Phang Nga Bay - Phuket

As with the first day in Phuket, we had a similar early start on the 2nd day. The tour to Phang Nga Bay started at 8am. Phang Ngah Bay is to the north of Phuket, the trip from Patong to the pier takes about an hour. We took a big boat out of pier AoPor, with a bunch of Chinese tourists and few guai lous. Boat is big though, enough to fit a toilet, several canoes and lots of refreshment.

First stop is Naka Island. It was an ordinary island with ordinary (sub par with all the beaches in Phuket) and calm water. Perhaps thats the reason why the place is suitable for canoeing and not swimming. Sand was rather rough and water not as clean. Regardless, we had the chance to canoe around the place just for the fun of it.

We were then brought to Hong Island (the main attraction of this tour) to witness limestones via canoe. We were each assigned a designated canoeing peddler to move us around, our canoeing peddler is very friendly and he likes to take photo for us although we hardly understand each other's language. Limestone along the Hong island was very unique and I wonder why the sea water in Phuket is always so greenish. It is raining on that day but still the tour goes on and in fact it is very cold when you are on the sea while raining, besides it is quite wavy and makes me feel uncomfortable.

Canoeing at Hong Island

Then we had our lunch on board. After that was James Bond Island. The island was made famous when Ia Flemming's Superspy went on her majesty's accord to do a film there entitle 'Man with the Golden Gun'. What truly remarkable is the fact that the limestone looks big on the top but is supported by a narrower bottom. We transfered to a long tail boat to land on the island, the scenery of the island is picturesque, but no sandy beach. We walked around the island, we climbed up to the small hill behind the island and it is connected to the beach in front and that's it for the whole island. It is very small yet primitive despite the bunch of stalls that sell souvenirs here.

The infamous landmark of James Bond Island

Peaceful 007

the rocky seaside of the 007

Our next island after James Bond Island was Panak Island. It is another unique limestone cave where you actually have to go through the cave underneath to reach the lagoon on the other side. Whats interesting was that as you venture deep into the limestone cave on canoe, you are pit into absolute darkness, as little light manage to shine through the deep cave. The cave smells awful in the middle section, thanks to the hundreds of bats making the cave their home. Then we reach the lagoon at the other side. This journey was something out of the ordinary.

Entering the cave, mind your head and we have to lie down

exiting from the cave, we saw a dim light

That's the cave we came out from

limestones everywhere

Then that's the end for the tour and they sent us back to our hotel, but I am feeling rather queasy and lax-ety. We had a short and simple dinner at Patong and rush back to our hotel, I had to rest while Allan went to get some medicine for my fever. This night is the last night in Phuket and we planned earlier to view a sunset at Patong beach, then get a decent seafood dinner following with a massage, too bad I end up having fever and missed the chance. So sad.. but thanks to Allan I recovered the next morning where we need to take a noon flight back to Bangkok again.

Stressful

I am so stress!!! I am preparing for my last paper of Oracle exam and it seems the toughest one for me. And this paper is regarding performance tuning, it's very difficult for me to understand the syllabus considering I have not much exposure on it and in addition I study it on my own (blame my stingy company which don't sponsor me the course). It really reminds me of the Uni day and this seems worse while I found it so hard to concentrate on my studies nowaday. I think I am old already. Such as what happened today, I intended to finish two chapters by today, but I fall asleep for 1 hour after finish ONE PAGE!!! then I woke up and with all my regret wanted to boast up my studies, but end up I surf net, check email, playing with Presto, clean up my room...then I realized it was another 2 hours gone! Well well, after that I feel that's enough for me and really gotta start it, and I finally manage to finish one chapter and now I am blogging here at 3am. Gosh, I really feel so stress.. I think I have to back to my studies now..

Fun in Poo-get

We took a domestic flight from Bang-cock to Poo-get on the 3rd Day. Once arrived, we look for our day-tours as soon as possible. It was already late and again, we were is a hurry. After a few shops later, we settled for a shop outside our hotel. It was a tough bargain, the day-tour wasn't exactly cheap, at 2300 THB per person inclusive Islands hopping in Phi-phi and Canoeing in Phang Nga Bay for two days. But I guess, we just had no choice but to take the tour.

Then we had our dinner at a seafood food stall by the roadside for some Thai seafood. The next day, we had to wake up fairly early, at about 6am, as we have already booked the island hoping in Phi-phi day tour. We had to be up and breakfast by 7am as the minibus is going to pick us up at 8am. It took about 40 minutes to reach the pier that would bring us to Phi-phi and another 40 minutes just to get there. Ride was fairly bumpy, the waves just too heavy at times and the rainy season of May just to make up for it.

First island we went to was Koh Phi-phi Leh, on Maya beach, place where the infamous "The Beach" was filmed. And it is because of this film which causes Maya Beach to be so famous of those flocked to Phuket.

Beach is nice, which is great place to be. Sand is smooth and soft, like FLOUR. One of the best I've ever seen, feel, touch. Water is clean and pristine. Just wonder how long, it would last, considering tourists now venture to the place.

Maya Beach, jade-like water and flour-like sand

And the nice background

Well basically,thats the whole main point of the trip, the highlight of all the rest of the stops were meagre at best, nothing that our own islands here in Malaysia can't provide. We visited Loh Sa Mah Bay, Viking Cave, Phi-phi Don island, Monkey Beach and we ended our tour at an island they call Koh Khai. Also uninhabbited except for maybe chickens or maybe monkeys! Sand was rough and sharp due to dead corals washed ashore. Did not do much of a swimming here, basically hang around and drill, and had a Singha at the end.

