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Published: April 21st 2009
m writes - Well if you're going to visit one tropical island paradise, you may as well visit 2, non?
Anyway, they are very different places, we were to discover. It's a gorgeous 90min ferry to Ko Phi Phi through limpid turquoise waters. Lots of touts and reps to meet us but our Viking Resort guy whisks us away from the frenzy of Tonsai to our beach next door. It's a small cove and Chantal finds it pretty claustrophobic - not the long sandy beaches you might expect; however in comparison to Fiji we find it well-kitted-out with a great bar/resto, lots of art, sculpture, wooden furniture and tunes. We soon realise all this is accompanied by a lingering smell of sewers but that transpires to be the case all over the islands - sadly overburdened and polluted. Takes a while to sort out 2 rooms - none have loo, some benefit from free party music across the cliff in Tonsai, and most are a long trek from the bar and bathrooms. Then we appreciate a relaxing evening, involving a warm dip, beer, food and using their wireless - even here! After dark we make our way up the non-existent
"path" and "steps" to our cliff-side bungalow (aptly named "Small One" - the bed just fits), where L is awake most of the night due to Tonsai rave and deafening geckos and cicadas in the thatch!
We move to a quieter room next day with an incredible sea-view and large windows. Once ensconced we just have time to arrange a 6hr island tour and snorkelling trip around the main island (Phi Phi Don), Phi Phi Lai (satellite island & National Park), & tiny Bamboo Island. There are 6 of us + Kyle (staff, nice guy, from Portland Oregon - Portlanders all seem to be nice) with the longboat driver precariously perched on the petrol canister in front of his noisy patched-together engine. First we snorkel at Shark Point nr. Long Beach - exciting as it's Chantal's first time and she bravely goes for it though we didn't have to try too hard to see stuff as there were zillions of tropical fish hoarding around and nibbling us - overwhelming and not helped by amused boatman chucking bread at us. The snorkelling later nr. Bamboo was superb: lots of spikey sea urchins with their big eye, coral, stars and fish.
As for non-marine life, Monkey Beach was the next stop to see the large, tame spider monkeys and their babies (I point out to Chantal that the babes are play-fighting, but no, it's something altogether more venal - and at their age!); bit depressing to see them vying for tourists' biscuits - definite modified behaviour; quite pleased when a guy gets hissed at and chased away for getting too close. Hello! they are still wild animals. next we walked around bamboo island in an hour - Laurent's back is now up to a short hike - and notice the tsunami escape route signs everywhere (phi phi was badly hit though now has recovered) and amazing honeycombed multicoloured rocks as well as freaky sea-creature or ray skeleton on beach - no-one can elaborate.
On phi-phi lai we see the viking caves where local swift-nest harvesters have lived for years selling to the Chinese - illegal elsewhere but tolerated here and lucrative. Finally, we stop opposite Maya Bay aka. The Beach: typically gorgeous white sand with limestone cliffs and clear fish-filled waters. On promise of a free cocktail from Kyle, Laurent and his poorly back pluck up courage to jump of
a 15m cliff into the water whilst Chantal masks her eyes and looks away and M trembles. On our return we enjoy an incredible sunset of electric colours which even seems a little corny when the dolphins join us. Back at our new bungalow there is a black snake on the doorstep: small and slow - not a good sign. Despite dreaming of serpents and the incessant longboat noise we sleep well after the action-packed day.
Next day we enjoy a lazy beach / guardian-weekly morning then walk to Long Beach next door - bland chain of concrete resorts unlike Viking bay, but at the end some of the best food we've tasted at a tiny stall run by an old couple. It's so hot, M swims back rather than brave the walk, before we all walk another 30 mins westwards to hectic Tonsai beach - the centre of the action here. It's a bit mad with tons of agencies and bars but good vibe and no hassling from hawkers. Later, after Chantal heads back on a longboat, we drink beer on the beach watching good firejuggling and appalling blaring dance music; it's buzzy but definitely not busy with
so many bars to entertain an apparently reduced number of tourists, we're told because of the recent riots and political sitch. So we don't stay out late, fortunately because as our longboat pulls up the sky lights up and heavens open.
