Koh Chang, Thailand Paradise not found?

Trip Start Aug 24, 2008
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Trip End Aug 01, 2009


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Friday, December 19, 2008

Fortunately, Jim and I had a taste of paradise 18 yeaars ago when we experienced Phra Nang, Thailand and Gili Air, Indonesia. These places still exist, but have been over run by hotels, shops and are not the wonderful places they used to be. This is a big reason why we didn't want to return to those beaches. Trying to find our own paradiise for this trip has been difficult. Most places are quite touristy. Even Koh Chang, which many people have been raving about, we find hopelessly busy, filled with loud music in the day and night and people partying too late. The coral is dead here, though we hope to find a place to snorkel. We will have to hire a boat to take us to a spot. It is sad that almost all the coral we have experienced so far on this trip has been dead.

That being said, we like it here. It is a great place for the kids to swim and go off to the water by themselves while we sit on the beach and read or, in the open air dining room watching them goof around in the ocean. The waves here are tiny, almost not-existant, the beach is short. The ocean gets deep very quickly, so that the difference in the beach from high to low tide is very small. There are two rows of beach huts running east-west with a sandy path in between leading to the ocean. The food is really good, colourful and tasty with a wide variety of choices. We have good swimming conditions when the wind blows from the north-west bringing clean water with no weeds. Two days ago the wind blew from the south-west and it brought a lot of churned up weeds along with.....dun dun dun dun.....jelly fish. Yikes they pack a big sting. The kids were not impressed and mostly stayed out of the water. Luckily the wind usually does not blow or blows from the north-west, so we can swim without those invisible jellyfish. I put on goggles to see them, and in 15 minutes, with as many stings I only saw one jelly fish.

This will be our location for Christmas. We haven't figured out a way to set up a tree yet, we've been sooo busy (swimming). It may happen, but if not I doubt it will really seem like Christmas anyway. It is too warm, there are no Christmas carols playing in the shops, not many trees or decoration anywhere. We may celebrate by giving a small gift, and think of the snow at home and everyone enjoying their turkey and all the baking. This year Christmas will be in our hearts, and our thoughts will be with friends new and old all around the world.
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