Life in Thailand

Happy Holidays from Tiger and Bird

2025-12-25T04:58:00.000-08:00

We would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Wherever you find yourself - whether in the cold region of the world, or relaxing on a beach in the tropics - may you have a holly, jolly time with friends and family.

Personally, we often try to escape the colder regions of the world whenever possible. And extended trips through Thailand are so much fun. Here we rented a motorcycle with a sidecar and sped around the island, visiting a coffee shop here, a swimming spot there- the possibilities are endless. Then of course later in the evening - while sipping an amaretto sour, of course - there is the spectacular sight of the sun turning into a perfect glowing orange circle before its slips into the horizon. Whether here on the islands or in the big city, life really is a beautiful thing. 2026 is going to be great. Carpe diem!

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Explore previous posts:

Mu Koh Surin National Park: How to Get There, Facilities, and Lodgings

Koh Surin is a true tropical paradise. Wild, untamed jungle vegetation cover the towering limestone hills and cliffs of the islands, while marine life flourishes in the shallow waters of the coral reefs that surround them. The visual experience is unparalleled- white beaches of miniscule fragments of broken coral and shells....

Naka Island: A Tropical Paradise in Phang Nga Bay

Naka Island is a small, semi-private island to the West of Phuket in Thailand’s South, sheltering from the Andaman Sea with larger islands Ko Yao Noi and Ko Yao Yai in the massive Phang Nga Bay. The island is shared between a sprawling luxury hotel, a local fishing village, and the isolated COMO Beach Club....

Road Trip to the Ancient City of Sukhothai

Sukhothai is a town located about 440km (270mi) north of Bangkok in central Thailand and is home to a UNESCO World Heritage historic park that contains the partially-rebuilt remnants of the former Thai capital of Sukhothai. Established around 1238, Sukhothai - which roughly means "dawn of happiness" when translated from Sanskrit - served as ...

Happy Holidays from Tiger and Bird

2024-12-25T05:18:00.169-08:00

Tiger and Bird would like to extend to you and yours our best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year! Whether this holiday season finds you traveling through exotic lands or enjoying the company of friends and family back home, may your days be merry and your hearts light.

The serene scene in this photo shows a sleepy fishing village lightly enveloped by morning mists which float down from nearby hills. Gentle ocean waves swish against rocks, while mockingbirds call out raucously from coconut trees on the shore. The promising scent of fried fish gently wafts through the salty air as our breakfast is prepared. The sun steadily rises over the ocean's horizon, spreading its warmth in increasing intensity. This slow-moving hour - sitting by the ocean and disconnected from the outside world - forms one of our favorite moments from this last year.

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Explore previous posts: Koh Lipe: A true tropical paradise

Koh Lipe is a remote tropical island nestled in the sparkling azure waters of the Andaman Sea near Thailand's border with Malaysia. As a tropical paradise the island is without equal. Powdery white sand beaches line shores mere meters (yards) from coral reefs teeming with all kinds of aquatic life....

Visting the Bridge over the River Kwai

Starting in the early 1960s, Western tourists started showing up in sleepy Kanchanaburi town, asking bewildered locals for directions to some specific WII-era bridge over the river named Kwai. Locals were confused. First, these foreigners were asking about buffalo ("kuh-why" means buffalo in Thai; the actual pronunciatio should be "kuh-wah")...

Beach Exploration Guide for the island of Phuket

This southern province, slightly smaller in size than Singapore and itself Thailand’s largest island, boasts beautiful tropical beaches, international-class resorts, and easy access points to islands situated in the transparent aquamarine waters of the adjacent Andaman Sea...

Happy Holidays from Tiger and Bird

2023-12-25T02:55:00.001-08:00

Best wishes from Tiger and Bird for you and yours to have a happy, peaceful, and warm holiday season! Whether you are sipping a cup of cocoa in the tropics or putting another log in the fireplace in the coldddd north, we hope that you have a relaxing time with family and friends.

We haven't disappeared! As a quick update, viewership numbers for blogs and websites have been plummeting as people's attention shifts towards short videos (thanks to the clock sound website). So we've taken a step back to focus on real life responsibilities while continuing to travel.

Our online presence may come back as time allows, but we will soon resume posting content on Instagram using @tigernbird! In the meantime, and as always, happy traveling!

Happy Holidays from Tiger and Bird

2022-12-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

We would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!! We loved our most recent trip to Koh Phi Phi and highly recommend a visit. The town is fun and lively, and Maya Bay on nearby Phi Phi Ley has recently reopened to the public. Yes, that's the inlet used in the DiCaprio film "The Beach." The movie may have been somewhat disappointing, but the towering limestone cliffs and sparkling azure waters of Phi Phi Ley Island are nothing short of magical!

Happy Holidays from Tiger and Bird

2021-12-24T21:30:00.000-08:00

Tiger and Bird would both like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! This year we will finally be celebrating around a table with many other jolly faces (all vaccinated, of course!). The new normal has never felt so good. Our best wishes to you and your families for a happy, healthy, and travel-filled 2022!

Mu Koh Surin National Park: How to Get There, Facilities, and Lodgings

2021-01-29T09:26:00.737-08:00

Ko Surin Preparation and Planning | Chong Khat Bay Station | Lodging

Covered Seastar longtail boat navigating the sparkling emerald waters of the narrow straight between Ko Surin's Nuea and Tai islands

Koh Surin is a true tropical paradise. Wild, untamed jungle vegetation cover the towering limestone hills and cliffs of the islands, while marine life flourishes in the shallow waters of the coral reefs that surround them. The visual experience is unparalleled- white beaches of miniscule fragments of broken coral and shells set against sparkling emerald waters, vivid sunsets as the fiery star gently melts into the sea. Surprisingly, however, is that this particular national park is better-known for what lies under the water: what many call the best snorkeling and diving sites in Thailand. Avid snorkelers, Tiger and Bird planned to visit these islands and found November 2020 to be the perfect time for an ocean adventure. Our personal preparation for the trip began several months prior and included increased gym time and a daily four reps of two-minute planks so we could adequately tackle the three-hour-per-day snorkeling sessions in the currents of the open ocean.

While talking with tour companies and doing some background research, we found many Ko Surin travel guides to be inaccurate, outdated, or incomplete on the English version of the internet. Tiger and Bird decided that this post would exclusively consist of current, verified information for visitors. In the coming months, we will post our photojourneys of the islands.

[Last updated January 2021]

Tiger and Bird put together the above map to help you plan your trip to Mu Ko Surin! This map is to scale and all information provided was verified during our November 2020 trip to the islands. Feel free to download this full resolution image!

Mu Ko Surin, Koh Surin, Ko Surin, and Surin Islands are all refer to a small group of islands situated in the Andaman Sea some 60km (37mi) from mainland Thailand’s southern provinces of Phangna and Ranong. What is commonly referred to as “Ko Surin” is two separate main islands as seen in the above map: Ko Surin Nuea in the north, and Ko Surin Tai in the south. The official name is Mu Ko Surin National Park and all the protections and restrictions of a marine national park are enforced here (no drones!). Visitors are strictly limited to accommodations at the main station at Chong Khat Bay (“1” in the above map) or Mai Ngam Bay (see “2”), depending on what time of the year they visit. Ko Surin Tai is uninhabited except for a village of native Andaman sea people who live at Moken Village (see “3”).

Overtourism has become a persistent worry around beautiful tourist destinations in Thailand and Ko Surin is no exception. The government strictly regulates the number of visitors at the park to limit damage to the delicate ecosystems around the islands. As a result, Ko Surin is only open during the Thailand winter months of October through May. Exactly when the park opens and closes varies from year to year. Overnight visitors will be staying at either Chong Khat Bay or Mai Ngam Bay (see map above).

Transportation and Ferry Service to Ko Surin

There are no public ferries to distant Ko Surin. Private speedboats depart at/nearby Kuraburi Pier in Phangna or Bang Ben Pier in Ranong. This region is just north of the popular tourist destination of Phuket and any of the three tour companies that stop at Ko Surin can arrange hotel/airport pickup to the point of departure (for a vast majority of visitors, this is at or near Kuraburi Pier). An alternative are the liveaboards that occasionally stop at the islands. Private boats are also welcome to visit as long as national park rules and regulations are followed. The three tour companies that access Ko Surin are below, ranked in order of general English-speaking proficiency:

Love Andaman

Best-known company for trips in the Andaman Sea near Thailand’s coast. Expensive relative to competition, but employees have solid English skills and booking is easy for international visitors. Offers only day tours to Ko Surin- no overnight visits.

Seastar Andaman

Relatively popular local company with excellent service and some level of English communication skills. Offers day tours as well as single or multi-night packages on Ko Surin Nuea.

Sabina Tours

Relatively popular local company with excellent service if limited English communication skills among boat crews. Offers day tours as well as single or multi-night packages on Ko Surin Nuea.

Since we had very specific requests for our week-long stay at Ko Surin, we booked with Sabina Tour. As one of the smaller companies, they proved to be tremendously accommodating and were willing to work with us to customize our trip. Note that most communication was in Thai, so similar attempts could prove difficult for international visitors.

The Sabina Tours briefing about Ko Surin included information on national park facilities, common marine life sightings in various areas around the islands, and how an upcoming storm might impact snorkeling options in the week ahead.

Picture 1. Several houseboats moored among mangroves near Kuraburi Pier in the Andaman Sea. Picture 2. Wake of the Sabina Tours speedboat as clouds gather over the Phangnga mainland. Regular rules of the season – ie no rain or storms during the winter – do not apply in this part of the Andaman Sea. Our boat departed early ahead of a storm moving down the coast. Picture 3. A Thai woman looking over the side of the speedboat at Ko Surin Nuea as we slow down to make our way into the narrowing straight between the main northern and southern islands.

Mu Ko Surin National Park: Chong Khat Bay Station

Chong Khat Bay (also spelled “Ao Chong Kad”) juts out from Ko Surin Nuea into the sparkling turquoise waters of the straight and faces Ko Surin Tai. This is the primary ranger station for the national park and is located near a small Thai navy outpost (necessary to protect the island and surrounding waters from potential poachers). The beaches are made of small pieces of broken shell and coral that create a strange and wonderful rustling sound when the small waves lap up against the shore. A short distance from the shore the coral reefs begin.

View as speedboat approached the beach. Longtail boat snorkeling trips depart in the morning and afternoon from this location.

Disembarking from the speedboat. For the trip, our group of about ten visitors numbered about the same as the crew- all traveling in a speedboat that could accommodate forty. Tourism was severely impacted by travel shutdowns.

A Thai woman walks along the beach towards the main national park buildings. After passing the coronavirus checkpoint, we will pick up our room keys and find out which air-conditioned bungalow we are occupying at the registration desk.

Small stand selling coffee and smoothies. All shops, restaurants, and lodging facilities at Ko Surin are managed by the national park. Picnic tables are available for anyone’s use, and this area is frequently a staging ground for the longtail boat snorkeling tours that depart in the morning and evening.

Picture 1. Welcome sign for Mu Ko Surin National park. Picture 2. Information signs (left) and map (right) for Chong Khat Bay. Picture 3. Basic fees for various accommodation and activities are clearly stated on the sign. Under very strict government supervision, there will be no attempts to inflate prices for tourists on the island.

The coop restaurant serves buffet meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you are paying individually for each meal – Tiger and Bird typically skipped lunch for a small snack of fruit since the meals were so heavy – you will need to register ahead so the chefs know to make enough food. All tours stopping on the island for a meal are required to use this restaurant to feed their customers. The Thai food here is quite good but please note there is basically no Western fare. We brought bread, cereal, and preserved food like canned tuna fish from the mainland to help diversify our diet (nothing beats eating margarine and raspberry jam on a toasted baguette in front of Western expats looking forlornly at their rice porridge :-p !).

Picture 1. Coop restaurant front desk. The lady here spoke a few English words. Picture 2. Buffet meal spread out before tour groups begin visiting for lunch. Picture 3. Picnic tables spread out. When tours stop by, all these table are occupied.

Picture 1. Seastar Andaman snack and drink stand. While all tours are required to use the restaurant for the meal, they are allowed to provide snacks and drinks to supplement the food. Picture 2. Restroom facilities for visitors. Picture 3. Southern pig-tailed macaques like to visit the coop restaurant area when the crowds begin to fade away. The name proves to fit quite well once you get a look at the monkey’s behind!

Chong Khat Bay Station Lodging

Several staff members talking in an idyllic setting near the Rakumwhan cottages

The national park directly manages lodging arrangements on the island and facility upkeep. Overall, we were impressed with how well everything seemed to be running. Any lodgings booked with Seastar or Sabina are ultimately booked with the national park, and tour companies do mark up the price. Booking directly with the national park is possible, but the application forms and websites are in Thai so Tiger and Bird will not get into further details (this is the link for the official national park lodging registration). Do note that national park booking options are only available for 90 days from the date of your booking. For example, if you are traveling in 101 days, you must wait eleven days before you can book your room with the national park. Lodging options are listed below along with pictures of the corresponding accommodation.

Sinsamut: air-conditioned wooden bungalows

There are eighteen of these bungalows located along a narrow staircase, all built into the hillside overlooking Chong Khat Bay. The bungalow consists of a small studio-style room with two single beds, a desk, a wardrobe, and a vanity. This opens onto a small balcony overlooking the bay- the view is quite beautiful in the morning after early afternoon. The bathroom was small single space with a sink, western-style toilet, and showerhead. The feel is very much like a treehouse, but after several days we really grew to enjoy the place.

Rakumwhan: small cottages

The three Rakumwhan cottages are located just a short distance from the restaurant and beach and may be a great option for travelers who want to avoid climbing extensive sets of stairs. While cute on the outside, they can be relatively warm since they are only cooled using indoors fans (no AC). For visitors not concerned with climbing stairs, Tiger and Bird will recommend booking the air-conditioned bungalows instead.

Campground: one and two person tents on Chong Khat Beach

Camping in a tent can look like an immersive experience in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Yet, with occasional storms, persistent jungle humidity nearing 100%, and little privacy, Tiger and Bird would strongly recommend against tenting here for more than a night. Far better to book the air-conditioned bungalows!

Miscellaneous

Electricity

lectricity on the island is only available to rooms between 6pm and 6am, but after a hot, full day in the ocean and on the beaches, NOTHING is nicer than to sleep in air conditioning. For temperature, yes, but even more so to escape the 85-95% jungle humidity for a few hours. As a result, Tiger and Bird strongly recommend booking the air-conditioned bungalows if that option is available to you!

Security

The area is very, very safe. However, there are no lockboxes in the rooms to secure valuable like electronics (where do you put your $5,000 mirrorless camera when your entire party decides to go snorkeling? Or your laptop? What about cash, phones, and passports?). Tiger and Bird recommend keeping equipment low-profile and locking up valuables in whatever you have handy just in case.

Creepy crawly things

We just mentioned the island is very, very safe, did we not? This is only true regarding people. There are innumerable bugs, spiders, snakes, and monitor lizards that call Ko Surin home. In this case, we are visiting their world and we can reasonably expect to occasionally interact with them. Just remember that they are much more scared of you than you are of them!

As a creepy crawly thing example, Tiger woke up one morning facing a massive huntsman spider – bigger than my hand – sitting on the desk next to my bed. Resisting the impulse to try to kill it, I stared down the spider for some time before falling back asleep. When I awoke, the spider was gone. The spider and I repeated this morning ritual for several days before the spider just disappeared and wasn’t seen again. Then of course there was that one snake in the jungle- but we’ll save that story for another day.

View from Tiger and Bird’s Sinsamut air-conditioned bungalow at Chong Khat Bay. The view is much, much more beautiful when the day is not cloudy!

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A Final Look at Accommodation Sites at Ko Surin

Depending on when you visit Ko Surin, you will be staying at either of the locations detailed below.

Chong Khat Bay Station

Chong Khat Beach is a beautiful place for picture taking from the morning to early afternoon hours

Open for overnight stays from opening day in October through the end of November. This is a small, beautiful piece of land that juts out from Ko Surin Nuea island into the straight that separates the two main islands of Surin. In the morning to afternoon sunlight, the shallow and swift-moving waters in the channel sparkle and glisten across all shades of light blue and aquamarine colors. This is a popular spot for visitors and great for photography, but does not offer much in terms of relaxing on or snorkeling nearby the beach.

Mai Ngam Bay Station

Mai Ngam Beach. Thai woman sits on the sand while looking out over the turquoise waters of the bay

Open for overnight stays from December through closing day in May. This is a massive, gorgeous bay protected from the disturbed waters of the open sea by coral reefs that extend just beyond the mouth of the bay. The waters are shallow and warm, glistening with various shades of aquamarine throughout the morning to afternoon hours. The sprawling 300m (1,000ft) long crescent-shaped beach is lined with mangroves and bordered in the south with mangroves that twist between rock formations into the bay itself, and in the north with steep limestone hills covered in jungle vegetation. Because of the soft, beautiful sands and gentle waters of this bay – as well as the coral reefs located just off the beach – Tiger and Bird recommend visiting between the months and December and May if you are looking for a relaxing beach vacation.

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Upon first arrival on a damp November morning, we were stunned at the raw, natural beauty of the surroundings. The azure shallow waters around the islands glistened and sparkled, almost dancing in the brilliant rays of the hot tropical sun. The camp-like nature of Chong Khat Bay Station slowly grew on us too as we attuned to the more sabai sabai (relaxed) nature of the tropical paradise. Twice a day, morning and then again in the afternoon, we would travel by longtail boat to a new snorkeling location for another 1.5 hours in the waves. Between trips and in the evening hours we'd lounge around on the beaches and trade travel and photography tips with a number of other weeklong Thai visitors. Then as darkness fell - which seems to come early on the islands - we'd hang out wet swimsuits and equipment to dry before charging our electronics and turning in for the night. As the day for our departure approached, we found ourselves wishing that we had another week to spend on the island.

[ Quick note: Ko Surin is a very popular location for adventurous foreign visitors, and our experience came in late 2020 when international borders were still mostly closed- visits are typically limited to three nights per booking. The rangers eventually told us (well into our trip) that I was only the fourth falang - white foreign - visitor to the island since the October reopening. This quickly changed on the day of our departure when our speedboat to the mainland passed a dinghy with four middle-aged falang heading for the island from a sailboat that had just moored nearby ]

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Coming up next, a Koh Surin snorkeling odyssey and photojourney

Previous post: Koh Lipe is at true tropical paradise of the Andaman Sea with wide sand beaches, sparkling shallow waters, and beachside coral reefs!

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Koh Samed. Transportation, beach, and lodging recommendations for your own charming seaside getaway from the concrete jungle of Bangkok! White sand beaches? Check. Mangroves? Check. Relaxing environment? Check!

Naka Island. An extended weekend trip to the small, semi-private island just south of Phangnga Bay was idyllic, relaxing, and beautiful. Well- except for that adventure with the jetskis!

Happy Holidays from Tiger and Bird

2020-12-24T21:55:00.000-08:00

When life throws you lemons, you take that sour fruit and mix it with sugar water to make something delicious. 2020 has been a no good, downright scary year. As travel between countries has mostly shut down (one of our trips was cancelled at the airport- the flight attendant literally stopped everyone from boarding the plane and announced that Myanmar had just closed its borders, turning back the preceding flight), Thailand remained relatively open. Unfortunately, as of December, the situation has changed.

But for much of 2020, we took the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy Thailand in its raw, natural beauty. The experiences have been unforgettable. And all the while, it provided us the opportunity to directly support locals involved in the beleaguered tourism industry. We always travel with an emphasis on authentic experiences and spending local- some Thai boat captains wistfully asked us to extend our stay on remote islands, talking about pristine locations teeming with fish. Other restaurant owners in deserted locations simply thanked us for being there and giving them some business.

The future looks dark and scary with all the uncertainty. But we trust in God and believe that this too while pass. In the meantime, and as always, our best wishes to you and your family for a safe, healthy, and joy-filled Merry Christmas and a Happy - and hopefully better! - New Year.

