel so there was no messing about with taxis.
It was great value, just £15 each and the journey takes around 5-6 hours.
Unfortunately, we were the last to get picked up and there were already loads of rucksacks and suitcases piled high in the back of the minibus.
The driver told me to sit at the back. I couldn’t see where he meant as the van was full.
Then I spotted the tiny seat right at the back alongside all the luggage.
A guy had to move and help me climb over his seat so I could get in.
This was going to be a fun trip in the naughty corner! Shane had the luxury of being up front next to the driver.
There was also no room for our bags in the back so they had to be stored in the walkway between the seats, luckily they doubled up as arm rests for our fellow passengers.
The minibus journey to the port takes around 3 and a half hours. We made a stop around halfway to stretch our legs (mine especially),and to get refreshments.
The time passed really quickly in the naughty corner. In front of me a couple and a solo traveller chatted the whole way putting the world to rights.
The chat was interesting as they had a lot of common interests so their conversations flowed.
The solo guy was a ‘lighting technician’ for film and television and he was running through all the ‘A listers’ he had worked with and how down to earth many were; the likes of ‘Cameron Diaz’ and ‘Jennifer Aniston’ were mentioned – proper name dropping he was and I loved listening.
Shane was entertained up front as the driver had earphones in listening to music (no health and safety here), and every now and again he would burst into song to whatever he was listening to. I heard a noise from the back and wondered who was making a racket, I didn’t realise it was the drivers dulcet tones. Everyone on the minibus cracked up laughing.
Before we knew it we had arrived at the ferry port.
We had tickets booked for the 2pm sail, however, there was a ferry just about to leave at 1:30pm so we were fortunate enough to be able to get straight onto that one.
The ferry crossing takes an hour and a half. We sat upstairs so we could get a nice sea breeze and see Koh Samui in the distance getting closer as we approached.
Our ticket only took us as far as the port on Koh Samui so we took a taxi the rest of the way into Chaweng beach. It was only a 30 minute ride and onto our next adventure.
Koh Samui.
It was the afternoon by the time we arrived, smack bang in the middle of Chaweng beach on Koh Samui. The place wasn’t in full swing yet but we could see already that this was on another level after Krabi – this was Ao Nang on steroids!We were only planning on staying here for 4 days, so if it wasn’t completely our vibe I’m sure we could survive the craziness for that short length of time.We’d spoken to many people who had been here 15/20 years ago and it clearly wasn’t as developed back then. In our opinion it has been over developed and has lost the charm that I imagine it once had.Chaweng is the undisputed party capital. When the sun goes down this nightlife hub goes crazy with activity.You could be anywhere, it was like many places worldwide where it’s over touristy and certainly didn’t feel like Thailand at all.Not wanting to sound negative, as I’m sure this place is amazing for some, but the main strip was just a bit full on for us and you couldn’t see the wood for the trees with the mass of bars, restaurants, weed bars and massage parlours.
However, all was not lost as we found you could avoid this if you wanted to by heading down to the beach at night.What a total contrast within a few minutes walk.Many of the big hotels and beach clubs set up tables and chairs and big comfy bean bags on the beach where you can dine and drink listening to chill out tunes and also watch the sunset. There’s also more beach bars dotted along the bay offering happy hours.Some of the big beach clubs like the ‘Ark Bar’ still have DJ set’s on but it has much more of a cool vibe than the chaos on the strip.You also find many of these big hotels and beach clubs put on fire shows most nights and they are amazing to watch.The beach in Chaweng is beautiful. It’s a picturesque crescent shaped bay with white powdery sand and clear blue water.If you go onto the beach from central Chaweng and turn left the sea there is calmer and better for swimming.If you turn right the sea is more choppy and there were red flags in place to warn you not to swim due to the strong currents.You can also use the facilities of many of the beach clubs with a minimum spend which didn’t seem too bad around 500 baht per person for the day (approx £11).A lot less expensive than the likes of Ibiza or Santorini beach clubs, but just as fantastic with daybeds, DJ sets and swim up bars.
To get out and about from Chaweng you can use the local Songthaew’s (a pick up truck with bench seats in the back), Grab taxi’s (Thailands Uber) or by scooter or motorbike.We preferred using ‘Grab’ as it often seemed to work out the same price as the Songthaews for the two of us.A great day out from Chaweng is to ‘Fisherman’s Village’ in Bophut. It’s only a 15 minute drive.Once a thriving fishing community it’s now a popular ‘walking street’ with rustic-style buildings housing boutique stores, trendy restaurants and a small selection of hotels lining the narrow Beach Road.Every Friday, the whole area becomes the Walking Street market, attracting huge numbers of people from across the island for the amazing variety of wares, street food and the lively atmosphere.Unfortunately we didn’t get to witness the Friday market but we loved wandering the street’s and enjoyed a swim in the sea as there is also a beautiful long golden Sandy beach here.
There are lots of other things you can do on koh Samui; visit other beaches – ‘Lamai’ is a popular one, go on a day trip to ‘Ang Thong Marine Park’ and many more boat trips. Visit the Big Buddah ‘Wat Phra Yai’ and nearby ‘Wat Plai Laem’. These are just to mention a few.
