1. Bamboo Island (Andy, Kira, Jade, Jake and Dave)
2. Maya Bay "The Beach"
Laura, Kira, Jade
Friday, August 31, 2007
Koh Tao (Turtle Island)
So I think this is my favourite island so far only because it's shaped like a turtle and they have named it after that. For those of you who don't really know me...I really like turtles ever since one of my good friends (Teri Shortreed) said I looked like one when I extended my neck...haha
This is my second day here and unfortunately I'm off again tomorrow to Chiang Mai. I arrive yesterday afternoon and immediately booked a dive trip for the next day...the whole reason I came to the island. Afterwards I went to rent a scooter to explore and see what this turtle was all about. I drove from the very south of the island to the north tip, got off my bike and hiked through the bush and found a really cool lookout point. The island is very small, I drove from one tip to the other in 20 mins, and that is on a windy road going 40-60 km/h. The island is surrounded by boulder rocks, and there are little beaches you can visit if you trek a little ways through the jungle. Touring the island was so beautiful and was a great way to do it because I stopped where ever I wanted, tourist shops, beaches, lookout points etc. By the time I got home I decided to hit the sack since I had to wake at 6am for the dive trip.
We set off pretty early. We got to our first dive site Hing Wong around 8am and got in the water. There were only 5 of us in the group and two of them were doing there open water certification, so I was treated like a princess. The instructor, Ben from Germany gave me his really expensive dive watch to wear and said I could go diving with the dive master Maria as long as I didn't break his watch...he had to tend to the others doing the test so he let us go off and do our own thing...between the first site and the second Ao Mao I saw angel fish, butterfly fish, bannerfish, rabbit fish, stingray, unicorn fish, trigger fish and a giant clam...not as big as the 150 yr old one Dad and I saw at the Great Barrier reef.
The day was great, the diving, swimming, jumping off the boat...the water is so clear and beautiful its hard to stay out of, especially when the water is 28 degrees and the air temp is 36! oh wow, Mom I don't know how you would cope here, but this is my kind of weather!! :) hehe
We got back from the dive trip around 1 and I decided the lay on the beach and work on my tan since it is the last day for me on the islands and near a beach. The islands here are so beautiful it will be hard leaving but I've heard amazing things about Chiang Mai.
That is all for now, lots of love from this side of the world and I will be seeing some of you really soon!
This is my second day here and unfortunately I'm off again tomorrow to Chiang Mai. I arrive yesterday afternoon and immediately booked a dive trip for the next day...the whole reason I came to the island. Afterwards I went to rent a scooter to explore and see what this turtle was all about. I drove from the very south of the island to the north tip, got off my bike and hiked through the bush and found a really cool lookout point. The island is very small, I drove from one tip to the other in 20 mins, and that is on a windy road going 40-60 km/h. The island is surrounded by boulder rocks, and there are little beaches you can visit if you trek a little ways through the jungle. Touring the island was so beautiful and was a great way to do it because I stopped where ever I wanted, tourist shops, beaches, lookout points etc. By the time I got home I decided to hit the sack since I had to wake at 6am for the dive trip.
We set off pretty early. We got to our first dive site Hing Wong around 8am and got in the water. There were only 5 of us in the group and two of them were doing there open water certification, so I was treated like a princess. The instructor, Ben from Germany gave me his really expensive dive watch to wear and said I could go diving with the dive master Maria as long as I didn't break his watch...he had to tend to the others doing the test so he let us go off and do our own thing...between the first site and the second Ao Mao I saw angel fish, butterfly fish, bannerfish, rabbit fish, stingray, unicorn fish, trigger fish and a giant clam...not as big as the 150 yr old one Dad and I saw at the Great Barrier reef.
The day was great, the diving, swimming, jumping off the boat...the water is so clear and beautiful its hard to stay out of, especially when the water is 28 degrees and the air temp is 36! oh wow, Mom I don't know how you would cope here, but this is my kind of weather!! :) hehe
We got back from the dive trip around 1 and I decided the lay on the beach and work on my tan since it is the last day for me on the islands and near a beach. The islands here are so beautiful it will be hard leaving but I've heard amazing things about Chiang Mai.
