Tag Archives: island

Favorites from Koh Tao

2015-08-16 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

Favorite coffee shop: Through the Looking Glass

Favorite beach: toss up between Ao Luek, Hin Wong and Koh Nangyuan

Favorite island dog: Am (Through the Looking Glass)

Favorite beach bar: Mol’s Beach bar Hin Wong

Favorite sandwich shop: Through the Looking Glass (chicken, bacon & mayo!!)

Favorite Monthly Rental: P’un House (in Sairee. If you are a light sleeper, do bring some ear plugs to drown out street noise! Another great place to check out too is Sabai House or the Bottle House.)

Favorite view: The View bar

Favorite gym: Island Muay Thai

Favorite Italian food: Thaita

Favorite Thai food: Mint Kitchen (I specifically recommend the green curry!!)

Favorite homemade booze: Baileys from Taste of Home

Favorite night out entertainment: Lady Boy Cabaret

Favorite place to relax: Chalok Bay

Favorite sunset bar: Fizz (Sairee)

On to Koh Phi Phi Don

Back to Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand

Ao Luek & Chalok Bay

2015-08-13 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

On the south side of Koh Tao, the beautiful beach of Ao Luek and the quiet hippy town of Chalok can be found. I hadn’t spent a great deal of time on this part of the island during my stay on Koh Tao mainly because it was “so far away”. I put that in quotes of course because Koh Tao is only 21 square Km (21mm- inside joke!) so really, not getting to that part of the island simply came down to laziness and being cheap! However, if ever on Koh Tao I would NOT miss going to Chalok and Ao Luek!!

Ao Luek

Ao Luek_2

Ao Luek_3

Ao Luek_4

Ao Luek features stunning crystal clear waters with unbelievable snorkeling visibility, several delicious and reasonably priced restaurants, and is one of the hotspots to check out for potential shark spotting! A baby whale shark made an appearance there one morning and several other fellow snorkelers mentioned spotting many other baby shark species (all harmless!!).

Ao Luek_5

Ao Luek_6

Ao Luek_7

Ao Luek_8

Chalok bay has an amazingly calm and quiet hippy vibe that is a breath of fresh air compared to the party atmosphere of Sairee. Freedom beach, at the tail end of the bay is a nice spot to chill out with an easily accessible walkway along the rocks of the ocean that leads back to the quiet and serene bay. Best of all, the New Heaven Dive School (located in the heart of the bay) offers marine conservation projects. Every day at 4pm they allow random passing volunteers to engage in the daily activity of treating and feeding injured sea turtles!! The turtles are released (once all better) into the wild and are the only turtles I’d seen on “Turtle Island”.

Ao Luek_9

Ao Luek_10

Ao Luek_11

Chalok bay was recommended to me by a husband and wife team who also frequented my favorite coffee shop and bakery (Through the Looking Glass) who own a bungalow rental property in the area. It was definitely worth the visit and had my Muay Thai gym and favorite coffee shop not been located in Sairee, I could absolutely have seen myself staying in Chalok for an extended time soaking up the chilled vibes.

On to Leaving Koh Tao

Back to Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand

Kayak to Koh Nangyuan

2015-07-26 ramblintraveler 2 Comments

Off the North West of the island of Koh Tao, there lies another much smaller privately owned island of Koh Nangyuan. Since being on Koh Tao for the past couple of months now, I’ve always thought to go visit Koh Nangyuan as I’d heard spectacular things about it. Of course it has popular spots for diving and snorkeling, but it also has a bit of hiking and provides beautiful views looking back on Koh Tao. To get there however one must either go on a snorkel/diving tour or hire a taxi boat. Since I was on my own I couldn’t justify paying the price for a taxi boat, however I knew that Anna (my neighbor in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica and whom I’d visited in Scotland and she’d visited me in Italy) was coming for a 5 week trip to Thailand. So I waited for her to come to do some of the activities that aren’t near as fun solo as with a traveling buddy.

Arriving at Koh Nangyuan

Arriving at Koh Nangyuan_2

When Anna first arrived we were absolutely lazy. I stopped doing Muay Thai, we slept in until 10 every day, had cocktails nightly on Sairee beach and generally lounged about. When I’m on my own I’m in travel mode which means saving every penny and taking advantage of every day. But when a friend arrives who is on vacation mode, the spending increases and the relaxing skyrockets! Isn’t that what people do on vacation?? After the first week however we snapped to and started actually planning activities that extended beyond reading books and napping on the beach. Afterall, there is literally so much to do and see on this teeny 21 square km island that it’s impressive!

Anna on Beach

Group Shot

One of the activities I saved for her visit was to visit Koh Nangyuan. But instead of going there the “conventional” way, we opted to kayak there :). Deb and Rick (friends I’d made on the island who own my favorite coffee and sandwich shop on the island, Through the Looking Glass) suggested where to go to rent the kayaks. So semi-early one day after a couple of cups of coffee, Anna and I made our way to Wind Beach for the kayak rental. For 600 baht we rented a double kayak complete with life jackets and a dry bag for the entire day. We were supposed to give something as a deposit for the rental (passport- though recently I heard it’s actually illegal for people in Thailand to hold your passport, monetary deposit, room key, something!) but as we didn’t arrive THAT prepared, after a few minutes the guy simply said, “no problem, just write your name, where you stay on the island and where you from”. Good thing!

Looking to Koh Tao

Looking to Koh Tao_2

We packed the kayak with our stuff and a large plastic bottle of water, snapped on the life vests and headed out to sea! I’d only done sea kayaking once before in my life and that was years ago in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica in a single kayak to boot. Riding in a double kayak is a teeny bit different. First off communication is KEY!! For if one person is paddling right and the other left, well no one would get anywhere! Since Anna is similar in nature to myself however, even when we did goof up or get out of sync, we simply laughed it up and got back in communication. It did take probably the first 10 minutes or so for us to completely organize ourselves with our respective duties on the kayak (Anna in the back would call out commands- left, right, steering!!- and I in the front would look out for obstacles) but once we did we rocked it out!

Along the Path

Corals

Koh Tao

The morning sea while not insanely choppy did have quite a few waves to overcome. The channel between Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan is often frequented by passing dive boats, tour boats and taxi boat traffic which added to the waves, but we took it all in stride. Currents were another thing to contend with as we found ourselves often being spun toward land so we had to paddle to the left much more than to the right, which of course exhausted that side faster.