We decided we would visit the temples the next day as we hadn’t visited any Buddhist temples yet on Thailand.
Again it’s only a 15 minute drive from Chaweng to reach ‘Wat Plai Laem’.
‘Wat Plai Laem’ is a living and active temple. It’s where devotees come daily to pay homage to Guanyin and the Buddha.
It’s a modern temple and In addition to the main statue, there is also a white statue of Budai and smaller shrines dedicated to Ganesha.
Adding to its feel of tranquillity, the temple is surrounded by a lake, which is teeming with fish. Visitors who make a donation to the temple are given a bag of food to feed to the fish.Â
I thought there were going to be a few small fish so was amazed to see the large amount of huge catfish fighting over the food being thrown in .
Just 10 minutes walk away is ‘Wat Phra Yai’ which is the Big Buddah.
The temple is situated on a small rocky island and reached by a causeway that connects it to the mainland.
Its golden 12-metre-tall seated Buddha statue is one of the island’s most popular attractions.
Since this is a sacred place, polite dress and conduct is a must. Be sure to wear shirts or scarves that cover the shoulders, trousers or sarongs to cover your knees – we did notice however that they do have some sarongs and kimonos you can loan if you have forgotten to bring something.
We witnessed some instagrammers yet again, shoulders and knees not covered, posing in front of the Big Buddah, doing ‘the flamingo’ – as Shane calls it (one leg up). Very disrespectful but I think they are just oblivious.
So that brought our time at Chaweng to an end.
The craziness didn’t end up being too bad. You can escape it if you wish or embrace it, we did a bit of both.
Next we head to Haad Rin on the island of Koh Phangan, home to the full moon party.
Are we glutton for punishment you may think? Well, not quite – we are a few weeks away from the full moon so the partying shouldn’t be as crazy, let’s see.
Koh Phangan
So, onwards we travelled to the island of Koh Phangan. We took the boat from Samui Haad Rin Queen Pier as this was the closest crossing to Haad Rin which was the first resort we planned to stay.
The boat was reasonably priced. The 50 minute crossing on the large boat was just £7.50 each one way.
There is no airport on Koh Phangan like there is on Koh Samui, so your only option of getting there is by boat or ferry.
When the ferry arrived for the 10:30am sail we had to wait quite a while for the foot passengers to disembark, followed by the many scooters.
Motorbikes & scooters are allowed on this boat but no cars. You would have to use the main port at Nathon Pier if travelling by car.
When it was clear to board we took our seats on the top deck and waited as the rest of the passengers came aboard.
As we were one of the first on, our bags were taken off us and stacked opposite where we sat.
As more and more people got on we couldn’t believe the amount of luggage stacked in front of us.
As koh Phangan is a popular destination to island hop from koh Samui, it makes sense that most passengers had their luggage in tow. Being a large boat, as apposed to a ferry, the luggage has to be stowed somewhere – that somewhere being the massive pile in front of us.
We had to laugh as the pile grew bigger and higher.
But the funniest thing, was when they decided to try and squash a few more scooters on as well. The scooters already onboard were secured at the front section of the boat. This was now full and there were still 3 more scooters that needed to come aboard.
You could see this was going to be fun to watch.
The crew took the scooter from the passenger. They had to start the bike and ride it up the steep gang plank onto the boat. As the crew member riding the scooter was halfway along, the two other crew members had to lift up the gangplank so that it was horizontal, enabling him to drive onto the boat – rather him than me!
The three extra bikes were then stored alongside the massive pile of luggage. It was quite entertaining.
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Our accommodation in Haad Rin was only a few minutes walk from the pier.
We stayed in a gorgeous bungalow where we could walk down to the sea from our room and the planting along the pathway was beautifully designed with many tropical plants. It was like a jungle garden. We also had the luxury of a lovely pool.
Haad Rin is the best-known town in Koh Phangan thanks to the monthly Full Moon parties which now attract up to 30,000 revellers each month and it sounds crazy.
For dedicated partygoers, it’s probably the best town on the island, but for those seeking the ‘real’ Thailand, it can be a bit of a letdown.
We didn’t mind for the two nights as it was fairly quiet as the full moon party was a few weeks away.
The main town area where the bars and restaurants are is not really our vibe, however there was one area called ‘walking street’ that was pretty cool and had a selection of food stalls and live music.
The Bob Marley bar also looked interesting but was empty.
You can see the main focus is when the full moon parties are on.
They set the beach up at night with beanbags and have the popular fire shows. But rather than some chilled music, it was more ‘trance’ and probably enjoyed more by raver types or tripped out hippies.
The beaches however are beautiful and the sea is so crystal clear and turquoise. Haad Rin Nok is the eastern beach and is known for watching the sunrise. (Probably just before the party people go to bed) as this is the beach where they hold the full moon party.
On the west side, Haad Rin Nai (also known as Leela beach),is good to watch the sunset and is more of a natural beach and as you walk down the hill to the beach you pass a couple of nice restaurants. Seems a bit more chilled than the other side.
Both are wonderful for swimming. The east side was very calm so is popular with paddle boarders.
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We walked one day to the ‘Le Palais hotel’ in Haad Rin.
It’s an abandoned hotel up on the hill overlooking the sea and is an impressive structure that looks like a temple.