That is all for now, lots of love from this side of the world and I will be seeing some of you really soon!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Full Moon Party 2007
Aug 28
The day of the full moon....the largest beach party in the world....the best fire dancers and every type of music you can imagine! What more can you ask for...
The beach was lined with vendors selling buckets, food, glow painting and more...I knew this was going to be one of the most memorable nights EVER! I was with a great group the aussies and now two more guys from Holland (Rogier, Florian) that we had met camping aswell and we stuck together watching fire dancers while we started drinking, dancing at cactus bar again and then we found a roof top where we danced while watching 10,000 people swarming the beach. We met some British guys on the roof top that had lots of glow in the dark paint so they added more to us so we were absolutely covered! I will hopefully post some pictures soon of the trip.
Our night started to wind down around 5am and we just chilled on the beach for the next while!! We arrived back at our bungalow around 8:30am and I found a nice comfy hammock and passed out for a couple of hours! Now it was just the recovery day ahead where nothing needed to be done :)
Just beach and relaxation!
The day of the full moon....the largest beach party in the world....the best fire dancers and every type of music you can imagine! What more can you ask for...
The beach was lined with vendors selling buckets, food, glow painting and more...I knew this was going to be one of the most memorable nights EVER! I was with a great group the aussies and now two more guys from Holland (Rogier, Florian) that we had met camping aswell and we stuck together watching fire dancers while we started drinking, dancing at cactus bar again and then we found a roof top where we danced while watching 10,000 people swarming the beach. We met some British guys on the roof top that had lots of glow in the dark paint so they added more to us so we were absolutely covered! I will hopefully post some pictures soon of the trip.
Our night started to wind down around 5am and we just chilled on the beach for the next while!! We arrived back at our bungalow around 8:30am and I found a nice comfy hammock and passed out for a couple of hours! Now it was just the recovery day ahead where nothing needed to be done :)
Just beach and relaxation!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Ko Pha Ngan
Aug 27 The day of Travel
I left Phi Phi island on the 9am ferry and arrived at my bungalow in Ko Phangan at 9pm. I ran into some amazing people I had met camping at Maya beach on the ferry and we chatted and sat together....go figure they are all Melbournians :) (Erika, Suzy, Tomas and Diana). The trip went by so fast just hanging out and we planned to meet up that night to scope out Hat Rin where the full moon party will be held the next night.
I arrived at my bungalow to find out they didn't have my booking that I had made almost 2 weeks prior. I knew everything else on the island would be booked because of this party but I didn't let it get to me. They had one hut open for that night so they let me stay there but I was kicked out the next morning...
I didn't let that ruin my night. By this time I was so excited to get to Hat Rin I dropped my bags, changed my clothes and hitched a ride with a group that were going to Thong Sala to watch a Thai boxing match. I flagged down another cab from Thong Sala and I met up with the Aussies in Hat Rin Nok-Sunrise beach and we started the night off with a bucket (Sangsom-Thai Whiskey, coke and redbull). I only need one of those and it does me for the entire night. We found a sweet bar called Cactus on the beach and ended up dancing until 4am. We had such a blast together we didnt know where the time went. We met a few Thai guys that offered us a ride home, so we accepted and hit the pillow hard as soon as we all got back...I let the girls know what happened with my accomodation and they offered for me to stay at there place as long as I needed which worked out perfectly because I knew the next night at the full moon party none of us would be sleeping anyways!
I got dropped off by those two Thai guys after we dropped off the rest of the crew and I went straight for my hammock that is hung on my balcony and overlooks the ocean and beach over a cliff. I was so tired but it was so beautiful I couldn't shut my eyes. I eventually went to bed and in the morning got up bright and early and sat in the hammock again. The feeling of lying in it with the sounds of the waves crashing, the birds chirping and the ocean view over the cliff is so perfect I think I found my paradise!