The Powdery White Sand Beaches, Sparkling Azure Waters, and Coral Reefs of Lipe Island in Thailand

2020-11-30T04:20:00.222-08:00

Koh Lipe | General Information | Photojourney

Koh Lipe in the sparkling azure waters of the Andaman. In the distance, larger Koh Adang and Koh Ra Wi are uninhabited islands that are part of Tarutao Marine Park

Koh Lipe is a remote tropical island nestled in the sparkling azure waters of the Andaman Sea near Thailand's border with Malaysia. As a tropical paradise the island is without equal. Powdery white sand beaches line shores mere meters (yards) from coral reefs teeming with all kinds of aquatic life. Every moment of every day, from morning until night, the surrounding beauty is such that it feels as if the visitor has stepped into an Instagram photograph or tourism brochure. The island is low-lying, relatively developed, and fully walkable. Longtail boats transport visitors to numerous additional snorkeling sites as well as the nearby uninhabited paradises of Koh Adang and Koh Ra Wi. And the scuba diving is majestic! A friend visiting the island in November sent back enviable underwater photos taken with whale sharks feeding nearby. Note that Lipe is also a very popular tourist destination; we avoided the crowds and found the island almost deserted in late 2020 near the end of the travel lockdowns.

General Information

Koh Lipe is a fully walkable, 2-square-kilometer island. The island's three main beaches are Sunrise Beach, Pattaya Beach (no, not THAT Pattaya beach), and Sunset Beach. Sunrise Beach is easily Tiger and Bird's favorite: powdery white sand gently descends to the ocean just meters from shallow coral reefs. The waters take on a life of their own, shimmering with various shades of turquoise and azure that shift in intensity throughout the day. Lipe has swiftly risen in popularity in recent decades as a beautiful location in its own right and the only inhabited island that can provide easy access to Thailand's massive Tarutao Marine Park. Visitors will find Koh Lipe fairly well-developed, with hostels and (very) local resorts accompanied by several upper three and four star establishments. The island is quite touristy, although many islanders live in houses around Lipe and a small village near the center.

Koh Lipe is accessible by either: 1) flying to Hat Yai International Airport, van to Pak Bara, and speedboat to the island, or 2) taking a ferry from a series of ferry-connected islands that begin Phuket during the high season. In other words, not the easiest place to get to, but quite worth the experience.

Want to learn more? Koh Lipe has an official tourist website that is very well-curated with general information about the island, hotels, transport, and activities. Check out Koh Lipe's official website here!

Picture 1. Oceanside drive on the way to Pak Bara Pier. A night market meets on the weekends further down this road that all of Satun seems to attend! Picture 2. Bird in front of the Pak Bara Custom house and pier. Picture 3. Large, 60-person speedboats moored at the docks.

Satun is a beautiful province and the stepping stone from the mainland to Koh Lipe by speedboat. We enjoyed driving among majestic palm groves between limestone cliffs, enjoying spicy curries from local Southern Thailand restaurants, and relaxing in the cool evenings at local resorts. If you've never had the chance to try Southern Thai Muslim food, Tiger highly recommends it! The goat curry is especially good. We made sure to get several portions from a small shop; the ladies beamed as we told them how delicious it was. At the end of a short tour of the province, we drove to the boardwalk (see above) to join a huge weekend market and the next day we were ready to embark for Koh Lipe!

First impression of Koh Lipe? A true tropical paradise! Here are several longtail boats moored in the azure waters of the Andaman Sea set against the white sands of Sunrise Beach.

“This is unreal,” said Tiger, scanning the surroundings with a mixture of wonder and surprise. “Look at the color of the water- it’s so clear!" Bird didn’t reply. Phone in hand, she was already leaning out of the gently rocking speedboat to get better pictures.

Excited chatter filled the boat as the other visitors crowded around the sides to see Koh Lipe. Ominous, dark storm clouds loomed in the distance even as the intense rays of the tropical sun danced off of the waves of the Andaman sea. But before us - past a veritable fleet of colorful longtail boats - and beneath peacefully-swaying coconut trees were the bungalows and white sand beaches of Koh Lipe. We had just stepped into a picture.

Picture 1. Visitors admiring the turquoise waters off of Koh Lipe. Picture 2. One of our first impressions as the speedboat approached the island: shimmering waters of the islands with Koh Adang towering the background. Picture 3. Stunning view of the tip of Koh Lipe’s sunrise beach with Koh Adang and Koh Ra Wi in the distance.

Pictures, video, or ideally a personal visit are the best ways to experience Koh Lipe. But if a picture is worth a thousand words, Tiger would much prefer to write 17,000 words more in this blog post through pictures. And so, starting below you have it, ladies and gentlemen, a select photojourney of our Koh Lipe vacation from the minute we stepped on the pier!!

Photojourney

Sunrise Beach pier. Since speedboats aren’t allowed to approach the shore, visitors are required to transfer to longtail boats before landing on the island. We traveled to Koh Lipe at the end of the offseason in 2020 when the country was still in lockdown to international tourists, so this requirement was temporarily waved.

Turquoise waters, moored longtail boats, and seaside resorts on the southern edge of Sunrise Beach. A small coral reef here that can be accessed by snorkelers coming from the shore!

Several of the many dozens of colorful longtail boats eternally moored just off of Sunrise Beach on Koh Lipe. And yes, as with all visual media found on our website, we took this photo ourselves!

Picture 1. Entrance to Koh Lipe’s main Walking Street from Pattaya beach (no, not THAT Pattaya beach- this is a different one). Picture 2. Strolling down the blue Walking Street of Koh Lipe. A large majority of restaurants, hostels, and tour guides here have at least temporarily closed their doors after the travel lockdowns of 2020. Picture 3. Bird posing in front of many shuttered businesses at a small walking street intersection.

Smiling receptionist preparing to welcome us for our brief stay at this resort. We always travel for the experience, and here we booked a small bungalow literally at the edge of the sea. No, really, at high tide, our front porch was over the water! We had to wait an extra hour for the room since a storm had washed out the path to the bungalow the night before.

Bird admiring the view of the ocean from our bungalow. Most people have to travel by longtail boat to go snorkeling above coral reefs. Here, we could just dive off our front porch to do the same! Amazing Thailand, to be sure.

A beautiful breakfast served in our villa above the ocean, and some of the best “island fare” we have ever had! We spent the better part of a week on Koh Lipe and shifted hotels several times to get the entire “Koh Lipe” experience.

Picture 1. Koh Adang as seen across the straight from Sunset Beach. Picture 2. A splendid Koh Lipe sunrise! Notice how the color of the water doesn’t change, but if you’re a photographer, keep a close eye on the position of the sun will change how it appears throughout the day. Picture 3. A couple return on a longtail boat from a nearby snorkeling expedition.

Several kayakers exploring the shallow waters off of Koh Lipe. Tiger has been canoeing and kayaking for most of his life, but he noticed a strong current in the waters here between the low and high tides.

Picture 1. Island kids playing with a raft while an adult paints a beached longtail boat nearby. Note that these boats are merely beached because it’s low tide. Picture 2. Several islanders catching small fish in a net. Picture 3. A group of islanders anchoring a mooring line that came loose in a storm.

Sunset beach on Koh Lipe is slightly less accessible than the other beaches, but turned out to be quite beautiful at sunset (a very relevantly-named beach! Who knew?). While all resorts in this area were closed because of travel lockdowns, there was a small bar at the end of the beach that was setting up as the evening advanced. The barkeep supervisor turned out to be a thirty-something Italian guy that had stopped by the island circa 2016 and just decided to stay, finding a position at the hotel at the end of his vacation. There are many stories around the islands like this- Thailand can have that effect on people!

Koh Lipe is a wonderful paradise and Sunrise Beach is the place to be! We lounged around the ocean, enjoying its dazzling colors and the occasional refreshing puff of breeze. When the heat became too intense, we jumped into the ocean and snorkeled around the coral reefs, chasing brightly colored fish around boulders or spending time watching the clownfish popping in and out of sea anemone. In the evening we kayaked, roamed the deserted beaches, or wandered around the town, talking with local fishing captains and snorkeling operators while planning the next day.

Remember our experience came during the early fall of 2020 when borders were shut. The town was deserted. Invariably, locals would shake their heads and say that business was hurting from a lack of tourists and ask us to extend our stay. Fast forward to December of 2020, and optimism has noticeably picked up among workers in the hospitality industry. There is now a light at the end of the tunnel and tourists are slowly returning. If you’re interested in taking a trip around Thailand, now is the time to book that trip! Prices are quite affordable, and for the discerning traveler, bookings locked in now may be exercised at any time in 2021 (note that this is establishment-dependent).

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Coming up next, preparation for a snorkeling odyssey and roughing it on the Surin Islands in the Andaman Sea

Previous post: Relaxing in the untouched tropical paradise of Lanta Island in the Andaman Sea

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Koh Lanta. Pristine, Authentic, and Remote would be three good words to describe distant Koh Lanta. A massive island sitting just off of Thailand's coast in the Andaman Sea, Lanta's resorts have something for everyone- ranging from beachside bungalows to luxurious villas.

Koh Thalu. Why not take a several day trip to kick back and relax on pristine white sand beaches? Or paddle board and kayak around the calm ocean waters of a crescent bay? The private island of Koh Thalu is just remote enough to escape the endless busy-ness of the concrete jungle of Bangkok.

Koh Samed. Ranging from beach towns with lively fire shows popular with the younger crowd to remote white sand beaches shaded by mangroves in the south, Samed can be a fun island getaway for the whole family!

Koh Lanta: An untouched tropical paradise for world travelers

2020-09-30T09:32:00.181-07:00

Koh Lanta | Getting There | Pimalai Resort | Old Town

Koh Lanta from the south. The white line in the ocean is where the Andaman Sea meets the waters of the sheltered bay to the eastern side of the island (and yes, like all photos that you find on our blog, we took this picture ourselves!)

Koh Lanta is a beautiful island paradise situated a short ferry ride away from Thailand’s southern shore in the Andaman Sea. Relatively remote and difficult to access, the island is huge and remains mostly wild and untamed, still in the early throes of development. Dense mangrove forests line the northern shore of the island, eventually giving way to alternatively long white sand beaches or rocky formations stretching along aquamarine waters- all visible to visitors traveling to the resorts in the South. Many local people call Koh Lanta their home and live in villages clustered near the shoreline, leading to a mix of shops catering to both tourists and residents. The island has a touch of je ne sais quoi, perhaps a refreshing authenticity that Tiger feels is now missing from many popular Thai tourist destinations (even distant Koh Chang has changed as supermarket chains move in, tourists begin to vastly outnumber residents, and general infrastructure increases).

When people refer to Koh Lanta, they are actually talking about two major islands, comparably-sized Koh Lanta Yai and Koh Lanta Noi, joined by a bridge across the salt water “river” that separates them. The combined island covers 156 square kilometers (60 square miles) of terrain, most of which remains wild and untamed. For perspective, this is ten times larger than Koh Samed and slightly smaller than Koh Samui. The roads are surprisingly well-maintained and mainly situated near the shore, with several roads also criss-crossing the hilly central part of the island.

Getting There

Long tail boat crossing the channel in front of the mangrove shoreline and verdant hills of Koh Lanta

Chances are, if you plan to visit Koh Lanta, you are either driving/catching a ride from Krabi Airport or taking a ferry/speedboat from Phuket or Koh Phi Phi. The trip will take at least several hours from either point of origin, but if you are coming from Krabi Airport, several higher end hotels on the island will be kind enough to provide their own land/sea transportation for you (and may even include this in the room price found on Agoda or similar online booking website).

Speedboat Island Hopping Options
Originating from Phuket Town or Krabi Town in the high season between mid-October and February, it’s possible to visit Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and distant Koh Lipe as well as all the major/minor islands in between as one long island-hopping adventure. Speedboats regularly depart between these destinations, are very affordable, and can be faster than other land/flight combinations. Throw in some of the smaller islands around Koh Phi Phi, and a two-week vacation could easily cover more than ten islands! Be sure to pack lightly if this is your plan- you don’t want to be lugging large suitcases in and out of speedboats and longboats for two weeks.

We arrived at the Hua Hin pier in the early morning of an August day. Across the narrow straight were the hills of Koh Lanta. The color and wildness of the island was surprising, with mangrove trees covering the entirety of the opposing shoreline, as well as the mainland shores on either side of the small public pier where we were waiting. The island pier was visible less than a mile away. The ferries themselves are quite small compared to Koh Chang or Koh Samui. Most barges have one deck as well as a single, tall tower from which the boat was steered. Our hotel had warned us in July that the ferry schedule was now unpredictable because of the virus, but by the time we arrived, the ferries were regularly departing on the thirty-minute mark.

Picture 1. Hua Hin pier on the mainland is the point of origin for public ferries crossing to Koh Lanta island. Picture 2. One of the small public ferries crossing the channel. Picture 3. Khlong Mak Pier on Koh Lanta

The trip was quite pleasant and our barge – the largest – had an elevated waiting area for pedestrians from which we could enjoy the view and take a few pictures of the scenery. After docking, we drove for another 45-minutes across Koh Lanta Noi and down Koh Lanta Yai to Pimalai Resort, situated near the southwestern tip of the island. We slowly passed long white sand beaches and rocky coastlines along the drive. A majority of restaurants and shops were temporarily closed as a result of the coronavirus travel shutdowns, but a relatively large island population also meant that many local places remained open (we picked up fresh fruit and smoothies from a local market, and some of the “famous” khao pad krapow as a “snack” for Bird).

Pristine beach nestled between hills on Koh Lanta

Quaint would be a great way to describe the island. For tourism to really work, small businesses have to be established to accommodate visitors, and Koh Lanta had a good mix of quality restaurants, bars, and shops to cater to both Thai and Western tourists. Getting around the island? Now that’s more difficult, since taxis are rare and expensive, but renting a motorbike is easy if you have a license and know how to drive one!

Pimalai Resort

Pimalai Resort is set against a steep hill on Koh Lanta

For this journey, we were staying in the beautiful Pimalai Resort (note that Tiger and Bird usually avoid naming hotels we visit, but these are unusual times with borders closed and international travel brought to a standstill, so we will break with tradition for now!). Set into a steep hill and separated in the middle by the public road, golf carts take guests from place to place and all the rooms and buildings offer stunning views of the Andaman Sea and distant Koh Haa islands. We pulled into the hotel just before noon and stepped out of the car to see the ocean spread out before us, a slightly cool sea breeze helping to counter the incredible heat of the tropical sun. The attendants ushered us into the main reception area where we spent several minutes filling out paperwork and enjoying welcome drinks before walking down the hill to our room.

The room was breathtakingly gorgeous, spacious with an open concept: the living area joining the bedroom and bathroom in one large area. Beautiful wood partitions could separate the bathtub from the rest of the room and another partition for the rain shower, but it still felt much more appropriate for romantic getaways than say friends traveling together.

We won’t go into too much detail, but suffice it to say that the grounds were also similarly breathtaking. The feeling while walking around was that the resort was more or less hiding in the existing tropical landscape of Koh Lanta, as opposed to a resort that simply takes over the landscape. Lush trees, plants, and wildlife abound (don’t feed the monkeys, if you see any!) in comparative upscale comfort. Dining options far exceeded our expectations for island food, and the resort’s general manager was kind enough to greet us at breakfast and explain that the Seven Seas Restaurant was closed for a few structural repairs during our visit, a carryover from the resort shutdown earlier in the year. We’ve included several photos from our stay below.

Picture 1. Expansive, private beach in front of the Pimalai resort. Waves can be quite large and the beach attendant was adamant that caution must be exercised while swimming here because of strong rip currents. Picture 2. Andaman ocean as seen from one of the infinity pools in the resort. Picture 3. The distant group of islands of Koh Rok are barely visible from the resort’s stunning Seven Seas restaurant located near the top of the hill

Since we spent more than several days at the resort, we did decide to take an excursion to Old Town Koh Lanta one afternoon to see what there was to see. As it turns out, the island is wisely taking the opportunity of few tourists to modernize and repair many of the inland roads, including our own route. Be prepared for a dusty time (although, in all fairness, the work seems very close to completion as of August 2020)!

Road construction on main route between the western and eastern shores of Koh Lanta

Old Town

A small motorcycle with sidecar travels to the end of Old Town Pier in Koh Lanta

Old Town is a charming seaside collection of wood hostels, shops and restaurants clustered around a six-hundred-meter-long main street adjacent to the Old Town pier on the southeast side of the island. The place is very quaint and has a genuinely pleasant feel to it. Keep in mind its probably best to visit during the day since islanders always go to bed shortly after the sun sets!

Large sailing ship beached at low tide near Old Town Koh Lanta

Main street of Old Town Koh Lanta proved to a quaint, relaxed place with numerous shops with hostels and restaurants situated over the adjacent shoreline

Picture 1. Small main street restaurant. Picture 2. Pure white cat sleepily relaxing on a wooden table. Picture 3. Road to a secret garden over the water. At the end of the pier was a small house/hostel

We walked around, admiring the buildings, before stopping by a restaurant for some mango smoothies and fried spring rolls. The young woman in front smiled at us and brought us from the hot, dusty street to the back of the restaurant, which would have been over the water if it had not been low tide. Here, in the shade, the soft sea breeze was cool and refreshing.

A beautiful woman practicing yoga on the windswept wood floors above a small restaurant in the old town. Quite cool even during the heat of the day, and just look at that view!

Our stay proved to be very enjoyable. Hot days were tempered by icy smoothies in the restaurants, time spent in the infinity pool, or bobbing in the waves of the ocean. Big breakfasts and delicious dinners in front of spectacular sunsets were countered by long walks up and down the hills at Pimalai Resort. And in the evenings, once the sun had fallen and darkness had crept over the island, we soaked our weary bodies in our bathtub while looking out over the darkened ocean. What’s not to like? We immediately prepared plans for our next adventure, a return to Koh Lanta at some future but not yet decided time.

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Coming up next, the white sand beaches and untouched coral reefs of Koh Lipe!

Previous post: A brief summary of an idyllic August vacation in an touristless Southern Thailand!

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Southern Thailand adventures abound- more posts coming soon!

2020-08-31T08:29:00.012-07:00

The tranquil aquamarine waters off of Koh Lipe are a great place for snorkeling!

August has been very busy, with Tiger and Bird focusing on extensive trips around a recently reopened Southern Thailand (Thailand has done a fantastic job containing the spread of the coronavirus. As of the time we began our trip, more than seventy days had passed with no domestic cases). A peninsula here, an island or two there- we plan to spend many days exploring areas that are usually crowded with tourists. These are strange months of a strange year since international visitors are still mostly barred and domestic visitors are far fewer in number.

The trip has so far been epic. Tiger and Bird found themselves strolling along empty white sand beaches before azure waters under a burning tropical sun; exploring pristine islands and hidden jungle lagoons with merely a handful of other people; and watching brilliant sunsets in busy but far less than full restaurants and bars that usually teem with tourists from across the region.

The adventure has also elicited mixed feelings- wonder, definitely, tinged with sadness, to see nature in all her beauty next to local businesses anxious for more customers. After a day of snorkeling through coral reefs teeming with wildlife mere steps from the shores of distant islands, we discussed next-day deep sea fishing options with a Thai boat captain as darkness began to settle on a small island town. Upon learning that we planned to stay only several days longer, his face lost the smile and for a brief instant his congenial demeanor dropped as he stared into the distance and wistfully stated, “Please stay longer. You should stay for another month. Or two months!” he added, as he turned back with a laugh. Then there was that beautiful sunset we watched from our stand-up paddle boards where the glowing golden red orb of the sun settled gently into the sea; and that other time when an old lady and her adult son walked the beach around the entirety of an island, near dusk, selling samosas and advertising their walking street restaurant. The old lady led the way, shouting “Big burgers! Very big burgers!” interchanged with "Samosas! Big samosas!" as her son plodded patiently behind her, with a mixed expression of bemusement and chagrin (yes, we ordered a big dinner from them. A true entrepreneur’s grit and drive should be rewarded!). There were also very unexpectedly amusing times, like when a troop of shy wild monkeys came to the edge of the jungle to peer through the leaves at Tiger and Bird as they relaxed at an adjacent café, or when a very young boy on an island wordlessly approached Tiger to give him a high five as he passed them on the beach.

While relaxing at a cafe, we couldn't shake the strange feeling that someone was watching us.

