Happy Tuesday everyone! It’s currently minus 5 degrees Celsius and snowing here in Montreal. How best to warm us up if not posting about Thailand on this cold cold day? Hope you enjoy reading!

Choosing which island to visit turned out to be quite a task. It’s a given that some sun and beach time is mandatory, but we didn’t want to overdo it and miss out on other things that Thailand had to offer. Initially, we thought that all islands would be more or less the same…how wrong could we be! Each of the islands (Koh in Thai) had their defining characteristic and emanated a very distinct aura.

SAMUI:

One of the best things in Southeast Asia is how low the low-cost carriers can actually get. Most domestic flights throughout the country are under 75$ one way with Air Asia. Unfortunately, due to our tight schedule, the only available flight leaving Chiang Mai to Koh Samui was on Bangkok Airways for 215 CAD. Samui is located on the east coast and makes up the famous trio with Koh Phangan and Ko Tao. An archipelago of 60 other islands make up the Angthong Marine Park in the Gulf of Thailand.

Samui has surpassed Phuket as Thailand’s new it-girl for tropical island vacationing. It’s known to be an all-around destination, offering a wide variety of activities suitable for every clientele. Extensive luxury accommodation or private villas for an upscale clientele? Check. Delicious food stalls at the night market to make the most religious foodies satisfied? Check. Mind-blowing landscape and quiet temples for the cultural sightseer? Check. And of course, there’s the famous nightlife with its strip of beach bars and clubs on Chaweng for the 20-something’s crowd.

PHAGNAN:

Since when does your vacation planning depend on the moon cycle? Well, like it or not, that’s the way it’s done here in Phangan. Riding on the success of its Full-Moon party, the tourism industry later came up with the Half-Moon and even the Black-Moon versions of it. Set on the shore of Haad Rin beach, the initial idea of the party was to celebrate the beauty of the full moon as seen from the beaches of Koh Phangan. It later became the main attraction of the place, welcoming an average of 20 000 party-goers every full moon. Drink alcohol from a bucket, dance to the frantic drumming of the music, display your artistic side with neon body paint and admire the fire dancers and jogglers, all that from dusk until dawn.

How to get there:

There are ferries running on a regular schedule that connect Samui to Phangan. The trip takes about 20 minutes and costs 10 CAD$. For those who are prone to sea-sickness like me, take your meds beforehand, the ride is rough. For the schedule and more info click here.

ANGTHONG MARINE PARK:

We also booked a day trip on the Orion boat (more info here) to visit the Marine Park during our stay in Phangan. I recommend you plan accordingly and make sure you recover well from the Full-Moon party before heading out in the sun for a whole day. We had booked with a travel agency located just across the street from our hotel (more info here). The purchase (60 CAD/person) includes the hotel transfers to the boat via taxi, meals including lunch, drinks and fresh fruits throughout the day, and all the necessary snorkelling equipment. During the day, we got a glimpse of the beautiful unspoiled wilderness of the region. We kayaked and snorkelled in the pristine waters of the Gulf, hiked up some of the taller rock cliffs to admire the beautiful landscape and even bravely walked down the caves to observe the formation of limestones. Overall, it was a great experience that left us with unforgettable pictures of the part of Thailand that is not touched (yet) by commercialism and development.

PHI PHI:

Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh compose the two main islands of Koh Phi Phi, the first being the only inhabited one. The second one, Leh, also harbours Thailand’s most incredible beaches and lagoons, but is only accessible for a day trip by boat. For the lifestyle, Phi Phi is really a world apart. There are no roads on the island, you either walk or bike through the island. Hotel clerks are available to transport your luggage around on wheelbarrows if needed. Nevertheless, the island of Phi Phi Don is relatively small. All the restaurants, boutiques, hotels are all located alongside each other, making the main street very lively. There are no schedule, no stress, no deadlines. Thinking back, it really was no surprise to have encountered some of our fellow Canadians teaching in a diving school there. They chose to leave everything behind, to get outside of their comfort zone and the security of everything known and familiar, to establish themselves there and live a sweet simple life. Kudos to them for having the courage to do so!

Activities:

~ Sometimes, just wandering around the narrow streets is an experience of its own. Hearing other tourists negotiate the price of a souvenir or a boat ride and watching the exaggerated response of the merchant is quite entertaining.

~ Hire a Gypsy tail-boat for a day trip to the neighbouring islands. Our helmsman showed us the best hidden spots for snorkelling in the coral reefs. He also brought us to the famous Monkey beach only to have a playful chimpanzee steal a bottle of juice from us. Watch out because some of them are aggressive. Many attacks on tourists have happened and many cases of monkey rabies, reported. Lohsamah Bay and Maya beach are also not-to-miss scenic spots accessible only by boat.

~ Hike up to the viewpoint to experience the famous post-card view from the hilltop. The hike is a steep one and the sun sets early, so bring a flashlight or a lemongrass torch to keep off mosquitoes at the same time.

~ Long beach is a long stretch of immaculate beach on the southwest end of the island. Walking there from the main Tonsai village requires a good 45 minutes and involves some tricky walks over rocks and into the jungle foliage. I would recommend going during the day only and with proper footwear. When we visited in 2012, very little commerces were available. Maybe just one or two restaurants and small hotels. Now, many high-end bungalow-style villas are available. It might have taken away from the serenity of the place, but the view of the water is still unbeatable.

How to get there:

We took a flight from Samui to Krabi airport (1h direct flight,100 CAD), followed by a boat ride from Krabi pier to Phi Phi Don (1.5 hours, 20 CAD). Your ferry ticket should include the transfer from the airport to the pier by taxi (40 min). There are two departures from Krabi a day (9:00 and 14:30).

More detailed reviews of our lodging in Thailand to come! If I don’t get to post another entry before next week, I want to wish you all a very very happy Christmas! I hope you can all get to spend the joyful holidays with your beloved family and friends and share the warmth!