Anna at Viewpoint

Posing at Viewpoint

Water peek from Hike

We crossed the channel safely however and then were faced with a new question… Where are we supposed to park this thing over there?? We weren’t given any instruction when we left so who knew where it was appropriate to land… The first little bay area we reached, just next to the pier where the boats came in, was where we decided to go and we very slowly and carefully navigated our way to shore. I say “slowly and carefully” because just beneath the surface were tons and tons of coral and sea slugs/cucumbers! We had to paddle very shallowly as well so we wouldn’t knock any corals and navigating became a bit trickier to avoid the living marine life. We thankfully made it to shore without incident to marine life however and pulled the kayak to dry land.

View from the Top

View from the Top_2

It just seems that each beach that I’ve been to in Thailand just gets more and more beautiful than the next. Koh Nangyuan is no exception!! The structure of the island is essentially two small island connected by a sandbar which on either side exists beautiful ocean bays full of a ridiculously lush array of sea life! We immediately had to get in the water to cool off and do a bit of snorkeling. The snorkel didn’t last terribly long that first time however because the fish in that particular bay kept nibbling at us… Guess they knew we were new to the island, lol!!

View from the Top_3

View from the Top_4

As we emerged from the first “dip in the pool” we were approached by a Thai gentlemen who obviously worked on the island. He asked if we were the ones with the kayak and then said we had to each pay 100 baht to be on the island… It was then that we were told that this island was privately owned and hence there was a fee to walk about it and play in the waters surrounding it… We did come with plenty of money, but it would have been nice to know in advance of this extra charge. So I’m sharing it for future travelers! Also, I don’t know if for the taxi boats, if the charge to get there includes or not the 100 baht fee to be on the island… In any event, just be aware of this additional cost.

Anna Posing

Moving on. The small island bit to the South had a walking trail that led around the edge of the island to a beautiful viewpoint, so we headed off on it to check it out. Mind you, it is possible to sleep on the island so as we skirted along the very shady (i.e. sketchy) barely still standing wooden plank path, we were passing several pleasant-looking bungalows. We went to the viewpoint that was on the southernmost tip of the island and then had to turn back as the wooden path was falling apart and almost demolished in bits beyond a point, and headed up the trail that led to the top of the island for another viewpoint.

View from the Top_5

Though it was very hot and the walk was completely uphill, it really wasn’t a terrible walk by any means and not terribly high either. The only struggle really was competing for space at the top on the rocks to be able to take pictures without other in them! There seemed to be quite a few impatient people really who wanted to simply scramble to the top, took ages getting “just the right shot” with them in them and then hauled down. So needless to say it took us a bit of time to get some shots, and once completed we leisurely made our way down.

View from the Top_6

Me Again

At this point it was time for a nibble of food and as we sat down at the only restaurant on the island with our plastic water bottle in tow, it was then we noticed the signs just about everywhere that read “NO PLASTIC BOTTLES”…. Ooooppsss!!!! Apparently plastic containers are NOT allowed on the island and all beverages from the restaurant are served in glass containers. Again, just another little tip for future travelers:) We were never yelled at for having the bottle however and we made a very big point of being sure to carry the bottle home with us, regardless of it being empty.

Anna on the Edge

View from the Top_7

After the nibble it was time to check out the North end of the sandbar to see what kind of snorkeling action we could get there. Don’t worry mothers we did wait about a half hour after food to go swimming 😉 The North end of the sandbar was lined on both sides with umbrellas and beach chairs and seeing as the sun was out in full force, we opted to pay the 150 baht for the set-up. This part of the island was by far my favorite and it as quite evident it was the favorite of just about everyone else there too. The water was crystal clear and reminded me of the waters I’d seen at some of the beaches on the Island of Elba off the Tuscan coast. I lovingly started to refer to that bay as the “kiddie pool” as the waters were very calm, quite deep, but so clear you could simply stand on the edge and see all the marine life. All sorts of fish (including puffers!!), sea urchins, anemones an cucumbers could be found in a relatively small area. The bay was large enough however to accommodate several dozens of snorkelers and several classes of divers working on their refresher course. It was absolutely spectacular snorkeling that I spent at least an hour exploring.

Kiddle Pool

Yay Kayaking!!

The rest of the day was simply spent reading under our shade, dipping in the kiddie pool to cool off, snorkeling and generally relaxing. Around 4 we decided to head back to Koh Tao to turn in the kayak and though the waters were calmer in the afternoon, we did have some harrowing moments as the boat traffic (we must have hit rush hour) was a bit on the ridiculous side! But after about 45 minutes and dodging about a dozen boats or taxis, we made it safe to shore and headed straight to the Wind Beach bar for a nice cold beer. We watched the sunset while sipping on our beers (though it was quite cloudy at that point so not the best sunset sadly) and I even bought a beach dress from a traveling sales lady. Though we were both exhausted from our day of activities, we had plans for the night as well… It was time to check out the Lady Boy Cabaret!

On to Night with the Ladies

Back to Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand

Koh Tao Fight Nights

2015-07-20 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

Muay Thai Fight Nights… Is there any better entertainment possible for an evening?? While I’ve seen fight nights in Sangkhlaburi over the New Year, it wasn’t until I started training in Muay Thai Kickboxing that I really started to not only appreciate, but also notice so many more details of the action.

On the lovely island of Koh Tao, fight nights take place every 10 days at the Island Muay Thai training gym. And every 10 days I would stay up past my normal bed time of 10pm (hey, I was trying to stay healthy and get in shape so early to bed and early to rise was my schedule then! That was until Anna arrived… but that’s another post!) and join in the fun of the fights.

Ring Side!

Game On!

Game On!_2

Being a solo traveler does have its perks, as does training at the same facility where the fight nights are hosted, but in truth if the owner and trainers of Island Muay Thai weren’t as nice of souls as they are, I would never have had as much of a great time as I did in each of the 7 or so fight nights I’d been to since being on the island. Why do you ask?