Where are the photos? We’re working on them and plan to gradually post about various destinations in Southern Thailand starting in September! In the meantime, we would highly encourage anyone interested in visiting Thailand to look at various deals currently available with hotels in the region. The discerning tourist can find packages up to 50% off which provide vouchers that may be used at a later date, with some providing validity through the end of 2022.

Stay safe out there, folks! And for those of you searching for travel deals, happy hunting!!

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Coming up next, a fabulous trip to the southern isle of Koh Lanta!

Previous post: A beach exploration guide for the island of Phuket

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A Beach Exploration Guide for Phuket Island in Southern Thailand

2020-06-30T23:24:00.001-07:00

Phuket | Beach Map | Photojourney

Patong beach at low tide can be a beautiful place to kick back and relax in the cool evening hours!

Phuket has been a premier tropical vacation destination for Western tourists for about 60 years. This southern province, slightly smaller in size than Singapore and itself Thailand’s largest island, boasts beautiful tropical beaches, international-class resorts, and easy access points to islands situated in the transparent aquamarine waters of the adjacent Andaman Sea. For Bangkokians, Phuket is also synonymous with a sister-province across Pgang Nga Bay called Krabi, as well as the popular islands between of Koh Yao Yai, Koh Yao Noi, and Koh Phi Phi. Phuket is a land of fantasy. A vacation to Phuket can take the form of whatever the visitor desires: secluded beaches for the whole family to enjoy, resorts situated in large coves with good surfing waves, touristy beach towns with scenes and experiences similar to Pattaya- all can be found within the province. And for those who prefer short excursions off the mainland, day trips to various islands and snorkeling, scuba diving, boating, and adventure sports await.

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But as a visitor, what should you see? Where should you visit? Online hotel searches yield many tempting results from around the entire island of Phuket. This proves to be unhelpful if you’re unfamiliar with the surrounding region. This post will focus on Phuket beaches and consist mostly of pictures to help potential visitors make better decisions for their stay. Tiger and Bird have also compiled a list of public beaches for Phuket and put them together with a handy map that you can download and save. See below!

This Phuket beach guide was put together by Tiger and Bird to help you with planning your trip. Please note this is a full resolution image that you can download.

Sandy beaches are located on the western side of Phuket, openly facing the Andaman Sea. First is the expansive Mai Khao beach (1), stretching from the northern tip of the island down towards the airport. This is followed by Naiyang Beach (2) near the airport. The runway for Phuket Airport is adjacent to a portion of this beach, making for great Instagram shots with planes taking off and landing in the background! Nai Thon Beach (3) is a small, sandy beach that borders a national park. Not too much to see here but can be fun to visit for a very local experience!

High end luxury resorts and several clubs are congregated around Bang Tao Beach (4) in the expansive Laguna Phuket resort complex, home to Angsana, Banyan Tree, and Dusit Thani among other villas and hotels. For western tourists looking to experience the tropics with an international feel, this is the place to be.

Patong (7) was originally a sleepy beach town that has over time transformed to have an atmosphere similar to Pattaya. There is a walking street lined with bars, massage shops, and eateries that stretches from the beach to the Central and Jungceylon shopping malls. The town is also filled with many small and large resorts, restaurants, and street venders selling their wares. The crescent shaped Patong Beach is still quite beautiful, but the entire area from town to beach is perennially filled with tourists and other visitors. Hey, if that’s your thing, this can be a great place to be! For a better experience, consider staying in a resort among the hills to the north or south and avail yourself of the shuttles to Patong during the day and evening hours.

The beaches in the south of Phuket - with the exception of Patong Beach - tend to be less crowded and have a more authentic and local atmosphere (Surin, Kamala, Karon, and Kata beaches fit this bill). Southern Phuket also has some large hills separating the towns and beaches from each other, so make sure you’re comfortable driving in that kind of terrain if you’re renting a car!

Weather Tip

Keep in mind that the peak tourist season lasts from late November to early February. During these tropical winter months, the temperature is less extreme (33C, or ~90F) and the humidity drops significantly with virtually no rain. During the monsoon season, April through August, the number of visitors and prices for resorts drop significantly. This comes with the occasional storm and the regular evening downpour, however.

Transportation Tip

For visitors who wish to visit multiple beaches and resorts on the mainland and are comfortable driving on the left side of the road, Tiger and Bird recommend renting a car. The prices can be quite affordable and this option allows for a great deal of autonomy to explore nearby beaches and towns. Visitors planning to spend most of their time at or around a resort or beach will find this an unnecessary convenience, however.

Resort Booking Tips

Call the hotel ahead of your stay to discuss which rooms or booking options have the best view. For higher-end hotels, the staff can tell you which villa or room may be best suited for your stay- details which you can then include in your online booking request.

Consider booking the more expensive resorts of your stay during weekdays; on the weekends, hotel prices can go up a good 30% to 50% as you compete with local tourists escaping Bangkok!

Island Hopping Tip

Visitors planning multi-day trips to the islands of Koh Yao Yai, Koh Yao Noi, and Phi Phi or crossing the bay to Krabi may want to position themselves near Phuket Town for easy ferry access. You can negotiate with the hotel to hold larger, heavier bags until your return (often free of charge if you spend another day or two at the hotel upon your return!).

Phuket: A Tiger and Bird Photojourney

Below is a selection of photographs from multiple trips to Phuket across the years that may give you a better idea of what to expect on your visit! Since we tend to plan last-minute for local trips and dislike tourist crowds, we usually visit during the offseason.

Patong beach at high tide after a stormy night

Picture 1. Bang Tao Beach. The Laguna Phuket resort complex has a great, relaxed international atmosphere with an expansive beach to boot! Picture 2. Surin Beach. In the background is a local hotel and villa complex. Around the point, and accessible only by boat or by following a small path, is the isolated Haad Laem Sing beach. Picture 3. Kata Beach. A popular spot for tourists enjoying the waves or trying some surfing.

Picture 4. Karon Beach. Beautiful, expansive beach popular with tourists in the high season. The road nearby has small shops and a more local feel. During the low season, can be a wonderful spot to relax or enjoy the waves after a passing storm.

Picture 1. Escaping from the beaten trail can be fun! This is a typical local beach with street vendors selling snacks nearby. Picture 2. A road near a local beach. Small shops are always located a short song-taew drive away (the song-taew is the red truck in the picture; it has been fitted with two rows of benches and drives up and down the road, picking up people along the way and dropping them off at their desired location for a nominal fee). Picture 3. A tourist heading out into the ocean with some surfers in the background at Kata Beach

Jetskiing is just one of many activities visitors can enjoy while visiting Phuket

Patong Town. Walking Street has become more gentrified and now attracts curious visitors of all types and ages

Hillside resort facing the Andaman Sea. Now this is what we’re talking about! Why not kick back and enjoy the best of both worlds, visit beaches and towns during the day and relax in the surrounding hills by night?

And that’s a wrap, folks! Switching things up once again to provide more useful information than simply an overview of one of Tiger and Bird’s trips. If you have the opportunity to visit Phuket, we hope this beach guide will provide you some useful ideas and trips to make your trip that much more magical!

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Coming up next, Chiang Mai, revisited!

Previous post: Braving daily storms and heavy rainfall at Naka Island over an extended weekend

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A popular option for Bangkok folk these days is a trip to the island of Koh Larn near Pattaya

Naka Island: A Tropical Paradise in Phang Nga Bay

2020-04-30T19:30:00.002-07:00

[Top] [The Story]

Welcoming point for guests visiting The Naka Island near Phuket in Thailand

Naka Island is a small, semi-private island to the West of Phuket in Thailand’s South, sheltering from the Andaman Sea with larger islands Ko Yao Noi and Ko Yao Yai in the massive Phang Nga Bay. The island is shared between a sprawling luxury hotel, a local fishing village, and the isolated COMO Beach Club. Our destination for this extended weekend trip was The Naka Island, a hotel that is part of Marriot’s Luxury Collection Resorts.

Tiger had been eyeing The Naka Island as a romantic getaway from Bangkok for several years and jumped at the extended weekend opportunity even though it was the rainy season. After all, why not make time for a beach escape during the offseason? Prices are (slightly) more reasonable and there are fewer crowds in nearby Phuket. The resort was indeed splendid, but little did we know that through a series of events this might literally have become a trip to end all trips - cue Gilligan’s island theme song.

A trip to paradise
The flight from Bangkok to Phuket takes an hour with another thirty-minute drive to the lovely Ao Po Grand Marina. The weather proved to be more troublesome than expected, forcing our plane to circle the airport several times before landing between the intermittent downpours of the rainy season. By the time we had picked up the car, the rain had again started, flooding the road we were traversing along the northern side of the island. “Thank God this is only a rental,” Tiger thought, with a laugh.

The hotel had told us to park at the Ao Po Grand Marina and take their private speedboat to the island. This was our first trip to this location, and we were pleasantly surprised at the beautiful, modern facilities at the marina. After parking near the main lodge – which appeared to be a full-service apartment complex – we jumped out of the car and walked along the cobblestone path to enjoy a refresher at the Port of Call Bar and Restaurant while waiting for the hotel staff.

Ao Po Grand Marina in Phuket is a popular if expensive location for boating enthusiasts

The wait was not long. Soon, one of the boatmen arrived with a friendly wave and a smile to help us with our luggage. The marina was quiet and the extensive docks mostly occupied, with huge yachts and other seacraft appearing to fill the piers to capacity. The hotel’s speedboat was spacious and, thankfully, covered, shielding ourselves and another Chinese couple from the light rain. The engine roared and we were off!

Picture 1. The Naka island speedboat at dock at the main pier. Picture 2. Leaving the marina. Picture 3. Naka island beach view villas hiding among mangroves as seen from the ocean

Several friendly staff greeting us upon arrival at the island and a covered golf cart picked us up to take us to the front desk. Did I mention the resort is quite large? The drive took a good ten minutes with several stops. Now let's get a few details out of the way! The Naka is a resort situated on the northwestern portion of the island and mostly consists of a collection of beautiful house-sized villas with private gardens and pools. Tiger and Bird had selected a sea view pool villa for this trip. The stay was delightful! Entering our villa complex via our own private gate, we walked through a small garden before entering the villa. A huge bedroom faced the ocean over the outdoor pool and yard areas, connecting to a large hallway that extended around a semi-interior garden courtyard before reaching large bathroom facilities. On the resort grounds, many guests enjoyed biking along extensive paved paths, although golf carts driven by employees were also just a phone call away.

Waves and wind-whipped trees at the edge of the small bay by Naka resort

Tiger and Bird travel for the experience, so our focus is continuously on the adventures a resort has on offer. Other amenities are simply icing on the cake so to speak. Kayak tours, free bike usage, cooking classes, and windsurfing were all very appealing. Since the first several days of our stay was heavily overcast, we took the opportunity to kayak around parts of the island, visiting small inlets lined with mangrove forests and populated with more than a few cheeky monkeys

Beach attendant taking our two-person ocean kayak down to the water

Storm clouds quickly approach Naka Island from the North while Tiger and Bird are kayaking

The weather was frequently overcast, and when the clouds and waves began to grow more menacing, we quickly retreated from the quiet backwaters around the mangroves towards the resort, rounding the island and paddling furiously as the kayak whipped backwards and forwards where the waves from the sheltered bay crashed against ocean waves.

Several guests rose early to kayak around the resort’s quiet bay

On the second full day of our stay, the weather cleared, and the tropical sun blazed above Naka Island with puffy white clouds lingering in the distance. Tiger and Bird decided on this day to take mountain bikes on a tour of the island, following a map provided by the resort. On the other side of the island was listed the COMO beach club, and there appeared to be a small path from the road leading to the club (indicated by a dashed line).

Wide, grassy areas above the beach around the resort’s bay

Shortly beyond the walls of the resort, muddy dirt roads almost caused us to turn back. But, as Admiral Farragut was made famous by saying, “D--- the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” Soon the path became paved and a short while later we waved to children playing beside the narrow road as we biked through a small fisherman village, dodging several motorcycles and carts. We continued onwards, biking to the end of a long pier in the middle of another forested bay.

Aquamarine waters meet an overhanging jungle around the fisherman’s cove

The bay was beautiful and calm, with gentle, aqua waves gently splashing up against the trees overhanging the water.

A small portion of the cove has been slightly cleared to allow for locals to moor their fishing boats and tourist speedboats

After a short break to enjoy the gentle sea breeze and watch some boys fishing from the pier, we proceeded onwards through the town, up a steep hill past several buildings to the highest point of the island. There wasn't much to see here, with thick jungle vegetation largely obscuring any decent view. Finally, we moved ahead with our plan, biking towards the COMO beach club. Here the path fell into disrepair and the paved path turned into a dirt road worn with several tire tracks. Thankfully, we didn't have to stay on this path long since we soon found what appeared to be a path leading down to the club. Hey, we made it this far. Why not try to go a bit further?

Here, let’s change up the narrative a bit...

[Top] [The Story]
Our Story Begins… and almost ends?

Angry, dark clouds of the tropical rainy season swiftly advanced from the direction of Phang Nga Bay, shrouding the tall but thin isles northeast of Naka Island in mist. Tiger and Bird, mountain bikes at the ready, stood on a deserted beach gazing at this threatening display. They had just descended a narrow dirt and gravel path down the steep, thickly vegetated hill on the north side of the island and now found themselves near several dilapidated building and what might have once been a local resort, hemmed in on either side by dense jungle that extended over the sand into the ocean.

“I don’t think we can make it back up there in time,” Tiger said, glancing around, looking for shelter.

Bird was about to reply when several fishermen we hadn’t noticed suddenly approached, surprised at the presence of foreign visitors and offering us assistance.

“I’ll ask them if they can ferry us back to the resort,” Bird said, optimistically.

The fishermen readily agreed- they had no fishing boats at the moment but did have ocean-sized jet skis which they sometimes rented out to tourists. Two large jet skis, two fishermen, two mountain bikes, two passengers, and no life jackets. What could possibly go wrong? We soon found ourselves zipping through white-capped waves, set against a black and threatening sky while shivering beneath the occasional cold sprinkle of rain and wind-whipped ocean spray as the jetski slammed into rising waves. The small islands further in the bay briefly flitted in and out of the mist one final time before disappearing, shrouding themselves in darkness after being overtaken by the approaching storm. Rounding the island, the jetskis waffled in a strange cross-current where ocean and bay water meet before landing on our beach mere minutes before torrential downpours began.

Tiger neglected to take any photos of that final descent to the deserted beach but turned to take one last shot of the approaching storm before we retreated to the dry safety of our villa. Yes, the sky really was this dark at 2 PM in the afternoon!

With perplexed grins after exchanging worried looks, beach attendants took the bicycles from the first jetski and helped us onto the beach. We immediately raced for cover as the torrential downpours began.

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After the adrenaline rush had subsided and our heads were clear again, we decided this had been enough excitement for the weekend and took it easy for the rest of our stay, enjoying the pools and watching the occasional storm from the safety of the beach or the advantageous views afforded by Z Bar, which is situated on a small hill. Below are a few photos from our trip, then a brief assessment of our stay.

A small motorized yacht heads back to Ao Po Grand Marina

One evening at low tide we saw many locals taking small picks and shovels out to the rocky beach near the resort. This lady was kind enough to demonstrate how to quickly find and extract tasty clams from the hard stones and packed sand between crevices in the rock face.

A familiar sight during the rainy season as another frequent storm approaches Naka Island from the North

The shallow bay outside the resort’s beach at low tide

On the morning of our return to Bangkok, the sun began to shine once again, highlighting our destination, the Ao Po Grand Marina

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Our stay at The Naka Island Resort was for the most part enjoyable and relaxing. We only caution future visitors against biking beyond the high point of the island, since the roads soon fall into disrepair and some of the paths leading down to the beaches are easy to descend, but difficult to ascend. We also recommend only rounding the island as part of the group tour unless you have prior experience with canoeing or kayaking, since the cross waters between the bay and the ocean can be difficult to navigate (and, as always, wear a lifejacket!).

Villa facilities and attentive service from resort staff exceeded our expectations for a five-star resort. The ambience was very relaxing. Activities and other amenities were plentiful, and Tiger and Bird would suggest a three-day, two-night stay for a chance to enjoy everything the resort has to offer. Also, if within budget, always go for a villa! You won't regret it. Our only disappointment came with evening meals. We felt the dinner menus at the main restaurants were limited in selection, and for which the understandably high prices did not match with comparable quality (Tiger has the strong opinion that island food in general disappoints, but it's the atmosphere that counts!). Breakfasts, on the other hand, were excellent in both quality and selection.

All in all, a quality stay. Tiger and Bird would be happy to visit again!

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Coming up next, a beach exploration guide for the vacation island of Phuket!

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Exploring the rugged tropical paradise of Elephant Island

Hiking the Ancient Trails of the Kumano Kodo in Japan

2020-02-29T09:07:00.001-08:00

[Top] [Nakahechi Route] [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Off to Kyoto]

The Kumano Kodo is a network of trails that split and intertwine, allowing hikers some Robert Frost-worthy* decisions!

The Kumano Kodo is a network of trails that crisscross the Kie mountain range in Wakayama prefecture south of Kyoto. The paths date back more than 800 years and move from lush valleys and vast rocky riverbeds, up steep hills past waterfalls, and through quaint mountain villages nestled in dense forests. Along these paths are towns and small mountain villages with traditional full-board Japanese inns, called ryokan, allowing hikers to move along the trails at their own pace before soaking in natural mountain onsens before a pleasant night of rest atop tatami mats. Many stops along the trails are UNESCO heritage sites and in and of themselves are well worth a visit. Also worth noting is that this ancient trail network was historically used as a Buddhist pilgrimage to one of three major shrines and may be considered similar in purpose to the Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain. Tiger and Bird are always simply searching for a good hike and found the scenery and unique experience enjoyable.

Detailed, advanced planning is essential in order to traverse the Kumano Kodo trails. Tiger and Bird dedicated a good week of after-work free time to understand our options. This started with identifying landmarks and towns we wanted to stop by, determining realistic hiking distances between ryokan (we gave ourselves more time when hiking uphill through difficult terrain, and less time for easy walks on paved paths through towns), and finally, planning public transport options, in case we were too tired to continue, between various ryokan and paths. Thankfully, the local government has put together a good resource on all the paths and options available throughout the Kumano region online – more details on that below!

Again, please note that adequate preparation is essential; cell phone service can be spotty and mountain trails are deserted and can be quite treacherous after dark.

*See Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”

Nakahechi Main Route: a UNESCO World Heritage Trail
[Top] [Nakahechi Route] [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Off to Kyoto]

The largest Torii gate in the world is located along the Nakahechi trail

Tiger and Bird were interested in hiking an ancient trail in the south of Kumano, the 74km (46mi) Nakahechi. This area encompasses some of the most ancient portions of the Kumano Kodo and includes paths snaking through forested mountains, meandering around rivers, and passing by small villages. No wonder it has the distinction of being one of just two UNESCO World Heritage Trails! Besides hiking, accessibility via small mountain roads by car (not recommended; you plan on hiking, after all!) or by bus after taking the train is quite easy. The towns to the West and East, Tanabe and Shingu, respectively, serve as the main gateways to Nakahechi trail. From these points, buses traverse some of the main towns in the region and provide easy access to some of the more popular trailheads and landmarks. Hiking the entire portion of the trail will take 4 – 7 days, depending on physical fitness and the weather (trekking poles are highly recommended!); a University of Tokyo professor and seasoned hiker we briefly chatted with preferred a shorter four-day hike, since for her the scenery was beginning to appear too familiar after day 5.

The official online maps proved very helpful and included elevation and difficulty breakdowns as well as distance between various towns, landmarks, and trail facilities (bathrooms, phones, ryokan). For our trip, we planned a relaxed three-day hike on the West-to-East route in frosty late autumn; hey, the changing leaves are beautiful! And, after all, boiling hot onsens are best enjoyed in the cold. We started halfway along the Nakahechi main route at Hosshinmon-oji (see the maps on the official website), completing the Hongu loop – which includes visiting the delightful town of Yunomine – and finishing our hike at the town of Shingu. During the day, we trekked amid towering trees on forested mountains; up steep and seemingly endless cobblestone steps; through quaint villages dotted in the mountains and valleys; and across the stony, dry riverbed of the Kumano River. At night, we wearily relaxed in hot onsens and slept on soft, woven tatami mats. Upon completion of our journey, which ended too soon, we boarded a Japan Railway train at Shingu and headed back around the peninsula to Kyoto.

