I'm not quite sure where to begin. We just got back late last night from our first "weekend" trip out of Singapore, to Thailand, and it was pretty incredible.
We left Singapore Wednesday night, on a 6:30pm flight, which was only an hour and a half, and we gained an hour with the time change. We checked into our hostel, the Little Buddha Guesthouse, in Patong, and then went on the prowl for some dinner. We ended up at a really nice Thai restaurant, and a delicious 3 course meal only cost us around $11.....and that included a beer. I was liking Thailand already. After dinner, we went walking down the main strip in Patong, which is littered with bars, clubs, restaurants and vendors selling everything under the sun. After checking a few places out, we ended up at Tiger, which is a bar downstairs, and a club upstairs just PACKED with people. We went upstairs and danced until the wee hours of the morning. Tons of fun.
The next day we went to a little restaurant across the street for a huge "American Continental" breakfast. It included cereal, orange juice, coffee/tea, water, sausage, bacon, eggs, and toast, and it cost 150Baht, which is about $5. Pretty cool. After breakfast we walked around the vendors on our street, to see what was there, and then headed to the beach.
This was our first day on the beach and it couldn't have felt any better. The water was beautiful, warm, and turquoise; the sand was white and soft, and it was super hot out. Janene and I got 1-hour full body massages on the beach for $10. Later, we did some shopping (obviously), and got some great knock-offs for good deals. Shopping in Thailand is no relaxing experience, you have to have your game face on, and be ready to battle for a bargain. However, it's definitely entertaining, and there are some great finds.
The next day we went on a day trip to James Bond Island, which included a few other stops. We drove about an hour and a half, and then took a longboat out to James Bond Island, pretty much the most beautiful place I had ever seen. The boat ride to the island, and the surrounding islands were incredible. There are dozens, probably more, of these very tall islands that just appear out of the water. The islands themselves aren't that big, and they're gorgeous.
When we got to James Bond Island, we got half an hour to get out and walk around. There are a bunch of caves on the island, and the water is beautiful. I can't even really put into words how amazing the scenery was.
After our short visit on the island, we got back on the long boat which took us to a bigger boat that we were able board sea canoes from. There were 3 people to each sea canoe: two travellers and a tour guide, who did all the paddling. Loved it. It was amazing to sit in this blow-up boat, with our feet in the water over the side, sun on our faces, and the most amazing scenery I had ever seen. We went through a cave, and got off on another island for a few minutes, where some of the girls crawled through a super tight, dark cave with a few of the guides.
Next, we got back on the longboat and headed for a small Muslim fishing village on a tiny island, where the houses are literally built on the water, on big posts. We had an amazing lunch there, and got to walk around looking at a few of the little shop stands. This is where we got to hold some pet monkeys, which was really fun. There was a Lady Boy (lots of them in Thailand) standing with his/her (?) pet monkey, waiting for tourists to ask for a picture. Before I knew it the monkey was in my arms, my picture was being taken, and then I was asked for 100Baht. I kind of expected this would be the case (but thought it would be less than 100 Baht), but it was well worth it. Not often do you get to hold something of that level of cuteness.
Next, we took the longboat back to where we started from, got in mini-buses, and drove about 15 minutes to Golden Cave Monkey Temple. Here there was dozens of monkeys just walking around the outside of the temple, where we could feed them and take pictures. They were wild, and kind of freaked me out because every once in a while they would run at each other and show they're teeth, and that's when they're not so cute anymore. The inside of the temple was amazing. It is still in use, and there was a monk sitting in this shrine/bed-type thing, reading whatever it is that monks read in Thailand. There were some amazing statues, and some really cool caves that we could climb up into.
After this part of the trip,we got back in the mini-bus and headed to a field of row upon row of skinny little trees. Looked kind of like an orchard....but Thailand style. They were rubber trees, and we were brought there (for some reason) to see a demonstration of how rubber is made from these trees. They tap the trees just like they would for maple syrup in Canada. Pretty interesting, but not quite sure why it was part of our day trip. The best part about this visit was the two little puppies running around and playing with us and each other. They were domestic, so we could pick them up. It was nice to finally pet a dog, because up until this point all we had been seeing were mangy wild dogs, who would not be a good idea to pet. That's something I had a really hard time with, seeing all these wild dogs who have no home, no one to love them, and were often covered in disease. Many of them had patches of fur gone, and it looked like they had skin diseases. They were always hanging around where there were people, hoping to get something to eat. Sean and I volunteer for the SPCA walking dogs, at home, and these are the kinds of things we see when abused and neglected dogs are first brought into the shelter, and need medical attention. It was really sad to see so many dogs like this.
