2011 - Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand

This blog is about my 8 week trip to Asia in 2011.  

The first 4 weeks were spent touring Vietnam and Cambodia.  I had hoped to visit Laos but was so enthralled with Vietnam I spent longer than intended there.  

I had nothing booked apart from a flight to Hanoi at the beginning and a flight from Bangkok at the end. I only planned about one or two days in advance and used trains, buses, taxis but no planes.

I then spent a few weeks catching up with family at my brother's villa in Thailand.

Family Time in Phuket

Lisa, Jess, Michael, Lennox and I

Jess, Lisa, Stephen, Lennox and I

 

Phi Phi Island

Maya Beach

Lis

Lisa, Jess, Lennox and I took a boat trip to the beautiful Phi Phi Island where we stayed for a couple of nights.

We went on a snorkeling trip to Maya Beach, the location for the film 'The Beach'.

Near Maya Beach

 

Our hotel pool

Koh Tao to Phuket

  7 AUGUST 2010

A taxi took me to the ferry, and this time I did get on the 9.30 a.m. fast Lamphrey ferry to Koh Phangan.  We then changed onto another ferry which went to Koh Samui and then another ferry to Daank on the mainland.  

After a 500 meter walk with our bags (mine was a very heavy large suitcase) we were taken to a travel agents by bus.  I had been told that we would be taken by mini bus to Phuket and that it would leave at 3.00 p.m. and arrive in Phuket about 6 p.m.  The bus arrived (not a mini bus) about 4 p.m. and about half an hour later we were transferred onto another bus which turned out to be a slow service bus which picked up and dropped off passengers on the way!  We did not arrive in Phuket until about 8.30 p.m. and I finally got to my brother’s villa about 9.00 p.m. extremely tired and travel weary with a septic toe.

 I am now ready for some R & R and to spend time with my family.

Michael's Villa

Michael's Villa

 

Boat trip to Shark Bay and Koh Nigyuan

FRIDAY 6 AUGUST 2010

It is quite difficult to get to other bays from Chalok Baan Kao, and I particularly wanted to visit Shark Bay, where there are several sharks (hence the name). It’s possible to take a taxi, which I was told would be about 400 baht, or boat taxi which is about 100 baht each way. There are also several snorkelling excursions which go around the whole island.

I felt very tired and have had a septic big toe since my three day trek, but as this was my last day here, I decided to take the snorkel tour around the island. We stopped at Shark Bay and a lot of the other people saw sharks, but unfortunately I was in the wrong place! The boat stopped at several bays around the island for about 40 minutes each time, ending up for two hours at Koh Ningyuan, which is a marine park and cost 100 baht to go on the island. It’s beautiful with white sand, but just as I was settling down for a siesta on the beach the clouds gathered and it poured with rain, but only for about 15 minutes.

On the boat I started talking to an English family, and found out they live about 2 miles from where I live, and Lee works at Gorseinon College where I have been working for the last year. Lee has also got a boat in Swansea Yacht Club. We discovered we knew quite a lot of people.

When I got back I packed, and Lee, Emma and the children came about 7 p.m. and we went to the Chalok Harbour for a meal. I had had lunch there a couple of times and the food and ambience was excellent – we had a table looking at the edge looking out to sea.

Diving in Koh Tao - Day 2

THURSDAY 5 AUGUST 2010

On the way to the dive boat we spotted 2 black tipped reef sharks which are usually in the bay next door, aptly named Shark Bay. I did two dives with Nico, a German, and Jack and as soon as we went underwater a Ramora fish kept following us, and was playing with Jack’s fins. Amongst the usual coral, nudibranch and brightly coloured fish, we also saw a Blue Spotted Stingray. It is such a pleasure to dive in a shortie wetsuit where the water temperature is 30 degrees at 18 meters!

That evening, Nico, Jack, myself and our Dive Leader who is from New Zealand went on a night dive. I was a bit nervous at first, but relaxed and enjoyed it as soon as I was in the water. Although it is dark, we all had torches so it was easier to spot each other. Different species are active at night and we saw several crabs, a lobster, about 5 blue spotted stingrays, a small stone fish (which can be dangerous) and a couple of cuttlefish. We were lucky with the weather as it was a beautiful calm night, but the previous 2 evenings it had rained very heavily. This was my longest dive ever – 69 minutes, not including the 3 minute safety stop!