Official Kumano Kodo Documentation

Kumano Kodo Overview. General information maintained by the local government.
Sample Itineraries. Excellent 3-6 day itinerary ideas.
Nakahechi Imperial Route. A popular path that Tiger and Bird selected for this trip.
Kumano Kodo Maps. Detailed maps of the various routes, including difficulty and seasonal information and elevation data

NOTE

Tiger and Bird's Rough Itinerary

Google Maps only includes the main roads, so the above map merely highlights our stopping points along the route. We also completed the Hongu Loop over the period of one of the days, staying for two nights in Yunomine.

Day 1
[Top] [Nakahechi Route] [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Off to Kyoto]

Kumano bus on the way to Hosshinmon-oji, the starting point for our journey. There were about twenty people on the bus to also hike this leg of the Kumano Kodo.

Picture 1. One of numerous signs indicating the direction of the next stop for those hiking the Kumano Kodo. Picture 2. Entrance to the forested path of the Hongu loop. Picture 3. Unfortunately, our hike took place several months after a series of typhoons hit the region, which washed out a bridge along our path. We were forced to take the tamer route that intersected with several villages.

Here the path led us between some low-lying houses and farm buildings

One of numerous small, wooden stands adjacent to the Kumano Kodo. Oftentimes, fruit and vegetables are placed here, along with a price list and a small box for purchases to place their coins. Everyone is quite trusting and apparently most hikers are quite trustworthy!

Sometimes the path is quite narrow! This area vaguely reminded us of some paths in the village of Grindelwald, Switzerland

A payphone (and emergency phone!) located outside a traditional Japanese house

Rest stops and restaurants infrequently appear along the Kumano Kodo trail

Paved paths give way to well-maintained stone pathways...

... which in turn give way to simple dirt paths through the forest.

Picture 1. Tiger hiking through a pristine forest. Picture 2. Bird taking a water break in the midst of the forest. Picture 3. Most trees in Asia seem relatively short, but this forest towered far above us, giving our hike an otherworldly feel

As night begins to fall, Tiger and Bird decided to stop by this warm and comfortable restaurant, a perfect blend of traditional outdoor architecture with modern amenities. The waiter/barista/chef was very friendly but spoke little English.

Picture 1. The beautiful interior of the restaurant. Shoes must always be left near the door! Picture 2. A simple set with gyoza made with wild boar meat. Picture 3. Venison on top of rice. A delicious combo!

Day 2
[Top] [Nakahechi Route] [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Off to Kyoto]

Agricultural endeavors are common in the region of Kumano and collections of low-lying houses and farm buildings are often found in the more habitable areas. In the valleys are fields of rice. In the hills are fruit trees and large vegetable gardens.

Locals harvesting fruit from a tree. Cars and trucks in Japan are much more compact than in the USA!

After rounding the top of a hill, we had a wonderful view of the valley beyond the small orange groves.

The vegetation is thick in some areas, and these ferns are massive!

After nearly an entire day of hiking, our ancient path intersects with civilization, and we follow a stone stair (not shown) down to the streets of the town below.

A mannequin that will not only scare away the birds but also tourists like Tiger and Bird! That is just creepy.

A Japanese house with traditional elements in the town. Here our path led us along paved sidewalks.

Most onsens are indoors. This hotel has diverted some of the hot spring water from the adjacent river for hikers to enjoy!

A charming riverside town alongside a hot river. In the winter, locals looking to enjoy an outdoor onsen experience can simply dig a hole in the rocks. The hole quickly fills with steaming hot, mineral infused spring water!

Day 3
[Top] [Nakahechi Route] [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Off to Kyoto]

Passing by some park facilities and other hikers. Always remember to say a quick “hello”! Meeting people from all over the world is part of the charm of hiking the Kumano Kodo!

The tree roots form a natural floor for the path. The forest can be quite dense!

Bird hiking through a Japanese redwood forest. This part of the hike was lovely but would have been quite treacherous in rainy weather.

The vast, stony Kumano riverbed contrasting with the stone steps of the trail leading down the forested hillside into the valley below.

Beautiful autumn leaves set against the verdant moss-covered rocks beside the path. Here the path led us through a small park in the valley.

Various monuments in the park

This park had benches but no other facilities!

A view of the town from the valley floor. The Kumano river was more like a large stream when we visited, but from the positioning the towns and the high walls along the banks, this must frequently become a mighty river.

Taking a quick standing break in the Kumano riverbed. At the trailhead by the hillside, numerous walking sticks had been left by other hikers. We used several while traversing the valley.

The entrance to a temple in the valley. Here we met several government tourist officers and filled out a survey for them about our recent hiking experiences.

The Kumano Kodo trail network stretches throughout the beautiful, forested Kie Mountains.

Tiger and Bird loved hiking the Kumano Kodo in late Autumn. During the day, we would trek from morning until afternoon, stopping at inns to rest our weary bodies in hot, mineral-infused onsens as dusk and the frosty night air set in. At night we would sleep on fragrant tatami mats and wake early for the next day’s adventure. The experience was wonderful, and we certainly plan on returning!

Off to Kyoto
[Top] [Nakahechi Route] [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Off to Kyoto]

All aboard the Panda Express! After looking at various routes, we decided to take the train from Shingu station back around the peninsula to Kyoto via Osaka. A JR Kansai rail pass provided a great way for us to do just that, and enable us to travel onwards as far as Kobe and other cities in the Kansai region. We sat on the left side of the train to get the best view of the beaches and small towns by the ocean.

Picture 1. The interior of our train. Everything was clean and beautifully maintained. We almost exclusively had the cabin to ourselves for the first hour or so of the journey. Picture 2 and Picture 3. We picked up bento boxes from a small sushi restaurant opposite the train station before jumping on the train. Be sure to check your departure times! We almost missed this JR train departure since we mistakenly believed we could take a later, second train (which ended up being run by another company).

The scenery was quite beautiful on the train to Kyoto. Vast, stony beaches interrupted by small, seaside towns with huge concrete bulwarks facing the ocean and large rivers emptying out into the ocean. We rested on the four-hour trip to Osaka before catching our connection for the next one-hour trip to Kyoto.

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A fun extended weekend retreat to Naka Island near Phuket!

Previous post Staying in the quaint village of Yunomine in the Kie Mountains of Japan

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2019-12-25T01:57:00.001-08:00

The Quaint Mountain Village of Yunomine in Wakayama, Japan

2019-11-30T14:48:00.000-08:00

[Top] [Ryokan Suggestions] [Tsubo-yu Onsen]

A tourist strolling through the small mountainside town of Yunomine in Wakayama Prefecture

Yunomine (pronounced “you-nah-min-ayy”) is a delightful mountain village that Tiger and Bird immediately fell in love with. Surrounded by cozy Japanese inns and houses, a hot stream - fed by boiling, mineral-rich water rising naturally out of the ground - flows lazily down the hillside, creating plumes of steam in the frosty winter night air. Central to the town is a public onsen fed by the hot waters of the stream. The crown jewel of Yunomine is Tsubo-yu Onsen, a small wooden, partially open-air cabin built over the natural hot spring waters of the stream itself. Tsubo-yu is one of the oldest onsens in Japan (perhaps discovered more than 1,500 years ago according to our innkeeper) and holds the distinction of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tiger and Bird strongly recommend that anyone who plans to hike the Kumano Kodo trail MUST book at least one night in this quaint and isolated mountain village.

The town has a small general store and several drink vending machines selling sake and other alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) beverages. The bus stop, located near the public onsen in the center of the town, is a prominent stopping point for multiple buses traveling East-West to major train stations on either side of the Kumano region (the port cities of Tanabe in the East, and Shingu in the West). That’s about it- onsens, ryoken, and clean mountain air basically make up Yunomine. Oh, and if you’re interested in staying in Yunomine, bear in mind that this village is a very popular location- be sure to book your preferred inn (read on for our suggestions) at least several months in advance!

Yunomine just after dusk. The naturally hot stream that passes through the town is mineral rich and great for boiling eggs!

Yunomine is a relatively sleepy town during the day. Visitors are hiking the nearby Kumano trails while the sun is up, and wearily resting in the evening hours in the various inns and public and private onsens. The real charm of the village starts around 4:30 PM, just before the early darkness of the mountains descends.

View of the public onsen at night. The traveler in the orange jacket is purchasing a ticket from the attendant

If you're familiar with Japanese cuisine, onsen tamago (onsen egg) can be a nice accompaniment for breakfast! This low-temperature egg was traditionally cooked in nets in hot onsens, giving the cooked egg a delightfully creamy texture. Here in Yunomine, there is a cooking onsen located in the center of the village (public use, free of charge). Tiger and Bird enjoyed cooking eggs here in the hot river on several occasions.

Stairs to the boiling-hot stream that flows through the village. Travelers can cook eggs and other food in the stream.

Picture 1. View of the stairs from the stream. Picture 2. Cooking some onsen eggs to add to our wild boar stew! Picture 3. Steam rising above the cooking area. That water is HOT!

Lodgings
[Top] [Ryokan Suggestions] [Tsubo-yu Onsen]

Ryokan Adumaya is centrally located near the bus stop and opposite the public onsen

Tiger and Bird spent about thirty minutes selecting a Ryokan for Yunomine, but we did run into several very good options across a wide budget range. We recommend, if possible, that visitors consider splurging here and cutting a bit elsewhere to get the full mountain village experience!

Ryokan Adumaya. Best in class. Cost $300/night for two people. Traditional Japanese facilities and comfort with great location, food, and service. This ryokan is centrally located in the village, across from both the bus stop and public onsen. Tsubo-yu is also located only a few steps away! Oh, for those lazy folks who are driving, this inn also is one of only a few in Yunomine that has a private parking lot.

J-Hoppers Yunomine . Cost $100/night for two people in a private room. J-Hoppers is a popular chain among backpackers, and, having talked to multiple travelers staying there in Yunomine, appeared to be clean and an excellent choice for those on a budget. Dorm room beds also available, but the private rooms apparently are an excellent alternative to a regular ryokan. Location up the hill from the center of town, but very walkable (less than 100m distance).

Yunominesou. Cost $200/night for two people. This spa complex is not in the village of Yunomine itself but located about 600m down the hill from the public onsen. The facilities are dated but food and service excellent. Also, for those booking early enough, rooms are available that have a nice view of the valley below. Originally, Tiger and Bird had planned to stay here, but the inn was fully booked by the time we were ready to place our reservations.

Walking up the road through Yunomine Village

Tsubo-yu Onsen
[Top] [Ryokan Suggestions] [Tsubo-yu Onsen]

Tsubo-yu Onsen needs to be reserved well ahead of time - each thirty minute slot fills up quickly in the evening!

Tsubo-yu Onsen is one of the oldest onsens in Japan, dating back to the stream's discovery about 1,500 years ago. The site is well-maintained and the onsen is set into the stream itself. Tickets must be obtained from the public onsen attendant down the road, and each ticket is valid for a predetermined 30-minute time slot. Also note that Tsubo-yu, unlike the public onsen, is private and therefore not separated by gender and open for couples. Just remember to keep an eye on the clock! After a long day of hiking, resting weary bodies and sore feet in the onsen waters, time has a tendency to fly by.

Picture 1. Entrance to Tsubo-yu. There is a latch so that the onsen is locked from the inside. Picture 2. Stairway down into the onsen. Picture 3. The onsen has a bluish hue, but don't let that fool you! The water seeps in from the stream itself and is incredibly hot, even by onsen standards.

Tsubo-yu onsen feels like stepping back into a forgotten past

The onsen is only partially shielded from the outdoors, with the alternating wooden slats allowing for a decent amount of airflow. This is quite welcome following the initial chill since the stream is incredibly hot. Nothing is better than the refreshing feeling of cold winter air on the face while relaxing in a hot onsen.

The onsen is incredibly hot! Be sure to use plenty of cold water to cool down the onsen when in use.

We found Yunomine so delightful that we decided to extend our stay. During the day, we hiked the Kumano Kodo trails in the surrounding hills and valleys. The evenings we spent lounging in the onsens and enjoying relaxing traditional Japanese-style meals before sleeping on tatami in our ryokan. If anything, Yunomine is an experience of stepping back through time to a place relatively unchanged from several hundred years ago, a good blend of modern convenience with traditional experiences and accommodations. The next time we hike the Kumano Kodo, we will definitely be back!

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Coming up next, hiking the Kumano Kodo trail in Wakayama, Japan!

Previous post: Traveling from Kyoto on the road to Kumano

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Off to Japan! Traveling through Mie Prefecture and Wakayama on the Road to Kumano

2019-10-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

[Top] [Onigajo] [Maruyama Senmaida] [Waterfalls] [Yunomine]

The Kumano River moving slowly through the vast, stony riverbed in Wakayama, Japan

Beautiful visages of exotic mountainsides shrouded in the fiery yellows and reds of autumn. Long, winding trails of the millennium-old Kumano Kodo pilgrimage paths snaking its way through untamed forests. Spectacular cliffs, and quaint villages nestled in the mysterious Kii mountains. Plumes of steam rising from naturally hot riverbeds gently heating the frosty night air. Yes, this is Japan. A rural and authentic Japan. Tiger and Bird were stoked. After several years of planning and multiple postponed starts, we were finally embarking on this magical trek across the ancient Kii mountain trails!

Here Tiger would like to give a shout out to DK – of Kyoto, with a family background from the Mie Prefecture – for a wonderful trip to his hometown, admirable hospitality while touring the region, and a brief stay with his family (you know who you are!). Onigajo (a seaside volcanic formation known as “the devil’s house”) and Maruyama Senmaida (1,000 rice paddies built into a mountainside) were added to our route by DK. As a side note, our own preparation for the Kumano Kodo trail exceeded 30 hours- a time commitment necessary to determine the exact paths we planned to take among other details (food, lodging, transportation). Originally, we planned for the full five-day hike.

This story is told over three separate posts. On the third post we will cover the Kumano Kodo hike as well as provide some details that will hopefully shorten planning time for posterity. The chronology of places visited in this series of posts is roughly accurate, although our actual trip was spread out a bit longer and included additional stops. Note that while we don’t usually post pictures of ourselves, we’ll include some here for a better sense of scale (faces blurred since we tend to like our privacy!).

Plane parked at the terminal of Kansai International Airport

Tiger and Bird arrived at Kansai International Airport in the early morning hours of a cold November day. The weather for our trip had been forecast as fantastic- all sunshine and no rain, and this time the weather person was (surprisingly) correct. Walking up to border control with a smile and a good morning in English, the agent took a cursory glance at our passports and quickly waved us on. “Arigato” we replied, retrieving our passports and moving towards the area to pick up our checked luggage. We passed through without a problem, picked up a prepaid SIM card, and quickly walked through the terminal. Everything was moving very smoothly.

Picture 1. The brightly lit airport terminal was clean and efficient. Picture 2. It’s a meeee, Mariooo! We were quite pleased to be greeted by a friendly a familiar face. Picture 3. Although everything in Japan seems fun and cute, this little guy was not smiling at us!

The quick efficiency we experienced at the airport slammed to a halt when we reached the train station ticket counter. Or, more accurately, ticket counters. Multiple rail companies had separate offices and separate ticket schemes. One of the offices had a long line snaking around the frosty outdoors, with cold fog still lingering in the bright sunlight. Tiger and Bird looked at each other.

“No way. That couldn’t be our line.” Bird said.

“Yeah. There must be a ticket machine or something! Those people must be waiting to talk to an agent.” Tiger replied, with a laugh. But lo and behold, we soon realized that although we knew exactly which ticket we needed, there was no ticket machine for us and we were destined to wait in line for about an hour before beginning our journey.

Osaka Station is housed in a huge, modern building with many platforms serviced by several providers. Connected to this station are several massive complexes of shopping malls and hotels!

Japan Railway’s Haruka Express train to Osaka Station (not to be confused with the nearby shinkansen’s Shin-Osaka station!) from Kansai airport was relatively quick with ample room for our luggage. Osaka Station turned out to be a massive train terminal with many signs and multiple train lines that proved nearly unintelligible for us tourists. The language gap was a big issue that we had not expected. For about half an hour, we – even as veteran travelers with experience navigating public transportation in nearly every Asian nation – were clueless and confused. Google Maps proved to be nearly useless as well, suggesting trains from multiple platforms serviced by multiple providers that were not referenced in the step-by-step directions (Japan Railway tickets only work for Japan Railway trains, we were scolded while trying to pass through one gate).

The shopping complex immediately outside the Japanese Railway gates at Osaka Station. Although the guard is looking right at the camera as I took the picture, he ended up passing us by.

What felt like an eternity and several very kind passerbys and one particularly helpful conductor (who spoke some English!) later, we found ourselves chatting with a Hawaiian couple while waiting on our train to Kyoto. Naturally, the discussion revolved around how the train system worked and what tickets to buy. The husband admitted, with some chagrin, that although he was half-Japanese by ethnicity and spoke some Japanese, he too sometimes struggled navigating the train systems. We quickly exchanged a few small parting gifts as we all boarded the train to Kyoto. The trip was short and pleasant. The train was very clean and periodically played cute tunes announcing an upcoming stop.

A tale of Japan Railway’s Kansai Regional Pass
Japanese trains operate under private and semi-private organizations. Japan Railways is not a single organization, but rather a series of private companies in which each Japanese region is controlled and administered by a separate, distinct Japan Railways entity. This matters when a customer, like us, wants a specific region pass- in this case, a Kansai Rail Pass. Within the massive Kyoto Station, we discovered five separate ticket offices representing five separate regional branches of Japan Railways. But our rail pass could only be purchased from the Kansai Japan Railway office. It was all very confusing, made even more so when multiple offices directed us to the wrong other offices (three times). Each trip represented about a fifteen minute walk since the station is huge. Finally, a kind conductor, seeing our dilemna, brought us most of the way to the office we needed. *Note that the general Japan rail pass is very easy to both purchase and use. The Kansai regional pass is where we experienced some difficulty*

We quickly met DK outside of the Kyoto terminal and began our journey deep into Mie Prefecture. In addition to the natural beauty of Japan is the beauty of the country’s infrastructure. As far as developed countries go, Japan is the DEFINITION of fully developed. Well-paved and well-marked roads took the car through the city and the urban areas towards a region that grew increasingly wild and mountainous. Even in the more deserted areas, the roadways were still well-maintained. Eventually, the highway began to occasionally give way to well-lit tunnels weaving underneath the larger hills. And, to the astonishment of us native Bangkokians, the traffic on this highway for the entire drive was virtually nonexistent.

Highway through Mie Prefecture. In the hill up ahead is one of the first tunnels we approached.

Picture 1. A highway tunnel underneath one of the larger hills. Picture 2. We were surprised to see a Redbull car driving into the countryside! Picture 3. Stunning hill formations that grew larger and larger as we went further Southeast towards the ocean

Fishing village of Isozakicho, near the highway on the route heading southwest in Mie Prefecture

Hotel Nami is situated high above an abutment the protects a small harbor and large beach. The huge concrete beams piled together to protect the ships speaks volumes about the temperament of nearby seas.

After some time, we pulled into a rest stop nestled between hills covered in pine trees. We walked up to the three-story building and decided to eat at the small, Japanese-style eatery on the ground floor. After placing our orders with a vending-style machine (different buttons corresponded to different meals- think sashimi or tonkatsu), we paid the cashier and sat down while waiting for our food. Soon enough, the buzzer lit up and we picked up lunch. It was freshly prepared from the kitchen and delicious. While waiting, a tourist representative for the Kumano region, who was eating nearby, briefly said hello while asking us about our trip.

We continued driving towards the coast, now heading to the southwest, still deeper into Mie Prefecture and fast approaching the Kumano region. After what seemed like a short while, we arrived at the “devil’s house”.

Onigajo
[Top] [Onigajo] [Maruyama Senmaida] [Waterfalls] [Yunomine]

Onigajo. Uneven stairways over broken and baron volcanic rock are testaments to the harshness of the elements

Onigajo is a seaside cliff face and rock formation located near the fishing village of Isozakicho in Kumano. Tiger and Bird had heard tales of the abode of this terrifying entity. Rocky, volcanic cliffs bashed and scarred by the elements until the twisted, mangled formations that remained appear otherworldly; this in stark contrast to the well-manicured hills and beaches of the surrounding area. There was also a random sign that seemed to indicate this was the chosen abode for pirates at some point in history.