Then it's another early rise to make the most of our last leisurely breakfast by the beach before longboat to Tonsai pier for ferry south-east. Whilst waiting, Loz finds some 3 quid 'raybans' to replace those stolen in Oz. Our luggage is snatched from us and efficiently packed away somewhere and we board the ferry to Ko Lanta island - 90 scenic mins. On arrival we are leapt upon and conned into a pickup only to be told price is p.p. but works out OK: we note taxis here could be anyone - no markings or regulation whatsoever, which means feeling a bit nervous if you're alone at night. 30min drive south to Long Beach reveals a living, breathing and dusty town, unlike Ko Phi Phi. Arrival at Lonely Planet tip "Sanctuary" is dsappointing as its dilapidated rather than hippyish but we prefer to the more generic concrete places along the beach and opt to stay there, we
love the outdoor bathroom, showering in the fresh-air.Chantal moves to resort with gorgeous pool we all enjoy, then we head off to Lanta festival in the old town across the island, in a long-negociated taxi pickup with some Canadians and Brits. We're lucky we've conincided with this major Thai festival and we enjoy a thai-box demo, folk insturments and some girls performing slightly draconian Chinese gymnastics; Chantal enjoy the zillions of market stalls, and none of us enjoy the gross, unrecognisable meaty food offerings (unlike any Thai food we've seen - Ko Lanta is interestingly 99% Muslim so culturally different).
Before departing from Sanctuary to a far lovelier beachside bungalow resort down the beach, "Marina", we befriend 4 yr old Thai/English Lalita: daughter of the owner. She is horrified when Laurent drops a coin and reaches for it with his foot, as stepping on an image of the king is actually illegal in Thailand. Hard to leave after befreinding owner, but steadfast, the 3 of us find a tuk-tuk for our luggage and move on to big and breezy bungalows (with worksite next door - can't have everything but they do work til 8 even on sunday!). Alarmed when
a worm crawls out of Laurent's coral cut wound (gross), Mum and Loz head to the pharmacy before rains come down again in torrents and we are enveloped in the restaurant tarpaulin: cool(er) bliss!
Next morning we're silly enough to fall into tourist trap of paying big bucks at a french bakery for breakfast and it's crap: should stick with Thai. It's Chantal's last day so Ma and son head off to Khong Klong on hired moped for hike to cascades. With worksites both sides (soon Hat Phra Ae beach will be only villas) and hysterical german tourist kids screeching and bounding about on the "idyllic" seaside pagoda playing with beeping electronic rifle, M realises it's tough to get tranquility in SE Asia, but enjoys yet another squid and prawn salad washed down with beer at Moonwalk restaurant on the beach - delightful. Then C&L return with sorry faces. Yes, the cascades were a let-down: trickle of water. Far worse, the roads are tracks in far south of island and the bike tilted sideways causing Chantal to burn her leg badly. Bravely, she "gets back on the bike" to visit the docs whilst M calls the bank yet again
because yet again they have blocked our account due to their error (they thought I was Gemma: good work Smile...).
In morning Chantal is off to Chang Mai via Bangkok and we enjoy chilling after doomed attempts to visit Bamboo Beach on the moped: exhaust comes off on a rocky incline. We panic when the resort say we have to pay for repair but after a few hours it's back and cost 2 quid! Needless to say, repairs are pretty cursory here! We head out again and enjoy the freedom of exploring the island, braving the bumpy, slippy track to our perfect resort at the far southermost point: Baan Phu Lae The huts are on a long sandy beach, trees, flowers, birdsong, cool bar and good food: we book! Have a cocktail with stunning vista at The Balcony Bar on way back then inpromptu swim in a gorgeous bay before fantastic dinner at Cook-Kai (enduring the wet undies), despite M dramatically smashing full glass of red (gold-dust) and disturbing 60yr-old Brit neighbour with young Thai girl: very common here. Dark drive home with no street-lights.Next 3 days are a blur of chilling on the remote beach. The resort is
young - mainly lady-boys or gay - and know how to play a good tune with some cracking firedancing. Better still, the theme of caged birds is not present here and we have an impressive friend who lives behing our mirror: Keith (the Komodo..ok, not quite, but he is big and cool - see below!). Everyone is German and cliquey: ah well, no need to socialise then! We enjoy the beach (tons of ghost crabs and harmless jellyfish), good food (though M has asthma during night for first time in ages and after several episodes now realises there are E numbers - her allergens - in the lovely chilli sauce - bugger!), hammock, ocean sunsets, but not the crap bamboo bed which destroys Laurent's back.