Some dive schools offer reduced accommodation prices , but Big Bubble didn’t. However they let me do the dives for a reduced price of 700 baht each instead of 900, plus 200 extra for hire of the torch for the night dive. My total bill for diving was 3700 baht (about £75) for 5 dives which was extremely good value.

Diving in Koh Tao - Day 1

 WEDNESDAY 4 2010

I had booked two morning dives, and went to the Big Bubble dive centre at 8.15, and after a briefing we were taken in a small boat out to the large dive boat at anchor further out in the bay. We dived Green Rock first of all and my buddy and dive leader, Jack, had told me what we were likely to see, including Titon Trigger fish which are about 50 – 75 cm. and can be quite aggressive if you get near their ‘nest’. Jack pointed one out when we were underwater and as we were retreating from the area, but he kept coming at us. Jack kept trying to fend him off with his fins, but he kept on attacking. In the meantime we were surrounded by about another five Trigger fish, all of whom were definitely aggressive and kept darting towards us. Eventually, we managed to get out of their area. Jack told me one instructor had been bitten on the head by a Trigger fish and she need 3 stitches! 

Apart from this excitement, I also saw a white-eyed moray eel, beautiful long fin banner fish, a brown and white pipefish (similar family to sea horses), lots of parrot fish and a large grouper. I was also nibbled at by small blue wrasse, which are called ‘cleaner fish’ as they swim alongside other fish and feed off them. I wasn’t too impressed that they chose to nibble at the cut on my leg! I know I paid for fish to eat me in Chiang Mai but these wrasse seemed to have bigger teeth and it stung!

After a rest on the boat we dived ‘Red Rock’ area where we saw the colourful ‘Christmas tree’ worms, so called because the hairs on their back look like Christmas trees. We also saw some lovely coral, including a large white coral about 6 metres wide, some beautiful yellow butterfly fish and a sea snake which is very poisonous if it bites, but as it only has a small mouth can only bite the earlobes and the skin between the fingers, therefore the underwater sign for it is to cover your ears!

Our dive boat

Ready to board my boat to Koh Tao

My room

View from the bar

 

Chumpon to Koh Tao

 TUESDAY 3 AUGUST 2010

I was woken at 5.45 a.m. by my alarm as I was being picked up at 6.15 to go to the ferry. It was pouring with rain when I woke, but luckily had stopped by the time we got to the ferry. A yellow sticker was plonked on my left boob to say I was getting off at Koh Tao, and then we all boarded. The sea looked flat, but I had taken seasick pills anyway.

There are a few ways to get to Koh Tao from Chumphon, one is on the Lamphrey high speed catamaran which takes about one and a half hours, the Seatran which takes 2 hours and the Songserm which takes about three hours. There’s also a night boat which takes about 6 hours and is not so comfortable. I had told the girl the night before that I wanted to take the Lamphrey as I get seasick and wanted to lessen the time I was at sea – however I began to realise that she had put me on the slower Songserm when we didn’t arrive at the time I thought we would! Luckily, it was calm and I felt fine.

On board a couple of men were signing people up to their dive schools and accommodation. Luckily, one of the ones I wanted to go to, Big Bubble, was there. This makes everything so much easier as they will take you to see their centre and accommodation for free - if you don’t like it, you don’t have to stay. Michal had recommended Big Bubble and the south side of the island, rather than the Sairee Beach area which is more developed.


A few of us were taken by truck to Chalok Baan Kao beach, where I was shown some accommodation at Big Fish and Sunshine resort. I chose the one at Big Fish as it was as near to the beach as you can get with a lovely veranda. The accommodation inside was quite basic, with a fan and cold water shower, and towels for bed covering, no sheet, but worth it for the view! It was very reasonable for this area – 600 baht (£12). Electricity and water are very expensive on the island, so rooms with hot water and air conditioning start from 800 – 1000 baht.

After unpacking I went for a very welcome swim after all the travelling. Chalok Baan Kao is very shallow at low water and visibility is quite poor, but the sea was very warm – about 30 degrees. I swam out to where there was a reef and did some snorkelling. It clouded over later and the rain I could see out at sea soon reached us and it poured down for about an hour. After a shower, I had a walk around the village and then had dinner back at the Big Fish, sitting on cushions on the floor facing the sea with the sea breeze on my face.