This sign marks Onigajo. Yes, the sign is in Japanese- but you can take Tiger’s word for it!

As a tourist location, Onigajo is great. There is ample free parking and a large building with restaurants serving snacks and small souvenir shops. The walkways are well maintained leading down to Onigajo as well. However, after stepping through the small tunnel that leads out onto the rocks, the area changes quite a bit. Gone were the smooth walkways surfaces and we found ourselves out on rock, granted well-manicured rock around the main path.

Picture 1. Stairway leading down to the main chamber of Onigajo. Picture 2. The cliffs are quite large, as Bird is demonstrating here. Picture 3. Another stairway leading further along the rock formation

Picture 1. Main door into Onigajo. The floor is ribbed and pocked, although for this area the ridges are smoothed down. Picture 2. Common appearance of the rock for Onigajo. Picture 3. Tiger standing on the “front porch” near the sea

Tourist map at Onigajo. This image is uncompressed in case you would like to take a closer look!

The tourist maps are surprisingly detailed, although please note that the language is all in Japanese. Keep Google translate ready! Some of the attractions listed here like Mount Nachi’s waterfall and Dorohaccho valley intersect with popular Kumano Kodo trails (more on the trail in next month’s post).

Entrance “chamber” of Onigajo, contrasting the barren rock face with the surrounding landscape

Black sand beaches near the Shishi-iwa (Lion Rock) landmark

Tiger and bird were taken aback by the blending of nature and developed towns along the coastline further into Kumano. Expansive, empty shorelines gleamed against a late afternoon sun. Yet, even so, massive seaward-facing concrete bulwarks of at least 3m in height had been erected as buffers against the tame ocean waters sitting far away. Evidently these buffers are designed for large ocean storms and Tsunami waves. This makes sense if only by realizing the literal translation from Japanese for Tsunami is harbor wave (although in the West the word is of course reserved for large waves caused by undersea earthquakes and the like). Soon we again headed inland, with the terrain quickly becoming more rugged and mountainous.

Picture 1. Driving between hills by farmland. Picture 2. A small town situated in the valley. Picture 3. Low-lying houses nestled between green fields

Picture 1. Driving along a two-way road that can only really accommodate a single vehicle (there is a steep drop down a forested cliff on the left). The mirrors proved to be very necessary! Picture 2. The forests are quite beautiful in the afternoon sunlight. Picture 3. A brief break in the trees above a cliff face provides a great opportunity to see the valley!

As we continued along tiny, winding roads clinging to the sides of large hills – often little wider than the car itself – Tiger began to wonder what would happen if we ran into another car going in the opposite direction (this road was marked as two-way). Thankfully, we never found out. The forest soon began to thin and we had our first glimpse of Maruyama Senmaida between the trees.

Maruyama Senmaida
[Top] [Onigajo] [Maruyama Senmaida] [Waterfalls] [Yunomine]

The “1,000” terraced rice paddies of Maruyama Senmaida in late fall

Maruyama Senmaida is a collection of terraced rice patties set into a large hill in Kumano. This particular location was once rumored to have 1,000 rice patties (hence the name senmaida), although our estimates when doing a quick count seemed to indicate there are far less these days! The place is incredible to see, although the fields in late November are of course dry and barren ahead of the winter season. To see the hill in all of its glory, a visit in the July – August months, which is just before harvest, is best. Note that although Maruyama Senmaida is a tourist attraction, it is primarily an active rice field and tourist facilities as well as parking areas are virtually nonexistent.

Picture 1. Winding road snaking down through the rice paddies. We came from the narrow mountain road at the top and drove down the hill. Picture 2. A massive boulder, considerably larger than even most houses in the USA, sits in the middle of the hill. Pictures 3. Stuning view of Maruyama Senmaida as the sun prepares to set behind the nearby hills.

After taking a few minutes to stop by the road and admire the surreal scene before us, we proceeded to drive to the top of the hill and gradually make our way down the winding road into the valley below. By this time the afternoon sun was beginning to wane and evening was fast approaching. The area was mostly deserted and we sighted no tourists and only a few locals.

View from the top Maruyama Senmaida facing the winding valley in the distance

Several locals talking at the side of the road, set against the majestic backdrop of the nearby mountains

The sun shone brilliantly against the small stone walls that lined road and terraced rice paddies, contrasting against the distant dark blues of the nearby hills. As the path snaked backwards and forwards across the face of the hill, we passed one sweet shop and a number of houses before we were off to find our lodging further down in the valley. Soon the cold air of darkness would envelope us, and a night abounding with Japanese snacks and many glasses of hot sake would begin!

Ryokin in the Kumano region
Planing a trip to Kumano? Always look for ryokin inns that have natural hot spring onsens! Nothing is better than soaking in steaming, mineral-rich natural spring water after a day of hiking and exploring. For the uninitiated, a Ryokan is a small, Japanese-style inn that is floored with tatami (traditional bamboo straw mats) and typically has sliding doors and other traditional Japanese amenities.

Morning fog moving down from the mountains and into the valley

Tiger and Bird awoke early after a night of deep and fulfilling sleep. The faint smell of bamboo from the tatami filled the room. Groggily making our way out into the frosty morning air, we found ourselves amid gold-tinged fields of winter, watching early morning fog rolling into the valley from the hills and mountains above. Life in the small towns of Kumano is paced much more slowly than the fast-moving nearby cities of Osaka and Kyoto. Life perhaps feels more authentic to traditional Japan and less impacted by the modernization and rapid changes of recent centuries. After a traditional Japanese breakfast, we bid farewell to our friendly and gracious hosts and proceeded back into the mountains. Today we were searching for waterfalls and other natural wonders, before proceeding to the mountain village of Yunomine.

Picture 1. Fog rolling over the mountains into the valley. The area is heavily agrarian; houses and small fields seemingly fill whatever flat areas exist. Picture 2. Roadway following a small stream along the valley floor. Picture 3. Rural Japanese houses lining the road across from some fields

Our trip was now well into Kumano, driving narrow mountain roads with steep drop-offs on the one side and steep ascents on the other. Gone were the populated areas of the valley, and we were on our own- driving onwards, every once and again gingerly passing another car headed in the opposite direction. Signs, as well as some road damage, warned us of the dangers from falling rocks from above. In some areas, broken stones and other rubble collected near the edge of the road. After some time along these mountain roads, we approached the three-tiered Nunobikino waterfall.

Kumano Waterfalls
[Top] [Onigajo] [Maruyama Senmaida] [Waterfalls] [Yunomine]

Nunobikino Falls in Kumano

The three-tiered Nunobikino Falls in Kumano (not be confused with a waterfall of the same name outside the city of Kobe) is set into the hills nearby the narrow mountain road we were traveling. The signage for the waterfall is quite small, but there is a very small parking area at the side of the road for those wishing to go down to the pool at the base of the falls. The trek itself is neither difficult nor far, so of course we all decided to rise to the challenge!

Picture 1. The three tiers of Nunobikino falls. Picture 2. Boulders and other stones litter the forest floor on the path down to the base of the falls. Picture 3. Dark waters of the pool below the falls. The water is also a beautiful acqua color in the shallower areas (not seen in here).

The brief exercise was a nice break to our drive. We then continued onwards through the forests. Now and again the stonework of old steps and small support walls appeared, with wooden signs denoting that these intersecting mountain paths were part of the Kumano Kodo trail network. Small shrines also occasionally appeared beside the road.

Arataki Waterfall in Kumano

The streams flowing down through the mountains were beautiful against the backdrop of the fading autumn leaves of the forest. But our time driving through small mountain roads was now complete, and we were now headed back to the faster roads that lined the Kumano River.

Industry appears to be active in limited areas around Kumano; one example being the piles of timber in front of some of the heavily forested hills

After several more activities, which for brevity's sake we will not include, we drove onwards to our destination: the mountain village of Yunomine.

Yunomine
[Top] [Onigajo] [Maruyama Senmaida] [Waterfalls] [Yunomine]

Yunomine is nestled around a natural hot river in the Kii mountains

Yunomine is beautiful and one of the highlights of our trek along the Kumano Kodo trail. Within this delightful town is Tsubo-yu Onsen, a UNESCO heritage site and one of the oldest onsens in Japan. Several thirty minute onsen sessions directly in the hot river within this rustic wooden shed almost makes the trip worth it in and of itself! Read more about Yunomine and Tsubo-Yu Onsen in our next post.

Our arrival was in the late afternoon, with dusk fast approaching. Life in the mountains of Kumano appears to shut down quite early, with darkness falling shortly after 5pm. As such, Tiger and Bird - gladly - enjoyed a session in a private onsen before taking rest and preparing for the rigor of the following day. Yes, our trek along the Kumano Kodo trail was finally about to begin. But first, let's explore Yunomine!

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Coming up next, exploring the mountain village of Yunomine and Tsubo-yu Onsen!

Previous post Exploring sleepy Kanchanaburi and visiting the Bridge over the River Kwai

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Exploring the sleepy town of Kanchanaburi and crossing the Bridge over the River Kwai

2019-08-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

[Top] [Giant Raintree] [Wat Tham Suea] [JEATH War Museum] [Bridge over the River Kwai]

Passenger train crossing the Bridge over the River Kwai

Kanchanaburi is the shared name for both a province and the largest town in that province. Kanchanaburi town is situated around 150km northwest of Bangkok, which typically translates to a leisurely three hour drive along local roads. Along this drive, the province first appears to be largely flat with some low-lying hills before giving way to large mountains and thick jungle in the north and west. But don’t let this description fool you! Kanchanaburi’s climate is still very much the tropics, with beautiful Instagram posts often belying the intense heat and humidity in the summer months, which often exceed levels found in Bangkok.

Kanchanaburi tourism highlights include the Bridge over the River Kwai, part of the WWII-era Burmese railroad that was made famous by the movie of the same name, and Erawan National Park, which is home to the otherworldly seven-tiered Erawan Falls– a series of waterfalls that convey cold, mineral-infused mountain waters through cloudy jungle pools down into the Khwai Yai river far below. There is no need to fear crocodiles around the falls- there has never been one sighted in the area; but, well, the jungle is still home to snakes, water monitors, and other creatures. But we diverge! Let's get back on topic.

Tiger and Bird love Kanchanaburi and have experienced a bit of a renaissance this past year in terms of visiting this area. Our most recent itinerary included stopping by a giant raintree, taking a small tram up the steep hill to Wat Tham Suea, visiting the incredibly detailed WWII exhibit at JEATH War Museum, and finally crossing the still-active Bridge over the River Kwai. This photojourney details our trip!

Farmer watering his crops in the shadow of the not-so-distant hills

The drive to Kanchanaburi town is mostly unremarkable and requires taking local roads – there are no highways in this direction after leaving Thailand’s capitol – for the entirety of the three-hour trip*. Skyscrapers and concrete overpasses soon give way to smaller rows of houses and shops. This is followed by farmland and green space interspersed with villages and clusters of buildings around major intersections. Finally, hills start rising on the horizon, shrouded in dense jungle vegetation.

*Note that for long weekends, we leave early to beat traffic jams that will develop later in the day. Hey, it can make a difference of up to an hour for the drive!

Small house surrounded by fields of young corn with the jungle behind!

Our first stop soon approaches, the giant raintree of Kanchanaburi!

The Giant Raintree
[Top] [Giant Raintree] [Wat Tham Suea] [JEATH War Museum] [Bridge over the River Kwai]

A giant chamchuri in the middle of nowhere has become a popular spot to visit for locals and tourists alike!

Kanchanaburi has only one giant chamchuri (the Thai word for raintree). In person, the tree is a majestic colossus that towers above the surrounding trees and spreads its mighty boughs over the earth. For a long time, this raintree was left in obscurity near the top of a hilly area near the town. However, in recent years – seemingly after the rise of social media – locals and tourists alike have made the trip out to the tree. In late 2018, local authorities installed a walkway and other upgrades to the area to better accommodate visitors and nearby shops while also protecting the roots of the tree.

There is a parking lot and small local market selling Thai-style snacks and drinks to visitors. We picked up some purple yams to munch on while touring the area and washed that down with a coconut smoothie. The area is landscaped with concrete walkways and some benches in a mostly sunny area. In the nearby field vendors offer horseback rides to youngsters.

Visitors relaxing in the cool shade of the giant raintree. The platform was erected late last year to protect the tree's extensive root system

The air is hot and humid, but as we approach the tree a coolness seems to fall around us. The boughs are huge and appear to span at least 10m (about 33ft). The fiery rays of the sun are blotted out in the thicket of leaves above and we relax, taking a short break to marvel at the size of this ancient tree. Documentation indicates this tree has been here for well over 100 years.

The location of other raintrees throughout Thailand have become more of an open secret among conservationists in recent years. They exist, but you will be hard pressed to find them on the map (let alone on a map in the English language)! The giant chamchuri of Kanchanaburi used to sit undisturbed in the middle of a field and now the immediate area is much more developed. That’s not to say this is a bad thing; the infrastructure around the tree is necessary to protect its massive root system and the tree is now policed to ensure visitors don’t try to climb its branches.

Photo 1. The giant raintree lives up to its name- it's massive. The huge branches seen here appear to be longer than 10m (33ft) in length. Photo 2. The twisting boughs of the chamchuri. This was meant to be more of an artistic shot than anything else. Photo 3. Long branches extending out from the trunk of the tree

If you haven’t seen a giant raintree before, or if you enjoy nature photography, a quick stop at the Kanchanaburi Chamchuri is highly recommended! We spent about half an hour at the place before the fifteen-minute drive to our next location, Wat Tham Suea.

Wat Tham Suea
[Top] [Giant Raintree] [Wat Tham Suea] [JEATH War Museum] [Bridge over the River Kwai]

Wat Tham Suea rising from the valley floor makes for a striking scene in the late morning hours!

Wat Tham Suea is striking, situated on a low-lying rocky outcrop from the valley floor, half ringed in by distant hills of dark green and bluish hues on the one side, and the flatlands beyond the Mae Klong river on the other (note that this temple should not be confused with Krabi’s Wat Tham Sua). Initially, Tiger and Bird merely admire the place from a distance – after all, we planned on driving on to town after visiting the raintree – but then chose to drive through the narrow sois in the small village at the back of the hill to find the entrance. We arrived shortly before noon on a sweltering hot day, but thankfully found parking in the small main parking lot at the base of the temple. Incidentally, it appeared to be the last available spot, with many locals and busloads of tourists visiting the temple.

Photo 1. Tourists descending the 157 step staircase from the top of the temple. Photo 2. Another visitor descending the steps. Photo 3. The rudimentary tram (cable car) that takes visitors up a steep incline (probably close to 50 or 60 degrees) to the top for a nominal fee

For a small fee, we took the tram up to the top rather than climb the stairs during the heat of the day. Despite the crowds, the top of the temple wasn’t too busy and offered spectacular views of the surrounding area with a relatively strong breeze making the hot tropical sun more bearable.

View of the Mae Klong River from the top of Wat Tham Suea

The top of Wat Tham Suea in Kanchanaburi

Numerous rice paddies of yellow, green, and brownish hues dotted the surrounding valley floor. Flocks of birds could be seen flying in small dark clouds against the horizon. Soon the temperature dropped dramatically as light clouds that had been gathering throughout the day began to block the sun.

Kanchanaburi rice paddies as seen from Wat Tham Suea

After spending about an hour taking in the view and then shopping at the many food stalls near the parking lot, we drove off in the direction of Kanchanaburi town. Oh, did I mention the coconut smoothies? Yes, we got two more of those for the road! The scenery was stunning and the drive relatively easy, with little traffic outside of the immediate area of Wat Tham Suea.

Thai-Chinese graves are situated beside the road. The topography here is ideal for those who follow the Feng Shui philosophy

As we drove north with the river to our right and the hills to our left, dozens of Chinese grave sites suddenly came into view, all ornately designed and decorated and immaculately maintained. Then these few dozen gave way to hundreds of graves across what appeared to be several major sites. For some background, many Thai people can trace their lineage in some way back to China, and these Thai Chinese – as they are called and call themselves – hold fast to many of the traditions, and sometimes superstitions, passed on to them by the previous generations.

In Thailand, most bodies are cremated upon death (the logic follows that in the next life the person has no need of their former body), but Thai Chinese often strictly follow the ancient philosophy of Feng Shui- in essence, harmony with nature. Here, these graves are well-situated for very good Feng Shui. There is a large mountain (hill) covered in forests behind the grave, and the grave happens to face East towards a river, receiving plenty of sunlight throughout the day.

Road leading to the building that houses the provincial governmenet for Kanchanaburi. For Tiger and Bird, we're simply passing through!

Once reaching Kanchanaburi town, we lunched at a local riverside Thai restaurant. Our favorite dishes vary, but usually along the river we’ll order whatever the restaurant offers from that river! Our lineup for the day consisted of 1) deep fried freshwater fish with a sweet fish sauce, accompanied with a spicy mango dip 2) stir-fried morning glory 3) tom yum soup 4) white rice, among other smaller dishes. Yes, there is a reason we expats struggle keeping our weight down after spending a few years in Thailand! Our table, placed on the corner of a moored barge, provided a wonderful vantage point of the Kwai. Here we watched a local ferry transporting some tourists and motorcycles from one side of the river to the other.

Bicycling tourists taking the ferry back to Kanchanaburi town

This particular ferry is very local and appears designed specifically to transport motorcycles from one shore to the other.

Photo 1. Motorcycles on the flat-decked ferry prepare to embark. Photo 2. Motorcycle ferry pulling away from the dock and heading out to open water. Photo 3. Motorcycle ferry crossing the River Kwai further downstream from the famous bridge

Following our delicious repast, we felt invigorated and ready to tackle the local museum. After leisurely finishing up our dessert, our trip resumed.

JEATH War Museum
[Top] [Giant Raintree] [Wat Tham Suea] [JEATH War Museum] [Bridge over the River Kwai]

Entrance to the JEATH War Museum. The area is constantly busy during the day, so I took this photo just before closing time.

The JEATH War Museum, known in Thailand as Wat Tai War Museum, is consists of several buildings separated into two distinct sections. One section of the museum is dedicated to documenting Thailand’s military history and military struggles (the country’s bitter historic rival was Burma, now Myanmar). The other section of the museum is dedicated to WWII, specifically the construction of the Thai-Burma railway (“Death Railway”) by Japan using Allied prisoner of war labor. JEATH obtains its name from the WWII-conflict, with the acronym standing for Japan, England, Australia, America, Thailand, and Holland.

JEATH War Museum
Hours: 9am – 4pm, daily
Admission: 30 baht per person

We arrived at the JEATH War Museum in the early afternoon hours and parked in the lot right across the street from the museum. The entire area is heavily commercialized - note that the Bridge over the River Kwai is located a few minutes walk from here - with locals setting up a small market that caters directly to visitors. Crowds of tourists frequently disembark from large buses and move towards the bridge. The entrance to the museum, seen above, is quite large and houses one of the actual WWII-era locomotives used by the Japanese. Paying the nominal fee, we entered the museum.

Thai musem with statues of kings in front and generals on the outside walls of the first. Within are examples of weaponry and large wall murals depicting life in general and Thai conflicts

On the right side, we passed by a large building with ornate statues of former kings positioned outside. The statues in the wall are famous military figures, depicted with weaponry commonly used in the bearer’s time.

A statue outside the Thai portion of the war museum

Entering the museum, we found numerous examples of historic weaponry in display cases, with extensive depictions of daily life and various conflicts detailed in huge wall murals.

Photo 1. Daily life around the Grand Palace. Photo 2. Conflict as invaders attack a Thai city's walls. Elephants were widely utilized during both times of peace and times of war. Photo 3. Men - and women - joining the conflict outside a small Thai town. Just a guess on Tiger's part, but the invaders are likely Burmese soldiers

After walking around the Thai museum, we moved across the small courtyard to the JEATH museum.

