Blogs from Southern Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 22

We got up Friday morning and decided we're too lazy to schlep our bags to the Sky Train stop and ordered a taxi. On the way, the cabbie asked where we were going and he said he'd take us there (2.5 - 3 hours) for 2,000 Baht (about $60 USD). After doing the math, we decided it was going to cost us close to half that amount and would require at least 4 more baggage transfers. We opted to splurge and take our pink cab all the way for the next 3 hours. Interestingly enough, it seems that most cars & cabs in Thailand run on propane rather than gasoline or diesel. When pulling into a gas station along the way, there are pumps that dispense 3 or 4 different octane levels of gasoline plus diesel, ... read more

After spending a month on Koh Samui enjoying its many beaches and vibrant night life I decided it was time to see something other than its many bars and clubs. For this reason I organized a trip to Koh Tan (also known as Koh Katen) which is part of the Katen archipelago. I organized my trip to Koh Tan with the help of a local travel agent called ‘Tropical Easy Travel’ based in Maenam, Koh Samui who I found via their website www.tropicaleasy.com Tropical Easy made everything painless by organizing everything from transfers, transport and accommodation. I chose to visit Koh Tan because I wanted to get away from all the hustle and bustle of Samui and escape to somewhere quiet where I could relax and unwind. Koh Tan is the perfect place for this. The ... read more

Arrived at Ben's place in Krabi around luchtime, the first hotel that had a pool, really needed a dip! We grabbed our hotel key to find we were in the basement which meant going down many flights of stairs as there were no lifts! I hate not having anyone to carry ny bags, I am only little I wasnt build for all this lifting. Lauren chucked hers down the stairs instead of carrying hers I sweated it out. Our room was really nice fully air conditioned which is a must out here! Got my bikini on and headed to the pool. The pool was in the middle of two buliding which was weird. After a quick dip I got changed and headed out to the market with Brittany, we had such fun haggling with the locals, ... read more

Monday 18th January Ko Phi Phi (Cont') Dave Quick word on cash: exchange rate is now 52.5 baht = 1 GBP. ATM withdrawals are all charged 150 baht on top of whatever your bank charges. After a marvellous dinner and a few beers on Sunday night we found ourselves quite worn out so returned to our cell like quarters where we were grateful for the fact it had no windows as we did not really wish to see or smell what was outside. In bed by 9 oclock, we slept like logs and were not further harassed by any biting, stinging or blood sucking menaces. We had been lucky enough to spot what seemed like a good deal amongst the many trips and tours offered by the multitude of travel agents and booked a days sailing ... read more

Life in Surat…what can I say? It’s life in Surat. I have thrown a few new things into my daily routine since my last post. For starters, I joined a gym. I now start most of my days out by waking up at 6am and driving 5 minutes in the near non-existent traffic to the complex. You would think that it’s hard waking up that early, but it’s actually quite a peaceful time of day. The sun is just coming up, the air is cool and there is usually a slight mist in the air. The gym itself is very nice. They have separate fitness rooms for men and women, both complete with two treadmills, an elliptical, two fitness bikes and weight lifting machines. It’s not air conditioned, but it is open to the outside with ... read more