Blogs from Surat Thani, South-West Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 4

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Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Surat Thani August 6th 2010

Sawasdee everyone! So, firstly... I tried to upload pictures at two different places in Bangkok. Neither place worked. Apologies! Secondly, if I had written this blog two days ago, it would have been very, very different. Thankfully, I took a bit to cool down prior to getting online. However, if you are Buddhist, you may get offended. Just a warning. So... I got to Suan Mokkh on the 30th and the retreat officially started on the 1st, although we were encouraged not to speak and had to turn our valuables in (i.e. music, books, etc.) when we first arrived at registration on the 31st. The accommodation was as expected: a concrete slab with a wooden pillow and a straw mat, complete with an outdoor, public showering.. hole. No big deal. Registration day went really well. I ... read more

Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Surat Thani July 30th 2010

Greetings from Suan Mokkh! Ok, so I know I made this huge deal about not having internet, but registration doesn't start until tomorrow (the silence starts tomorrow night) and I'm bored. Spent the day getting settled in, reading, taking my first legit dip-and-pour shower, and buying a flashlight. Very exciting. ANYWAY it's a way better deal to stay on the internet for an hour rather than 10 minutes, so I figured I'd continue my Laos updates. Here it gooes!! LUANG PRABANG: Alright, so we're to the point of getting accomodation. Luang Prabang was amazing. We spent the first night at the fantastic night market, which is massive and full of vendors selling everything from Lao coffee and tablecloths to purses and shirts. The next day we decided to rent bicycles and spent the day touring the ... read more

Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Surat Thani March 16th 2010

Having enjoyed our time in the serene jungle setting of Khao Sok it was now that time of month for a party. The party happened to be none other than the infamous Koh Pha Ngan Full Moon Party (FMP) on Haad Rin beach. Due to very high accommodation prices on the island around party time, we decided to do an all-nighter and just not sleep. So having reached Surat Thani (our base for Koh Pha Ngan ferries) we left around lunchtime equipped with nothing more than some suncream and UV face paint. No camera, bag or any belongings as that would just be asking for trouble. Due to unforeseen journey times we didn't reach the party island until sunset but that was perfect as the party was just getting started. On the long ferry crossing we ... read more
Fire Breathing at FMP
drying fish
colourful fishing boats

Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Surat Thani January 23rd 2010

So we left Pangkor and begun a bit of an epic trek up into Thailand. The plan was to get to Hat Yai which is a sort of transit town via a sleeper train and then head to the island of Kho Phi Phi which is on the west coast. We said bye to our lovely hut thingy on Pangkor and got a taxi to the other side of the island then it was a 40 min boat back to the mainland port of Lumut. From there we got on a bus to Ipoh to wait for the train. We got to Ipoh pretty late and so with backpacks in tow we walked in what we hoped was the right way to the train station. Eventually we found it and were quite impressed when we did. ... read more
again...eww
Andy
Ipoh

Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Surat Thani July 10th 2009

After 2 very hot and sweaty weeks in the cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai we thought it was about time we put our pasty little white boddies on the beach to tan in Koh Samui. After a quick flight from Chiang Mai we landed at Samui airport (where they have the cleanest toilets Ive ever seen) we checked into a hotel at the southern end of Chaweng beach. Chaweng beach is the main hip and happening resort on the island, and has a touch of the Shaguluf/Benidorm about it, bit chavvy but good fun all the same. Our first hotel was reasonably nice, we had our own private beach and the room even had a partial sea view! Coming from Chiang Mai where our hotel didnt even have a window this was definately a step ... read more

Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Surat Thani June 8th 2009

I am going to backtrack a bit and write out some of the experiences I had before Brian and I got jumped and robbed, it was such an incredible trip and I want to be sure that I highlight all the good things that happened and not just the bad. After arriving in Surat Thani on the overnight train, we took a local bus to Ban Ta Khun, a really small town West of Surat Thani. On the bus we met a woman who told us she would help us find a ride up to Ratchabrapha which is another 12 km outside of town. After walking around Ban Ta Khun's market and temple we got a ride up in a small van and arrived at the lake, which is on the corner of Khao Sok National ... read more
Humble Abode
Beauty
Swimming

Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Surat Thani May 28th 2009

Hello all currently in a internet cafe waiting for our 1stClass Sleeper train to take us into Malaysia, should be interesting. So the last time i wrote we was still in Siem Reap, that nite we went out drinking and playin table football till about 6am, then we headed back to our backpackers and got the bus to Bangkok at 7am after sayin goodbye to anew Danish and Dutch friends. Didnt get much sleep on the bus, but the border crossing was pretty uneventful. Arrived in Bangkok in the evening and we treated ourselves to a nice western healthy burger king, and it tasted goood. Got our fist glimpse of Koh San Rd and the street is alive with bars and backpackers everday, stayed rite in the centre of the road at Wallys guesthouse, some ... read more

Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Surat Thani April 25th 2009

I arrived in Surat Thani from Phuket on the bus the day before Nok's wedding. Nok and I met back in 2006 when I used her as a tour guide in Bangkok... we hit it off, became close friends and have stayed in contact ever since... In 2006 I also used another guide, Tong who has featured in several of my blogs.. again we became fast friends and have remained in contact ever since... I introduced Tong and Nok to each other after feeling that they would hit it off... and not only did they become friends.. but Nok is now employed by Tong in her tour company! I was excited to be going to the wedding, not only to help Nok celebrate, but to also spend the weekend with Tong who was traveling down from ... read more
Monks Blessing
The Happy Couple
Wedding Photo

Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Surat Thani March 2nd 2009

On our second day in the community forest village, we were unable to tap the rubber trees because it wasnt the right time of year (BUMMER!), but we took a five am hike up to the top of this mountain, and saw the sunrise over the palm oil and rubber trees, it was beautiful! Then we went and tried durian, which smells just as bad as it tastes, probably the worst thing I have ever eaten, and the taste NEVER GOES AWAY gah! We then went and saw some cool caves, and one with a ton of bats! Later, we went to this "waterfall" to swim, which ended up being a aquamarine sanctuary, heh oh well. We went back to the village to pack up and head down to the marine national park for some snorkeling!!! ... read more
sunrise
DURIAN
sunrise

Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Surat Thani March 1st 2009

On our second day in the south, we took a boat out at 5 am and did more fishing. After that, we took a boat ride through the mangroves and went to the old village that was destroyed by the tsunami and saw what was left of the beach. It was an interesting sight, but we didn't get much explanation, other than only two people from this village died because there were mangroves around to save them! After we walked the beach, we went back and headed to our next community homestay in Surat Thani. When we got there, we went on a long jungle hike, which was nice, but it was hot, and we all got really dirty. Once we came back, we got to help make our dinner, which was really good, and we ... read more
tsunami beach
tsunami beach
tsunami beach




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