Game On!_3

Game On!_4

Game On!_5

Ring side seating!! Sitting beside the owner (Patone) in his elevated judges chair literally right smack on the edge of the ring. The scent of deep heat oil was thick and awakened the senses, you could feel the sweat from the bodies fling your way as a punch or kick hit and ice was potentially flung your way during the round breaks as the assistants iced down the fighters. There were even a few times where the fighters pinned each other against the ring and were pressing so hard against it that it seemed they may fall into my lap if the ropes didn’t hold! All the action could clearly be seen and it just added another level of thrill to the sport!

Game On!_6

Game On!_7

Game On!_8

Of course I never expected to be able to sit ring side. But when I showed up for the first fight night and picked a spot in the top row of the bleachers sitting on my own I think the owner felt bad for me and invited me to sit with him, even offering to buy me a beer. And again though I figured it would only ever be a one-time thing, after about 3 times it seemed to just be the way it would be. It was a generous gesture and one I won’t soon forget for sure! I also wasn’t alone in being ring side as others were also invited for the up-close fun, but I was just tickled to have been one of them 🙂 Though admittedly I do wish sometimes I would forget watching the fighters spit and (sadly) shed blood over the ring surface knowing that the next day I would be sprawled on the very surface doing my cooldown stretches or sit-ups, lol!!

Wee Kids

Wee Kids_2

Blessing

Speaking of blood… Yes, Muay Thai is obviously a contact sport and there is always the chance for skin to be split apart and blood spilled. I’ve never seen fights in Bangkok, but I’ve heard that aside from featuring (no doubt)the best fighters and having to pay a pretty penny to see a show, that the fights are quite brutal in that blood is often shed due to them being “glove-off” fights and the fights aren’t near as often broken up by the ref. Here the fighters wear gloves and the ref often intervenes if it looks like an unfair hit (striking someone when they are on the floor) or stand-off (the fighters are locked into a hold where neither can really make a move) and skin breaking injuries only occur if an elbow has made contact. Surprisingly most of the fighters don’t even wear mouth guards! And while most fights I’ve seen result in the usual bruises, one fight night in particular resulted in a cracked tooth, 2 split shins, and 2 split skulls!! Ok, obviously the skulls weren’t cracked (I hope!) but at least the skin on their skulls were.

Gearing Up

Game On!_9

Game On!_10

Each fight night featured 7 fights in total, each going a max of 5 rounds or 3 rounds if women were fighting. Winners were chosen within the first 5 rounds if they knocked their opponent out (or did enough damage that the opponent tapped out) and if the fighters made it all 5 rounds then the winner was chosen by the judge based on points they’d earned from each kick, punch, elbow, etc. I still haven’t a clue how the point system works really (i.e. how much a kick or punch is worth in points) but perhaps one day I’ll get into that nitty-gritty:)

Game On!_10

Game On!_11

Down for the Count

Pictures as you can tell are quite a bit hard to take in great focus… Of course that depends on the camera AND the user… But honestly while many more could have been taken, I found that my focus was diverted from the fight while snapping away because I kept trying to get that “perfect shot” and I didn’t want to miss a potentially great knock-out!

Women Fight

Women Fight_2

Women Fight_3

Sometimes the final fight would feature a falang (foreigner, i.e. non-Thai) fighter who had come to the island just to visit or continue training and they would be asked to fight in the upcoming event. Those fights honestly were not my favorite to watch because they seemed quite poorly matched. It always seemed the falangs were either really tall and ripped or just muscled to the hilt and they were up against a Thai fighter who looked at least 50 pounds (whether in weight or muscle) lighter and a foot shorter.

Game On!_12

Dressed for the Ring

Beginning Prayers

Probably my favorite of the fights was one that was cleverly fought. It was against two Thai fighters and while one was getting in lots of punches and kicks, the other would either endure the hit or miss it by avoidance. Into the third round it looked like the one fighter was going to eventually get pummeled over but he kept avoiding hits just enough to stay active and in a single split second when the intimidating fighter let his guard down, the other fighter let out a swing kick right to his head and knocked him out. Ding, ding game over!! It took several minutes to wake up the knocked out fighter too! Overall, if ever in Koh Tao and looking for a fun night out, I highly recommend going to the Muay Thai fight night!!

Back to Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand

Muay Thai Kickboxing Training

2015-06-12 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

Part of the reason I wanted to stay for a month on the beautiful island of Koh Tao, Thailand was so I could dip my toes a bit in the world of Muay Thai Kickboxing. Though I’m not in perfect shape, I do really enjoy working out and try to get workouts in daily, even when traveling. As any fitness fanatic knows however, the best way to stay on top of your fitness is to mix up your workouts. Since I’m in Thailand, I figured why not give their traditional martial art of Muay Thai a try?

I did not originally come to Koh Tao expecting to stay so long. I had the idea that I would “if and only if” I found a Muay Thai gym I liked. On the island there are actually two gyms that offer Muay Thai training. Monsoon Gym and Island Muay Thai. I checked both places out, dropping by during their training hours just to get a vibe of each place prior to committing to either (if at all). Dropping by during training hours was purposeful because I wanted to get the sense of two things: first a sneak peek at the training and how the trainers interacted with students (my trainers test) and second to see how I would be greeted during a busy time (my management test).

On the surface, my observations were as follows. While Monsoon Gym doesn’t have a ring, it has a very impressive workout and training space. The practice area looks brand new and their gym (to get in weight or extra cardio workouts) is also quite nice! In addition, they offered a variety of classes such as capoeira and crossfit type classes that you could mix in with the Muay Thai training. They even offered on-site dorms as accommodation (for an extra price of course) to those training with them. It was evident that a lot of money was put into the place.

By comparison the Island Muay Thai training facility did have a ring but their training area looked rather used and broken in, so to speak. Their gym area to get in extra weight or cardio workouts really wasn’t anything to write home about as it had outdated machines and not a huge variety of weights. Whether the gym had a ring or not was not a concern or care to me as I had no intention to fight, only to train for fitness. So on the surface Monsoon gym had me hands down (especially since they offered more of a variety of fitness classes). However one huge difference between the two gyms led me to make my ultimate decision.