Interesting statue holding a fish in the courtyard of the museum

Entrance to the JEATH War Museum

The JEATH War Museum is dedicated to the WWII-era Allied prisoners of war who provided the labor to construct the Thai-Burma Railway for the Japanese. Due to brutal conditions, disease, and mistreatment, many Allied POWs and local conscripted labor died during construction of the railway, earning it the nickname “Death Railway.”

To be honest, Tiger approached the musem with simply a passing interest, but the history displayed here proved intriguing and engaging. For those looking for a detailed look at what was happening in the world at the time of the Burma Railroad, this is a great place to find information.

Artist's illustration of a locamotive on the Burma Railway

The JEATH War Museum is also separated into several sections. One section shows the life of soldiers in WWII-era Southeast Asia, including equipment generally used by all warring parties in the region. This ranged from weaponry and replications of army quarters (see below) to the types of food and alcohol soldiers typically enjoyed.

Display of equipment used by Allied soldiers in WWII-era Southeast Asia

Photo 1. A WWII-era lunchbox used by a Japanese soldier. Photo 2. Lunchbox and other effects used by Allied soldiers during the war. Photo 3. A typewriter with some form of encryption used by US soldiers during WWII in Kanchanaburi province.

The second section of the JEATH museum starts with the broader conflict before focusing in on Japan's construction of the Thai-Burma Railway. Hundreds of photographs with extensive captions detail the public posturing and responses of various WWII-era leaders - and other important people - around world stage incidents. This creates a very detailed timeline around WWII and provides background to the more local events. This eventually leads to hundreds of photographs detailing the Thai-Burma Railway and numerous photographs of the prisoners of war working on that railway. Japanese guards apparently took many photographs to document the construction progress for their superiors back home.

Sadly, many photos on display are beginning to fade. The photographs still serve their purpose, however- a vivid and candid reminder of what happened during the Burma Railroad's construction process. In nearby display cases are also weaponry and tools that were used during that time.

Photo 1. A series of photographs detailing the Burma-Thailand railway; some are archived Japanese photographs of prisoners of war laboring on the railroad; others depict the aftermath of Allied bombing runs over various railroad bridges along the Burmese railway. The detail and descriptions are well assembled and very thorough. Photo 2. Chong Kai War Cemetery in Thailand, and other regional cemeteries that contain the bodies of Allied prisoners of war who died in captivity. Photo 3. A very early photograph of the Bridge over the River Kwae in Kanchanaburi. Note the surroundings at the time were covered in untamed jungle vegetation.

A story of a fearful and untrusting world gradually descending into madness and enveloped in chaos and flames. This and thoughtful perusal of the thorough and detailed material documenting the conditions endured by Allied POWs during the construction of the Burmese Railway set a solemn note to the otherwise fun day. And the Bridge over the River Kwai lost, if ever so slightly, the cheerful background whistle of “Colonel Bogey” to instead become a poignant connection to and reminder of a scary and unsettling time from days now long past

Bridge over the River Kwai
[Top] [Giant Raintree] [Wat Tham Suea] [JEATH War Museum] [Bridge over the River Kwai]

Tourists traversing the actual Bridge over the River Kwai

The famous (infamous?) Bridge over the river Kwai can be seen from the riverfront of the JEATH War Museum. The entire area is quite touristy with a motel and many small shops located nearby. The bridge has been modified with a steel deck and railing to make it very safe for tourists to explore. Keep in mind that this line is still active and passenger trains frequently cross here, if at a very slow pace, waiting for visitors to move out of the way.

Tiger and Bird strongly recommend visiting this bridge either early or late in the day, outside of the regular visiting hours frequented by crowds. Weekends and weekday afternoons seem to be peak hours. There is no cost for visiting the bridge and snacks and street vendors line the town-side of the bridge- if you’re looking for an affordable shirt for Kanchanaburi, this is the place to get them for 100 baht ($3 USD)! The complimentary parking lot opposite the JEATH War Museum is also an easy place to park to access the area.

Visitors crossing the Bridge on the River Kwai (to borrow the name of the original novel!). Dodging selfies is hard here!

The Bridge over the River Kwai is a basic riveted steel truss bridge placed on concrete columns crossing a relatively generic low-lying river (there are no steep riverbanks, unlike the movie!). The bridge was constructed during WWII by Allied prisoners of war under the supervision of the Japanese. This route was part of the Burmese Railway, nicknamed the “death railway” due to a high number of prisoner and laborer deaths during its construction. Besides surviving an attempted Allied bombing run during the waning years of WWII, this particular bridge wasn’t all that noteworthy. Why do these details matter? Well, let’s take a quick walk through history (continued below)!

Photo 1. View of the river Kwai flowing away to the southeast of the bridge. Photo 2. Rivited steel truss structure with the Kwai River in the background. Photo 3. View of the Kwai River as it flows towards the bridge from the Northwest.

Starting in the early 1960s, Western tourists started showing up in sleepy Kanchanaburi town, asking bewildered locals for directions to some specific WII-era bridge over the river named Kwai. Locals were confused. First, these foreigners were asking about buffalo ("kuh-why" means buffalo in Thai; the actual pronunciatio should be "kuh-wah"). Second, the The river Kwai was little more than a large stream, and there were certainly no famous railroad bridges there! Soon the connection was made that these tourists had seen the 1957 blockbuster movie Bridge over the River Kwai and were searching for the eponymous bridge (see the original trailer here). There was just one problem: the author of the book on which the movie was based had mistakenly assumed the bridge passed over the small river Kwai, when in reality the railroad crossed the nearby (much larger) Mae Klong River on the outskirts of Kanchanaburi town.

At the time, there wasn’t much reason for tourists to show up in distant Kanchanaburi, and local authorities decided to capitalize on the fame of the bridge. The Mae Klong River was soon renamed “Kwai Yai” River (which translates to “Large Kwai”) from the river’s source until shortly after the bridge, and the original Kwai River was renamed “Kwai Noi” (which translates to “Small Kwai”). And the rest is history! Note that the Mae Klong River keeps its name further downstream, incidentally passing by the largest floating market in Thailand, Amphawa, as it continues to the sea.

The railroad bridge has been heavily modified to safely accommodate the crowds of tourists visiting the structure

In the very late afternoon hours, the crowds begin to disperse and better photo opportunities present themselves. Tiger and Bird struggled to avoid the innumerable selfies and other photographs taken by a myriad of photographers earlier in the day, but now was a great opportunity to truly admire the setting without the jostling crowds. We took a quick break, relaxing on one of the platforms lining the active track, and watched several trains pass by while simply enjoying the evening breeze.

A passenger train sounds its horn and slowly makes its way across the Bridge as dusk approaches

As the intense heat of the day began to retreat before oncoming darkness, we slowly crossed the bridge back to the town, pausing to watch one last passenger train slowly move across the track.

We wave and shout greetings in English, Chinese, and Thai back to the friendly passengers peering at those of us crowded onto small platforms beside the rails. As the train rumbles off into the distance, we buy deliciously sweet and refreshingly cold mango smoothies before making our way to the car and off to our hotel. Hot and weary, yes, but also fulfilled. The night is relatively young, but Kanchanaburi sleeps early and we need the rest- for tomorrow we visit the otherworldly Erawan waterfalls!

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Coming up next, traveling to the 800 year old Kumano Kodo trail in Kansai, Japan!

Previous post Voyaging through the canals of Amphawa, the largest floating market in Thailand

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Amphawa Floating Market. Voyaging through the Canals

2019-06-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Touring Amphawa on an overcast afternoon

Amphawa is more than just another commercial market in Thailand. Amphawa is an experience of traditional Thailand, of what Bangkok may have been several hundred years ago. The local government and community here go to great lengths to blend modern culture with Thai traditions from many years ago, earning a nod from UNESCO in the form of an honorable mention several years back. Residents live in small houses located along the klongs and vendors fill their boats with wares in the morning before traveling a short distance up the klongs to Amphawa. Throughout the day, children laughingly swim in the canals, while in the evenings, many residents catch fish from those same waters. The waterways around the floating market are well-maintained and have a very lived in and authentic “feel” to them when contrasted with many “touristy” destinations around the Thai capitol.

Tiger and Bird love spending an occasional day in Amphawa. Our itinerary is typically a late morning arrival, a short hunt for a good parking spot, followed by a leisurely piecemeal lunch, moving slowly between noodles from shops and snacks from the boats. In the afternoon – while the blazing sun is near its peak – we look for small items from the shops, drinking 50 baht ($1.5 US) fresh fruit smoothies to stave off the heat. By the early evening hours, we are weary from walking and then take a boat tour around the market. This is complete right before the extended boat tour leaves to visit nearby klongs filled with bushes frequented by fireflies. Tourist prices tend to be higher than the local prices we are usually able to negotiate, but at 200-300 baht ($10 US) per person, the cost is quite affordable for many visiting tourists.

Please note that this is a quick photo journey through the canals and river adjacent to the Amphawa floating market. Read more about the Amphawa market in our previous post or proceed on through the canals via the photos below!

Vendors serving customers lunch at the edge of the klong

One of the nicer sit-down restaurants located adjacent to the main klong (canal)

Passing by Wat Pak Ngam further inland along the main klong

Picture 1. Kids snacking at a small shop alongside the klong. Picture 2. Several local residents swimming in the klong. As a visitor, I must say it is an enviable way to escape the heat! Similar to what much of Bangkok may have been like several hundred years ago, the people living alongside the klongs seem to spend many evenings enjoying time fishing and swimming in the water. Picture 3. A vendor returns home on his boat with all of his platters empty of food. It must have been a good day in the market!

One of the nicer houses converted into a small massage shop along the klong

A smaller house located along the klong has a great lived-in personality to it!

The main klong running through Amphawa has many small tributaries further inland

Boat taxis on the Mae Klong river with Wat Pummarin Kudeethong in the background

Picture 1. Tourist riverboat around a bend of the Mae Klong river. Picture 2. Definitely in the tropics! Here there is a well-curated walkway along the riverbank. In the background, palm trees glisten in the late afternoon sunlight. Picture 3. Boat ferry taking people to Amphawa Floating Market

Passing by Wat Pak Nam on the river tour. Beyond this point is another small klong where bushes frequented by fireflies are located

Boats tour small klongs along the main river that are lined with bushes commonly inhabited by fireflies. This species doesn’t fly but climbs out on the branches of the bush and flicker just as dusk begins to set. It can be a beautiful sight on moonless nights as a faint darkness begins to creep across the sky!

Many Lilly pads line the banks of the river and the small tributaries when moving beyond the immediate vicinity of the market. Here, a large fishing trap contraption can be seen along the banks of the river.

Many charming shops, hostels, and small hotels are nestled into the jungle immediately beside the river. Tiger and Bird highly recommend a visit!

An elderly gentleman slowly paddles his boat near some Lilly pads

The river is wild, after all, and the jungle vegetation lining the uninhabited banks is thick and teeming with wildlife

After a successful night observing fireflies, our boat returns to the brightly lit Amphawa floating market

The coolness of the evening is a welcome change from the long, hot day in the sun! Now, how about that midnight snack?

As dusk begins to give way to the darkness of night, our boat trip has concluded and it's time to head back to the market. We pass by brightly lit shops and restaurants, some now bustling with customers, as we traverse the klong back to our starting point. Interestingly, Tiger and Bird always find that these boat trips make us hungry! We hurriedly stop by a boat noodle shop and have three or four bowlfuls of their tasty 15 baht dishes.

Bangkok has much to offer, but Amphawa Floating Market has now become a staple place for us to bring international visitors. The authentic feel of the market really helps Westerners see what life in Thailand is really like outside the big city and is a great opportunity to experience what life in Bangkok may have been like several hundred years ago. If you get the chance on your next visit to Thailand, be sure to stop by! You won't be disappointed.

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Coming up next, visiting the Bridge over the River Kwai and the quaint town of Kanchanaburi!

Recently, we made a trip up to Kanchanaburi to see the Bridge over the River Kwai, admire a giant rain tree, and climb the otherworldly Erawan falls. We'll share details from this trip in August!

Previous post A quick eating (and shopping) trip to Amphawa floating market

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Amphawa Floating Market: The Best. The Biggest. The Food.

2019-04-30T01:29:00.000-07:00

Taking a Thai longboat through the canals of Amphawa

When people visit Bangkok for the first time, they often have a checklist of items to see and experience. Usually this includes the Grand Palace, the newest shopping mall nicely situated on the Chao Phraya River (namely, Icon Siam), possibly some Muay Thai, and a walk around various local street food market. This merely scratches the surface of what the exotic City of Angels in the far away land of Thailand does have to offer, but is reasonable given the limited timeframe afforded by vacation travel. No matter how short the trip, however, Tiger and Bird would like to suggest adding another item to the list: Amphawa, one of the largest floating markets in Thailand. Tuk tuks and tourist-traps will tout other floating markets near the capitol, but if you’re looking for the legit real deal, an authentic market mostly frequented by local Thai people, then Amphawa is the place for you to go.

Amphawa Floating Market (in Thai, ตลาดน้ำอัมพวา) is located about 85km (53mi) to the southwest of central Bangkok, which translates to about a two-hour drive under normal traffic conditions (during rush hour or around Thai holidays, the driving time can potentially be much longer). When you hear the name “floating market”, please remember that a traditional floating market, like Amphawa, is quite old and will consist of many small shops lining small klongs (canals) adjacent to a larger river. Vendors sell their wares in both the shops and in narrow longboats moored in the canals. The Amphawa market is situated around klongs connecting to the adjacent the Mae Klong river.

As a quick side note, the historic railway bridge on which the movie “Bridge over the River Khwae” is based crosses the Mae Klong river further upstream, near its origin in the Kanchanaburi province to Bangkok’s northwest. As a fun fact, the movie mistakenly places the bridge over the nearby, smaller river of Khwae Noi. As a result of the movie’s fame and many tourists visiting the province to see the bridge, the Mae Klong was renamed “Khwae Yai” (which means "big Khwae" river) in the 1960s around the historic bridge, and the original river Khwae was renamed Khwae Noi ("little Khwae" river).

Land-based facilities near the Amphawa floating market, as seen from the river

The side roads around the small town that has grown up around Amphawa hold many small shops, eateries, and hostel-like local motels. When Tiger and Bird drive to Amphawa, we usually park in one of the parking lots nestled inside these small streets (in Thailand, the word street is “soi”, pronounced like “soy” as in soybeans). Make sure you arrive early! As the day progresses, the roads around the market fill up with traffic and finding parking becomes more difficult.

Picture 1. Driving down a small soi while dodging pedestrians and motorbikes. Picture 2. Small restaurant still closed for business. We like to get to the floating market relatively early in the day! Picture 3. One of the many shops that line the klongs.

The klongs are less busy in the early afternoon hours

Amphawa is at its best on the weekend, but has some shops and eateries open most days of the week. The Friday through Sunday hours are from about 8:00 AM until 7:00 PM. Do you want to see the hustle and bustle of vendors moving their wares? Then try to reach the market early in the day. Do you prefer to grab a bite to eat and move through crowded streets around the klongs? Arrive in the afternoon, and perhaps stay until dusk to take a tour on one of the long boats and look for fireflies. In any case, between the heat and the crowds, plan on four to five hours to experience the market before exhaustion begins to set in. And if you do get tired from walking, always remember you can sit down near the klong and enjoy a quick snack! As for Tiger and Bird, we’ve been to this market numerous times, and we now prefer arriving in the afternoon or early evening hours.

Vendor selling pottery to interested passerby

Another vendor selling desserts

Amphawa is really a Thai market. Besides food and snacks are numerous stands for apparel, beauty products, and anything else one could want to buy. However, the central areas of the market, around the major khlongs, have almost exclusively food vendors. Here, shrimp and shellfish are the preferred choice by many Thai people, but there are also noodle shops and many rice dishes available as well. Strong Thai beer – often served in a mug with ice; this is the tropics, after all – is also widely available during mealtime hours.

Customers enjoying grilled prawns dipped in a spicy green sauce made specially for seafood

Grilled seafood is enjoyed by all patrons to the floating markets. Larger longtail boats moor near benches placed on the adjacent sois to sell seafood to customers. The boats typically have a small charcoal grill to prepare the usual mix of prawns (shrimp), octopus, fish, shellfish, and rock lobsters. The prices tend to be slightly elevated (about 200 or 300 baht for a dish) when compared with fish markets near the shore but are better priced than most places in Bangkok!

Picture 1. This vendor is currently preparing Hoy Tod, greasy oyster omelets served with a sweet red sauce. Don’t let the description deter you! They are delicious. Picture 2. Freshly grilled octopus, shrimp, scallops, crab, and rock lobsters. Picture 3. Watching the Chinese radish finish cooking on the griddle.

Picture 1. Several boats are grouped together to offer a better selection of dishes for customers. Picture 2. Another Thai vendor prepares Hoy Tod (oyster omelets). Picture 3. Grilled Asian scallops are commonly eaten with a green-colored “seafood sauce”, which is quite spicy!

Say cheese! A tourist takes a photo of freshly-grilled seafood stacked onto small plates

If you look at the above photo closely, you’ll see the vendor is currently preparing a plate of scallops with a small container of Thai seafood sauce. In Thai, the word sauce is “naam jim”, and so seafood sauce is “naam jim” seafood. When grilled seafood is purchased in Thailand, it will unfailingly come with Thai sweet chili garlic seafood sauce (made of a varying mixture of Thai chilies, fresh garlic cloves, lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar). Eating grilled shrimp with Thai seafood sauce should be considered a rite of passage for those wishing to try genuine Thai cuisine. It will be painful but delicious!

For the lunch and dinner hours, the food vendors can become quite busy

Around the lunch hour, crowds will begin to gather and all the food vendors – both in the boats and the small shops onshore – will become quite busy. Tiger and Bird prefer to find their favorite foods and snacks just before this time begins, escaping from the crowds to shop elsewhere over the lunch hours into the middle of the afternoon.

Boat tour around the canals and nearby Mae Klong River

As the early afternoon heat begins to fade and the intense tropical sun begins to wane, boat tours of the canal and the nearby connect Mae Klong River become more popular. Around this time, crowds of people begin to develop around the market as many locals come to eat and shop. As more people begin to arrive, Tiger and Bird highly recommend escaping onto the boats for a refreshing trip on the water. We'll start again from here in our next post!

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Posting schedule changed to once every two months

Due to time constraints, Tiger and Bird will now be posting once every two months instead of monthly. The goal for these posts is to share tips and tricks for tourists traveling around greater Thailand and we hope that you can pick up some ideas for your next vacation from our site!

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Next up, we'll explore the boat trips around Amphawa's canals and the adjacent Mae Klong River!

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Exploring the Resort Town of Hua Hin

2019-03-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

[Top] [Monkey Mountain] [Shopping] [Activities]

Northern side of Hua Hin beach

Brilliant, white sand beaches under a burning sun. Thai-style resorts interspersed with high-end luxury hotels near sleepy towns. An authentic seaside vacation in the tropics. Hua Hin is all these things and more- a look back to what Thailand’s coastal resorts may have been like twenty or thirty years ago, but with the addition of modern conveniences, if desired. Lesser known than its nightlife-crazed sister city of Pattaya across the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin is often the preferred destination for a quiet weekend away from Bangkok for long-term expats and Thai locals.

And why not? The white-sand beaches and ocean waters are cleaner, there are fewer tourists moving about, and oceanside resorts tend to be cheaper and arguably nicer than other locations near the capitol. If there is one downside to visiting Hua Hin, it’s that mobility is limited. Navigating the area outside of the small and dense downtown can be difficult (read: expensive or time-consuming) without a car.

Hua Hin is situated around 200km (125mi) to the southeast of Bangkok. Due to limited industrial development relative to Rayong (Pattaya), there are only several main local roads leading to the city (no highways- yet!). A small airport and a ferry service with Pattaya and some of the southern islands (Koh Samui, Koh Tao) provide additional accessibility. The small region of Cha-am lies between Hua Hin and Bangkok, and the delightfully rustic area of Pranburi lies beyond (Tiger and Bird covered this area in an earlier post).
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Hua Hin is one of the first beach resort towns in Thailand, originally established in the early 19th century by a group of farmers. About one hundred years later, the Thai Royal family began building palaces nearby and named the beach Hua Hin. The town adopted the name, and Hua Hin’s white sand beach remains a very popular destination to this day.