The next day, after three nights in Patong, we checked out of our hostel at 7am, and caught a 2-hour ferry to Phi Phi Don Island....a.k.a. 'Paradise'. I finally understood what all the Thailand fuss was all about. I now understand why people who have been there long to go back, and can't wait until they get to go again.
We stayed at Paradise Resort, right on the beach, and since we got to the island at around 10:30am, we had the whole day ahead of us to play on the beach. It was heaven. The sand was beautiful, and the water even more so. We had a great day weather wise, and none of us burnt to a crisp, so everything was great. That night we took a boat to another side of the island, where all the restaurants are, and went for dinner at Carpe Diem, where we sat on cushions on the floor, at a table, and could watch the water as it got dark outside. Amazing. The owner of the restaurant was a guy who looked to be no older than 30, and was originally from Holland. He had gone to Thailand 4 years before on a vacation, during which the Tsunami hit. He decided at that point to give up his life in Holland, and career as a lawyer (!) to stay on Phi Phi Don Island and help the people rebuild in the midst of devastation. As a result, he had a man give him a chunk of land right on the beach for very cheap rent, where he built and started up the restaurant we ate at. He seems to have done quite well for himself, because his restaurant is featured in Lonely Planet as reccommended place to eat.
The next day we checked out of our resort at around 2pm, and took the 2-hour ferry ride back to Phuket, where we went out for dinner in a small town near the airport. It was here that we saw an elephant (probably about 6 months old) chained to a tree as someone's pet. He looked incredibly unhappy, and had nowhere to move. We got to pet him, and he was incredibly sweet, but it made us sad to see such a huge, amazing animal confined to a 5-foot radius.
After standing in line after line at the airport, we got on our flight, and said so-long to Thailand. I'm sure we'll be there again before this experience is over. I feel like I could spend forever there and never get sick of it.
We landed around 10:45pm Singapore time, and got back to our dorms around 12:30am....late night, early morning with classes this morning, but all well worth it. All in all it was a great trip, and something we'll never forget.
Surprisingly, coming back to Singapore felt a lot like home....or something very familiar that we were happy to come home to. It's amazing how fast we have adjusted, and settled in, and that "home" feeling was a good one.
We left Singapore Wednesday night, on a 6:30pm flight, which was only an hour and a half, and we gained an hour with the time change. We checked into our hostel, the Little Buddha Guesthouse, in Patong, and then went on the prowl for some dinner. We ended up at a really nice Thai restaurant, and a delicious 3 course meal only cost us around $11.....and that included a beer. I was liking Thailand already. After dinner, we went walking down the main strip in Patong, which is littered with bars, clubs, restaurants and vendors selling everything under the sun. After checking a few places out, we ended up at Tiger, which is a bar downstairs, and a club upstairs just PACKED with people. We went upstairs and danced until the wee hours of the morning. Tons of fun.
The next day we went to a little restaurant across the street for a huge "American Continental" breakfast. It included cereal, orange juice, coffee/tea, water, sausage, bacon, eggs, and toast, and it cost 150Baht, which is about $5. Pretty cool. After breakfast we walked around the vendors on our street, to see what was there, and then headed to the beach.
This was our first day on the beach and it couldn't have felt any better. The water was beautiful, warm, and turquoise; the sand was white and soft, and it was super hot out. Janene and I got 1-hour full body massages on the beach for $10. Later, we did some shopping (obviously), and got some great knock-offs for good deals. Shopping in Thailand is no relaxing experience, you have to have your game face on, and be ready to battle for a bargain. However, it's definitely entertaining, and there are some great finds.
The next day we went on a day trip to James Bond Island, which included a few other stops. We drove about an hour and a half, and then took a longboat out to James Bond Island, pretty much the most beautiful place I had ever seen. The boat ride to the island, and the surrounding islands were incredible. There are dozens, probably more, of these very tall islands that just appear out of the water. The islands themselves aren't that big, and they're gorgeous.
When we got to James Bond Island, we got half an hour to get out and walk around. There are a bunch of caves on the island, and the water is beautiful. I can't even really put into words how amazing the scenery was.
After our short visit on the island, we got back on the long boat which took us to a bigger boat that we were able board sea canoes from. There were 3 people to each sea canoe: two travellers and a tour guide, who did all the paddling. Loved it. It was amazing to sit in this blow-up boat, with our feet in the water over the side, sun on our faces, and the most amazing scenery I had ever seen. We went through a cave, and got off on another island for a few minutes, where some of the girls crawled through a super tight, dark cave with a few of the guides.