They say first impressions are the most important. And as far as I’m concerned, they can make or break a person or business. Monsoon Gym, while impressive visually, fell flat on its face when I popped by to check the place out. It had the feel of where the cool kids and cliques hung out. I stood around for about 10 minutes waiting to get the eye of someone (anyone) who worked there to ask questions about the courses. Of course there were posters everywhere giving pricing information and such, and while I technically got all the info I needed just by looking at the posters, my point in going in personally was to get the feel of the place and people. And based on that aspect, I was not impressed. I finally struck a conversation with a random person hanging about who had been training there and talked to him about the place. He was actually very nice and informative and had nothing but praise for the place. But when he pointed me in the direction of one of the people who worked there (a falang whose exact role I can’t recall) and I went to chat with her, the welcoming was icy and indifferent. I should mention however that based on my observations of the trainers themselves, I had no negative impression as they seemed very engaged with the students.

On the contrast was my impression of Island Muay Thai. Again I showed up during training hours and was immediately greeted by someone (who turned out was the owner) with a flyer listing prices and giving information. And again, while visually the place was lack-luster compared to Monsoon, it felt more serious and more focused. It had that wholesome “come as you are and let us kick your rear with a killer workout” feel that inspires me to work hard. Also the vibe felt comforting and made me feel confident to simply show up as I was (even with several extra pounds to lose!) and not feel embarrassed that I wasn’t in perfect shape. And to boot I was actually acknowledged as I came up to the place! To me, the vibes between the gyms were night and day and I very happily (after finding a place to stay) signed up with Island Muay Thai for a month.

For the past month now, I’ve been going to Island Muay Thai about 4 times a week. Between working out there and going there for the fight nights (every 10 days!!) it’s practically become a second home to me, lol! I arrive a little before 8am to get in about 5-10 minutes of stretching, then hit the jump ropes for anywhere between 5-10 minutes, then it’s time to get the hands wrapped and the gloves on for training. Depending on the trainer, the sessions can go in a variety of directions: 3 minutes on, 1 minute break or up to 10 minutes on and several minute breaks. Either way the end result is always the same: I leave exhausted, super sweaty and ready for a cold shower!! What I appreciate most is each trainer has their own focus, or specific set of things that they watch out for, or area of expertise. What that boils down to is that I learn something new each and every time. And each criticism from the various trainers compliment each other too. So learning one specific stance or technique from one trainer compliments what you’ve been taught by another and so on.

I’ve injured myself a bit here and there (blisters, bruises, and feeling like my feet were broken) along the way due to my being exhausted and using improper technique, but I love the training! They push me to work harder each time and the training is unlike else I’ve done so far. I sweat buckets during each workout and sometimes feel like I could either pass out (because I’m holding my breath during the punches or kicks) or vomit by the end, but I still show up and am even staying for yet another month so I can train on 🙂 This time it will be 5 days a week just to see how much more fit I can get with it. Let the games begin!!

On to Unique View of Muay Thai Training

Back to Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand

Eating Bat and The View

2015-06-07 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

Many days after my morning Muay Thai Kickboxing workout I’m left exhausted wanting to do little more than just relax with a book or have a massage. The best remedy for my sore body (especially my feet) however is to walk. I really have to rev myself up for the task however. Especially since the walking includes doing so during some of the hottest hours of the day. Usually I head to Hin Wong for a snorkel or Sairee to just hang about but this time I thought to check out a new route.

Water Monitor

Path Pict

Odd Palm

LOL!!

My initial plan was to head to Jim’s bar. Located high up on one of the hills nearby, it seemed like it would be a nice ‘goal’ place to walk to and to be rewarded in the end by a cold drink and hopefully a beautiful view to boot. Armed with my plan I headed out toward Hin Wong bay but made a turn at the top of the hill toward Jim’s bar instead of heading down to the bay. The walk there wasn’t altogether unpleasant. Though there were bits with a 20% or 30% grade to them, the majority was variable enough to cut the monotony of just walking uphill. Bits of the path were concrete while other bits were only dirt and gravel cut through with erosion from storms.

Peek at Sairee

Guarding Hen

Butterfly Garden Free View

Butterfly Garden Free View_2

Though it is possible to make the trek with a motorbike or an ATV, I prefered walking. First because of the exercise aspect, but most importantly because of the condition of the unpaved bits of the path. They really were quite treacherous and while during my hike up I didn’t notice any accidents, on my way back down I witnessed 2 rolled motorbike accidents (one with injuries) and heard from another person that he’d witnessed 3 as well! But I’m getting ahead.

Path Pict_2

Looking to Jim’s Bar

The View Entrance

The View Path

It felt like I had been walking for hours! No one was in sight except the occasional random passing motorbike and the sun was beating down hard on my skin. I took appropriate breaks here and there to chill in the shade and have some water or take pictures of the local wildlife (I spotted a water monitor!!) and though I was absolutely dripping in sweat to the point of all my clothes being soaked through, I trudged on having no idea how far or close I was, yet determined to get there. Eventually (after going up the 30% grade bit of the path) I made it to a little bar. It turned out to be the Butterfly Garden! That was good news for me since Jim’s bar wasn’t too far beyond that. I stopped for a sugary tea to replenish a bit of energy then continued up the hill to Jim’s.

The View

The View_2

The View_3

Clever Gator

I was surprised that Jim’s wasn’t that far at all from the Butterfly Garden since on the map they seemed to be a bit further apart. It literally was just up the hill from the Butterfly Garden. While it was a cute little bar, no one was there and the views were simply of the surrounding jungle. So instead of sitting and staying, I opted to check out a bit further along the path. There were signs for the Mango View Bar and another place simply called The View Bar. One was down the path to the right, the other to the left. I chose the right path toward The View Bar and about half a km later, I’d arrived to one of the most stunning views of the island I’ve seen so far! You could see just about the entire island including the National Park islands to the South of Koh Tao, a bit of Koh Samui to the SW and even the mainland of Thailand!