The hotel has closed since the spread of COVID-19, but prior to this was being criticised over its use of Cambodian cultural structure, including the design of Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Banteay Srey temples.
It had been inspired by the founder who was Cambodian but he said never to be compared.
It apparently took 7 years to build and the way they crafted the concrete and mouldings is truly amazing.
I read a bit more into it but there is nothing to state if the hotel is ever going to reopen, it would be a shame after all that work.
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Our next stop on Koh Phangan was only a short distance away to ‘Baan Tai beach’.
Transport on this island is a little more difficult as the only form of public transport are songthaews, which are the converted pick-up trucks – functioning as minibuses and private taxis. There are no buses or Tuk tuks.
You either flag them down on the street or the hotels can arrange as a private taxi. You have to agree a price beforehand.
We actually managed to arrange one the day before we were leaving with a woman in the town who was holding a clipboard saying ‘taxi’.
We didn’t have a clue how it worked but we ended up agreeing a price of 200 baht each (around £4), and she said the taxi would come to our hotel to collect us the following morning.
True to her word at 9:30am the next morning the songthaew arrived and the very polite lady driver asked if we wanted to leave straight away (as it was only the two of us) but the price would jump up to 1000 baht (£22) or wait for more passengers (around 5 total) and it would be the agreed price?
We were in no rush so said it was no problem to wait. So, we hopped in and she drove around the town on the lookout for more passengers. Luckily, within 15 minutes or so we had the 5 required so got on our way.
It’s quite hilly on Koh Phangan, the coast road goes up and down hills, around sharp bends with some amazing views if you dare to look.
The songthaew driver was a speed freak, I can honestly say that the journey felt like we were on a rollercoaster ride more than a taxi. I was holding onto my rucksack so tight as I had visions of it rolling off down the road (as these vehicles are open at the back).
Thankfully she got us to our next hotel in one piece.
We stayed at another lovely hotel right on the beachfront, where again we could choose to relax by the pool or by the sea.
It was just outside of Thongsala which is the main port town on the island.
We wanted to be closer to Thongsala as every Saturday they have a popular night market and it was Saturday when we arrived.
It starts at 5pm when the streets fill up with local families who set up shop. There are numerous street food stalls, clothes and gadget shops together with juice or tea bars and live music with locals playing.
This was much more up our street and we loved it. Only a short walk away we found another night market called ‘Pantip market’, which is open daily from 6am until midnight.
This one is just a food market and they have a great selection of street food, all very tasty and very affordable.
Also, in that area there is a wide selection of bars and we found one playing some good tunes – a welcome change after the beat of trance.
Koh Phangan has lots more to offer and some beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see it all. Most people hire scooters so they can travel easily around the island and see much more than the tourist traps.
However, I’m not so keen on the idea of a riding a scooter these days.Â
So, with transport being limited here we have decided to move onto the neighbouring island of Koh Tao whilst we are still close to the port. Lets see what the next island has to offer.
Koh Tao
Our next stop was the island of Koh Tao which lies just north of Koh Phangan.
The only way of getting to Koh Tao is by boat. Services run from the mainland, leaving Chumphon or Surat Thani and from the islands of Koh Samui or Koh Phangan.
You can sail either by speedboat, catamaran or the ferry, all timing and costs vary, however they are all relatively inexpensive.
We chose the speedboat as the crossing was the fastest taking only 1 hour Koh Phangan.
Koh Tao is surrounded by crystal clear waters, beautiful beaches, and a huge diversity of marine life. The perfect conditions mean the island has become one of the world’s hotspots for learning how to scuba dive.
There are over 25 dive sites with different conditions and levels to choose from and apparently more affordable than many places in the world.
As soon as we arrived on the island we could see we had arrived in paradise, we had definitely saved the best for last.
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We decided to have a treat on Koh Tao as this was the last island we would be visiting before heading to the bright lights of Bangkok.
Our hotel was beautiful with no attention to detail spared.
We stayed in a lodge really high up so it felt more like a tree house.
We got to watch the squirrels from the deck (no monkeys this time).
The only disadvantage was the amount of steps to get up to it. Good for the heart and step count, but a killer especially at the end of the day when it was still 30 degrees. Totally worth it though!
Our resort was in the corner of the bay just to the right of Mae Haad Pier.
This pier is the place where everyone arrives at Koh Tao and that is why the area around the pier is so lively.
There are plenty of shops, travel agencies, restaurants, hotels, hostels and bars.
We were pleasantly surprised by this as we had been given the impression that Koh Tao was quiet, when in fact it’s far from that if you decide to stay around the pier at Mae Haad or the main resort of Sairee beach which is just further along the bay.
To get around transport is limited on this island unless you have a scooter.
You can arrange taxis from kiosks around town or from your hotel and they do offer water taxis on the long tail boats.
The downside to taxis on Koh Tao is that they are not particularly well priced. There are no metered taxis so prices are fixed. It is most unlikely you’ll find a driver who will negotiate the fare.
There are a couple more resorts dotted along the east and south coast amongst beautiful bays but these are a lot more secluded. Perfect if you wanted to escape the hustle and bustle and I can imagine an amazing spot to honeymoon.
