Island Hopping

Apparently, the dry season in southern Thailand is not so dry right now (because of changing weather patterns??).  We've had cloudy skies and light rain for a few days now.

Ao Nang 1

Ao Nang (the town we were staying in) had no power when we arrived, so we decided to do the kayaking activity right away.  It was a bit drizzly, but paddling through the islands was incredible.  Definitely a must when coming to this part of the world.

FYI - The power came back on right after we got back, but I couldn't get any hot water for my shower.  This is was beginning to feel all too familiar.

Ao Nang 2

On the second day, most of my group went on a tour of the Ko Phi Phi islands. Swimming and snorkeling in ocean was so much fun, and by some miracle, the clouds parted to let the sunshine through, just as we were touring Ko Phi Phi Leh (where the movie "The Beach" was filmed).  This island has the quintessential turquoise water around it, particularly in the bays and lagoons.

Ko Yao Noi 1

We took a long boat to reach the island of Ko Yao Noi.  After dropping our bags off in our hotel rooms, we opted for a tour of the island, which included rubber plantations, batik making, and a sunset view from a fisherman's pier.  It's not a huge island (25 km road around the perimeter), but I love learning about local business and lifestyles.

Ko Yao Noi 2

This was supposed to be the big beach/snorkeling day.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.  It was cloudy and rainy almost the entire day.  The good news is that the heat was tolerable and I did not get sunburned - so that's some kind of silver lining.

Taking shelter from the rain.  Ate lunch under a tree.

Oh yeah, and the power went out at this hotel as well.  I went for a massage on the beach to pass the time.  Hee hee.  :)

Phuket 1

On our way to Phuket, we stopped a gibbon rehabilitation center.  My heart always melts at any type of animal sanctuary or rehab center.  These adorable monkeys are used and abused as pets and tourist attractions.  The gibbon center rescues the animals and helps establish new families (i.e. pairs up gibbons for mating) to be released into the wild.  You can check out more information here: http://www.gibbonproject.org/

Our hotel in Phuket is a lovely resort with two pools and a day spa.  Given that the sun was actually shining when we arrived, we all went straight to the pool.

And now, we just got back from checking out Phuket's nightlife, and I have to say that I'm not impressed.  There's way too many sex workers and virtually no other bars or entertainment; we ended up back at the hotel.  I'm a little let down by what the city has (or doesn't have) to offer, but then again, I came here for the beach.  So that's where I'll go tomorrow.  [Update: I should qualify that I'm staying in the Hat Patong area of the island, which is a bit seedier that Phuket Town.  The activities and entertainment here do not reflect the rest of Phuket.)

*You can assume that each day was filled will amazing Thai food (green curry, glass noodles, pad thai, stir fry, fried noodles, coconut curry, etc.)  The cuisine is undoubtedly one of the major highlights of this trip.

Phuket 2

The plan for tomorrow is beach, Thai food, pool, massage, more Thai food, and ending the evening with another cabaret show.  (Nok says this show is much more elaborate and is performed in a theater.)

I expect this to be my last blog post since tomorrow night will be busy, and I have a very long travel day on December 26th.

So with that, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!