Thailand beaches- Koh Samui and Phuket

Trip Start Mar 01, 2008
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Trip End Sep 2008


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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

From Vietnam we flew back into Bangkok, to finally go to southern Thailand beautiful islands and beaches for sun and relaxation after all our traveling through Southeast Asia, and before heading on to winter in South Africa.  From Bangkok, we took a night train to the island of Koh Samui.  It was a sleeper train, so shortly after the trip started our bench seats were converted into beds, bunk bed style- one over the other, and were surprisingly comfortable- long enough to lay down flat, and enough head room to sit up along with curtains and a book lamp.  This made the 12 hour or so trip go by rather quickly, and we saved on a nights hotel payment.  However, getting to the island from the train station was another trip in and of itself, taking an hour bus ride to an hour or longer boat ride, to a taxi into town.  Once we arrived in Samui, we checked out the town and headed to the beach.  The beach was lovely, however the town was basicly one long road of about 20 blocks of touristy shops and restaurants and bars.  There was decent food and a variety of choices as well as fast food places, however since this place is pretty much geared to tourists it didn't really feel like 'exotic Thailand', or anything authentically asian back in bangkok
back in bangkok
 .  It was more of a relaxing vacation spot with conveniences for tourists, but we had a nice time on the beach there. 
After about a week in Koh Samui, we took a boat to a bus to the other side of Thailand, to Phuket.  We stayed near Kata beach, which had decent surfing for Ray, and again an assortment of tourist geared shops and restaurants, however convenient, lacking in any real culture. We did, however ride an elephant which was a first for both of us, and helps keep them fed as they are no longer needed in Thailand- they used to be employed by the logging industry, but modern life does not use them for that anymore, so camps keep them fed and cared for by selling the rides, though one has to make sure it a legit camp and the elephants are not being abused.  Unfortunately in Samui, our second brand new Canon digital camera broke (with 3 months of our trip!!), so we have no photos of Phuket except whatever may come out on our cheap disposable camera, yet to be developed.  But in Phuket we enjoyed the beach, there was a dinosuar themed bar/restaurant/mini-golf place that we played miniature golf at, there was a modern shopping mall in Patpong (and tons of hookers hanging around), and just relaxed before it was time to move on once again.
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