When people talk about Hua Hin beach, they are often referring to the beach situated between fisherman’s pier and Monkey island to the south. Tiger and Bird personally prefer this beach as well, although it can become crowded during holidays. The denser areas of old Hua Hin town, which is located around and to the north of fisherman's pier, also has a beautiful, less-sheltered beach best visited at low tide.

Picture 1. North side of Hua Hin, with the Hua Hin Fishing Pier and Hilton Hua Hin Resort and Spa seen in the distance. Picture 2. One of the paths connecting small roads parallel with the shore with the beachfront

The older section of Hua Hin town consists of mainly small sois (streets) that are best for walking. Numerous shops, restaurants, and massage parlors (mostly legitimate) populate the old town. Tiger and Bird recommend taking a stroll through this area in the evening hours!

Picture 1. Small sois (streets) in Hua Hin town nearby the fishing pier and Hilton hotel. Picture 2. A "walking street" in Hua Hin town

Finally, we come to the beautiful white sand southern beach of Hua Hin. Here, the partially-sheltered bay has pristine white sand and an abundance of activity. The locals often come out to enjoy the ocean once the sun has begun to descend, but tourists abound and various activities are also available throughout the day.

South Side of Hua Hin beach

Monkey Mountain ("Chopsticks Hill")

[Top] [Monkey Mountain] [Shopping] [Activities]

Monkey Island and Wat Khao Takiap lie at the southern end of Hua Hin beach

At the far end of Hua Hin beach, and about 6km to the south of Hua Hin town proper, is Monkey Mountain, or locally known as Chopsticks Hill (as translated from Khao Takiab, the Thai name for the place). The beach comes to an abrupt end at the small, rocky hill, which sticks out almost like a peninsula from the beachfront. Here are an abundance of small shops and eateries as the beach comes to the end. On the mainland, the far side of the hill, is a small, local fishman's market where seafood can be purchased at insanely low prices (you can even see the colorful fishing boats docked nearby).

The hill can be climbed by a series of paths that eventually lead to steep stone staircases that pass by a Chinese temple and several observation points that provide wonderful views of Hua Hin. For those feeling less industrious, especially under the intense heat of a tropical sun, you can also drive to the top of the hill.

Picture 1.View of Hua Hin beach from the top of Monkey Mountain. Picture 2. Small shops near the base of Monkey Mountain selling trinkets to tourists. The prices tend to be slightly higher than in other areas but can still be a good bargain!

As you start up the mountain, one quickly realizes exactly why this place is called Monkey Mountain- monkeys are everywhere! Around some of the shops selling food to feed the monkeys, hundreds can be seen waiting for tourists to feed them. Here, Tiger and Bird would like to caution that, while monkey can look very cute and cuddly, their temperaments vary wildly and in groups they can become quite vicious. The monkeys in the photo below were well-behaved at first, but as soon as the woman dropped some food for them, a skirmish occurred as each monkey dashed around as they fought for every morsel.

Monkeys look cute and cuddly, but especially in groups, they can become quite nasty if they don't get what they want! Feed at your own risk.

Shopping in Hua Hin

[Top] [Monkey Mountain] [Shopping] [Activities]
The one constant across all of Thailand is if there are people, there are markets. Hua Hin town has a nice selection of traditional markets for tourists to visit, including the Hua Hin Night Market and weekend Cicada Market. Some years ago, those desiring to shop in large air-conditioned complexes would have been disappointed. In the last decade or so, this changed when the Market Village Hua Hin and Blueport Hua Hin Resort Mall opened their doors for business.

Market Village Hua Hin
Open daily. This shopping complex is the largest in Hua Hin, with over 150 shops and restaurants, a Major cineplex movie theater, and a Tesco Lotus supermarket. Wonderful Thai food court in the basement (essentially Thai street food at similar costs but much better quality) and a number of international fast food franchises (McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, etc) for those craving a taste of home.

BluePort Hua Hin Resort Mall
Open daily. Newly-opened modern shopping mall with a maritime theme, featuring "higher end" shopping options, a BluePort Cineplex movie theater, and a Gourmet Market supermarket. Here, dining options like Dean and Deluca, The Coffee Club, and Wine Connection can be found as well as a decent Thai food court. Floors tend to follow various maritime themes, ranging from the basement's Portwalk to the Whaley Port kids area on the third floor.

Hua Hin Night Market
Open nightly, getting busier after 6pm. Relatively small outdoor Thai market filled with street vendors and small stalls selling everything from clothing to sourvenirs to massages at affordable prices. Recommend a visit since the atmosphere can be quite nice! If you want to feel less touristy, wander the nearby streets to find more local shops.

Cicada Market
Open Fridays-Sundays, 16:00 - 23:00. Charming upscale, outdoor, weekend market. Best experienced after 5:30pm, once vendors have finished setting up (see photos below). Tiger and Bird strongly recommend visiting this market during your trip to Hua Hin, since it is rather unique compared to other markets in Thailand. The atmosphere is lovely with live music playing, and artwork by many local artisans is available to admire and/or purchase. An open-air theater operates in the evening and at the center of the venue is a food court with many delicious options. Sure, prices may be higher than the other night markets, but the experience is fantastic!

Picture 1. Several visitors admire paintings by local artists. In the background, the two small buildings act as art galleries for local artists. Picture 2. Central eating area at the Cicada Market.

Finally, after a relaxing day on the beach and then exploring the night markets, it's time to turn in for the evening. If you look out your hotel room towards the ocean, you should just begin to see the twinkle of greenish lights light up the horizon. No, these otherworldly glowing beams are not UFOs, but simply fishermen attracting squid to swim near their boats, and closer to their nets.

Green lights of the squid fishermen light up the horizon as those on the mainland prepare for slumber

Sunrise

Sunrise over the southern portion of Hua Hin beach. Notice the calmness of the ocean waters!

The sun rises over the ocean for eastern-facing Hua Hin town, with the sun setting in the hills and mountains behind. Sunrises here can seem surreal when set against a mostly calm ocean (remember, parts of Hua Hin beach are relatively sheltered!). Outside of Bangkok, life is more sabai sabai too, with the locals tending to go to bed and rise much earlier than city folk.

Just after sunrise on Hua Hin beach

Hua Hin Beach Activities

[Top] [Monkey Mountain] [Shopping] [Activities]

Taking an early morning stroll on the beach

In the end, sometimes the best way to enjoy a seaside vacation is to just stay on the beach. Early mornings, just after the sun has risen, is the perfect time for that morning job or leisurely stroll along the sand. The heat isn't too intense and the atmosphere is very enjoyable. Up with the sun are the more-industrious touts and vendors, immediately ready to offer horseback rides along the beach or a variety of snacks to tourists and early risers.

Picture 1. Horseback touts relaxing before offering rides to tourists Picture 2. Horseback riding along the beach

Of course, one needn't remain confined to the beach to have fun- all the typical water adventures are also available here. Need a few suggestions? Here you go!

Jetski rental. Available from vendors along the beach. Note that cheaper does not always mean better! Ask your hotel for specific recommendations of who to go with.
Banana boat ride. Relatively self-explanatory, ride on a banana boat often towed behind a jetski. Great fun for kids, and in Thailand the activity is relatively safe and affordable.
Fishing tour. Several boats and cruises can be chartered as part of a larger group or seperately, if desired.
Day cruise. Hua Hin is located near several national parks to the immediate south. Several cruises offer a trip around Dolphin Bay, offering a chance to see the rare pink Irrawaddy Dolphins, among other locations.
Bike Tours. A bike tour is a good way to see a city and get in some excercise at the same time. Even better is if that day is overcast so that the intense heat of the sun doesn't become overwhelming!
Motorcycle/Scooter rental. Available from vendors around the city. Again, cheaper does not always mean better! It's also good practice to leave an ID card as opposed to a passport as security while renting the bike.
Kiteboarding. The North Kiteboarding Club offers quality gear with excellent coaching, making the experience fun whether you're new to the sport or a pro. The campus is located several hours south of Hua Hin, and a basic three-hour course costs around ฿4,000 ($130 US; a 3-day course is about ฿11,000 or $350 US). If you're an enthusiast, multi-day packages including lodgings are available at reasonable rates.
Paramotors. A paramotor is a relatively slow-moving powered paraglider. Can be great fun to take these for an early morning flight around Hua Hin beach! Tiger and Bird have heard good things about Sky Club Paramotors and the Hua Hin Paramotor School.

Testing out a hydroflight jetpack in the calm waters off of Hua Hin beach

A fleet of small single-person sailboats off of Hua Hin beach

Hua Hin has much to offer, and as Tiger and Bird have become more familiar with the coastal areas of Thailand, we must admit that the beaches found to the southwest of Bangkok have become more and more appealing. A relaxing trip to an area with white sand beaches and fewer tourists can be quite a bit of fun. Move even further south of Hua Hin, and you will find numerous white-sand beaches mostly untouched and widely undeveloped relative to popular tourist destinations. If you're in Bangkok for a visit, stopping by Hua Hin on the way down to Koh Samui, Krabi, or the further afield Similan Islands, may be just what the doctor ordered!

Red at night, sailor's delight. Red in the morning, sailor's warning! The faint pinks and oranges of this day's sunrise shouldn't worry sailors!

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Next up, we'll explore one of the largest floating markets in Thailand as a two-part series!

Previous post: Vacationing on the private island of Koh Thalu

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Related Posts

Exploring the beaches of Pranburi

Chonburi is a good, local beach close to Bangkok

What to do at Pattaya Beach

Vacationing on the Private Island of Koh Thalu

2019-02-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

Ocean kayaking near Pearl Bay on Koh Thalu

The day began as many do in Thailand. Tiger groggily climbed out of bed and staggered over to the living room. After some clattering of dishes and the soft whirring of the coffee machine, he drew the curtains, sipping on a hot cup of joe while watching the sun slowly rise over the waking city of Bangkok. Bird woke up shortly after, joining Tiger at the breakfast table.

Bird unexpectedly announced her desire to travel, suggesting the small island of Koh Kood, situated near Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand, as a potential destination. Surprised but intrigued, Tiger countered by suggesting a visit to Koh Chang, which translates to elephant island in English even though there are no elephants there. In due course, Koh Samed, Hua Hin, and even Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay came up.

Finally, Tiger suggested something he had heard about: far beyond Hua Hin, but closer to Bangkok than the famous (infamous?) island of Koh Tao, lay a small island called Koh Thalu. Bird thought the 400km (250mi) distance, a minimum five-hour drive at the best of times, was too far. Tiger disagreed, and Bird eventually demurred.

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Today’s post may read like an advertisement
It isn’t – we receive no compensation in any form – but our stay at Koh Talu Island Resort was such an unexpectedly phenomenal experience we decided we might as well spread awareness of it. The island is unique, a genuine tropical paradise. Distance from the capitol makes accessibility difficult, resulting in obscurity among even the Bangkok expat community. So join us today as we travel to the island of Koh Thalu!

Koh Thalu as seen from the mainland

Koh Thalu is a tropical paradise, replete with white sand beaches and clear waters near the main bays. The island is privately-held, meaning that only boats with permission may land on the island. The single resort on the island is positioned across two bays with natural white sand beaches. The ocean is relatively calm on the mainland-facing western shore (which is where the resort is situated), and rougher on the ocean-facing eastern shore.

Koh Talu Island Resort is full board and all-inclusive. This means complementary meals are provided by the hotel, within set meal times. Complementary (voluntary) activities are scheduled for intervals throughout the day to provide guests with the option of keeping busy. Additionally, use of snorkeling gear, kayaks, stand up paddle boats, and mini catamarans are also complementary. Scuba diving is available to PADI-certified divers for an additional fee.

Tiger and Bird recommend a three-day, two-night stay at a minimum (possibly three-night max, unless you are traveling in a large party) as an ideal timeframe to enjoy all that the island has to offer. Boats depart a small marina (using this term loosely) on the mainland for Koh Thalu twice a day; once at 10am to accommodate guests bused from Hua Hin, and again in the afternoon around 2:30pm for guests driving themselves to the resort. Free parking is available at the marina. We managed to catch the 10am boat by leaving Bangkok at 5am and only making a short bathroom break on the way down to the dock.

Photo 1. Koh Talu Island Resort building on the mainland. Check-in and light refreshments are offered to guests here. Photo 2. One of the large speedboats that take guests to Koh Thalu. Resort guests may share the ride with tourists spending the day snorkeling off of the island. Photo 3. View of the small marina as the boat departs for the island

The first impressions of Koh Thalu are provided as the speedboat stops for guests to take photos of the northwestern cliff face of the island. Here, we quickly figured out how the island got its name: “Thalu” roughly translates to passing through, like an opening. The area seems to have a considerable amount of volcanic-like rock and red clay, creating strange, reddish formations.

Cliffside on the northwestern face of the island

Soon after this, we were enthralled with the beauty of the crystal-clear waters around us as the speedboat moved past Pearl Bay towards the main resort.

Reef and clear waters as the boat skirts the island towards Pearl Bay

Map of Koh Thalu. This image is uncompressed. You can download and zoom in for better viewing if you so desire

Koh Talu Island Resort consists of two campuses, both of which face the mainland, resulting in a relatively tame ocean waters. The main campus lies along what the map refers to as the “Big Bay”, a natural white sand beach that stretches about 400m in length from the dock to a rocky point at the end of the bay. The dining hall, diving shop, office, and main dock are located here, as well as a majority of the free-for-use boats. Tiger and Bird recommend staying on this beach since it is more active.

Around the western point and accessible by an oceanside path is the quaint and sleepy Pearl Bay. Here is located the second campus of the resort, a set of beautiful and relatively new bungalows and small houses set among coconut and fir trees. Ultimately, if one is looking for modern amenities on a tropical island, this is the place to be. Here, the sandy beach stretches throughout the buildings, and small sand crabs can be seen digging tunnels into the sand during the day. The water in Pearl Bay is crystal clear, with myriads of small fish moving around the coral formations making for a fun snorkeling experience.

Picture 1. The main resort nestled among palm and coconut trees just above the beach. Picture 2. The beach stretching along Big Bay. Picture 3. Clear waters off of the sleepy beach at Pearl Bay

Below is a detailed schedule provided by the resort during our recent stay. Note that all the activities can keep you quite busy for a day or two! Squid fishing is much like regular fishing and turned out to be quite relaxing and enjoyable- just don’t forget to grab a cold beer before going out on the boat!

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Daily Island Schedule (as of January 2019)
Food
Breakfast    7:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Lunch         12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Dinner        6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Activities
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM     Snorkeling
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM     Trekking
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM     Squid Fishing

Scuba Diving – time varies, available on request for additional fee
Kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and miniature catamaran (complementary use)

Hotel
Check out time 11:30 AM
Boat departure for mainland 2:30 PM
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Ocean kayak on the main beach

The beach was perfect. Natural white sand. Picturesque bay with shimmering, clear waters. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and made extensive use of the paddle boards and kayaks. Then, when worn out, we enjoyed laying out on the beach with some adult beverages. The boats were all relatively new and in good working order. Additionally, whenever guests were out in the bay, resort employees manned a small beachside bar and kept an eye on the adventurers in the water.

Picture 1. Paddle boarding in the big bay. Picture 2. Kayaking 3. Asian tourists using a kayak as a photo set

Tropical paradise. An employee waits for the barge carrying the guests who have been snorkeling to return

Hotel facilities, relative to international standards on the mainland, would probably be in the three to four star range. For an island, however, the facilities are great. For what it's worth, Tiger and Bird found their room to be very satisfactory.

Rooms near the Big Bay (not pictured) are actually small houses- large and beautifully made following traditional Thai design and construction. Our large Thai house had king-sized beds, a huge walking area, small closet, chairs and small tables, medium-sized refrigerator, and an enclosed bathroom with a rain shower.

The room itself was not fully sealed, following traditional Thai design, which allowed for some airflow from the outside (although, please note, all rooms do have air conditioning). Since all electricity on the island is provided through generators, the rooms themselves can be quite dark at night with limited lighting.

After-breakfast coffee. A basic cup of joe tastes even better when you have this view!

The buffet meals provided at the resort were excellent! The food was naturally more Thai than international, but the quality was a pleasant surprise. Lunch and dinner usually consisted of perhaps six various Thai dishes (fish, chicken, etc), two made-to-order dishes, fresh tropical fruit (ripe mangoes, papaya, dragon fruit, pineapple), and dessert (mango sticky rice, crepe cake with strawberry sauce, fluffy chocolate cake).

Complementary beverages included three juices, water, coffee, and tea. Alcoholic beverages included wine coolers, beer, whisky, and wine (Tiger discovered the prices for these are quite reasonable relative to mainland hotels).

Walking along the shore from Big Bay to Pearl Bay

Rocky formations around the southern point of the island

Fully rested yet worn out from all the activity, Tiger and Bird reluctantly bid farewell to the delightful island of Koh Thalu and the equally delightful Koh Talu Island Resort. It was time for a drive back to the big city and a return to big city life. Oddly enough, although we had spent only several days on the island, it felt as if we had been away for several weeks! A true tropical retreat indeed- and a trip that we plan to repeat again in the near future.

Beautiful sunset at the end of a long and relaxing day

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Next up, we'll move further north and explore the resort beach town of Hua Hin!

Previous post: Day trips to the Chonburi shore

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Day Trips to the Chonburi Shore

2019-01-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

[Bangsan Beach] [Rong Payaban Kao Road] [Fisherman Markets]

Thai youngsters playing in the waters by Bang Saen Beach watch the last glimpse of the sun as it melts into the ocean

Sometimes Tiger and Bird enjoy a simple day trip to get their monthly beach fix. After all, why commit an entire weekend to a sleepy beach town when you can get to the beach and back to the big city all in the same day? Or perhaps a busy schedule will only accommodate a day away from the City of Angels. Apparently, many Thai tourists from Bangkok and Rayong adopt a similar view and choose to visit the 4.3km-long (2.7mi) Bang Saen Beach near the small beach town of Chonburi, a convenient one-hour drive from the eastern edge of the capitol city. But be aware! One result of its rising popularity is that the beach becomes very crowded on weekend afternoons.

Spelled alternatively Bang Saen or Bangsan (yes, yes, we all yearn for the day when that long-awaited official transliteration from Thai script to English lettering will be released), Google Maps and other online references from English-language travel websites have been moving in recent years towards "Bangsan", and hence we will also do the same for the remainder of this post!

Thai families playing on the beach and in the sometime-muddy waters off Bang Saen

Make no mistake- this sandy beach is most popular with locals, and even during the crowded evening hours, few foreigners will be seen lounging around on the beach (just FYI, the unwritten rule is that swimsuits are also decidedly Asian in appearance- board shorts for men, shorts and shirt for women). That isn’t to say that the place isn’t pleasant, however- just less known among tourist circles. Typical of Thai beaches, there is a frontage road the runs along much of the beach with parking often available on the side facing the ocean. During the weekend, double and even triple parking here is quite common.

The beach itself has nice shaded areas, provided by palm trees clustered around the parking lot and the drier parts of the beach. Here, vendors sell food and drink, and beach chair and umbrella cities spring up- all available for a day's rent at a reasonable fee. Children play in the sand and various water sports touts offer banana boat rides, jetski rentals, and inflatables purchases. Across the road from the beach are also numerous local resorts, small restaurants, and the friendly neighborhood 7-Elevens (Family Mart deserves a mention too since they are now growing in popularity!).

First Photo: Northern beachhead of Bang Saen. Second Photo: Beach activity really beginning to pick up around 3:30 PM. Third Photo: Bang Saen becomes quite crowded around 5 PM; the sun has begun to go down, encouraging the locals to come out and play

Dusk has settled on Bang Saen beach, but many people continue to enjoy the water

Darkness settles over Bang Saeng beach as the sun retreats beyond the horizon. The photo looks manipulated, but it isn’t- the darkness of an oncoming storm contrasted strongly against the sunset.

Rong Payaban Kao Road
[Bangsan Beach] [Rong Payaban Kao Road] [Fisherman Markets]

Local oceanfront road that connects to the Rong Payaban Kao Road that extends over the ocean near Chonburi

Rong Payaban Kao Road is a relatively new 6km-long bypass extending over the ocean and parallel to the shore around the small city of Chonburi. The route has become a very popular destination for the evening hours since parallel-parking is available along long stretches of the road, and the bypass offers stunning views of the sunset. Locals frequently bring a picnic dinner from nearby seafood restaurants, or buy snacks from the numerous vendors who set up their stalls in the parking areas.

