Baan Soraya Beach Resort Phangnga

... Songkran (Thai New Year), and wasn't going to re-open until Thursday. Bugger! So on Monday I got the local bus to the border. While I was in Kota Bharu I met a Swiss couple (thanks Paul and Sara) who told me to go Khao Sok National Park in Thailand, so I figured I would. I walked across the border and into the town of Sungai Kolok. The first thing you notice in Sungai ...

... 9.30am - Back on the train! The time now changes by adding an hour! 3.30pm - Get off the train and catch the ferry at Butterworth, 10 minute crossing to Georgetown 4.00pm - After trying to find enough taxis, we finally get to our hotel at 4pm! That is in my book the longest journey I have ever done! When I get home furthest I am going to travel is Ilminster and Charlton Mackrell!! Well, for a week or two anyway!! The ...

... happy laughter, handing us gum to keep our mouths busy and turning up the music. It was a pretty nice truck and even had a screen where we would watch Thai Karoke. Our driver's English must really be bad if he preferred listening to 5 white girls attempt to sing Thai pop music rather than converse. About half way back the German "Bob" tapped on the back windshield to request a beer stop (I guess stereotypes hold true sometimes) so our ...

... too much. This morning I got up and went to breakfast solo--Liz was still asleep--and I love going to breakfast alone, with a book. So quiet; so peaceful. We found the 'bus' that took us to Ao Nang, a much more beachier town than Krabi. (wait--before I forget-- while I was gone, Liz began packing and then found a five inch long scorpion on the floor next to her bag. No joke. She hastened to go get one of the proprietresses of the guest ...

... golden, athletic, gleaming teeth and hair. There are quite a few Perfects here - mostly from Denmark and Sweden (of course). There are some Mr and Mrs Imperfects and guess where they are from? Germany and UK! Wearing bikinis and g-strings when really they shouldn't and sunburnt to the point of "lobster"! Everyone seems really chilled and like us, just happy to be here enjoying the facilities. Rob and I take a walk to the "shops" to book the ...

... and began our trek through the rainforest. The guide spotted several black monkeys as we were walking and we got to watch them swing from tree to tree which was really neat. Unfortunately it was too hard to get a picture because we were so far away. I have to admit I was winded pretty quickly as we walked up hill through the rainforest but I keep chugging down water and moving along. It was just unreal to be in an actual rainforest and just listen ...

... che si muovono in branco o i nudibranchi. Ci sono dei vermi chiamati christmas tree worms, vermi albero di natale, che sono uno splendore. Simili a spampanati scovolini da pipa di ogni colore fuoriescono dalla roccia a decine e non appena ci si avvicina o si smuove l'acqua, si ritirano tutti insieme nella loro tana. Il gobifish e' un pesciolino allungato e con la testa schiacciata che vive sul fondo in un buco nella sabbia. Con lui vivono due o tre gamberetti che lo ...

... fishing the village actually does anymore because of the tourism influence, but there were small boats with locals only going everywhere. At six pm the village actually stopped everything it was doing and followed the call to prayer. Some of those who served the tourists were exempt from prayer, but I'm guesing that they go in the morning instead of the evening. I wonder how much of the tourism money makes its way into the Mulsim temple's pockets?

... Nords, so the ride is social and pleasant. The staff of the tour company is courteous and professional. Once we reach the Similans, we visit the first of four islands (there are eight, but we will see four). The islands are tropical and lush and the waters around them reflect an assortment of brilliant colors from torquoise to jade to mint green. A little brevity seems appropriate here (and yet nowhere else... curious) so ...

... a huge array of bars, I counted 3 or 4 Irish bars alone, nightclubs, Thai boxing rings, restaurants and lots of old men and young thai women. The area is pretty notorious for it. Having said that not every place is that bad and there were a few safe havens, like the irish bar (but it was dull) however the Aussie bar was excellent spot. Anyway I was away to bed early to catch me final internal flight in Thailand to Bangkok before heading to Sydney in a few days.