Four days later, we found ourselves in Ibiza, errr... Koh Samui. This place is no less then Ibiza, or thats what we were told, and that's what we saw. As usual, I had booked ourselves into a hotel 40 minutes away from the airport. And if you have been to Samui or will ever go, you should know that you could drive around the entire coast line of this little island in just about an hour, so by those standards...it was far. There is one main road on Samui. Yes, just one. Then there are these little by-lanes, that are pretty insignificant and they lead you to dead ends.
There is one thing to note, If its bright and beautiful and sunny in Krabi, you're sure to get rain in Samui. Samui lies in the west coast of the Gulf oh Thailand. It's pretty, but honestly, it was not as pretty as Krabi.
I had looked up several hotels. The ones that gave me the best deals were Zazen, Passage, Amari, and Anantara. Our hotel was called The Passage. We reached the hotel, and as luck would have it, it started to pour. So we decided to stay in. Our villa was gorgeous. A huge bedrom that opened into our private swimming pool and a small garden overlooking the sea, a living room, and a nice big loo. We got a great deal on this hotel (Rs 8000 a night), so if you want to live in a villa style hotel, you can pick this one. The restarant is average, but the hotel is nice.
In the evening we hired a car (TBH 1500 a day, plus fuel). We drove around one half of Samui to Chaweng beach. If you are a shopahaolic, this place is for you. The one and only street is lned with small shops selling just about everything. Fake bags, shoes, clothes, belts, and whatever else can be 'faked'. In Thailand, they make a lot of stuff out of coconuts. So if you can get a fair deal on the lamps, get those. They are really cute.
Lonely planet advised us to go to Soi, Green mango, which is supposedly the most happening club in Samui. Unfortunately for us, we reached there only to see a cat eating food at a table near the entrance. That really put us off. So we walked back the entire stretch of the beach and ate at Baan Samui restaurant. The food was'finger licking good' :) They also have a live band playing rock everyday. You can barely understand what they're singing coz the English seems like French thanks to their awesome accent.
While driving back, I looked at the sky and I saw a zillion stars smiling back and me. I was super excited because the next day would probably be nice, bright, and sunny. My predicton was wrong. Too bad! The next morning I woke up to a hell lot of rain.
So I looked up my maps (yes, maps - local map, google maps, tourist map, etc), and decided to go to the Aquarium, Zoo, and Bird and Tiger show. The aquarium entrance fee is THB 750 per person, including tickets to the bird show, tiger show, and sea lion show. The aquarium is just about OK. The zoo is horrible (there were just 10 animals, if I couted corectly), but the sea lion show is awesome. If you're lucky, they will pick you up as a volunteer on the show and then you can smile and look pretty and get pictures clicked with the sea lion.
The god part about this place is the Pancake stalls on the outside. We had the banana nutella pancakes. To good!
We then drove to The Cliff. It promises the most stunning views of Koh Samui, and its true. Sitting high on a cliff right opposite the Samui yatch club is this lovely restaurant for Mediterranean and Spanish Tapas. The food was very very good and we had shots too (I just cannot remember what the concoction, but I know it was damn neat). Average price for lunch is about TBH 1000 for two people.
The chinese village night market (near Bhoput) is another thing you must do. Locals put up these little food stalls and you can even shop for clothes and accessories. Pranav tried the stir fried grasshoppers (which he insists on calling cockroaches). Ummmm...no comments. We had potato crispies with pepper and something which looked liked boiled eggs but was actually made of coconut batter and you sprinkle a little sugar on it and eat it. Quite nice actually. I kept calling it 'nakli andas' coz I couldn't understand what they were calling it.
We went to Chaweng everyday. We ate food at the Baan Samui restaurant twice and we also ate at Bellini Restaurant & Bar. That was pretty nice and it was probably our cheapest meal because they give you a thin crust pizza, brushetta, and a coke for THB 299 for two people. I ordered a soup and two glasses of wine, and still the bill was THB 600. Nice deal, I say!
We spent the next day in Koh Phangan island. Cute little island. We missed the full moon party by a couple of days, but we could have stayed back for the half moon party. You have to try the "Bucket". When you buy a bucket, the shop keeper cracks open 4 bottles (halves) of alcohol plus one red bull into this plastic bucket (like the ones that the villagers take along when they're going to do potty in the fields), and you are expected to finish that...neat...individually!
Overall, Samui is a great place provided the sun is in the sky :)
Things to do:
1. Samui aquarium and zoo (must wait to see the sea lion show. If the show doesnt take place because of the rain, they allow you to come back te next day to watch it).
2. Samui butterfly garden (this is at Centara beach resort and you get a buy one get one free coupon that you can redeem at the hotel's beach side bar).
