Dazza
Darin Joined: November 9th 2005
Logged in: March 12th 2007
Logged in: March 12th 2007
Travel Blog Posts
Kangaroos are in Thailand!
6 Nights Our last days in Thailand before Laos have definately been some of the best we have had! After returning from Pai we went back to our wonderful AU$2.50 a night guesthouse and decided to check out the Chaing Mai Night Bazaar which is an array of markets, restaurants and cool things to see. We scored some great bargains; new fisherman's pants, shorts and shirts (I have thrown out some of my 'western' clothes and decided to dress thai style). It is good times bartering with the market stall owners and walking away with 3 bags full of clothes and stuff for AU$20 is my idea of a smart shopping trip. The inner child came out in Rane and I when we bargained hard for some 'laser' pointers so we could be juvenile and point ... read more
Countryside
4 Nights Oh Pai, why were you so good to us? If you are ever in Chaing Mai you must see Pai. The guidebook said this hippy town sprouted like a mushroom when travellers were on there way to somewhere and they found Pai. We took the latest bus (always arranging things at the last minute) on a Saturday at 3pm (asking for trouble) and when we arrived at 7pm we were greeted with a town abuzz with Thai and Farang tourists everywhere. I was a little disappointed as I had the impression that Pai was a 300 metre street with 5 or so guesthouses (so naive) and that we may come across a few other travellers why we were there, how wrong was I. Our champion mini van driver drove us to atleast 10 guesthouses ... read more
Elephant Ride
5 Nights OK, mental note, when booking a bus trip, make sure it has VIP in the name and that it looks good in the picture they show you, and if it is only AU$7 for a 12 hour bus ride ask why. It was the bus trip from hell, Bangkok to Chang Mai. Picture this, an old shitty bus, the aircon sort of works, you can hear and smell the toilet from your seat, no movies, a psycho host who tells anyone who dares to ask a question to shut up and sit down, you have to beg for a blanket and a bus driver who weaves in and out of traffic, nearly rolls the bus 1000 times and talks and texts on his mobile phone whilst 50 shit scared backpackers try to get some ... read more
Khao San Road
2 Nights We headed back to Bangkok, but this time I was a seasoned traveller, well 3 weeks under my belt anyway. I embraced this city in a whole new way, it is amazing how easier it is when you know what you are doing in a city of 10 million people. Like all of our previous journeys we had made some new friends on the bus trip and hooked up the same guesthouse, ate out for dinner and did activities together. Our new friend was Louise, she was a 30 year old real estate executive from England and about half of the height of me, it was fun showing someone a city I have already been too! This is how travelling here works, you network with people in the know and pool your knowledge to ... read more
Approaching Ko Tao
Ko Pha Ngan - 4 Nights Our third week in and we were off to the east coast of the south of Thailand. After a boat, truck, minibus, truck and coach we arrived at the ferry terminal. The weather was fierce and it was raining very hard and the gulf of Thailand did not look like what you see in the photos. After 3 hours on the ferry we arrived in Ko Pha Ngan and decided to use the when in rome policy and head straight to the party town of Hat Rin. After befriending an englishmen Joey and his lovely canadian girl Laura we were given the lowdown on the place and kicked back on some soft cushions in a lovely bar called the outback bar. We found a room and headed out with our ... read more
Ton Sai Beach
7 Nights On the 15th November we caught a 16 hour bus ride to Krabi from Bangkok. Krabi is on the west coast of Thailand. We headed to Ao-Nang, the most western beach in the Krabi area. On arrival you can immediately see the rebuilding from the Tsunami. Ao-Nang is a nice little town and we had a fun wholesome time on our one night there. It was a little touristy but a good place to unwind after 16 hours on the road. We advanced quickly into relaxation mode when we took our $3 boat ride to Ton Sai, a bay that is probably the most underdeveloped tourist area (electricity is only available at night and is by generator) in this region. As you pass around the head from Ao-Nang you are greeted with the most ... read more
We arrived in Bangkok at 11pm Saturday night and straight away we met an english guy that we split a cab with to Khao San Rd (the backpacker decompression chamber for when you enter or leave Thailand, sort of like a place where you still have the comforts of home but the craziness of a weird foreign country). Bangkok is a dirty smelly town with a population that does not give much thought to pollution. Mel and Rane warmed to it, but I was disgusted as I completely dislike breathing more pollution than actual oxygen. Jetlag arrived as soon as we tried to sleep on Saturday night and we managed 3 hours sleep which felt like ten. It was quite crazy and quite rewarding working out what to do in Bangkok and how to survive. Rane ... read more