Bangkok to Chumphon by train

 MONDAY 2 AUGUST 2010

The train arrived about 8.00 a.m., only an hour late, and after a wash at the station I went in search of breakfast and then wondered into Chinatown. There wasn’t much going on, as most happens later on, but there were a lot of shoe shops! I was saved from carrying a pair of lovely red shoes around and adding to my luggage problems because the woman wouldn’t sell me less than 6 pairs – it was wholesale only.

I then got a tuk tuk to Wat Traimit, which is very near the Station. The temple was lovely, and inside is an amazing 3 meter high Buddha made of SOLID gold. It was only found about 40 years ago when it was being moved and accidentally dropped from a crane and the plaster covering it fell away. It weighs 5.5 tonnes! What’s the price of gold today?

I boarded the 1 p.m. train to take me to Chumphon, further south, ready to catch the boat to Koh Tao.

Wat Traimit which houses the Golden Buddha

Although it was in theory a day train, arriving in Chumphon about 9 p.m., it was also a sleeper train. The seats were changed into beds about 7 p.m. – making it very comfortable to lounge back and read.

 

The train arrived in Chumphon about 10 p.m. and two women met us off the train and organised boat tickets for myself and 2 other passengers, and then took me to Chumphon Hotel; the two men were going to catch the night boat to Koh Tao. The hotel was 310 baht (about £6) for a basic room with fan, TV (all in Thai), bathroom, two double beds and a resident gecko. A fitted bottom sheet was on the bed, no top sheet but a ‘blanket’ made out of towelling which served as the top covering.

Chang Mai to Bangkok by overnight train

I arranged for a tuk tuk to take me to the station and caught the 5.55 pm sleeper to Bangkok. The seats were changed into beds about 7.30 p.m. but unfortunately I was in the top bunk, as that was the last berth available when I booked two days ago, but it was very comfortable. There were two very noisy French families on board who played cards until about 11.30 p.m., long after most people were trying to sleep. They woke up about 6.00 a.m. just as noisily.

Night train to Bangkok

Chang Mai - River Cruise

 SUNDAY 1 AUGUST 2010

Another leisurely breakfast and then I got a tuk tuk to the river where I caught a boat for a cruise up the Ping River, where we stopped at a Farmer’s house for refreshment and were shown how to ground rice. I got a lift back with a rickshaw cycle, who insisted on taking me on a tour of all the temples I had already seen. I felt it was only polite to get off and have a look, as I had booked an hour’s ride and he would have been exhausted if he had had to cycle all that time. Later on I was having a banana pancake and a lassi in a café when I saw Leonora who joined me. We then went in search of locks and chains for my backpacks as there are many stories of luggage being robbed while people are sleeping on buses and trains.

The hammock is made out of one piece of bamboo

150 year old Thai house

Chang Mai -- Wat Phra That Doi Suthap

 SATURDAY 31 JULY 2010

After a leisurely breakfast I decided to go to Wat Phra That Doi Suthap. The great thing about Chiang Mai is that you can decide what you want to do at the last minute. I walked to Chiang Puak Gate to catch the bus. There were a couple of people waiting and the bus goes when there are 10 people and it costs 50 baht (£1) each way. In the end there were five of us so he charged us 130 baht return, and he would wait for us, to save waiting to fill the bus.

I know there are a lot of temples around Chiang Mai, all of which are stunningly beautiful, but Wat Phra That Doi Suthap was amazing! No wonder it is one of the north’s most sacred temples. The temple is at 1625 meters above sea level and the views of Chiang Mai are incredible. Part of the temple is being renovated at the moment, but that didn’t detract from its beauty. Even the scaffolding is in gold! I caught the bus back to Chiang Mai and a Frenchman also came with us. He had walked all the way from Chiang Mai – it had taken him four and a half hours!

Buddhist relic enshrined here

I stopped in the Western end of Chiang Mai to look at some of the shops there and made my way back to Gap’s House for a siesta. I then visited the Saturday market, which was similar to the Sunday market – a hive of activity, colour and sounds.