We walked the first day from our hotel towards Sairee beach. It’s just a 10 minute walk to the start of Sairee beach then it stretches 1.85km, making it the longest beach on the island.
Running parallel to it is a small tiled walkway (know as Walking Street), lined with lots of hotels with beach bungalows, shops, stalls, tasteful bars, restaurants and diving schools.
Even though it’s known as walking street, you do have to share it with lots of scooters, which can be a pain – having to move aside for them to pass by.
The main area for nightlife on Koh Tao is found in Sairee. This area has a wide variety of bars and restaurants along the beachfront and in the streets behind.Â
It has a great vibe and has much more of an island feel than the previous islands we had visited.
Even though it’s lively, especially towards the end of Sairee where walking street comes to an end, it’s not seedy, nor tacky, just more buzzy and I think that’s what makes it a really special place.
The beach bars offer chilled music, cute lights and bean bags scattered along the beach, so definitely something for all ages.
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The food was good here. It’s so varied with many traditional Thai restaurants but there is also a good selection of bistros and BBQ/Seafood restaurants along walking street, so if you fancy a change and want some international food you can definitely get it here.
Dotted along the resort you will also see food carts selling pancakes with all sorts of fillings. They also do fried chicken burgers that seem to be a thing here, amongst other savoury things.
After eating rice and curry for weeks we were happy to have a chicken burger and boy, was they good. So much so, we overdid it and had them 3 days in a row, so now we are yearning rice again (ha ha).
They offer many boat trips and snorkelling tours around the island as it’s known for its tropical coral reefs.
They are very reasonably priced and you can choose half or full day trips.
We went on one that takes you to 5 different snorkelling points that went around the whole island the first one being on the nearby island of Koh Nang Yuan which is like paradise on earth.Â
On Koh Nang Yuan you can walk on the natural sand bridge which connects 3 islands together. We also headed to the viewpoint (more steps) to see the islands from the top.
We got to spend a couple of hours at this beautiful place which is home to an amazing shallow reef for snorkelling.
You do have to pay an additional 250 baht entrance fee onto the island. These fees are to help park rangers keep the park and wildlife protected and clean so we can enjoy the natural beauty.
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We then moved onto the other sites around the island such as Mango Bay and Sharks Bay, to name a few.
Sharks Bay was pretty amazing – it’s a private bay on Koh Tao boasting a stunning beach with fine white sand and shaded by tall coconut trees.
Here it’s common to see baby Blacktip reef sharks but unfortunately we didn’t witness any that day.
We did however swim alongside a turtle at the next bay which was amazing and throughout the trip we saw many different colourful fish.
We would definitely recommend doing a boat trip here if it’s something you like to do. It was well organised and the guides communicated well with all the group.
We were loving the vibe so much on Koh Tao that we decided to extend our stay for a further 3 nights and stay down at the other end of the beach in Sairee. It certainly didn’t disappoint.
We chose a lovely hotel, great location with a more realistic price tag for us midlife backpackers than the treat we had previously. However, it also was spotlessly clean with a great pool so we couldn’t ask for more.
So, to sum the place up we would say; paradise, magical, buzzy.
It’s an island perfect for families, couples, dive enthusiasts and gap year students. It may take a little bit more effort to get here but well worth the journey.
Bangkok Oriental City
We travelled to Bangkok from Koh Tao by Catamaran back to the mainland and then a coach to the capital.
The journey takes around 10 and a half hours and as we’ve got all the time in the world, we said to ourselves ‘bring it on’. This is the reason we wanted to travel – to experience days like this.
All the transport services we have used so far in Thailand have been excellent and very well organised.
We booked online as they organise the boat and coach together and it cost around £35 each.
The boat crossing was straightforward and took around 1 hour 45 minutes.
When we arrived at the pier at Chumphon on the mainland you then validate your bus ticket and they tell you where to wait for the bus.
The bus (VIP coach) was fab. It was a spacious double decker with extended reclining seats.
They provide water and a snack box and there’s blankets (if the air con gets too cold or you want to sleep) and also usb ports.
We stopped around the halfway mark at the services.
That was an experience in itself. You have to purchase tokens from a cashier to allow you to purchase food from the many vendors within. It was a bit like a school canteen but with all different food stalls.
It was all local cuisine.
I chose a spicy pork mince dish that actually blew my mouth off.
I mentioned earlier in the blog that I would let you know when I had a really spicy dish as I’d not had one yet.
Well this was certainly one of them and a few days previous we had a ‘Tom yum soup’ which was ‘fire’. It actually beat me that one!
Shane managed to finish it – god knows how. I think his guts didn’t thank him the next day.
It was evening when we arrived in Bangkok. At the bus station there were Tuk Tuk and taxi drivers all offering their services.
We chose a taxi and arrived at the hotel 20 minutes later for a couple of pounds.
We were staying just around the corner from Chinatown in a smart city centre hotel with a rooftop pool.
It didn’t cost much, you get a high standard of accommodation here for a fraction of the cost back home.
We dropped our bags and headed straight out.
We only had to walk a few blocks to the hustle and bustle of Chinatown’s Yaowarat road with its bright lights, seafood restaurants and food stalls lining the Main Street, as well as the many narrow side streets.
