Bangkok - Khao Lak - Similan Islands - Koh Phangan

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Bangkok 9/1-14: Stayed two nights in Bangkok, arrived around 1 in the night, found our pre booked hotel room at Sawasdee Bangkok Inn, which was a cheap but fine standard hotel.
Got some street food and walked around for a bit before passing out in bed. Next day we changed to our old hotel Khao San Palace Inn so we could use the roof top pool, where we stayed most of the day.
In the night we booked bus tickets for Khao Lak the next day at 4:30, 850 bath and 11 hours in bus.
We went for dinner with our friend Pe who found a small Thai food restaurant for us, great food but long waiting time, enough for him to start making food out of the napkins.
Then we went for beers at two different reggae bars and walked along Khao San for people watching. Went to bed around 1. Next day we checked out and stayed by the pool until we had to go with the bus.
It was a different experience driving through Bangkok than usual as they were getting ready for protests and the shut down Bankok on the 13th.
Small shops selling t-shirts, glasses and all kind of plastic crap for no money for the protests - seemed like a good time to leave the city.

Khao Lak 12/1-14: We arrived in Khao Lak early after a long busride with almost no sleep. Asked for hotel prices near the beach but they started at 1200 bath per night so we went back to the main road where we got some nice bungalows for 450 bath per night.
Had breakfast and went to the beach which is really beautiful, long strecthy sand beach with turquoise water and rocks scattered in the water - you can probably snorkel right of the beach. Napped on the beach and had the best garlic pepper chicken of my life for only 55 bath right on the beach.
On the way back to the bungalow we asked for diving prices for Similan Islands which seems to be pretty expensive. We went for a shower and late dinner, cheap and good Thai food.
Then we got a better offer on a try dive for me - it would be my first time, where my dad could go along and my sister would come just for snorkeling.
My mom decided to stay at the beach. So I booked my first dive ever! Ecxited! Early to bed so we could get up the next morning for the dive.

Khao Lak 13/1-14: Got up at 6:30 and had a quick breakfast before getting picked up by the guides from the dive center.
Quick stop at the dive center for filling out forms saying they have no responsibility for your survival of the diving (!) and then going to the pier and getting on the boat.
Got some breakfast and instructions on board there were four exercises we had to do before getting in the water the first time. The equipment was a bit more heavy than expected but thay was no problem when getting into the water.
My dad wanted to take my hand but the instructor was very strict about him interferring. Got to a rope and tried breathing both over and under water with two other students. One of them pannicked and the guide helped her back on the boat, didn't seem like he had the time or paciancy to calm her down.
Found out the other guy was Chilean so we talked a little but we werent really allowed to remove the mouthpiece or the masks. Then he came back and we could start descending a little. I had issues with my left ear but we slowly got to an okay level and did the exercises without problems.
Then we had to descend to the bottom but I kept having problems with my ear, so it took a while. When we got there I started floating to the top and I had no more air to let out of the vest so I reached the surface really fast and we had to start over.
This time he hurried back down to the other student and my ear hurt really bad - he basically just dragged me down without checking if I was ok, really uncomfortable and stressful. Stayed at the bottom and almost dived a little but then we had to get up quickly.
Unfortunately I had blocked my ear because he rushed me down too fast the second time and I couldn't go on the second dive. Both me and my dad had gotten a lot of water in our eyes so they were really red and everybody asked if we were okay. My dad tried telling the instructor what he had seen and what he thought went wrong,
but this only seemed to make him really angry so I did not want to interfere - he already admitted it didn't go as planned so we left it there. I really enjoyed being down there but the guy was in too much of a rush and my ear hurt like crazy - I want to go another time but with a different instructor and company.
Because of the ear I couldn't go on the second dive but did some snorkelling instead with my sister. Saw two morean eal, a big blow fish and big steams of squids. Much better. Got food onboard and practiced my Spanish a lot with the Chilean guy so it wasn't a total waste of money. Back for a shower and then out for dinner, we found REAL Italian pizza..
My dad complained at the diving center to the manager about the instructor hoping to get a chance to go again- we will come back tomorrow and see what happens. Evening walk around town and then to bed.