The View_4

Koh Samui View

National Park Island View

The View_5

So stunned by the beauty of The View’s views, I took a seat on the patio and ordered a drink. I learned from the owner that the place had only been open for 5 months now, the deck I was sitting on was only a month old and the bar itself is the highest bar on the island! There was only one other couple there when I first arrived which gave the atmosphere an even more peaceful and beautiful appeal to it. I met Suay (beautiful), the local squirrel who would pop in every time it was hungry for some fruit. He ate out of the owners hand but unlike other squirrels I’ve seen, he didn’t live in a cage. He simply came and went as he pleased 🙂 He did come over and sniff my toes at one point during his search for some more food, but sadly my camera didn’t reload fast enough to capture the shot 😦

Suay

Suay_2

Suay_3

Suay_4

I spent hours up there sipping on drinks and chatting with people as they came and went and was reminded just how international Thailand is. Within the few hours I was there I met people from Spain, South Africa, Norway, Germany and the States. Quite an impressive mix! In any event, the day was moving along and it was time for me to start heading back along the 3.5km path back to my place. As I came back into view of the Butterfly Garden however I was coaxed into staying for “just one drink”. “Have a beer, kick up your feet! Free view!” the Thai’s were calling to me. And though I had been kicking up my feet for several hours I thought, why not? So I settled in for a beer and started chatting with the locals who owned the place and a tourist from Canada.

Suay_5

The View Bar

The View Bar Patio

The View_6

It was then that the local said they were going to have a barbecue. And the main meat of this barbecue?? Locally caught and freshly killed bat… Yes bat! I LOVE bats!!! Ok, not in the eating sense but I love those cute little critters!! I’ve loved them since caving in college and have always adored their little furry faces! So when he pulled out the bodies ready to be put on the barbecue, I couldn’t believe it and figured there was NO WAY I’d eat a bat! Alas, after 2 beers (why not have 2 when you’ve already had 1??) I thought, yea, I could try some bat! The meat was very tough and quite hard to pull off the bones but it was flavorful. I only had one wing however as I started to feel a bit guilty for having eaten one of the cute critters, but at least I tried something new.

Bat Meat!

Bat Meat!_2

Readying Spices

I ended up staying for another couple of hours at the Butterfly Garden having beers (3 in total, I promise!) chatting with people coming down or up the road, heckling them to stay for some bat, doing some Muay Thai play fighting with one of the locals who then invited me back everyday to practice with him for free, and sadly witnessing 2 motorbike rolls (one resulting in a nasty road rash injury). After my 3 beers however, the sun was really starting to set and it was definitely time for me to head back down (I still had 3km to go!) before it became pitch black. I thanked my new Thai friends for the bat and conversation, and headed down the quickly darkening path back toward town. I won’t lie that I kept thinking how idiotic I was to have waited so long to go back down as the path became darker and darker. But, all’s well that ends well, and my hike down the hill was thankfully without injury!

I made it to the bottom of the hill just in time to see one of the most stunning sunset skies I’ve seen since being on Koh Tao. I wish the picture I took did it justice, but really it doesn’t. Unfortunately my camera doesn’t take night shots well at all!! 😦 All in all, it was a beautiful day full of unexpected people, experiences and breathtaking views all around. And on top of being thankful I’d made it back home in one drunken piece, I was also so very thankful that I’d made myself get off my duff that morning and make that hike in the first place. I will definitely have to go there again!

On to Muay Thai Kickboxing Training

Back to Thailand

Koh Tao, Thailand

Koh Tao Island

2015-06-01 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

After leaving Bang Saphan I headed directly to Champon to catch a catamaran over to the very beautiful island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand. Only 21 sq. Km, Koh Tao (turtle island) has surprisingly a lot going for it! It boasts 2 of the top diving schools in the world and is considered one of the top spots in the world to dive, has several volunteer opportunities from being a “Trash Hero” to helping at the Animal Clinic and even some Marine Conservation programs as well. In addition, it has 2 Muay Thai Kickboxing training facilities: Island Muay Thai (where I’m currently training and will write more about in another post) and Monsoon Muay Thai Gym.

Catamaran Dock

Catamaran to Koh Tao

Dock Bay

Koh Tao Arrival

Koh Tao

Koh Tao_2

The island itself is lush and green with a large variety of foliage and critters all around. The beaches are breathless with clear blues and greens and abundantly diverse marine life to boot. Sadly, the island does have a dark past as it is the site of the very unfortunate murders of a young British couple just last year in September that made news world-wide. There are even websites dedicated to the “dark side” of Koh Tao, but so far I haven’t witnessed or felt any dark side to the island.

Koh Tao_3

Koh Tao Arrival_2

Koh Tao Arrival_3

Koh Tao Arrival_4

Koh Tao Green

The Neighborhood_3

Like the two neighboring islands to the South of Koh Tao, Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Tao also parties it up every full moon. They call them “Full Moon” parties, which is really just another excuse to do what people do nightly here (party in bars) but apparently kicked up a notch. Before coming I had heard the Government is trying to put a stop to them because of the drugs that also surface during the parties, but so far all the islands are still celebrating the moon phases. The other two islands apparently also have half-moon parties and even new moon parties! I haven’t experienced the Full Moon party here (the first one I will be present for is tomorrow night) but honestly have no interest to join the crowds at the bars for it. See, while this place does have a huge party scene to it, my purpose here is to train in Muay Thai and get involved where I can in the available volunteer opportunities. Guess I’m growing up a bit… Just a bit though;)

Sunset

Sunset_2

Another Sunset

Another Sunset_2

Another Sunset_3

Another Sunset_4

The expat community here is also huge! Most are in their early 20’s and have come here originally just for vacation and ended up getting jobs and staying. I would say honestly the population of people from the UK or Australia is possibly more than that of Thai’s and Burmese. It is legal to get a job in Thailand as an expat if it’s in an area of expertise that a Thai local wouldn’t necessarily have, such as teaching English or in the case of Koh Tao, diving instructors. One of the bummers in my opinion about having so many expats on the island however, is that the Thai culture seems lost a bit. Many of the locals speak better English than most native speakers and while they may view it as a benefit for them, it’s hard to find locals who only speak Thai. Hence why I wrote my other post on “Talking Thai” so I wouldn’t forget what I’ve learned so far!

The Neighborhood

The Neighborhood_2

Sairee Main Road

Sairee Main Road_2

Sairee Beach

Sairee Beach_2

As the island does boast some of the best diving in the world, there are dive shops absolutely everywhere! You could probably throw a rock in any given direction while walking, and within only a few meters (depending on your location) could hit anywhere from 3-5 of them! They really are everywhere you look, which makes it tough when trying to pick one to go with. Everyone has their opinion on which is the best, and so far each person I’ve spoken to has named a different one as “the best”, lol!! Though I do have my open water certification, I have yet to have done any diving as it’s been so long since my certification and I would have to do the refresher course AND for this month at least, I am tapped out financially on my extra-curricular spending. It’s all about the budgeting! Perhaps next month I’ll get into it, but for now, I frankly enjoy going to the beaches and simply snorkeling! It’s free to snorkel on your own (though there are snorkel tours available too) and the variety of marine life seen snorkeling is impressive enough to me to stick with that for now.