Crazy Tuk Tuk drivers sailed by trying to get a fare, music blaring and neon lights flashing.Â
It was getting late and quite a few of the restaurants were closing up so we decided after the long day we’d had we would call it a day.
We had a brief introduction to this exciting city and would look forward to discovering more after a good nights rest.
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Bangkok is a huge city with so many different districts. Luckily we were staying here 5 days so felt like we had a decent amount of time to try and get to know it.
Our first day we decided to head towards the river in the hope of catching a boat to the ‘Grand Palace’ and ‘Wat Arun’ and do the typical Tommy touristy stuff.
We headed through the back streets of Chinatown passing spice shops and local businesses. Off the tourist trail it’s nice to see real life in this maze of streets.
We couldn’t find a pier for life or money but did find a street food stall selling the nicest sweet potato wedges, hot and crispy fresh from the fryer. They could have done with a big blob of mayo but still delicious all the same.
Enjoying our little adventure we decided we would walk the rest of the way to the ‘Grand Palace’ even though sweat was dripping down our backs.
Cities like this need to be explored to reveal their hidden secrets and we didn’t want to miss any interesting nooks and crannies.
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The Grand Palace, Reclining Buddha and Wat Arun.
Entry to the Grand Palace is 500 baht per person.
The palace is a complex of temples, buildings, halls, pavilions
all set around open lawns, gardens and courtyards.
The Palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Thailand since 1782.
The subsequent Kings, his court and his Royal government were based on the grounds of the palace until 1925.
The Grand Palace is still used for official events, with several Royal ceremonies and state functions held every year.
Also, within the palace is the Temple of The Emerald Buddha.
The Emerald Buddha in itself is a main attraction.
A figurine of the meditating Buddha made from one solid piece of green jade, clothed in gold and diamonds. It is greatly revered from the Royal family to Thai nationals alike, as Thailand’s utmost precious religious ikon.
It was jammed packed with tourists as you can imagine and sweltering hot but the palaces and grounds were amazing.
Also close by is ‘The Temple of the Reclining Buddha’ (Wat Pho) just 700 meters south of The Grand Palace.Â
The temple complex houses the largest collection of Buddha figurines in Thailand; including the world-renowned 46 meter long gold plated reclining Buddha. Wat Pho is one of Bangkok’s most ancient temples.
Staying on the tourist trail we next visited ‘Wat Arun’ or ‘Temple of Dawn’ which is one of Bangkok’s most famous temples at the west bank of the Chao Phraya River.
It is famous for both Thais and foreigners due to the beauty and signature charm of its decoration.
You do need to cross the river to get to Wat Arun.
Luckily we found a pier this time. The closest to the Grand palace is Ratchaworadit Pier and from here you can catch all different types of boats from the cheapest orange flag boat (16 baht per journey) to the ‘hop on hop off’ boat which offer day passes for 150 baht.
We decided to get a day pass so that after the temple we could explore a few more areas down the river. (By doing this we got to know where some of the piers were (as it’s not so obvious from the street).
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Soi Rambuttri road
It was from exploring the river that we found ‘Soi Rambuttri road’.
We got off the boat at ‘Phra Arthit Pier’ which is around 10 minute walk to the famous Khaosan road and whilst meandering the streets close by we fell upon this quirky area.
You can’t imagine how expansive Bangkok is and the number of great places to explore.
Soi Rambuttri Road is one of those unique places. This small one-lane road doesn’t see many cars as it’s primarily full of backpackers buying from street vendors selling food, gifts, and pretty much anything else you can imagine.
While Khaosan Road gets most of the hype, Soi Rambuttri is more of the hidden gem that you don’t want to miss.
Rambuttri gives you a taste of how Bangkok used to look before all the skyscrapers arrived.
Leafy banyan trees shade the pavements.
At night, colourful paper lanterns light up Rambuttri and the bars come alive playing live music, the place has a great vibe and it doesn’t feel like you are in a hectic city.
You can also find a couple of amazing decorated car bars made from VW camper vans.
I totally get it when they say Rambuttri is Khaosan’s more attractive, well-behaved brother.
We had a walk down Khaosan road one night as we wanted to experience it for ourselves love it or hate it.
It was utter madness!! Loud and crowded and way too touristy.
Street vendors selling deep fried insects, crocodile kebabs and cocktails by the bucket.
I can see the appeal for some but give us Rambuttri any day of the week.
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Chinatown
We dedicated a day to purposely get lost in Chinatown and what a brilliant day it was.
When walking through these streets it’s easy to feel like you have stepped back in time into an ancient kingdom filled with exotic sights and smells.
We ventured down little alleyways with tiny shops and passed curb side vendors selling all sorts of goods.
We then stumbled upon Sampeng market. Wow what an amazing place to experience.
It’s a bustling and vibrant market that runs down a small alleyway and seems to go on and on forever.
It is so narrow and crowded that you get moved along with the crowd at their pace and you have to move aside for the mopeds that pass through.
The only respite from the flow is if you step into one of the many stalls, shops or little side lanes but its hectic nature made it more fun.
They probably sell everything you can think of both wholesale and retail.Â
We had to laugh at the old guy with no teeth trying to sell me dental floss.
