Koh Tao to Hat Yai - last night in Thailand

I awoke this morning with a very foggy head, by the sound of another cockerel directly outside our window - grrr! Frantically packed our bags as failed to do so last night, checked out and headed to the Pier to catch our Lomprayah Catamaran to Surat Thani ( Donsak).

After 8 days on Koh Tao I was really sad to leave, such a beautiful place - the first I have really felt like I could stay.

We could the boat and was given a red ribbon to tie around my list as we had to change boats at Phangnan - urgh not what I wanted to do. I wad looking forward to falling asleep in the aircon room for a good few hours. We disembarked and waited for 40 mins for another Catamaran to Surat Thani. It finally came about 20 mins late and was really small. We got it fine via Samui and as soon as we got off the boat we were hurded into our minivan we had booked with Lomprayah to Hat Yai for 900 bht at Koh Tao. We wanted to get the boat and train direct to Butterworth which you can do but the train was fully booked, do we thought we'd just take our chances!

There was no room for our bags and in traditional Thai fashion the driver expected us to sit with our huge rucksacks on our laps, but I remained stood up until he sorted it - which he did. After that he dropped the majority of people off at the airport and we thought sweet a whole minivan for 4 people - until it changed into a Co-op taxi picking up every man, woman and child until we were over full again and arrived at Hat Yai.

We were told there were no buses to Butterworth for the rest of the day, and to try the trains. Tuk tuk to the train station and the next train was 7am so we found a KFC I know, I know but we were so hungover it had to be done and checked into the Kings Hotel which is really cheap only 450 for aircon room for two and Wifi.

To Malaysia tomorrow!!

The Best Day Ever – Laos, Vang Vien – Part 1 – Nice Big Cave

After travelling to Vang Vieng from Luang Probang with the best group of people, Will one of the lads from Bristol had told us about some caves where you could explore without a guide and where the water would come up to your chest. This sounded both scary and exciting so we all agreed.

Will tried to barter with a Tuk Tuk driver who didn’t speak any English. Asking the man to take us to a cave which he couldn’t pronounce using his The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget. 

He was thrust a mobile phone and had to speak to the Tuk Tuk driver via the “interpreter” over the phone. This was a brilliant sight. Will is a very well mannered English gentlemen, who pronounces words very well and also uses far too many of them in a situation like this.

Although after about 5-10 minutes of painful conversation, he had done it! We all piled into the Tuk Tuk. Both Will and the driver seemed happy.

The Rough Guide highlighted that we should have a map for the caves and that they were available from the book shop in town. However Will seemed to think that we could probably also purchase one from the “gas station” we stopped at.

“Excuse me, we would like to know whether we could possibly purchase of copy of a map for the caves please?”

One of the old guys sat around playing cards laughing at us said “Toilet” and pointed to the loo.

“No, no I don’t need the toilet thank you. I need a map for the caves. Do you sell them here? Can I buy one please?”

Another reply came

“Toilet” again with a firm point.

Hilarious. It was reminiscent of the scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade:

Indiana Jones: The hell you will. He's got a two day head start on you, which is more than he needs. Brody's got friends in every town and village from here to the Sudan, he speaks a dozen languages, knows every local custom, he'll blend in, disappear, you'll never see him again. With any luck, he's got the grail already. 

[Cut to middle of fair in the Middle East, Marcus Brody wearing bright suit and white hat, sticking out like sore thumb] 

Marcus Brody: Uhhh, does anyone here speak English? 

Street Vendor: Water? 

Marcus Brody: No thank you, sir, no. Fish make love in it. 

We headed off to the caves. The cave that no-one could pronounce with no map in the wet season. Hurrah.

After veering around several cows taking a nap in the middle of the road we turned down a very bumpy road signposted to the caves that we could pronounce and not the ones we were looking for. But even Will had admitted defeat by that point.

At the end of the road we came to a bridge, also very reminiscent of something from an Indiana Jones film or other popular 80s action movies. We were like “are you frik’n serious?! Are the nine of us and this tuk tuk going to make it across?”