Sairee Beach_3

Sairee Beach_4

Siaree Beach_5

Pedestrian Walkway

Sairee Beach_6

Sairee Beach_7

Truth be told… while there are several beaches around the island I’ve so far only made it to two! Sairee beach and Hin Wong beach. Hin Wong beach is teeny and is privately owned so the owner (Mol of Mol’s beach bar) asks that each visitor either pays 50 baht (equivalent of just over $1.50) or buys a drink from the bar. The snorkeling is unbelievable there and I keep returning for it’s absolute beauty and range of marine life! Every time I go I see something new! There are irradescent clams, blue-spotted sting rays, parrot fish, all sorts of damsel fish, christmas tree corals, anemones, puffer fish, and on and on! Every time I go I also wish I had an underwater camera so I could share the beauty under the water!

Hike to Hin Wong

Hin Wong Bay Peek

Hin Wong Bay Peek_2

Hin Wong Bay

Hin Wong Bay_2

Hin Wong Bay_3

Since I don’t have a motorbike however (the roads are absolute crap on the island and the other drivers are nuts to boot!!) I walk there, which is yet another way I get my exercise. It’s a literal pain in my rear to scale the wee but very steep hill to get to the other side of the island, but it’s well worth it once there!! While I do adore going to that beach, I also try to space out how often I go because inevitably I end up having some drinks at the bar then curse myself as I have to make the trek back over the hill, sweating my rear off (and hopefully some of the booze) to get back to my place. Mol herself is quite the character too! She is a native Thai but speaks English perfectly and even has a cockney accent when she drinks, lol!!

Hin Wong Crab

Fishes!

Mol’s Beach

Mol’s Beach_2

Mol’s Beach_3

When I first arrived, I walked my way in the blistering heat from Mae Haad (where the boats all dock) toward Sairee and found very close to the Wat a place called Happy Bungalows. For 400 baht a night I got my own bungalow with a bed, bathroom and little fridge. When I first arrived I wasn’t sure honestly how long I’d actually stay. My plan was to check out the two Muay Thai gyms and if I liked one, I would stay for a month to train. If not, I would hang about for a few days to a week then head elsewhere. Within 3 days I’d decided to stay and found a monthly rental with a kitchen through Bua Management. Now almost 3 weeks in, I’m planning to stay for another month. There are two reasons I came to that decision: first, I’m really enjoying the Muay Thai training and want to give it another month and second, one of my friends will be popping into Thailand to see me. Since she is interested in diving, I figured I may as well stay put so at the very least she gets to do some diving in one of the best spots! 🙂

Eating Bat and The View

Back to Thailand

Sairee Beach_8

Pedestrian Walkway_3

Sairee Beach_9

Sairee Beach_10

Monument to Founding King

Sairee Beach_11

Monument to Founding King_2

King’s Mark

Pier Road

Pier Road_2

Sairee Beach_12

Pier Road_3

Bang Saphan, Thailand

Bang Saphan

2015-05-17 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

On the Gulf coast of Thailand, halfway between Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon (where transfer to Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand can be found) is the beautifully picturesque and quiet town of Bang Saphan. I had heard of this place as a recommendation from Sai and Charlie in Sangkhlaburi and am so grateful for it!

Beach from Bungalow

Lola Beach

Beautiful Sky

I will admit right off the bat that I barely spent any real amount of time in the town itself, and well basically the reason for that was because once I had arrived at the bungalows I’d chosen, I simply didn’t want to leave! That and I was about 4 km south of the actual town, and since I didn’t have a motorbike, there was no real big draw for me to go into town. But I’m getting ahead.

Bungalow View

Bungalow View_2

Beautiful Sky_2

Lola’s from Road

I took the mini-bus from Prachuap, which was only about 80 baht and an hour and a half or so later was dropped off on the side of the road for Bang Saphan. The drop off location for the mini-bus was about 4 km west of the town, so I had to get a ride in. There was a motorbike taxi standing by, so I hopped on and asked to go to Lola’s Bungalows. I had read up on this guesthouse from a posting on Travelfish and since it said it was their top pick and cheaply priced, I thought why not? But as the bungalows were 4 km south of town, it ended up being quite an expensive trip there via motorbike! Frankly there could have been a cheaper way to go, but being in the heat of the day and not very many other options just hanging about, I went ahead with the motorbike.

Approaching Storm

Endless Land

Land Life

Endless Land_2

Once I arrived, I was already in love! The property didn’t even have a sign up but it was evident how popular it was. About 20 or so individual bungalows were on the property that were situated only several dozens of feet from a stunning beach! I was shown to a bungalow and for 300 baht a night, set my things down and got ready for the beach! What I thought was cute about this place (other than the amazing location) was how when I tried to pay for the bungalow, they simply waved me off and said to do so whenever I decided to leave. I like that kind of trust in people!

Simple Road

Marsh Land

Endless Land_3

In any event, I had only planned on being there max 5 days, but ended up staying 2 full weeks! Most of the bungalows were occupied by couples or families that had been staying there already for weeks themselves and or were planning to be there for a month at least. I guess that’s why the property owners didn’t want money up-front as they were probably used to people coming in and then wanting to stay on!

Endless Land_4

Cow in the Road

Ocean View from Afar

Setting Sky

Along the beach were several eateries, including my personal favorite called Roy Tawan all of a 3 minute walk along the beach south from the bungalows, that had THE BEST chicken club sandwich I’d tasted in a very long time!! I was seriously addicted to it!! And for every meal they would start you off with fresh bananas and give sliced mango for dessert! So for about $1.50 I was very fully and quite healthily satiated! Another favorite spot I had was the Why Not Bar just a bit further south along the beach where about the only nightlife could be found. The people there were so friendly and welcoming, I just adored it!