I left Phi Phi island on the 9am ferry and arrived at my bungalow in Ko Phangan at 9pm. I ran into some amazing people I had met camping at Maya beach on the ferry and we chatted and sat together....go figure they are all Melbournians :) (Erika, Suzy, Tomas and Diana). The trip went by so fast just hanging out and we planned to meet up that night to scope out Hat Rin where the full moon party will be held the next night.
I arrived at my bungalow to find out they didn't have my booking that I had made almost 2 weeks prior. I knew everything else on the island would be booked because of this party but I didn't let it get to me. They had one hut open for that night so they let me stay there but I was kicked out the next morning...
I didn't let that ruin my night. By this time I was so excited to get to Hat Rin I dropped my bags, changed my clothes and hitched a ride with a group that were going to Thong Sala to watch a Thai boxing match. I flagged down another cab from Thong Sala and I met up with the Aussies in Hat Rin Nok-Sunrise beach and we started the night off with a bucket (Sangsom-Thai Whiskey, coke and redbull). I only need one of those and it does me for the entire night. We found a sweet bar called Cactus on the beach and ended up dancing until 4am. We had such a blast together we didnt know where the time went. We met a few Thai guys that offered us a ride home, so we accepted and hit the pillow hard as soon as we all got back...I let the girls know what happened with my accomodation and they offered for me to stay at there place as long as I needed which worked out perfectly because I knew the next night at the full moon party none of us would be sleeping anyways!
I got dropped off by those two Thai guys after we dropped off the rest of the crew and I went straight for my hammock that is hung on my balcony and overlooks the ocean and beach over a cliff. I was so tired but it was so beautiful I couldn't shut my eyes. I eventually went to bed and in the morning got up bright and early and sat in the hammock again. The feeling of lying in it with the sounds of the waves crashing, the birds chirping and the ocean view over the cliff is so perfect I think I found my paradise!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Camping at Maya Bay
Ko Phi Phi Le Aug 25-26
"It's already EPIC and we haven't even done it yet"
-Jake Fowler
That is exactly what it was....epic.
Camping at Maya Bay "The Beach" was even more amazing that anyone could imagine. The preparation for 30 of us to go was all worth the while, with Amir, Andy and Dave as master planners. They handed out flyers to get the group which ended up being 30 of us...people from Canada, Ireland, England, Australia, Mexico, Holland...etc. We gathered and prepared all the food (meat and veggie kebabs, steaks, chicken, sausages, potato, fruit salad and snacks. We loaded all the food and alcohol into one boat and had three others filled with people and set off to this protected cove beach.
The night was absolutely perfect, the moon was three days short of being full, the beach was so peaceful and untouched and everyone was having a great time. Amir performed with his guitar and did a fire show for us all and the rest of the night we had a stereo playing whatever we wanted.
Camping at Maya bay is a once in a lifetime thing, we were lucky enough to have Amir which is someone of a Phi Phi local to have connections and know who to pay off...haha
The night was filled with eating, drinking, swimming and everything was lit by the moon.
The next morning we woke early and left the beach before it got crowded. We headed for phi phi but stopped on the way to go cliff jumping. I wanted to jump so badly but the rocks were so sharp that the guys that manage to climb up all cut their feet, so I swam around the boat. But realized when I was swimming I wasn't alone...little tiny jellyfish with stingers were stinging me all over...I felt like I had a thousand cuts all over my body and I had jumped into salt water...I swam until I couldn't stand the little stings and then got out...
We got back to phi phi which was only a 30 mins boat ride from where we camped and almost everyone went back to bed after the long night. I went to the beach to read, sleep, enjoy the crystal clear waters and get in as much as I could of the most beautiful place I've seen in a while.
I have met some amazing people on this island and I know I will see them again, well at least keep in touch! I'm off to Ko Pha Ngan in the morning so I said my goodbyes and I was off to the biggest beach party in the world!
"It's already EPIC and we haven't even done it yet"
-Jake Fowler
That is exactly what it was....epic.