Next, we got back on the longboat and headed for a small Muslim fishing village on a tiny island, where the houses are literally built on the water, on big posts. We had an amazing lunch there, and got to walk around looking at a few of the little shop stands. This is where we got to hold some pet monkeys, which was really fun. There was a Lady Boy (lots of them in Thailand) standing with his/her (?) pet monkey, waiting for tourists to ask for a picture. Before I knew it the monkey was in my arms, my picture was being taken, and then I was asked for 100Baht. I kind of expected this would be the case (but thought it would be less than 100 Baht), but it was well worth it. Not often do you get to hold something of that level of cuteness.
Next, we took the longboat back to where we started from, got in mini-buses, and drove about 15 minutes to Golden Cave Monkey Temple. Here there was dozens of monkeys just walking around the outside of the temple, where we could feed them and take pictures. They were wild, and kind of freaked me out because every once in a while they would run at each other and show they're teeth, and that's when they're not so cute anymore. The inside of the temple was amazing. It is still in use, and there was a monk sitting in this shrine/bed-type thing, reading whatever it is that monks read in Thailand. There were some amazing statues, and some really cool caves that we could climb up into.
After this part of the trip,we got back in the mini-bus and headed to a field of row upon row of skinny little trees. Looked kind of like an orchard....but Thailand style. They were rubber trees, and we were brought there (for some reason) to see a demonstration of how rubber is made from these trees. They tap the trees just like they would for maple syrup in Canada. Pretty interesting, but not quite sure why it was part of our day trip. The best part about this visit was the two little puppies running around and playing with us and each other. They were domestic, so we could pick them up. It was nice to finally pet a dog, because up until this point all we had been seeing were mangy wild dogs, who would not be a good idea to pet. That's something I had a really hard time with, seeing all these wild dogs who have no home, no one to love them, and were often covered in disease. Many of them had patches of fur gone, and it looked like they had skin diseases. They were always hanging around where there were people, hoping to get something to eat. Sean and I volunteer for the SPCA walking dogs, at home, and these are the kinds of things we see when abused and neglected dogs are first brought into the shelter, and need medical attention. It was really sad to see so many dogs like this.
The next day, after three nights in Patong, we checked out of our hostel at 7am, and caught a 2-hour ferry to Phi Phi Don Island....a.k.a. 'Paradise'. I finally understood what all the Thailand fuss was all about. I now understand why people who have been there long to go back, and can't wait until they get to go again.
We stayed at Paradise Resort, right on the beach, and since we got to the island at around 10:30am, we had the whole day ahead of us to play on the beach. It was heaven. The sand was beautiful, and the water even more so. We had a great day weather wise, and none of us burnt to a crisp, so everything was great. That night we took a boat to another side of the island, where all the restaurants are, and went for dinner at Carpe Diem, where we sat on cushions on the floor, at a table, and could watch the water as it got dark outside. Amazing. The owner of the restaurant was a guy who looked to be no older than 30, and was originally from Holland. He had gone to Thailand 4 years before on a vacation, during which the Tsunami hit. He decided at that point to give up his life in Holland, and career as a lawyer (!) to stay on Phi Phi Don Island and help the people rebuild in the midst of devastation. As a result, he had a man give him a chunk of land right on the beach for very cheap rent, where he built and started up the restaurant we ate at. He seems to have done quite well for himself, because his restaurant is featured in Lonely Planet as reccommended place to eat.
The next day we checked out of our resort at around 2pm, and took the 2-hour ferry ride back to Phuket, where we went out for dinner in a small town near the airport. It was here that we saw an elephant (probably about 6 months old) chained to a tree as someone's pet. He looked incredibly unhappy, and had nowhere to move. We got to pet him, and he was incredibly sweet, but it made us sad to see such a huge, amazing animal confined to a 5-foot radius.
After standing in line after line at the airport, we got on our flight, and said so-long to Thailand. I'm sure we'll be there again before this experience is over. I feel like I could spend forever there and never get sick of it.
We landed around 10:45pm Singapore time, and got back to our dorms around 12:30am....late night, early morning with classes this morning, but all well worth it. All in all it was a great trip, and something we'll never forget.
Surprisingly, coming back to Singapore felt a lot like home....or something very familiar that we were happy to come home to. It's amazing how fast we have adjusted, and settled in, and that "home" feeling was a good one.
If you don't have facebook and want to see my photo albums of this trip, here are the links:
xoxoxo
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