When we leave, despite the good times, there is no fond farewell: here it seems when you're leaving you are instantly forgotten. Eventually someone turns up to drive 8 of us and our luggage in one small pick-up, and we just make the ferry back to Phuket, crushed and moaning, but enjoy seeing some monkeys on the way. We like the bohemian area we find in Phuket old-town and enjoy drinks at cinemateque art-caf
then meal at China Garden - classy: they hide our grubby rucksacks! There are no buses or tuk-tuks here so it takes us ages to negociate a taxi to the airport; strange how some places have tons of options, others none. On the trip, we see loads of shrine-shops - we like saying this and musing on purchasing one's shrine/spririt house! Back in Bangkok, Wild Orchid hotel say we have no booking and we must be lying about speaking to someone at lunchtime as there was "no-one here at 1pm"; they grab our phone to check number and time and finally relent when we start heading off, but very begrudgingly. Hotel people in Bangkok can be really hateful! We commiserate with cocktail buckets at our fave street-bar loving the people-watching - lady-boys and Thai girls with white-men, many of whom seem together for far more than a night...fascinating. A small elephant also drops by - seems a bit cruel on hectic Soi Rambuttri, and most odd.
Last few days in Bangkok. We meet up with Chantal again after her Chang Mai trip, and after she is treated similarly poorly by Rambuttri Village Inn, we take a local bus (tricky
- no maps, no English) to Siam Square to sample an Asian shopping mall. There is anything and everything and tons of fakes. From there we take the SkyTrain to Chatuchak market, which is huge, stretching as far as the eye can see. Food all a bit iffy though and crab rice is horrid and makes us ill later on. We take a constitutional in Lamphini Park, wondering at the skillful body-football volleyball game, and marvelling at all the cats with no tails in Bangkok (we reckon at 95% - is it genetic?). After getting ready to head back to France after her 6-month stint in India and now, Thailand, Chantal tries to sell her expensive duffle bag but is offered hilarious money (peanuts) by the street-sellers so ends up buying gifts instead. After she departs, M&L daytrip on the river boats with loads of tourists and teenage monks, to the incredible Royal Palace and temple of Emerald Buddha (mini budd) then temple of reclining buddha (giant). Temples and Wats are huge, colourful complexes and exhausting to visit in the heat. We are fascinated by rituals like touching flowers to the head before entering, and dropping coins into very long
lines of bowls within.
Last day in Bangkok we intended to buy some stuff but concluded that when you scratch the surface of all the t-shirts and objets, it's generally rubbish. Instead we spend our money on gorgeous mackerel & snapper and beer in a bar playing an English-language film with extremely odd subtitles like Thai babelfish-translated into English!! Last morning in Bangkok: we are pleased to leave hostile Wild Orchid but sad to leave safety of Bangkok. We enjoy the out-of-date photocopies of The Sun and The Times at Oh My Cod!, one last time then take a cab only to be totally had by the driver for the first time: he insists on 400 baht but after 6 trips to the airport we know its 250 on the meter so he finally agrees to put the meter on, then phones and friend and is clearly laughing at us, then drives the wrong way including 10mins circling the aerodrome on arrival, total:400 baht. We need to get our flight so we grin and bear it. Apparently Cambodia, where we're heading, is bad for such blags, so we better get used to it!
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jo
non-member comment
weird creature
Is a horse shoe crab! : ) Can I be your wildlife guide?