Camping at Maya Bay "The Beach" was even more amazing that anyone could imagine. The preparation for 30 of us to go was all worth the while, with Amir, Andy and Dave as master planners. They handed out flyers to get the group which ended up being 30 of us...people from Canada, Ireland, England, Australia, Mexico, Holland...etc. We gathered and prepared all the food (meat and veggie kebabs, steaks, chicken, sausages, potato, fruit salad and snacks. We loaded all the food and alcohol into one boat and had three others filled with people and set off to this protected cove beach.
The night was absolutely perfect, the moon was three days short of being full, the beach was so peaceful and untouched and everyone was having a great time. Amir performed with his guitar and did a fire show for us all and the rest of the night we had a stereo playing whatever we wanted.
Camping at Maya bay is a once in a lifetime thing, we were lucky enough to have Amir which is someone of a Phi Phi local to have connections and know who to pay off...haha
The night was filled with eating, drinking, swimming and everything was lit by the moon.
The next morning we woke early and left the beach before it got crowded. We headed for phi phi but stopped on the way to go cliff jumping. I wanted to jump so badly but the rocks were so sharp that the guys that manage to climb up all cut their feet, so I swam around the boat. But realized when I was swimming I wasn't alone...little tiny jellyfish with stingers were stinging me all over...I felt like I had a thousand cuts all over my body and I had jumped into salt water...I swam until I couldn't stand the little stings and then got out...
We got back to phi phi which was only a 30 mins boat ride from where we camped and almost everyone went back to bed after the long night. I went to the beach to read, sleep, enjoy the crystal clear waters and get in as much as I could of the most beautiful place I've seen in a while.
I have met some amazing people on this island and I know I will see them again, well at least keep in touch! I'm off to Ko Pha Ngan in the morning so I said my goodbyes and I was off to the biggest beach party in the world!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Ko phi phi
I made it! I took an over night bus from Bangkok on Aug 22 to ko phi phi which is in the province of Krabi...
I arrived about noon on Aug 23 and immediately met up with Andy and his friends (Amir and Dave). All we could think of was heading to the beach and that is exactly what we did. We grabbed a beer at a beach hut and brought them into the water while we enjoyed the beautiful blue water surrounded by rock cliffs and the 36degree weather! It was great seeing a familiar face after spending time on my own in Bangkok. I had a great time shopping, touring some temples and visiting buddha on his birthday. I experienced a ride in my first tuk tuk in bangkok (motorbike taxi) which was so cool and I was able to see more of the city that way.
Now that I'm out of the city and on a beautiful island I'm enjoying life. Yesterday after enjoying the water we packed up a small wooden boat with food and beer and set off for Bamboo island. There was 6 of us altogether (Amir, Dave, Andy, Jake, Jade, Laura and I) that went and we had a great time jumping off the boat in the middle of the ocean, walking the white sandy beaches of bamboo island and fishing with only reels and line on the way home. On the way back we sat and watched the sunset while swimming around the boat. We made it back to ko phi phi island around dark and we were all ready for the night to start. We ended up at a local bar called Hippies where Amir works and he entertained playing his guitar and singing and a fire show which was absolutely amazing. Afterwards we drank $3.00 coctails and $9.00 buckets of vodka redbull and danced the night away on the beach!!! It was a great night and it even ended with an exciting down poor around 2:30am, at that point we sang in the rain until I called it a night and walked home. I enjoyed walking home in the rain and the sound it made as it hit the path...and just thinking to myself I'm in Thailand and have no worries in the world at this moment!!!
I arrived about noon on Aug 23 and immediately met up with Andy and his friends (Amir and Dave). All we could think of was heading to the beach and that is exactly what we did. We grabbed a beer at a beach hut and brought them into the water while we enjoyed the beautiful blue water surrounded by rock cliffs and the 36degree weather! It was great seeing a familiar face after spending time on my own in Bangkok. I had a great time shopping, touring some temples and visiting buddha on his birthday. I experienced a ride in my first tuk tuk in bangkok (motorbike taxi) which was so cool and I was able to see more of the city that way.