Khao Lak 14/1-2014: Slept untill 10 and went to the beach after some breakfast. Stayed there all day and chilled in the sun.
Had lunch at the small restaurant again, the garlic pepper wasn't as good as the other day but still REALLY good.
In the evening we had dinner at a small restaurant that was part of a tourist agency and a small shop.
Then we went to talk to the manager at the diving center - he did not take it well at all - which all of the sudden made my diving experience way worse and forced me give them a really bad review on trip advisor - I therefore reccomend anyone to avoid Khao Lak Scuba Adventures.
I started out talking to his "second in command" and she was really nice heard my side of the story and gave me advise on how to make the blocking go away. She said she was concerned that we had rushed down too fast the second time,
and that it was normal sometimes to give the students a little extra weight when they were struggeling on the bottom and then remove it when you find the balance yourself. My dad had suggested this to the instructor on the boat but he refused completely.
When we all went to talk to the manager he seemed angry and defensive and I felt like I was being interrogated - he was accused my dad of telling me how to fill out in my form (?) and it felt like we were being attacked all of the sudden.
He kept saying that my dad didn't have an instructors license so he couldn't say anything about this and I felt like non of it had to do with me and my bad experience but rather him saying how wrong my dad was.
It all just made the experience twice as bad and therefore they now have some bad reviews on facebook and tripadvisor (not their first ones as far as I can see).

Khao Lak 15/1-14: Rented bikes and went first to White Sand Beach north of Khao Lak for a quick swim. Beautiful beach with fine sand and turquiose water - but also a lot of resorts.
However a little more quiet than Khao Lak. Then we started searching for a tsunami memorial which is a police boat that was pushed on land. We were sent in the wrong direction a lot of times and ended far south of Khao Lak,
at the pier we were told we had to go north again, turned out we had passed it twice. The boat was in more or less fine shape but was pushed 2 km in land. We talked to a guy who sold books and dvd's about the tsunami.
We told him where we were during the tsunami, he had been in Patong running from the wave. We bought one of his books on the tsunami and wished him luck.
Then we went a bit further north and found a small beach, Coco Beach. Even more quiet. Went for a quick swim and had late lunch there.
On our way back we found a horse riding club and made a stop. Nice stable, equipment and everything. The horses were in nice shape if you consider what else we have seen around asia. A
Went back to the bungalows for a shower and had late dinner before going to bed.

Khao Lak 16/1-2014: Chill out day at the beach. Lunch at our normal place and a last walk along Khao Lak beach before the trip goes to Koh Phangan. Pizza at the Italian place again, deeelicious!
Tried cleaning my ear with water but I think it is still blocked. We will see how it all goes tomorrow. Packing and then early to bed.

17/4-2013: Looong travelling day, from the bus we could see demonstrations in Suratthani - they are spreading more and more.
On the ferry to Koh Phangan we were offered rooms for 500 bath on the northside so we took it. The resort was super nice. We arrived there late and had dinner and a shower before going to bed.
18/4-14 Haad Gruad, Koh Phangan: Chillout day by the pool. A small walk to the next bay Haad Yao for lunch, found a nice small place at the end of the beach on some cliffs.
Walked back in the hot sun. Very nice quiet resort but one person made it entertaining, a British man called Marc. I have never met anybody with such dramatic stories, most of them probably lies.
He seemed to have problems with his small speed boat and we thought he would hit the corals or the rocks by accident - but apparantly he wanted to put his boat on the beach on so he could repair it.
At least he was wearing his motorbike helmet (have no idea why), no lifevest though. We had dinner at the resort next door and then went back to our resort and hung out a little before going to bed.

19/4-14: Got up and wanted to go to Koh Ma and snorkel however the weather wasn't too good so we went to Thongsala and walked around instead.
Walked around town and went to the food market for lunch before going back. Later my dad and I tried fighting the elements and going to Koh Ma, the walk overthere in the shallow water from the bay to the island was pretty tough,
with waves coming in from both sides and wasn't really worth the fight since there was no visibility because of the wind, I've been there three years ago and I promise that when the visibility is better, it's worth it!
We went back and had a lime drink on the beach and went back to our resort. Dinner in the 'city' of Had Yao, better and cheaper than at our resort. No news on the Marc story, he had been walking around the boat a little but it didn't look like he repaired anything.

20/1-14: Got up and packed. Had breakfast at the resort before leaving and watched Marc trying to push his boat into the sea with help from five men but it was mission imposible.
He had told his friend to come help pull the boat out so he was sailing around the bay trying to help but that wasnt possible either, Marc said he did it to punish the friend because he hadn't kept his deal with him.
Moved to Haad Rin, not Suncliff this time but right next to it. Nice bungalows, pool and everything, 500 bath per night. Stayed by the pool for a while and then went down to the beach. Nice beach but still very windy weather.
In the evening we had Thai food and went for a massage. Later we went to Cactus Bar to see our friend and ended up going to a lighthouse party with him. Really funny night but we got really drunk and came home a little late.
The lighthouse party was at a resort and there was a fireshow on top of some rocks so we went up there and going down I scraped my leg and my sister slipped and hit her chin on a rock. Maybe not the best idea to combine alcohol and rock climbing.