3. Chaweng beach (for shopping and night life).
4. Rent a car and drive around Samui island.
5. Koh Phangan Island (this is where ou have the famous Full Moon parties. They happen once a month on full moon night.)
6. Koh Tao (offers one of the best snorkelling and diving spots in the Andaman sea)
7. Five islands tour
8. Fisherman's village and Bophut
Friday, February 4, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
So I finally decided to write a blog :)
Yes, thats correct. I am starting to write my own blog. This blog that you're seeing will tell you all about my travels, what I do, where I got the cheapest tickets, where I stayed, what I ate, etc etc. and I think its going to be fun! Well, at least it will save me from boredom. So, let me start with where I just got back from - Thailand!
Crystal clear turquoise waters, little rocky islands, lime-stone steep sided mountains and cliffs, clean roads, and stunning views. This sums up Thailand. Every time I looked at pictures from this beautiful country, I couldn’t help but be jealous of people who had been there, done that. Now that I just got back, you can be jealous of me. Our first stop was Krabi. It lies in Thailand’s southern province.
We drove 40 minutes from the airport to get the first visual of the blue sea. It was spectacular! I have been to Maldives and I have seen beautiful beaches, but this was just something else. We had booked ourselves at the Tubkaek Krabi Botique Resort. Trip advisor said it was one of the best places to stay at and it also won the travelers choice award for 2010. Well, it was everything I had thought I would be. Pranav and I looked at each other and we knew instantly that this was going to be perfect.
It is a boutique hotel and has been done up very tastefully. The staff was very courteous and the best part was that they understood English (which, may I add, is a big problem in Thailand). We were greeted with some nice local tea and made to sit on comfortable couches. Next, I completed the paperwork and a very sweet guest services assistant gave us a brief tour of the hotel. We then walked up a wooden staircase leading us to our beautiful little room. I would have thought that the room could have been slightly bigger, but it was very nice none-the-less. The room had a nice chocolate wood flooring, spacious cupboards, a safe, a nice couch, an LCD TV and DVD player, and a cute little balcony with big green cushions.
The thing we liked most was the loo. No kidding! The bathing area had a shower and a bath tub and no roof :) They had stocked the shelves with everything we could have forgotten: toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, sewing kit, shampoos, conditioner, mosquito repellant, and even sunscreen lotion. Only that that we would have to pay for the sunscreen if we used it. There was also a cane basket with two beach towels and hand fans, should it get too hot on the beach.
On the whole, I would definitely go back to this hotel if I went to Krabi again. Pranav and I spent the rest of the day sleeping in our room. We woke up only to realize that it was time for dinner and some nice cocktails, Thai style. The restaurant was lovely. It was right on the beach. The sand was soft. You didn’t need to wear flip flops and you could just walk around bare foot. We ordered wine and one Krabi fizz (sparkling wine with fresh mango juice and mango). Bliss!
The dinner was yummy. Penang curry and rice with some stir fired vegetables in oyster sauce.
The next morning we were all geared up to see what Krabi had to offer. So Pranav and I rented a car (Maruti Suzuki Sporty, TBH 1100 per day, fuel extra), took some maps and we were on our way. The day after that, we did a full day tour of Koh Phi Phi islands. The tour guide was really sweet, fluent in english and served us some yummy Krabi cake and fresh fruits at the end of the trip. I have no words to describe what I saw and how gorgeous it was. This is a must do when you visit the southern province. You can even do Phi Phi from Phuket. BTW, Krabi is a 3 hour drive from Phuket. On the last day, we drove to Sea kayak. This was the most amazing experience. We kayaked 6 kms through swampy mangroves. Spooky, but nice. I was thinking to my self – ‘let there be anything by crocodiles and snakes’. I hate those creepy crawlies and I wouldn’t know what to do if I saw a crocodile. Run for your life? But where!
Things to do:
• Rent a car and drive around Krabi. It’s worth it.
• Visit the night market in Krabi town. It is behind the Vogue shopping center in town. This is open Friday through Sunday, 5 pm – 10:30 pm.
• Kayaking in the mangroves (Ao thalene, Thalene bay. Try Sea kayak).
• Railay beach (you will need to take a long tail boat from Ao nang beach. Cost THB 160 per person. You may have to wait for about 8 people before the boat is ready to go)
• Ao nang beach (awesome night life and good shopping. Don’t forget to bargain. For something that’s is priced at THB 1000, you can bargain and pay almost half. If they really can’t sell it at half the price , they will tell you – ‘can’t give, not possible, I no sell’)
• Phi Phi islands tour (you can ask your hotel to book it for you)
• Hong islands tour
• We didn’t manage to do the Thai cooking classes, but its supposed to be a great experience. It lasts 2 and a half hours and you go the veggies and meats yourself.
