For years now I’ve heard about southern Thailand as
the vacation spot. Even when I was living and working in Korea a few years ago, many of my fellow staff members ventured to Thailand for their vacation. So when I learned that Ginny and friends were headed to the Krabi-Koh Lanta area of the country during the school spring break, it was incredibly tempting to join them. Since the cost of living (and vacationing) is minimal once you’re in country and I had a week before starting my new job in Bangkok, I decided it ‘needed to be’.
Little did I know the trip
to the island of Koh Lanta from Chiang Mai would be so adventuresome. Including stops in Bangkok and Krabi, I recounted yesterday all the modes of transportation I’ve taken in the past four days to reach my final destination of cabin on the beach: starting with pickup truck, airplane, shuttle, airplane, taxi, wooden 'longtail' boat, riding sidecar in a tuk-tuk, back of a motorcycle, pickup, ferry, van, motorcycle, another tuk-tuk and then walking (can you imagine?) to my cabin.
Regardless if I was traveling by ferry and transferring to a smaller 'longtail boat' on the water (as shown in the above picture) or putting along through the narrow roads of remote villages, I certainly got to see a part of Thailand that is so different from the big cities. Where else would you have young village kids waiting for you to come along in your tuk-tuk before jumping off a bridge into the river below to impress you. Of course you let them know it was the best thing you’ve ever seen and they laugh all the more =) Cute kids everywhere.
The funny part is that I had some groceries I didn’t want to get rid of in Chiang Mai so I decided to bring them with me (along with some other luggage) to finish while on my trip. Over hill and dale I made sure the grocery bag stayed with me, even as it hung off the handlebar of a motorbike cruising down village roads. I'm sure the nationals thought I was crazy for carting this grocery bag from distant lands =) But rest assured, it is now safe and secure in the fridge in my cabin.
One of my first stops in southern Thailand was the
Islanda Village Resort outside of the town of Krabi. What an amazingly secluded resort that I learned of on the internet – did I say secluded? Thank you Expedia for helping me locate this remarkable place to stay at half the price! Check out these accommodations including what some Thai call the outdoor ‘sexy shower’...
Typical of tropical environments, like I noticed during former stays in Malaysia, almost all buildings and rooms are open air from the front lobby to dining room to even the games room! I guess when the temperatures are in the 30 C range year round day and night, you really don’t need to think about enclosed spaces. This is the first time, though, I’ve seen a pool table and media center open to the elements.
The
Islanda was a stopover on my way to Koh Lanta but now that I know it exists I hope to make it a destination next time if given the opportunity!