Cheap street food stalls are also dotted along the narrow walkway, busy with locals and tourists picking up lunch.
When we finally exited the market it was by one of the canals (Klong as they are known) located on Yaowarat 35.
This was another quirky find as the canal was lined either side with restaurants and on one side they were all Indian restaurants.
Yay hey, we had found the curry mile in Bangkok! (well curry street).
I like Thai food but Indian will always be my favourite so we devoured Chicken curry, Bombay potatoes and butter naan all washed down with masala chai tea.
We were really glad we’d based ourselves in Chinatown for that old Bangkok feel. Sidewalks turn into street restaurants at night.
Night time is definitely more crowded.
Day or night, traditional Chinese delicacies like Bird-Nest soup or Shark Fin Soup are available in restaurants all along Yaowarat Road, if that’s what takes your fancy.
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Big Buddha
We also visited the ‘Big Buddha’ at Wat Paknam phasi which is over the river deep within a network of canals in the oldest part of the city.
This newly built Buddha – only completed in 2017 stands clad in gold towering nearly 70 meters above the ground, the height of a 20-story building.
It’s the city’s biggest Buddha image, with a width of 40 meters in its cross-legged meditation posture.
To get to the temple you can take the MRT to Bang Pham station then walk about 700 meters on foot or take a taxi (Grab app) for very little.12
Nightlife
The city is known for its nightlife.
We had sampled Soi Rambuttri and Khaosan Road so next we headed to Patpong night market which is located in one of the city’s red light districts close to Silom.
We personally didn’t find the market that good. There were only a handful of food and clothes stalls selling fake designer gear just down the one street.
The rest of the street is dedicated to the adult entertainment venues that surrounds the market with go-go bars and massage parlours.
Seedy pimp type blokes grabbing and begging you to come in and take a look and see the ping pong shows.
Whereas this street seems to be all girls there is a connecting ally to a street parallel that seems to be more LadyBoys.
Interesting place to people watch but a bit seedy for our liking but when in Rome (or Bangkok) at least we can say we’ve seen it.
We also visited the Sukhumvit district which is a vibrant and bustling area of Bangkok located along Sukhumvit Road.
It is one of the main shopping, dining, and nightlife hubs of the city, home to some of the best restaurants, clubs, biggest malls, and most luxurious hotels.
I can imagine a lot of people on a stopover in Bangkok would probably stay in this area.
It’s good for transport links as the Skytrain runs all the way down Sukhumvit road and the metro also stops here.
We were given a day pass for the skytrain from a couple who obviously had no further need for it, so we travelled up and down Sukhumvit getting off at the various stops to see what each area had to offer.
We sat and enjoyed a few drinks in one of the many bars on the sidewalk to people watch.
Also located in the Sukhumvit area is Thong Lo Road which is a trendy and upscale street known for its vibrant nightlife, upscale dining, and fashionable shopping and has been dubbed the ‘hippest district’.
Sukhumvit is also home to 2 of the cities red light areas.
You have ‘Soi Cowboy’ just near the Sukhumvit metro stop and further up at the Nana Skytrain stop you will find the infamous ‘Nana Plaza’.
We had a walk through both (when in Rome), but it was only early evening and quiet so we couldn’t really get a true feel of what it would be like later. But I imagine it would be a bit crazy.
There is definitely something for everyone in Sukhumvit when it comes to nightlife from sophisticated cocktail bars, live music and many trendy rooftop bars.1
Transport
There are many different ways you can travel around the city.
There is the MRT (underground), BTS (skytrain), boats, taxis and Tuk Tuks.
We used every form of transport whilst here. It is all very affordable unlike home.
We did find though that the MRT and BTS didn’t cover the areas around the Grand Palace and Khaosan road so we travelled there by taxi (used Grab) or by boat down the Chao Phraya River.
But where we could use the underground or Skytrain we most certainly did. It’s fast, cheap and you can cover vast areas of the city quickly.
You can buy individual tickets for both and on the skytrain you can also buy an all day ticket.
When we had to take a taxi we used the Grab App which is fantastic. It works the same as Uber and Bolt. We only ever waited a few minutes for them and one night for example we travelled back to the hotel from Soi Rambuttri street all the way to Chinatown for just a couple of pounds.
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Shopping
If you’re here to shop in Bangkok then you are spoiled for choice.
From shopping malls to mega malls to street markets and the iconic floating market (weekends).
We only visited the one mall  ICONSIAM which stands on the riverside.
Whilst we were on the ‘hop on hop off boat’ we thought we would take a look.
Even if it was only to take advantage of the air conditioning as we have no need to shop as our rucksacks are already overloaded.
This is an enormous shopping mall it’s like the Trafford Centre on super steroids and has over 7,000 stores spread across 11 floors.
You can shop till you drop here while enjoying the great view of the Chao Phraya River.
All the big names are here from Chanel, Hermes, Dior to the more affordable Zara and H&M.
What we didn’t expect to find on the ground level was this an enormous food court called SOOKSIAM.
We were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of food stalls and the selection of food available.
All sorts of street food from all over the country.
Shane was in his element and tried a few dishes, he did however give the crocodile a miss.