Chang Mai - Eaten by fish and Khantoke Dinner

 FRIDAY 30 JULY 2010

At breakfast I met an Italian lady called Leonora who lives in Rome and is travelling on her own. I wandered around the streets of old Chiang Mai and got lost again, so caught one of the red buses to Wat Phra Singh. To catch a red bus, you flag one down and say where you want to go. If he’s going in that direction, he’ll take you, if not he’ll say no. Mine seemed to go in the opposite direction, but still took me to the temple. The city’s most revered Buddha image is housed at Wat Phra Singh and the beautiful temples are in the Lanna style.

I thought I would test my bravery and try one of the ‘fish massages’ where small fish nibble at the dead skin. I have a painful big toe after the three day trek and hoped the fish could clean it up for me. I didn’t think I would be able to stand it for very long as I am very ticklish on my feet, but after a couple of minutes it was quite a pleasant vibrating sensation and did 40 minutes.



I went back to Gap’s for a rest (getting lost again) before going to a Khantoke Dinner where there was traditional dancing – the Khantoke is the platter on which dishes are served. I was picked up from my hotel in an air conditioned car and taken to the Cultural Centre and was seated near a couple from Melbourne and another couple from Brisbane. After the meal there were several dances which were quite formal choreographed court dances. We were then taken to a large hut where there were several traditional dances performed by various hill tribes. Excellent value for 370 baht (about £7.50), including transport to and from the hotel.

Thai Dinner Show

Chang Mai - Visiting Temples

THURSDAY 29 JULY 2010

I decided to have a lazy day today after the 3 day trek and had a leisurely breakfast, chatting to Selim and Kyriakos. Iza and Michal came down later – all four are leaving today.

I had a Thai massage and the lady commented that some of my muscles were ‘very hard’ from the trekking – I wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad!


There are temples all around Chiang Mai and I visited Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phan Tao which are not far from Gap’s House. Wat Chedi Luang is about 600 years old and is the tallest in Thailand. Various improvements were made over the centuries, including a niche used to enshrine the Emerald Buddha, but after heavy rain and an earthquake only half of the pagoda remained and it wasn’t restored until 1992.

I had intended going to Wat Phra Singh but after lunch was so tired I had to go back for a 2 hour siesta! Gap’s House do an excellent vegetarian buffet for 90 baht (about £2) so I stayed at the Guest House as it was raining quite heavy.

Buddha at Wat Pha Tao

Reclining Buddha

Trek Day 3 - Elephant Ride and Rafting

WEDNESDAY 28 JULY 2010

The bamboo floor was easier to sleep on than the wooden floor, but we were woken very early again by loud crowing cockerels and pigs squealing. We had scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast and went to see Chai’s wife weaving.

We set off in the rain, which didn’t last long, and went to yet another pool and waterfall where we went swimming. We walked to the elephant camp where we had lunch and then went for an elephant ride for about half an hour, followed by bamboo rafting down the river – very relaxing after all the walking we had done.

We were then taken back to Chiang Mai where we were all booked in at Gap’s House. It’s not possible to make reservations with Gap’s House and it is usually full, but they guarantee a room if you do a trek with them. Gap’s House has wooden bungalows set in a lovely shaded jungle garden with a very relaxed atmosphere. The rooms are large and furnished with old wooden furniture, and there is free Wi-Fi. Mozzie spray is essential as they like the trees and visitors! The price is very reasonable at 550 baht (about 11 pounds).

Three Day Trek - Day 2 - 15 Kilometers

 TUESDAY 27 JULY 2010

It was very difficult to get to sleep on the hard wooden floor and then we were woken about 5 a.m. by the cockerels and barking dogs. Tea and coffee revived us, ready for our breakfast of boiled eggs and toast and Kyriakos’ mango. Somehow my bag seemed heavier today! We walked to a waterfall where we swam in a pool and had the best Jacuzzi ever! We then walked to Chai’s family’s paddy fields where we had lunch under the shelter. Lunch was fried rice wrapped in banana leaves which kept it quite warm. Chai and Michal went to collect small crabs and snails – supposedly for supper! Some people learning to train elephants passed by as we were having lunch.