Now that I'm out of the city and on a beautiful island I'm enjoying life. Yesterday after enjoying the water we packed up a small wooden boat with food and beer and set off for Bamboo island. There was 6 of us altogether (Amir, Dave, Andy, Jake, Jade, Laura and I) that went and we had a great time jumping off the boat in the middle of the ocean, walking the white sandy beaches of bamboo island and fishing with only reels and line on the way home. On the way back we sat and watched the sunset while swimming around the boat. We made it back to ko phi phi island around dark and we were all ready for the night to start. We ended up at a local bar called Hippies where Amir works and he entertained playing his guitar and singing and a fire show which was absolutely amazing. Afterwards we drank $3.00 coctails and $9.00 buckets of vodka redbull and danced the night away on the beach!!! It was a great night and it even ended with an exciting down poor around 2:30am, at that point we sang in the rain until I called it a night and walked home. I enjoyed walking home in the rain and the sound it made as it hit the path...and just thinking to myself I'm in Thailand and have no worries in the world at this moment!!!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Land of Thai!
I've finally made it to Thailand where I was supposed to have been two months ago but decided to spend time with my love in Australia :)
I have arrived safe and sound after a 15 hour trip from Melb. It was extremely hard saying goobye to Nick and his family, I had one last dinner with them the night before I left and then it was the count down until I left :( It was hard thinking about going to Thailand when I was leaving a life I had become so attached to over the past 7 months! I know it's not the end for me...Australia is a second home! :)
I arrived in Bangkok around 8:30 pm Aug 21 with everything going perfectly. Until I jumped in the cab. He took me to the general area of where my hostel was but couldn't find it and then ended up charging me extra since we drove around longer than he wanted to look for it...he only took $18.00 and I was in the cabin for a good hour and ahalf...haha things are extremely cheap here it's hard not to buy everything you see!
I was expecting this place to be very similar to Egypt but already I see many differences...the country is a lot cleaner, the people don't beg as much and the men don't stare or whistle (as much) YES!!!! hah
I dropped everything at my hostel Sawasdee Bongkok Inn and went shopping along Koh San Rd which is a major tourist and market district. I bought some food from a Vendor and sat on the side of the street eating and watching the people go bye. I bought some souvenirs already which I've been waiting so long to buy, cotton pants ($3.00) and a Thail bag ($3.00)..so glad I waited until I was here to buy them.
Today I'm going to try and book the night train down to the province Krabi and stay on Ko Phi Phi island. I know some people down there that I went to highschool with in Nanaimo (Andy Hatfield) so hopefully we can meet up.
I'll be in touch!! LOVE
I have arrived safe and sound after a 15 hour trip from Melb. It was extremely hard saying goobye to Nick and his family, I had one last dinner with them the night before I left and then it was the count down until I left :( It was hard thinking about going to Thailand when I was leaving a life I had become so attached to over the past 7 months! I know it's not the end for me...Australia is a second home! :)
I arrived in Bangkok around 8:30 pm Aug 21 with everything going perfectly. Until I jumped in the cab. He took me to the general area of where my hostel was but couldn't find it and then ended up charging me extra since we drove around longer than he wanted to look for it...he only took $18.00 and I was in the cabin for a good hour and ahalf...haha things are extremely cheap here it's hard not to buy everything you see!
I was expecting this place to be very similar to Egypt but already I see many differences...the country is a lot cleaner, the people don't beg as much and the men don't stare or whistle (as much) YES!!!! hah
I dropped everything at my hostel Sawasdee Bongkok Inn and went shopping along Koh San Rd which is a major tourist and market district. I bought some food from a Vendor and sat on the side of the street eating and watching the people go bye. I bought some souvenirs already which I've been waiting so long to buy, cotton pants ($3.00) and a Thail bag ($3.00)..so glad I waited until I was here to buy them.
Today I'm going to try and book the night train down to the province Krabi and stay on Ko Phi Phi island. I know some people down there that I went to highschool with in Nanaimo (Andy Hatfield) so hopefully we can meet up.
I'll be in touch!! LOVE
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