There are apparently 7 dining zones in ICONSIAM a selection of over a hundred famous restaurants from all over the world along with Michelin starred. The place is enormous.
As I said we only visited this one shopping Mall but across the city there are many others MBK Centre, Siam Paragon and Central World to name a few.
So verdict, Bangkok is as intoxicating as it is diverse; a melting pot of exotic aromas, interesting sights and visual delights.
We really enjoyed our time here but it’s time to move on.
Our next stop is the old capital ‘Ayutthaya’ to immerse ourselves in the historic.
Ayutthaya
Our original itinerary of Thailand included visiting the towns of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Pai in the north. However, we found out that March is ‘Burning season’ in this region, when the farmers burn vegetation leftover from the harvest.
It is advised that it’s not a good idea to visit at this time of year due to the poor air quality and also the burning could potentially affect the visibility of the beautiful landscapes.
It can vary from year to year and may not have been too bad, but we felt we would have been rushing to fit everything in we wanted to see, so therefore decided to miss the north for now – but will hopefully return later on in the year.
So our last stop for now in Thailand was to visit the ancient capital of Siam ‘Ayutthaya’, which lies 55 miles north of Bangkok.
We got there by taxi which took an hour and 15 minutes.
Taxis are cheap (Grab app) so it wasn’t worth messing about getting the train. Can’t beat the luxury of door to door especially with heavy rucksacks.
The city of Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 and became the second capital after Sukhothai.
It flourished from the 14th to the 18th centuries, during which time it grew to be one of the world’s largest cities and a key trading hub between the east and the west.
Unfortunately the city was attacked and burned to the ground in 1767 by the Burmese army. After the destruction of Ayutthaya, the capital was moved to Bangkok.
The city was never rebuilt and all that is left today are the remains known as an extensive archaeological site.Â
Ayutthaya was added to UNESCO’s world heritage list in 1991.
The city is a mix of old and new.
We stayed just a 15 minute walk or short Tuk Tuk ride away from the main historical park where 5 Wats (temples) are located.
Outside the park itself further historical sites are randomly located around the city.
We found Ayutthaya a magical place. Apart from the intense heat it was a place of calm steeped in history.
We loved wandering the park and taking shade now and again under the large trees before moving onto the next temple. Pathways and little bridges cross the rivers throughout the park.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the holiest temple and was originally connected directly to the Grand Palace. The 3 large chedis had been built to contain the ashes of the previous Kings.
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Wat Phra Mahathat is located in front of the Grand Palace and is believed to be one of the oldest temples. It is in the grounds here you will find the famous Buddha head embedded within roots of the banyan tree.
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Wat Lokayasutharam is the site of the largest reclining Buddha statue in Ayutthaya.
It is 8 metres tall, 37 metres across and built entirely out of brick and draped in saffron cloth.
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Other temples within the park are Wat Phra Ram and Wat Ratchaburana.
We spent 2 full days exploring all the sites, including Wat Yai Chai Mongkon and Wat Chaiwatthanaram which are located outside the main park.
At Wat Chaiwattanaram it has become a tourist trend for Thai and also international travellers to rent Thai costumes and to then pose at popular sites amongst the temples.
It wasn’t the first time we had witnessed it. It was also popular in Bangkok at Wat Arun. It’s very amusing to watch and you know every picture will appear on social media.
What we also liked about Ayutthaya was that when the sun went down it was quite a lively place. Maybe not all areas of the town, but just at the end of our lane, tables and chairs spilled onto the street outside of the bars and restaurants and there was also live music playing really good tunes.
It had a great vibe – we loved it.
So for now that brings our Thailand adventure to an end. Next we travel by train to the border and into Laos.
Onwards to Laos
To travel into Laos we decided to take the train from Ayutthaya to the town of Nong Khai which is the border town between Thailand and Loas and takes roughly 8 hours.
We booked 2nd class tickets in an air conditioned carriage for around £7 each.
It’s only a small railway station but it’s one of Thailands oldest and most attractive stations, still with original features . As you sit there you can almost imagine that a Steam train will arrive.
It only has the 3 platforms so was pretty straightforward with lots of information boards and tannoy announcements.
It makes you feel a lot more relaxed when you at least know you’re on the right platform in an unfamiliar place.
The train arrived on time at 09:42. When we boarded we weren’t sure if we had been allocated seats but did know our carriage number so we just found 2 spare seats.
Shortly after the ticket master came to check our tickets. He mumbled something that we didn’t understand and seemed a bit abrupt, he then took one of our bags and shunted us along further down the carriage to what must have been our allocated seats.
We weren’t sitting together but side by side in aisle seats which was fine.
When I inspected the tickets afterwards I did notice the allocated seat numbers but it wasn’t obvious at first glance.
We were towards the back of the carriage and there was just the one set of seats behind where Shane was sat which was occupied by the ticket master and had his bags and lunch stacked there.
Whilst the ticket guy was busy checking other passengers tickets Shane decided to adjust his reclining seat. When he pulled the lever his seat fell back suddenly into a full lie down position even hitting the seat behind. It’s a good job the ticket master wasn’t sat down as the seat would have landed right on him and I think we were already in his bad books.
Shane quickly brought it back into the upright position but it didn’t lock and he flew back down again. He tried a third time and the same thing happened again.