Sunset Sky

Lola’s Beach at Night

My favorite Beach Home

Lola’s Beach at Night_2

I spent my two weeks at Lola’s getting myself back into an exercise regime, lounging on the many hammocks along the beach reading books, walking daily anywhere from 2-6km through the lush and beautiful land filled with a variety of life to various stores for my food needs (they had a fridge in the room) or to the Thursday and Saturday evening market at the nearby Wat, hanging out at the Why Not Bar, eating a ridiculous amount of Club sandwiches from Roy Tawan, taking brief dips in the ocean (only brief and I will explain why later), gazing at the night sky, eating yet another ridiculous amount of ridiculously fresh and juicy mangos on my front porch, exploring new ways to walk to the neighborhood stores (one dirt path included cutting through a cow pasture), chatting with neighbors and making local friends, enjoying the sights and sounds of approaching storms, listening to some guided meditations on YouTube before falling asleep nightly and generally otherwise relaxing and unwinding.

Lola’s Bungalows

Working Macaque

Macaque Bum

Dropped Coconut

I saw my first flying squirrels there and though they were impossible to take images of, since they only came out at night and moved too quickly to capture, they were still a delight to watch! Another thing I’d heard about but had never witnessed before Bang Saphan was coconut collectors using monkeys to cut off and throw down the coconuts! Some workers also had long bamboo sticks with a knife at the end that they would use to cut off coconuts, but far more had several macaques with them that would easily climb to the top and chuck down several coconuts. I hope and could only assume the animals were treated well!

View from Why Not Bar

View from Why Not Bar_2

Full Moon Rising

I mentioned above that I only spent brief time swimming in the ocean, and the reason for that was first because there were several jellyfish in the area. Every time I walked out into the ocean I could spot several bobbing along looking harmless enough, yet I wasn’t going to test how much their sting might hurt! Of course I could have simply walked past the area they were bobbing in as the deeper you got the fewer jellyfish there were, however once getting past the gauntlet of jellyfish, another gauntlet of sorts had to be passed. See, this particular beach had hundreds upon hundreds of sand dollars in the sand. You could feel them under your feet as you walked, their little bodies crunching under the weight of my feet and I just couldn’t stomach damaging them just so I could get out deep enough to where I could start to actually swim or float. So, between the jellyfish and not wanting to potentially kill dozens of sand dollars with each trip in and out of the ocean, I simply opted to hang beside the ocean instead:)

Full Moon Rising_2

Full Moon Rising_3

Macaque at Work

Macaque at Work_2

Another first that I witnessed one Saturday when I went for an early lunch at Roy Tawan was a bird singing competition… A bird singing competition… Yes… Let me set the scene: I arrived at Roy Tawan and sat at a little table awaiting my food when I spotted in the grass section nearby a metal structure with about 12 cages hanging. Each cage had a bird in it and there was even another bird cage (with a bird inside) hanging in the shade about 20 feet from the other 12 on the metal structure. One man was sitting under the shade with the bird and he had a cylinder vase filled with water that he would drop the shell of what looked like half of a coconut that had a small hole in the bottom. Once the coconut shell filled with water and sunk to the bottom, he would blow a whistle and retrieve the coconut. At this point, two men whom had been standing on opposite sides of the 12 hanging bird cages would approach a cage and make a mark on a piece of paper hanging from the bottom of each cage. Then they would step back and seemingly watch the next cage. The whistle was blown again, the coconut shell was dropped (their way of timing!) and the whistle blew again to signal time, the men would make their mark on the next bird cage and move on.

Macaque at Work_3

Macaque at Work_4

Macaques lost in Palms

Now, mind you during this entire time all the birds were singing away. The air was filled with birds singing as well as with some people on the side lines making sounds that sounded like encouragement to one bird or another. I asked the local woman at Roy Tawan what on earth was going on and she simply said it was a bird singing competition! The birds in the 12 cages were trying to mimic the song of the single bird in the shade. The two men making marks were judges and they were scoring which birds sang the best in comparison to the one bird! Just as I was wondering how in the world these judges could hear only the sound of the one bird they were supposed to be watching for judging and drown out the other 11 birds singing their hearts out, she added “I don’t understand this competition, it seems very silly to me”! LOL!!

Lola Beach_2

Lola Beach_3

Lola Beach_4

Endless Land_5

Lola Beach_5

I honestly could have stayed another 2 weeks at Lola’s but alas, it was time to move on! I think I had gotten my fill of relaxation and was ready to try a new spot. My next destination was for the island of Koh Tao:)

On To Koh Tao Island

Back to Thailand

Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand

Hiking Khao Lommuak

2015-04-27 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

Jo and I rose early to meet a local and her son who had invited us for a hike to the top of Khao Lommuak. We had met Ploi and her 13-year-old son Noi Noi several days prior to the hike at a restaurant called Da-DoDo (by Dubai) that she and her husband (a native Italian) run. From the first time Jo and I had gone to Da-DoDo, the reception was unbelievably welcoming and warm. The food was also very delicious, and since it was only located a couple of doors down from where we were staying, well obviously, we had Italian more than just a few times, much to the dismay of my waistline, but NOT my taste buds! 🙂

Sunrise

Sunrise_2

We really weren’t all that keen about having to get up so early (we met Ploi at 6am) but knowing how hot it gets as soon as the sun rises around here, it made the most sense to get the hike started as early as possible. We hopped in to Ploi’s car and headed out to Khao Lommuak, one of the tallest of the islands in Prachuap that divide Ao Manao and the Prachuap bay. It really was a good thing that we had gone with a local because though Jo and I had already planned to do the hike at one point, we would have gone to the wrong place for it to begin with! See, we had already walked to the Ao Manao beach several days earlier and had spotted signs for the National Park just before reaching the beach. But this entrance is NOT the entrance to the hiking trail… So had we gone on our own, we would have been very lost as to actually finding the place.

Dusky Leaf Monkeys

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_2

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_3

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_4

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_5

Hike Entrance

In any event, once we arrived at the hike entrance, we were greeted by some lovely monkeys that live at the base of Khao Lommuak. I had never seen this particular primate before and came to learn they are called dusky leaf monkeys or spectacled leaf monkeys! They were quite the friendly bunch and eagerly accepted any food items we gave them. I had some peanut butter crackers I had bought for breakfast and as a snack on the way up the hill, but of course ended up giving them all away to the beautiful monkeys! Apparently, while the adults have a brown/black coat, the babies have yellow fur until they are about a year old, then it changes to the adult color:) We didn’t see any babies during our first visit, but were fortunate enough to see one when we came back down.

