I've never been this unprepared going on a trip (short or long). Well, maybe I was the first time I went.. But I still had put some time and effort into packing everything I needed and managed to end up with about 5kg :). I just didn't realise this time around that I was actually going or for how long. I guessed 4 months and definitely wanted to visit Myanmar and the Philippines, the two countries that I've wanted to go before but in the end didn't go to. They are first on my list this time!
I have been so busy that I first needed a two week break of not doing anything, just relax and be by myself. I decided to do this in Thailand..visiting a few islands I haven't been to before...
Bangkok
After leaving Amsterdam and with a stopover in Moscow (what a depressing airport btw), I landed in Bangkok once again. It seems I always start and end my trips through Asia here. But this time, I stayed near the airport and just one night. A huge room with a glass wall to separate bathroom from bedroom so I was even able to watch tv from the tub! What a dream come true :P! It also had a pool, super relaxed!! 
A friend from back home happened to be around the same area and we met up for drinks (a few beer towers), which was fun and a great way to start my trip! After returning and finding out, that the hotel tried to rip me off for my airport transport, I decided to walk down the street to get a taxi (it was about 2.30am)...half drunkish and about 20 street dogs that barked at me along the way, I found a taxi that would take me. I hadn't slept since I left Amsterdam, so I was super tired, got in a few naps at the airport and went to the gate. When we started landing, my ear started hurting..I've never ever had any trouble with my ears and it felt like I was about to pass out...even after landing. I think it was a mix of sleep deprivation and maybe a bit of alcohol that was left in my system.Ko Tao
Unfortunately I wasn't where I needed to be after the flight...had to take a bus, a ferry, a
Thai pick up taxi before I finally arrived at my hotel! I loved Ko Tao! Had to get used to being back in Thailand and haggling over everything and all in Thai time.. Everything is 5 minutes, which it rarely is. Anyway, the hotel was great, even had an HBO channel! Ko Tao was the perfect mix of beaches, night life, markets, nature.
I rented a mountainbike for a day but ended up bringing it back after 4 hours because it was too hot and Ko Tao is too hilly and my butt hurt haha. But I still enjoyed what I'd seen! I thought about snorkling or diving, but I was too relaxed (finally) to do anything else than just relax, eat, swim, walk around. I did however go to Nuan Yuan on my last day and wow, it was super busy and the beach was filled with coral so it was hard to walk from one island to the next, but the view (quite a climb) was amazing! I spend 5 nights in Ko Tao, but probably could have stayed longer.
Koh Phi Phi
Another exhausting trip...12hours of Thai taxi's (I explicitely say Thai Taxi's because it's not a fancy car like we're used to in Holland), ferries, buses before I finally arrived to Koh Phi Phi. Koh Phi Phi was nice, but I didn't need to stay there for too long. LOTS and LOTS of shopping/markets. Since I arrived around 5:30 pm, I didn't do much on my first night. Walked around for a bit, ate and went to bed. I stayed in a hostel, beds were pretty big for a hostel and I had a sea view, perfect :). The music of the bar outside played till 2 am, but it was good music, could have been my own! After a good night sleep, I went on a walk (on an empty stomach) to a viewpoint that was very disappointing but the scenery along the way was beautiful. I met a couple that asked me to take their picture, turned out they had just got engaged! How romantic :). Went on in search of food and water and found a place that sold great food for a great price and a great view, so went back there on my last day.
Also went to a fireshow, apparently with the champion of Thailand's got Talent (didn't check this), but it was an amazing show! Better than the ones I've seen in Fiji. I was also invited to get on stage with a few other girls by my new Thai boyfriend Johnny (joke) for a free cigarette. Now here's the trick, we had to put it in our mouths while another guy would lit them with one of his fireshow-props. When the flames were dancing around my head, I tried to sit back and relax and kept telling myself that they had done this before... I came out unharmed :). I took a half day trip on my last full day to some of the surrounding hotspots, including Maya Bay where they filmed The Beach. Kind of a let down, since it was so touristy. And the sea was so rough that we had enough salt intake for a lifetime. The waves had been so bad for 4 days going straight that it was even on the news, because it was very unusual (for this time of year).
Railay (Beach)
It took about 2 hours (on a ferry and a smaller speedboat) to get to Railay. I was picked up at the beach and after about a 10 minute walk, we were brought to the 'resort' on a tractor haha. When you think you've done and seen it all..life (or well, the Thais) surprises you. Arrived early evening so didn't do much except have dinner, enjoy the surroundings and the breeze and even the stars (so many to see since there aren't many lights at night). I went towards the beach (WEST) the next day and walked around, beautiful surroundings and again lots of coral and small boats. The part where you can swim and no boats are allowed is marked by rope they used around that area. I headed back to the resort and went to the pool for most of the afternoon. The pool has a view of the ocean/beach, amazing!! Headed down to the beach again (EAST) for dinner. This is also the side I left from to go to Krabi.