By this time I’m in hysterics as I could see the ticket master returning and Shane wanting to fix it before he reached his seat.
Luckily just in time it locked.
But this set me off, I was crying laughing, I couldn’t stop.
It was also one of those carriages where half sit one direction and the other half the opposite so you are looking at each other.
Half the carriage must have clocked me PMSL. I would stop momentarily then think about it and off I went again.
Good job I had some tissues to mop my tears, they must have wondered what was wrong with me.
Oh well it’s good to have a laugh like that now and again. Writing this I’m still laughing.
It was quite a slow train, hence taking 8 hours to cover 326 miles. The train was shaking side to side as we chugged along. Food sellers came up and down selling all sorts of different things. Corn on the cob, pork skewers and a variety of sweets and drinks.
Later on during the journey a guy passed through with a basket of meat on big bamboo poles.
I wondered what it was at first. When he got closer I could see they were whole cooked chickens. He didn’t have a problem selling them as most likely a perfect choice to be taken home for tea.
As half the carriage was facing where we were sat you couldn’t help but people watch.
By 11am nearly everyone was asleep and I had to laugh.
One woman that I couldn’t help watching sat alongside her husband who was fast asleep like the rest of the carriage.
You could see they had come well prepared for this long journey and had bags stored in front of them filled with lunch and dinner.
She also had a big toilet roll and she prepared an empty plastic bag for the rubbish they would accumulate along the way.
First thing I clocked was that she kept brushing her hair, probably about every 15 minutes.
Then she started lunch, first pork skewers and then onto mango sticky rice.
She was struggling eating the mango and rice as the train swayed from side to side.
After she finished she wiped down her spoon and hands with the big toilet roll, picked up the bits of spilled mango and rice off the floor, disposed of her rubbish then brushed her hair.
When her husband awoke she prepared him a rice dish and when he finished she wiped down the bowl with the big toilet roll like before – then she brushed her hair.
She was all very organised it was quite sweet to watch.
The ticket master had now taken his place behind Shane and tucking into his lunch of fried rice in an enormous Tupperware bowl.
I nearly set off laughing again imagining if Shane had reclined his seat at this moment.
The toilet on the train happened to be just through the carriage door behind us. So throughout the journey people were passing by to use the loo.
A couple of hours into the journey the toilet began to smell horrendously.
We always seem to get these crappy seats (literally). It was knocking me sick.
About 5 hours in I needed the toilet myself. I really didn’t want to have to use this toilet but had no choice. Bravely, I entered to find that it had a squat toilet (hole in the floor type) which are very common in Asian countries.
It was a really tight space. There was water all over the place (hope it was water) from the douche sprayer.
There was a rail fitted so you could hold on whilst the train swayed from side to side and the funniest thing was you could see the train tracks whizzing by below meaning that all toilet waste just ended up on the tracks.
This was certainly something new I’d encountered on our travels.
So our journey continued slowly. Luckily a porter cleaned the toilet eventually making it more tolerable.
Shane was starting to get restless after 7 hours or so as we should have arrived in Nong Khai at 17:30, but it was actually an hour later when we finally pulled into the station. By then we had been on the train almost 9 hours.
It was also just going dark and we were a bit apprehensive of doing our first land border crossing in the evening.
You can take an overnight sleeper train and arrive at the border in the morning but we’d opted to travel by day as the border does stay open until 10pm.
Exiting the station we had to take a short taxi journey (around a mile) to immigration to get stamped out of Thailand.
Immigration is just before the Thai-Laos friendship bridge that crosses the Mekong river to the Loas border.
Once stamped out, which was pretty straightforward, we had to pay 20 baht for the bus that then takes you over the friendship bridge to the Laos border crossing station at Thanaleng.
One word of advice at this point. Luckily I did some reading on our long train journey and was disappointed to read that people may approach you as you walk up to the Loas immigration office offering to take you by minibus to get your visa.
Be aware this is a scam. You are already at the visa office, you do not have to be led away, just go directly into the building.
Apparently they will take your $40, issue you with a fake visa that will then be refused at Laos immigration and you will have to start the process all over again.
As it was, we were approached twice ourselves and the 2nd time we were almost at the doors.
Once in the border station you can get a visa on arrival for $40 + $1 (if outside normal office hours, after 5.30pm I think it was).
You pick up a form from the window on the left side and once completed you hand in with your fee and 1 x passport photo to the window on the right side and then wait for your visa to be processed.
They will also accept Thai Baht if no US dollars.
We only waited around 10 minutes for our visa’s to be processed so in the end it probably did us a favour arriving later on in the day as there were no queues.
With visas in hand, we headed to the ATM which was just across the way to draw out some local currency ‘Lao Kip’, so we could then take a taxi to Vientiane which is where we were staying.
Even before we had a chance to withdraw the money we were being approached by taxi drivers all offering fares. I know they are only trying to earn a living but they can be quite annoying at times when you just want to get your wits about you.
Anyway, we didn’t let them rush us. We got our cash and then agreed a price into the capital which luckily isn’t too far from the border (around 10 miles).
It was a long day but we had made it. Our first land border crossing into a new country and onto new adventures and still in time for a couple of beers (cheap ones at that).