A shelter in Chai's family's rice field

We then walked on the narrow paths between the paddy fields again and Michal did a very impressive 360 degree fall about a meter down. I was laughing so much I lost my balance and nearly fell in as well!

We walked through thicker jungle and saw termites, very large butterflies, and dragonflies and heard the cicadas that sound like chain saws again.

We stopped at another waterfall and pool where we managed to cool our aching feet and showered under the waterfall. Michal and Chai caught large tadpoles – another addition for supper! It was another hour to the village with a stop en-route at a small resort where we ate star fruit and bananas from the trees, and shared some jack fruit with a man and his son.

Very scary bridge!

The ladder is used to climb and get honey

Our overnight stop was where Chai lives with his wife and is a Karen tribe village. It was much larger than the previous one, with about 40 houses in it spreading up the hillside from the river and paddy fields. The roofs were made of corrugated iron, and the floor was made of bamboo poles with rush matting over the top – we were worried in case we fell through it! All the women in the village weave and sell their wares to visitors. The raw materials are bought in by the whole village and the whole village share in the profits. Chai’s son had gone with another group and had fallen when jumping in the waterfall, and had hurt his head and lip, both of which were swollen.


For dinner we had vegetable curry, green bean and tofu, and rice. Chai had also fried the crabs (which I declined) and cooked the tadpoles in chillies which was too hot for the others (again, I declined). We ate outside by candlelight but when it started to rain so we moved inside. After dinner we played cards with Chai, and passed the rum and he rolled some more cigarettes in banana leaves. There were even more fireflies here because we were near the river, and some even came into our hut.

Three Day Trek - Day 1 - 10 Kilometers

 MONDAY 26 JULY 2010

After checking out of my hotel I was picked up by a truck and taken to ‘Gap House’ Guest House to collect the Polish couple, Iza and Michal, and Kyriakos and Selim, all of whom had done the cookery course with me. We picked up another Dutch couple on the way and drove to a market to buy supplies such as water and a torch, and then drove through the Thai countryside passing villages, paddy fields and cows, winding up through jungle covered mountains.

After about 3 hours we met another group and our guide, Chai, who took us to visit a waterfall which is one of the most spectacular I have seen. We all took a well needed shower!

We drove for another hour and went to a Buddhist temple which is the second highest in the area and set in wonderful scenery. The cicadas were extremely loud and sounded like chain saws! It was Buddha day so there were a few visitors to see the monk.

We then trekked through the jungle up and down hills. Going down was painful on the toes, ankles and knees. Going up was just plain knackering! Chai’s 10 year old son came with us and he was like a puppy running around and covered about twice the distance we did – a future guide in the making! We had to walk between paddy fields on narrow verges, and I lost my balance and slipped in one of them. We came to a magical waterfall where we all took a vigorous shower and then walked to a remote Thai Hmong Tribal village where Chai’s family comes from. The huts were built on stilts with roofs made of banana leaves. Cows and pigs lived underneath the huts and were either tethered or roamed freely round the village, and chickens and baby chicks strutted around scratching at the earth. We had walked about 10 kilometres today at quite a fast pace.

The Hmong village where we stayed the night

We were shown to our hut which was like a long hut with two rooms, one with raised platforms on either side which was open at the front where Chai and his grandfather slept. The 9 of us slept in the other room on the wooden floor on blankets with mosquito nets. Chai and his brother and grandfather cooked our evening meal of green chicken curry, rice, and bamboo and cucumber. It gets dark about 7.30 and as there was no electricity in our hut we used torches and candlelight. Chai’s grandfather uses a head torch. Government projects have provided electricity to some of the huts by means of solar panels and water has been piped from water sources to provide communal water in the village. The toilet was a squat toilet with a pipe leading to a big drum. If you wanted to wash or shower, you had to connect the pipe at the kitchen end and any excess water ran into the drum, which was then used for the toilet.

It was Iza’s birthday so we all sang ‘Happy Birthday’ in English and then there were solos in Welsh, Polish, Dutch, Arabic, Spanish, Italian and Greek! We had brought some rum with us which was passed around, and Chai made cigarettes from a strong local tobacco and tamarind wrapped in banana leaves. Later we went out to see the full moon and saw fireflies (really, it was not the effect of the rum!)