Singha !!

Loh Sa Ma Bay which we are suppose to snorkel here, but we couldn't make it due to the rainy season. Really crystal clear water and you can see lots of fish.

The tour was so-so to say. We back to our hotel room in Patong beach, packed up and head out again. Patong beach is a NICE beach, sandy soft, smooth sand comparable to Redang (yes, it has become a benchmark) but still is uncomparable to Maya Beach's flour like sand.

Patong Beach filled with Guai Lou

We had a great time there, waves was huge and comes in intervals when we're mostly not on water. It was still a great fun though, but it soon get dark afters.

There are lots of shops along the Patong Beach and also night market. After dinner at RockCity, we had King-Kong burger and a few cocktails, we walked the streets of Patong and it infamous red-light district Soi Bangla. Here, pubs, discos promise to offer 'sexy times' to visitors from all over.

The Rock City, I smell Paris Hilton

Ready for big lobster?

Back at the hotel, was feeling rather lax-ety and got stuck in the bathroom for an hour in and off. The diarrhea we suspect, could be food poisoning but sources unknown, most probably the 100 BHT for 4 pieces of oyster we ate at the make-shift stall not far from out hotel.

The tiredness of both the day tour and non-stop visits to the loo have been an experience more than unique and will definitely haunt us for trips to come.

Why do I love Khao San Rd

It is very hard to describe my feeling towards the Khao San road which known as backpacker's capital, I love this place. It is such a lively place. As quote from one Thai writer, he described this road as "a short road that has the longest dream in the world.". It filled with various cultures around the world that each traveler bringing in. I feel so free while walking on this street, nobody will care about your race, your homeland, nor your status. You can dress up as you likes and grab a cheap beer and sit by the road side watching the performance of the street performer. Or you can get a pack of pancake and walk along the street while seeing all the guai lou getting drunk around you.

You can find the whole road is so busy with all the peoples, cafe, pub, hawker stall, street performers, tattoo and hair braiding stall, massage parlour, barber, and even balloon seller who hold a huge stalk of balloon and you will worry that he will flew away....

The hair breading service by the road side

this place is cheap and nevertheless I love the food here especially this -> banana pancake with chocolate and condensed milk topping ...me alone can finish two pieces in one night...

I missed him

And Allan's favorite -> the best Kra-prow in the world... hmm, I must admit I like this Kra-prow as well, it looks so simple with just some vege and pork on top of white rice yet it taste so uniquely delicious...

See, Allan is enjoying with his Kra-Pow

And I love this "orange" juice from Bangkok which is actually a lime(?) juice in orange colour.. It isn't too sweet and with slightly sour, it is just so different than the orange juice we have in Malaysia...

Khao San road is always occupied with all the backpackers, even after all the stalls are closed...see ..

I love BKK - day #1

This is the first experience for backpacking that we've ever been and already it started with a difficult theme. We missed our flight out to Bangkok by 5 minutes.

Having said that, AirAsia refuse to let us in the flight, stating difficulties in reconfiguration of flight plans, into escalation of costs.Yes it does seems that they are winning on a very lean cost where everything is taken into account to keep the cost low.

The next available connecting flight out of LCCT, KL was at 15:00, a good 7 hours from the time where we were left hanging at the terminal. We took the decision to purchase a connecting flight from Phuket to Bangkok, burning a $1300 hole further into the existing $700. We had no choice.

The hours left waiting for the flight, we slept on benches at the terminal. This reminds me of Tom Hanks in the movie, The Terminal. However, LCCT do not have comfy beds to sleep in. We slept an hour and a half on the bench. Woke up and got something light to eat. While in no mood of eating, I just want to make the flight this time and connect to BKK.

We touch down in Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 7pm local time. Finally, we made it to our destination after all the waiting and loafing around the airportS. The new international airport just opened not too long ago sports a magnificient structure, huge and impression. With metal beams and glass windows all around, it has a very modern feel to it.

We later hail a cab to go to our hotel, a budget hotel along Bangkok's famous Khao San road. We got ripped off the minute we reached Bangkok. The cabbie, a rather stump and green Thai in his early thirties, didn't managed to get us to the hotel doorsteps, having needed us to find our path instead. After half an hour with carrying our backpacks, we found our place.

Our next agenda of the day, was to check-in and settle down. Having said so, we proceed to drop our stuff and explore the vibrant night markets of Khao San.

It was truly an eye opener as swarms of hippie "farang" backpackers flock to Khao-San road, getting drunk and living it out. The blend of east and west so evident here. They mix and blend in with the locals, from hair braiding to tattoos, they went into camouflages with the locals. It was a magnificent sight. Its even more magnificent as people really enjoying themselves there. The food, the cheap booze, reggae music and live bands. It's the ultimate backpacker paradise. I have to admit, I do enjoy alot being here in Khao San where the folks are friendly and even ready to lend a helping hand.

After about or two hours walking the streets, scouring for odd food and clothing, its time to refine into our basic backpacker room. Now the room is really basic, clean so-so, but still there's nothing much you can ask for with a budgeted inn like this. The thing is, it's great experience. Something everyone ought to try out once in their lifetimes.

More action and report coming up...

===Written by Allan===

I love BKK

We are back from Thailand after our 8-days backpacking.. Bangkok rocks!!!