Slowly we drove across and you could see through the bridge to the river below. The bridge rattled so loudly. I’m not sure what was older, the tuk tuk or the bridge.

We made it alive. Wow. At the end we came to a sign post. One sign pointed left and read “AMAZING cave”. The other pointing right read “nice big cave.”

Oh nice big cave it is then, thanks drive. Don’t worry it’s not like the other one’s amazing, oh no wait, it is.  After driving along rice fields we finally arrived at a cave. It wasn’t the one we wanted but hey! We were all handed a torch and headed on in.

It was amazing and so dark. Stalactites and stalagmites were everywhere and water down in one section of the cave.

“Down here, it's our time. It's our time down here. “Yes Leah had got it. We felt like the Goonies. It was a real 80’s moving kinda day! We all turned our torches off at one point and realise dhow dark it actually was. And then of course we finished the visit of by trying to get Will to climb into a really small hole that he couldn’t fit in, which he tried of course.

Bangkok - First Day!

Breakfast in the hotel was better than expected, although I had three cups of coffee – whoops! We started walking river along the Klong and got stopped by guy who we soon worked out was trying to scam us!


You read a lot of things about scamming in Thailand and you always think it won’t happen to you, but they are so clever and must be able to spot someone that has just arrived! We new it was a scam when he told us everywhere was closed as everyone was going to pray at the palace. Another guy turned up who was a tuk tuk driver and he started to pretend argue with him making out he was bartering a good deal for us. We knew that was a load of crap so we were just strong and walked away.


We go to the river and stupidly bought a tourist ticket for 150b when we worked out afterwards that a single trip on the non tourist boat was only 14b!! Anyway at least we had learnt and it did mean we could get on any of the boats that came along. We jumped on the boat and it whizzed along, such great views of the city – it’s definitely a great way to travel around the city.


 


We arrived at Ratchawong Pier and headed to china town. It was everything I had expected it to be. Mental like the souks in Marrakech and every smell imaginable. From Jasmine incense to fish to urine. Stalls and food everywhere!














We also stopped and got some yum dim sum – the place was bustling and was just awesome. It was really hot, but we didn’t care. You can tell from the steam on the camera!





Back on the boat to Tha ten pier and got another ferry across to the other side of the river for 3b to visit Wat Arun.








It was awesome – very Gaudi-esk but more spectacular. Althought the stairs were so steep I only made it up one flight as I wasn’t sure I could get down again. Dave went all the way to the top though while I waited. The view was still amazing from where I was.


The view from the top (thanks Dave!)





We headed back over the river on the 3b ferry towards the reclining Buddha. It was amazing! There were a lot of people there, but it was still worth going and we managed to get some great shots as you can see!





We got our first tuk tuk back to the hotel – we think we got a bit ripped off but it was so much fun, we didn’t care!

Mumbai to Bangkok: 2nd June

We boarded our flight to Bangkok with ease, but had some weird guy who wouldn't stop getting up and going to the toilet... thankfully the flight wasn't full so he moved seats. I would really recommend Kingfisher Air - they were really great and the food, if you like curry that is, it also helps if you like the Kumars :)

We booked our air tickets direct with the airline on this website - http://www.kayak.com/ it worked out loads cheaper than going with the Flight Centre.

We arrived Bangkok safe and our bags we're nearly first off - so glad as that is my worst part of traveling. I had my bad not turn up once and it was horrible - but if you're going on a trip for months you need your stuff!!

We got a taxi direct to our hotel from the airport - great tip from my friend Helen that you go downstairs in Bangkok airport and they give you a ticket with the cost on it. We had read so much about being ripped off so were nervous that our first trip might be expensive. The first week of being in Thailand was both Dave and my Birthday, so we stayed in a slightly nicer place than we would have otherwise. The Lamphu Tree House which was in the old part of town near Khao San Road - but not too close which was great.you can read my review on Trip Advisor here - http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g293916-d940156-r112859195-Lamphu_Tree_House-Bangkok.html