Monument at Base

Looking up from the Base

The dreaded Stairs!

Natural Path Start

After about 20 minutes playing with the monkeys, it was time to get the hike on! The hike in total was 6 kilometers (round-trip) to a height of 240-ish meters from sea level. Honestly I was shocked to hear how little of a height that was, since it seemed a lot higher as we climbed up and looked down!! We started up the trail which first was just a series of steps with Noi Noi in the lead. I can’t recall now exactly how many stairs there were, but generally to keep myself distracted from the pain of climbing stairs I simply count. If memory serves however it was over 500! We were all taking breaks of course to catch our breath, drink water and collect ourselves before moving on. And of course I had to use the excuse that I needed pictures in order to rest a bit 😉

A Wee Cave

Half-way up View

Rope Assistance

Wee Island View

Getting Closer to Top

Keep on Climbing

It was just before the stairs turned to a natural dirt and rock path that little Noi Noi decided to turn back. He had done the hike the day before and wasn’t up for doing the whole thing again, so he headed to the car. I had gone ahead up to the end of the stairs and started to climb up the rock path until I reached a little cave. Not sure of whether anyone else was going to join me however, I headed back down a bit to see what the plan was. Ploi also had apparently gone back down and Jo seemed uncertain of how far she would make it since Ploi had described part of the trek as ‘only using ropes to hoist yourself up to the top’… She was game to try as far as she could, but wasn’t certain yet how far that would be.

“Safe and Secure”

Seriously?!?!

View getting Higher

Temple at the Top

View from the Top

View from the Top_2

I was determined however no matter what lay ahead so I continued on. The natural path was outlined the entire way by a rope that clung to trees along the path. Honestly, as you can see from the picture above labeled ‘safe and secure’, the rope really didn’t seem to be all that secure (though it felt secure enough) because sometimes the trees that the rope was attached to were barely thicker than my ankle and they were rooted on the cliff edge! Kinda scary, but again it did feel secure enough. Up and up I went, at times literally feeling like I was rock climbing with the rope as a guide and assistance at times but otherwise just feeling my way up the rocks (which were really petrified coral so very sharp at times!!) until the next area to rest a bit. As I climbed, the views became even more spectacular as the vistas opened up to a panoramic view.

Made it!

Temple

Ploi and I

Jo and I

View from the Top_3

View from the Top_4

I won’t lie, there were some times while climbing up that I honestly questioned how in the heck I would get back down! Ploi had told us that the day before there had been a class of 40 students and a teacher doing the trek and all I could think of as I lay flat against the rock, trying NOT to look down and freak myself out, was that if we were in the States, there would be NO WAY a trek like this would be allowed for students to do without all the proper safety measures in place! It was quite impressive to think of, especially for the fact that it was 40 or them scrambling along the teeny path!

Ploi and I_2

View from the Top_5

View from the Top_6

View from the Top_7

View from the Top_8

Dragonflies!

Finally, the end was in sight as the teeny Temple that stands at the top of Khao Lommuak began to come into view. The view from the top was absolutely incredible and though I was absolutely dripping in sweat, it was well worth the climb! I hung around enjoying the views for about 10 minutes or so, but since I didn’t know whether Jo and Ploi were behind me or whether they had gone back to the car, I didn’t want to spend too much time at the top making them wait on me. I was just about to start heading back down when both Jo and Ploi rounded the corner! Happy day! Now we could all enjoy the views and chill for a bit! As we relaxed and enjoyed the rest, more and more people started to show. It was nice to see that no matter the age or fitness level of the hikers, everyone was dripping in sweat as they climbed to the top (so it wasn’t just me being out of shape, lol!!).

Hanging Out

Heading Back

Heading Back_2

Baby Leaf Monkey

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_6

Baby Leaf Monkey_2

I will say it was quite impressive to watch the locals walk around the top of Khao Lommuak. It was just their comfort level being up there! While I kept being very cautious of where I stepped and not getting too close to the edge, the locals just walked about and went freely to the edges as if they were walking on sea level. I was amazed and in awe of their bravery! At one point, an older falang made it to the top and stomped rather hurriedly past us to get to the Temple to ring the bell. He stayed for all of a minute, then headed right back down the path. Ploi explained to us that that particular gentleman did this hike 3 times EVERY DAY. Every day! Up to the top and back down 3 times in a row every day… His speed was remarkable as during the time that we were heading back down, he had passed us on his way up for the second time, down for the second time and up again for his third! Absolutely unreal! And he wasn’t a spring chicken either! He claimed the only reason he did the hike was to keep in shape so he could drink more beer… I can relate to that! Lol!

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_7

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_8

Baby Leaf Monkey_3

After all the pictures were taken and our energy was refueled by rest and water, we headed back down ourselves, stopping again to feed the monkeys (Noi Noi had spotted a baby this time!) some fruit purchased from a nearby fruit stand. It was only about a quarter to 10am, so instead of going back, we opted to head to the Ao Manao beach for some R&R. Though I did get a little R&R, and while the water did feel great on the muscles, I was exhausted more by the beach time than the hike! Little Noi Noi (who doesn’t speak a lick of English) and I came up with game after game to entertain ourselves and each other while playing in the water. First it was a hunting game where I stalked him pretending to be a shark, his only defense being to splash me, to which I would immediately retreat. Then we became hunters of the sea life on the ocean floor finding all sorts of crabs, hermit crabs, and huge clams! Of course everything was returned to the ocean floor, especially since Ploi kept saying things like ‘oh, those clams are really great to eat!’.

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_9

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_10

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_11

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_12

It impressed me that even without speaking each others language, Noi Noi and I were able to communicate and play for hours on end in the ocean. Just goes to show you how unnecessary the spoken word really is. We left the beach in the late afternoon (they had to get back to open the restaurant) and of course ended up having Italian for dinner that night. It was such an amazing day! The only ‘downfall’ was that the blister on the bottom of my foot that I’d gotten the day before popped open during the Khao Lommuak hike and stung like crazy as I swam in the ocean. But heck, for a day with so many other blessings, I can’t really complain!

On to Ao Manao

Back to Thailand