• Khao Phanom Bencha National Park: when we reached, the park was closed for the day. But it is said to have a lovely waterfall. It’s open from 9 am until 4:30 pm.
Thanks it for now!
ta!
Crystal clear turquoise waters, little rocky islands, lime-stone steep sided mountains and cliffs, clean roads, and stunning views. This sums up Thailand. Every time I looked at pictures from this beautiful country, I couldn’t help but be jealous of people who had been there, done that. Now that I just got back, you can be jealous of me. Our first stop was Krabi. It lies in Thailand’s southern province.
We drove 40 minutes from the airport to get the first visual of the blue sea. It was spectacular! I have been to Maldives and I have seen beautiful beaches, but this was just something else. We had booked ourselves at the Tubkaek Krabi Botique Resort. Trip advisor said it was one of the best places to stay at and it also won the travelers choice award for 2010. Well, it was everything I had thought I would be. Pranav and I looked at each other and we knew instantly that this was going to be perfect.
It is a boutique hotel and has been done up very tastefully. The staff was very courteous and the best part was that they understood English (which, may I add, is a big problem in Thailand). We were greeted with some nice local tea and made to sit on comfortable couches. Next, I completed the paperwork and a very sweet guest services assistant gave us a brief tour of the hotel. We then walked up a wooden staircase leading us to our beautiful little room. I would have thought that the room could have been slightly bigger, but it was very nice none-the-less. The room had a nice chocolate wood flooring, spacious cupboards, a safe, a nice couch, an LCD TV and DVD player, and a cute little balcony with big green cushions.
The thing we liked most was the loo. No kidding! The bathing area had a shower and a bath tub and no roof :) They had stocked the shelves with everything we could have forgotten: toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, sewing kit, shampoos, conditioner, mosquito repellant, and even sunscreen lotion. Only that that we would have to pay for the sunscreen if we used it. There was also a cane basket with two beach towels and hand fans, should it get too hot on the beach.
On the whole, I would definitely go back to this hotel if I went to Krabi again. Pranav and I spent the rest of the day sleeping in our room. We woke up only to realize that it was time for dinner and some nice cocktails, Thai style. The restaurant was lovely. It was right on the beach. The sand was soft. You didn’t need to wear flip flops and you could just walk around bare foot. We ordered wine and one Krabi fizz (sparkling wine with fresh mango juice and mango). Bliss!
The dinner was yummy. Penang curry and rice with some stir fired vegetables in oyster sauce.
The next morning we were all geared up to see what Krabi had to offer. So Pranav and I rented a car (Maruti Suzuki Sporty, TBH 1100 per day, fuel extra), took some maps and we were on our way. The day after that, we did a full day tour of Koh Phi Phi islands. The tour guide was really sweet, fluent in english and served us some yummy Krabi cake and fresh fruits at the end of the trip. I have no words to describe what I saw and how gorgeous it was. This is a must do when you visit the southern province. You can even do Phi Phi from Phuket. BTW, Krabi is a 3 hour drive from Phuket. On the last day, we drove to Sea kayak. This was the most amazing experience. We kayaked 6 kms through swampy mangroves. Spooky, but nice. I was thinking to my self – ‘let there be anything by crocodiles and snakes’. I hate those creepy crawlies and I wouldn’t know what to do if I saw a crocodile. Run for your life? But where!
Things to do:
• Rent a car and drive around Krabi. It’s worth it.
• Visit the night market in Krabi town. It is behind the Vogue shopping center in town. This is open Friday through Sunday, 5 pm – 10:30 pm.
• Kayaking in the mangroves (Ao thalene, Thalene bay. Try Sea kayak).
• Railay beach (you will need to take a long tail boat from Ao nang beach. Cost THB 160 per person. You may have to wait for about 8 people before the boat is ready to go)
• Ao nang beach (awesome night life and good shopping. Don’t forget to bargain. For something that’s is priced at THB 1000, you can bargain and pay almost half. If they really can’t sell it at half the price , they will tell you – ‘can’t give, not possible, I no sell’)
• Phi Phi islands tour (you can ask your hotel to book it for you)
• Hong islands tour
• We didn’t manage to do the Thai cooking classes, but its supposed to be a great experience. It lasts 2 and a half hours and you go the veggies and meats yourself.
• Khao Phanom Bencha National Park: when we reached, the park was closed for the day. But it is said to have a lovely waterfall. It’s open from 9 am until 4:30 pm.
Thanks it for now!
ta!
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