21/1-14: Daddys birthday! Stayed at the pool untill my very sick and hungover sister got up.
She wasn't feeling too good so we went down to a small beach next to our resort. Tried snorkeling but still no visibility.
Dad hit his foot on something when he jumped into the water so now 3 out of 4 people are injured. It started raining so we decided to go back to the hotel.
For dinner we found good Italian pizza, dads favourite dish. Then we walked around town, had a drink on the beach where my sister and I stayed a little but the beers didn't taste as nice as the night before.

22/1-14: Moved to Thongsala. Sea gate resort, nice bungalows at the beach for 400 bath for one night.
Stayed by the beach a little and went for a drive with dad but it started raining like crazy. Later the sun came out though.
Saw a lot of coconut "factories" where they seperated the skin from the nut by hand power with a spear. Hard work and probably low wage.
Had 7/11 food for lunch and went back and chilled before a nice hot shower and some dinner at the food market.
Bought dads birthday present, a nice Bob Marley suit that he had his eyes on.

23/1-14: Had breakfast at the hotel. Then went for a drive with dad and Maria.
We went to see some temples up north but no luck finding a munk who could make my sister a bracelet.
Then we went to the small fishing village up north and went for lunch on the west coast at the most quiet little yoga retreat where we of course met our old very loud friend Marc,
who had gotten his boat to this coast now and it looked more or less like it was sinking. He was being probably a bit too loud at a detox/yoga hippie place.
We went for lunch next door instead - which was even more relaxed. We had some really nice lunch before going back to enjoy the sun on our own beach.
At night we had dinner at the food market and then went to a cheap market with clothes and everything. Then we went for our last party in Haad Rin and had to say goodbye to some friends there.

24/1-14: Chill out at the beach before going to Bangkok. Saw a really injured girl on the boat, probably a traffic accident that had just happened,
she had a nurse by her side walking with a drop and big flesh wounds in her face, arms, stomach and legs. She would have the longest travel back to the mainland, poor things. We see many tourists with wounds from bike accidents.

25/1-14: Tried staying at D&D for the first time. The rooms are good and the pool is good but too but its ruined a bitby the fact that there are too many people,
most of them young backpackers getting drunk by the pool. So we booked two rooms at good old Kao Sahn Palace for the next the day when our parents came - a bit more suiting.
At night; Dinner and buying some presents. Then we met up with some friends and started drinking even though alcohol was banned that day because of the elections the next day,
but we could still get something to drink in a few places - they would just cover the bottles with bags.

26/1-14: Our parents came and we moved to Kao Sahn Palace. Relaxed by the pool and then went for a walk.
Tried to go to some different temples to find a munk that could make a bracelet for my sister, but without luck again.
Saw a cock fight, first time I have seen it on street level and I couldn't bare seeing it on a so close level, poor animals.
Later in a park near Grand Palace we saw a woman feeding squirrels that came down from every tree in the park.
Back and out for some cheap thai food. Mom felt sick so she stayed at the hotel.
Then we went with my friend to his place/tattoo studio, to get a tattoo, in memory of my German grandfather.
Turns out my friend had an old German very special piano flute that my grandfather also had, the only one we have ever seen except for the one at home and then we end up finding it in Bangkok.
Then we had some noodle soup and went to bed.

27/1-14: Got up early and packed our things to go on a bike trip with Pes friend. Maria was sick and stayed at the hotel.
We went to his bike shop in a taxi with him and found some good bikes and left. We started out going to a big beautiful temple in Khmer style and after through some small paths along the riversider with green gardens and you could see into peoples small houses and gardens.
Had a small break at a cafe by the river where they did puppet shows in the afternoons, three men for one puppet.
After that we headed towards China Town again through small paths and roads, which allowed us to see much more of the real Bangkok.
Everyone smiling and saying hello wherever we went. Saw a giant Buddha outside. Later we also saw a temple with the biggest sitting Buddha in Thailand.
Had lunch at a small local restaurant and then we went across the river with a boat and biked through China Town which was really crazy at that time, there was a lot of people because chinese new year was close. Also a lot of vespas, weird. Then we went back to his office by boat and then bike.
All in all around 4 hours and 30 km. It was a really nice way to see Bangkok and really recommendable! Check his facebook site out: https://www.facebook.com/tepadventure?ref=ts&fref=ts
Then back to the pool for a quick swim before we had our last dinner and said goodbye to Pe. Had to go to the airport 4 hours before to be sure to make it in time, because of the protests.
Only a little traffic jam, but we did have to go another way because some roads were blocked.

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