Krabi Town
30 minute boat ride which took a bit of an effort to get. They usually wait for a full boat, 150 Thai Bath each. So when I got there, he said he could bring me over, just me, for 300 Thai Bath. I decided to wait. Shortly after, two others needed to go to Krabi too and all of a sudden a boat ride for 3 pax was 1250 Thai Bath...just to show how insane it can get here. We ended up going with the 4 of us for 250 Thai Bath each. And I was back on the main land....cars, people, dirt, streets, etc. So different from where I have just been for the last 10+ days. But I must say, I was a bit over the whole beach scene.. The room in Krabi is lovely, close to the weekday nightmarket, so much food!! Wow! I tasted a few different dishes :) before heading back.
I didn't plan on writing this much, yikes, sorry! Thailand...the land of food, haggling, beautiful scenery, etc. It was a pleasure being back and I'm sure I will be again. Since I didn't stay in a lot of hostels (just one), I've really been on my own most of the times. Luckily, I did have access to wifi so it was easy to stay in touch and share my days activities that way. There aren't a lot of hostels in Myanmar so I'll be mostly by myself again, which is getting used to having been so much WITH people back home. But every day I try to close my eyes, take a deep breath, enjoy the scenery and just live in the moment, in the now.
Cheers Thailand, see you next time :).
T.
I rented a mountainbike for a day but ended up bringing it back after 4 hours because it was too hot and Ko Tao is too hilly and my butt hurt haha. But I still enjoyed what I'd seen! I thought about snorkling or diving, but I was too relaxed (finally) to do anything else than just relax, eat, swim, walk around. I did however go to Nuan Yuan on my last day and wow, it was super busy and the beach was filled with coral so it was hard to walk from one island to the next, but the view (quite a climb) was amazing! I spend 5 nights in Ko Tao, but probably could have stayed longer.
Koh Phi Phi
Another exhausting trip...12hours of Thai taxi's (I explicitely say Thai Taxi's because it's not a fancy car like we're used to in Holland), ferries, buses before I finally arrived to Koh Phi Phi. Koh Phi Phi was nice, but I didn't need to stay there for too long. LOTS and LOTS of shopping/markets. Since I arrived around 5:30 pm, I didn't do much on my first night. Walked around for a bit, ate and went to bed. I stayed in a hostel, beds were pretty big for a hostel and I had a sea view, perfect :). The music of the bar outside played till 2 am, but it was good music, could have been my own! After a good night sleep, I went on a walk (on an empty stomach) to a viewpoint that was very disappointing but the scenery along the way was beautiful. I met a couple that asked me to take their picture, turned out they had just got engaged! How romantic :). Went on in search of food and water and found a place that sold great food for a great price and a great view, so went back there on my last day. 
Also went to a fireshow, apparently with the champion of Thailand's got Talent (didn't check this), but it was an amazing show! Better than the ones I've seen in Fiji. I was also invited to get on stage with a few other girls by my new Thai boyfriend Johnny (joke) for a free cigarette. Now here's the trick, we had to put it in our mouths while another guy would lit them with one of his fireshow-props. When the flames were dancing around my head, I tried to sit back and relax and kept telling myself that they had done this before... I came out unharmed :). I took a half day trip on my last full day to some of the surrounding hotspots, including Maya Bay where they filmed The Beach. Kind of a let down, since it was so touristy. And the sea was so rough that we had enough salt intake for a lifetime. The waves had been so bad for 4 days going straight that it was even on the news, because it was very unusual (for this time of year).
Railay (Beach)
It took about 2 hours (on a ferry and a smaller speedboat) to get to Railay. I was picked up at the beach and after about a 10 minute walk, we were brought to the 'resort' on a tractor haha. When you think you've done and seen it all..life (or well, the Thais) surprises you. Arrived early evening so didn't do much except have dinner, enjoy the surroundings and the breeze and even the stars (so many to see since there aren't many lights at night). I went towards the beach (WEST) the next day and walked around, beautiful surroundings and again lots of coral and small boats. The part where you can swim and no boats are allowed is marked by rope they used around that area. I headed back to the resort and went to the pool for most of the afternoon. The pool has a view of the ocean/beach, amazing!! Headed down to the beach again (EAST) for dinner. This is also the side I left from to go to Krabi.Krabi Town
30 minute boat ride which took a bit of an effort to get. They usually wait for a full boat, 150 Thai Bath each. So when I got there, he said he could bring me over, just me, for 300 Thai Bath. I decided to wait. Shortly after, two others needed to go to Krabi too and all of a sudden a boat ride for 3 pax was 1250 Thai Bath...just to show how insane it can get here. We ended up going with the 4 of us for 250 Thai Bath each. And I was back on the main land....cars, people, dirt, streets, etc. So different from where I have just been for the last 10+ days. But I must say, I was a bit over the whole beach scene.. The room in Krabi is lovely, close to the weekday nightmarket, so much food!! Wow! I tasted a few different dishes :) before heading back.
I didn't plan on writing this much, yikes, sorry! Thailand...the land of food, haggling, beautiful scenery, etc. It was a pleasure being back and I'm sure I will be again. Since I didn't stay in a lot of hostels (just one), I've really been on my own most of the times. Luckily, I did have access to wifi so it was easy to stay in touch and share my days activities that way. There aren't a lot of hostels in Myanmar so I'll be mostly by myself again, which is getting used to having been so much WITH people back home. But every day I try to close my eyes, take a deep breath, enjoy the scenery and just live in the moment, in the now.
Cheers Thailand, see you next time :).
T.
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