How to reach the bypass
Rong Payaban Kao Road begins in the tiny Soi Bang Sai 83 (alley) in the north and ends at the larger Soi Nartmontasevee 13 to the south. Also accessible from many of the larger streets in Chonburi city.

Around the midpoint of the bypass, near Chonburi Municipality Stadium and local government buildings

On Saturday evenings, the Tha Ruea Phli Fish Market opens near the midpoint of the road (it's aptly named "Saturday Evening Seafood Market" in Google Maps, in case you would like to stop by). Prices are reasonable, but parking can be quite limited due to how popular the place is. In the nearby Soi Soem Santi are located some local seafood restaurants in case you want to skip the crowds.

Picture 1: Rong Payaban Kao Road near the southern end, driving north. Picture 2: Street vendors selling Som Tum, Thai tea and similar beverages, and dried fish in a parking area along the road. Picture 3: Thai vendors selling their wares on the roadside

Weekday evening view of the bypass. What does the actual sunset look like from the bridge? See the last photo on this post!

Fisherman Markets
[Bangsan Beach] [Rong Payaban Kao Road] [Fisherman Markets]

Fisherman's Market (Angsila). Open daily from 8 AM - 7 PM. Hundreds of shops.
The vast Angsila Market is more than 100 years old. The market used to sit on the corner of a busy street, literally connected to the pier used by local fishermen who would then sell their catch in small shops. Then, several years ago, this market moved about a kilometer down the road as part of a massive project that also saw the addition of a huge parking lot and cleaner facilities. This market is a MUST-SEE addition to Chonburi. Fresh seafood delivered directly from the fishing boats is available at ultra-low prices. Customers ordering their seafood at the small shops can also have it cooked on-site for very nominal fees. However, the site remains relatively unknown among most tourists- even today, the vast majority of customers are from Thailand. But, really, what can beat eating steamed fresh crab, grilled fresh shrimp, and freshly-fried fish?

Tha Ruea Phli Fish Market. Open Saturdays 4 PM - 10 PM. More than one hundred shops.
The fish market has become quite successful, drawing numerous locals and some tourists to dine almost literally beside the sea. Many customers choose to buy their food here, and then sit by the ocean on Rong Payaban Kao Road to enjoy a great view and fresh seafood. Prices are elevated relative to the much larger Angsila Fisherman's Market, but compared to Bangkok restaurants, it still remains quite affordable! Skeptical? Grab some takeway from the fish market and then eat your steam crab while literally watching a sunset like the one pictured below! After all, that's what Tiger and Bird did on this particular Saturday trip.

Title says it all! A stunning view of the sunset from the bypass. The small "sticks" protruding from the water mark fishing traps

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Next up, visiting the tropical paradise of Koh Thalu, a small island located to the southwest of Bangkok in Chumpon!

Previous post: Jomtien beach activities and recommended places to stay

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Related Posts

Untamed beaches to the south of Hua Hin in the region of Pranburi

Pattaya Beach Activities

Exploring the Island of Koh Larn

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

2018-12-24T21:48:00.001-08:00

Jomtien Beach

2018-11-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

Jomtien Beach stretching out towards the city of Pattaya

Jomtien Beach is a 6.5km long sandy beach located about 150km to the southeast of Bangkok, reachable by a two-hour drive from the capital. What’s that? Yes, you are very perceptive! This is roughly the same description Tiger and Bird gave for Pattaya Beach! And for good reason- the beaches are located within several kilometers of each other but might as well be worlds apart.

The local Thai people find Jomtien to be far more attractive than the more-famous (infamous?) Pattaya beach. The beach is sandy and stretches of the adjacent road have large trees that throw some shade across the parking areas. In many areas, the much-loved and very-affordable umbrella and lounge chair cities spring up. Food vendors proffer coffee, drinks, snacks, and food by the main road, but without the aggressiveness of the touts one would typically find lining Pattaya beach.

In the morning, one might be forgiven for thinking the locals must not like the beach, but by mid-afternoon, as the crowd begins to gather, this misconception would be put to rest with the realization that Thai people just don’t like that hot tropical sun ruining their complexion (of course, this same concept applies to virtually all Asian countries).

Children playing in the ocean just before dusk. Note the beach chairs and umbrellas set up on the right - this is typical of many beaches in Thailand

Vender selling floats watches dark clouds approach Jomtien Beach

A two-and-a-half-hour drive can be quite long after a day of lounging around the beach. Many Bangkokian’s visit for the weekend, staying Saturday night as one of the hotels nearby. For a longer stay, there are also many activities that visitors can enjoy while in the area.

The Ocean Marina Yacht Club deserves a mention if anyone is talking about Jomtien, since there is nothing equivalent to it on the entirety of Thailand’s eastern seaboard. Companies from Bangkok often book excursions on ships anchored here, and expat and Thai sailors alike gather for drinks and to share fishing stories semi-regularly. Everything from medium-sized speedboats and sailboats to huge private yachts are kept in the marina. The grounds themselves are quite beautiful and the club can seem a bit desolate weekdays and in the off-season, but it’s quite relaxing to grab a drink at the bar and watch the boats coming and going from the dock

These days (as of late 2018), the tourist numbers are climbing and some areas of the club (restaurant, hotel) may need a bit of an upgrade. However, if you like booking international-quality boats for various excursions (boat/yacht charters, deep sea fishing, sailing lessons, among others), this is probably the place for you.

Photo 1. Entrance to the main dock area 2. Walkway adjacent to the marina 3. Boats anchored near the walkway

Select Activites

Pattaya Floating Market. Good for a 2-4 hour visit. A very commercial floating market built for tourists provides a relatively authentic feel for what a traditional Thai floating market might have been like many years ago. Many shops line canals and offer souvenirs – clothes, bags, soap, and so on – as well as traditional Thai snacks and regular Thai meals. Relatively pricey (entry fee of 200 baht per person), but definitely worth a look for visitors who are unable to make a trip to the massive Ampawa Floating Market outside of Bangkok.

Underwaterworld Pattaya. Aquarium with a 100m long underwater tunnel. Great place to visit with young kids! Tickets are reasonable at about 500bt ($16) for adults and 300bt ($9) for children. A visit will probably last several hours and can be combined with a trip to the nearby Pattaya Floating Market.

Cartoon Network Pattaya. Cartoon-themed waterpark with more than 25 different rides; maintains international safety standards. Spending a day at the waterpark is always tremendous fun for young families! Prices are elevated, about 1300bt ($40) per person when prebooking online, and remember this place gets busy on the weekends (2:30pm seems to be peak time). International and Thai food is available at reasonable prices relative to international prices in waterparks.

Glass House Beachfront Restaurant and Bar. The name says it all! Always a favorite with Thai people visiting Jomtien, this upscale restaurant offers wonderful sunset views from its beachfront location. Prices are elevated along with the ambience provided in the mostly open-concept three-story “house” as well as the large tables set up on the sandy beach before the ocean. Food is mostly Thai or Thai-fusion, relatively passable, with most beverages – alcoholic and otherwise – also available at Bangkok prices. Great place for families or going on a date.

Russian tourists making their way along the shore to a hotel

Select Hotels

Movenpick Hotel Pattaya. Five star resort complex located near the center of Jomtien beach. Modern high-rise hotel with great beachfront, huge pool, kids areas, and good restaurants. Rooms are decent size and provide amazing views of the ocean. Adjacent properties are occupied by rather high quality hotels as well. Location can be rather quiet, but then again, the resort itself can be all-inclusive, and if this isn’t enough, activities available nearby should be more than enough to keep you busy!

Botany Beach Resort. Three star low-rise hotel located near central Jomtien. Beautiful traditional Thai style villas and bungalos placed between pools and tropical trees provide a more exotic feel – with a lower price tag – than the nearby Movenpick. Very quiet family hotel that can provide a nice respite in comparison to busier tourist areas. Food is decent but is similar to what may be found in many local Thai hotels.

U Pattaya. Five star low-rise hotel in south Jomtien. Resort consists of beautiful pool villas and a regular hotel building designed with a modern-yet-Thai fusion sort of feel to it. The highlight of the hotel is the infinity pool overlooking the ocean. Excellent facilities, relatively quiet location. Good international food.

Jellyfish warning sign in front of a hotel on Jomtien beach (yes, yes, it may look like a squid, but this is a jellyfish warning!)

Swimming in the ocean waters off of Jomtien in some seasons is discouraged, since jellyfish abound in these waters. In the fall, Tiger and Bird have taken some morning strolls along the shore and counted - counted, mind you - no less than one hundred of these small aquatic creatures washed up on the beach. After one hundred, we stopped counting. Most of the jellyfish are smaller than the palm of a person's hand.

As one moves further and further south along Jomtien beach, the crowds become less and the sand becomes wilder and more coarse. The beach becomes far steeper too, as opposed to a more gentle slope of the sand as it approaches the ocean. Oftentimes, the beach also seems cleaner than the section of Jomtien found closer to Pattaya. Here, one can often find various sea creatures washed up on the shore after a mild storm.

Parrot fish are quite common around Thai reefs, but finding one washed up on the shore is unusual!

Photo 1. Shore dogs are watchful but also sabai sabai, preferring to nap in hollows in the sand 2. Pigeon resting in the sand 3. Jellyfish frequent these waters and often wash up on the shore. Don’t touch them! Even if they’re when dead they can give a painful sting!

Tiger and Bird always enjoy the sunsets over Jomtien. The ocean off of central Jomtien tends to be very calm and quiet, sheltered by the nearby islands of Khram Yai and Koh Larn. As the sun begins to descend into the sea, the waters take on varying shifting shades of blues and purples framed against a fiery red and pink sky. Nothing says sabai sabai like relaxing on the beach in the tropics, coconut smoothie in hand, and watching the day gradually fade away.

Beautiful sunset over the ocean by Jomtien beach. A lone sailboat can be seen making for shore as the day gives way to night

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Next up, we'll finish up our posts on beach towns in the region by covering Bangsaen beach and Rong Payaban Kao Road in Chonburi

Previous post: Tiger and Bird's hotel suggestions for Pattaya Beach

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Other experiences near Jomtien Beach

Day trips to the Chonburi shore- a quick 1.5 hour drive from Bangkok

Daytime activities around Pattaya

Visiting the island of Koh Larn

Pattaya Resorts: Where to Stay!

2018-10-30T09:01:00.001-07:00

[Top] [Family Friendly] [Peaceful/Romantic] [Pattaya Beach]

Dusk settles at the Centara Grand Mirage in Pattaya

Tiger and Bird typically do not recommend places to stay while visiting various regions of Thailand, since there are often many good options available to choose from. A friend of ours, however, informed us that Pattaya has too many hotels and asked us for a few recommendations- and hence this post came to be!

Let’s suppose for a minute that you’re not one of those tourists who always likes to stick to one brand of hotel while traipsing off on overseas adventures. We have friends who will always swear by Hilton and travel from one Hilton hotel to another the world around. These folks would probably want to stay at the Hilton Pattaya Hotel. But what about the rest of us, those like Tiger and Bird who enjoy new experiences while on vacation? Then, the city of Pattaya becomes a confusing mess of hotel and hostel offerings from the greater region, some of which may or may not be close to Pattaya beach.

Tiger and Bird have selected nine five-star resorts, located around Pattaya beach, to be featured and recommended to you here. These resorts are sorted into the categories of “Family Friendly”, “Peaceful / Romantic”, and “Pattaya Beach”, one of which hopefully corresponds to the type of vacation that you plan to enjoy while visiting Pattaya.

Pattaya Activities and Koh Larn
Tiger and Bird reviewed daytime activities around Pattaya beach and have taken a day trip to explore the nearby island of Koh Larn over the last several months. Pattaya can be a confusing place, please be sure to check out details in the above links to help plan your visit!

Family Friendly
[Top] [Family Friendly] [Peaceful/Romantic] [Pattaya Beach]

Centara Grand Mirage. Pattaya Beach North.
Five Star. Rate 5,000 baht ($165 US) per night. Large resort with a miniature waterpark. Ocean view. Sandy beach with ocean swimming possible. Pattaya beach 10min taxi. Good for families. Highly recommend!

The Centara Grand Mirage is just north of Pattaya on Wong Ammat Beach. The Mirage is designed around a general jungle-like theme. Unique amenities include a huge miniature waterpark available only to hotel guests. Food at restaurants is pricey but decent. All rooms are ocean-facing, relatively small, but clean. Buffet breakfast has many international and some Asian options; nothing sensational, but adequate. The spa is wonderfully set into the jungle theme on the ocean-facing side of the hotel, with elevated prices competitive with similar five-star resorts.

This hotel is perennially a favorite destination for families with young children. The water park has a lazy river that moves throughout the small park with occasional grottoes and fake cliffs lining the water. Multiple water slides and a fun, separate kids area round off the waterpark. Another main pool continues the jungle theme and includes a small "cliff" for guests adventurous enough to jump into the waters. There is also large area for water sports (we saw water volleyball while there) or just swimming around while having fun nearby the pool bar. Finally, an adults-only infinity pool is positioned against the backdrop of the ocean, providing a great opportunity for taking those Instagram-worthy sunset photos.

Lying between the Grand Mirage and the ocean is Wong Ammat beach, a sandy beach shared between several resorts and condominiums. The ocean water here appears cleaner than Pattaya beach, but even so, Tiger and Bird do not necessarily recommend swimming in the surf! What about taking a beachside stroll before a sunset? Now THAT we can recommend.

Royal Cliff Hotels Complex. Pattaya Beach South, Phra Tamnak Mountain
Five star. Rate 5,000 baht ($165 US) per night. Huge resort. Ocean view. Private oceanfront sitting area above seawall on rocky shoreline; connected to sandy, semi-public beach. Multiple hotels, pools, sitting areas and restaurants. Adequate breakfast. Pattaya beach 10min taxi. Good for families or couples. Peaceful, romantic.

Tiger and Bird consider this location as best-in-class for Pattaya because of the spectacular views (check out the sunset!), multiple swimming pools, full semi-private white sand beach, and ocean-facing lounging areas for sun and shade-bathers built into the hillside. The resort is also very safe and family friendly (a kidzone area is also available; extra fee for use). Overall, the atmosphere is very peaceful and relaxing. If you feel the need for some crazy, take a quick taxi ride over to Pattaya beach before soon realizing just how nice your hotel really is! After all, with the atmosphere and facilities available, there is no need to even leave this resort during your stay.

The Royal Cliff Hotels Group includes:

The Beach Terrace Hotel. Low-rise built directly into the hill. Spacious rooms. Decent accommodation for families. Note that renovation was ongoing as of September 2018
The Beach Hotel. Highrise. Best value. Relatively small mini-suite rooms with great ocean views. Ask for high floors. Romantic getaway! Renovations completed several years ago.
The Grand Hotel. Highrise. Decent rooms, but hotel is definitely dated. Views still spectacular. Ask for high floors.
Royal Wing Suites. Flagship of Royal Cliff. All rooms are suites. Lowrise building with private pool and wonderful facilities. Great option for families traveling together. Costs are elevated at about 10,000bt ($300 US) per night, but check out the online reviews if you doubt us! The place is worth it.

Peaceful / Romantic
[Top] [Family Friendly] [Peaceful/Romantic] [Pattaya Beach]

InterContinental. Pattaya Beach South, Phra Tamnak Mountain
Five star. Rate 5,000 baht ($165 US) per night. Huge resort. Ocean view. Private oceanfront sitting area above seawall on rocky shoreline. Multiple pools and sandy oceanfront sitting area. Excellent breakfast. Pattaya beach 10min taxi. Good for families and couples. Peaceful, romantic.

The InterContinental is located on a beautifully-maintained property with western-facing rooms that provide a spectacular views of the ocean. Facilities include three pools, a complimentary kid zone, and an excellent bar and restaurant in the hillside just above the ocean. Note that the beach itself is lacking, because there isn’t one. But for ocean views and dipping in the pool, the InterCon is spectacular. Prices are elevated, but hey, that comes with the name and level of expected service! For those looking for a relaxing weekend in the tropics, this all-inclusive locale may be just for you.

Feel familiar? The InterContinental brand replaced what used to be the old Sheraton. The resort’s layout and general appearance remains relatively unchanged although the rooms and facilities have been renovated to match the “InterContinental” appearance.

Monttra Pattaya. Pattaya Beach South, Phra Tamnak Mountain
Five star. Rate 5,000 baht ($165 US) per night. Very small resort. Ocean View. No beach, but oceanfront property naturally elevated above the ocean with small rocky drop. Infinity pool facing the ocean. Excellent breakfast, freshly made when ordered. Located adjacent to small, private marina. Pattaya beach 12min taxi. Good for couples. Peaceful, romantic.

The Monttra is a boutique hotel that provides a cozy jungle getaway from nearby Pattaya. Leafy walkways and tropical trees and plants provide shade and coolness throughout the day. Relatively small infinity pool. Excellent views of the ocean from oceanfront rooms (these rooms are very limited, book ahead to ensure availability!). Clean, modern decor. Accessibility is more difficult than other hotels, but for a peaceful or romantic getaway, this may be perfect.

Dusit Thani Pattaya. Pattaya Beach North
Five star. Rate 5,000 baht ($165 US) per night. Ocean View. Private, sandy beach. Several ocean-facing pools. Good breakfast. Great location, situated at the northern end of Pattaya beach. Many of Pattaya’s restaurants, shopping, and other (wholesome) entertainment options are easily within walking distance of the hotel. Good for couples. Peaceful.

The Dusit Thani Pattaya is an elegant five-star resorts located adjacent to Pattaya beach. The hotel’s décor is beautiful, although some areas may appear dated, with some renovation of hotel guest rooms recently completed. Facilities are excellent, including the tennis courts near the ocean. As far as location goes, nothing can beat being in the middle of everything! Access to beach road (the main road that runs along Pattaya beach) is accessible right outside of the hotel. Want to shop at the new Terminal 21 mall? It’s located just down the road. Oh, and you might want to grab a massage at Health Land while you’re out. For best results, book ahead and ask for a room with a sea view!

Having operated for more than thirty years, the Dusit Thani is the oldest five-star resort at Pattaya beach.

Cape Dara Resort. Pattaya Beach North
Five star. Rate 5,000 baht ($165 US) per night. Ocean view. Private, rocky beach. Several pool areas, including an infinity pool overlooking the ocean. Good breakfast with great view of Pattaya bay. Semi-private beach. Pattaya beach 5-min by taxi or free hotel shuttle. Thai style resort. Good for couples. Romantic.

The Cape Dara Resort is located very near the beginning of beach road, the road that runs adjacent to Pattaya beach. The hotel’s location is very quiet and tranquil, providing a nice respite from the busy clamor of the nearby city. However, timing can be important here, since the hotel is a common destination for Asian tour groups visiting Pattaya during the peak season (November – February). Some renovations appear to have completed, with the hotel décor appearing well-maintained if a bit dated. The resort itself is not nearly as large as some of the other hotels listed here. However, if you’re looking for a convenient place to stay on the ocean by Pattaya, you may find this an interesting option.

Pattaya Beach
[Top] [Family Friendly] [Peaceful/Romantic] [Pattaya Beach]

Hilton Pattaya. Pattaya Beach Central
Five star. Rate 5,000 baht ($165 US) per night. Ocean view. Overlooks entire Pattaya beach. Main elevated pool area overlooks ocean. Excellent breakfast. Rooftop restaurant. Situated above Central Pattaya shopping mall. Good for couples. Great location, romantic.

As far as a blend of location and quality, the Hilton Pattaya has never disappointed Tiger and Bird! The hotel tower is located above the Central Pattaya shopping mall, allowing easy access to hundreds of restaurants, an SFX movie theater, and of course the entirety of Pattaya beach from the moment you step outside. Horizon Restaurant and Bar is a must visit for anyone staying here – or visiting Pattaya for that matter. The views from this rooftop restaurant at night are phenomenal. Just remember there is an enforced dress code: smart casual only, no beachwear or activewear. Facilities are excellent, as expected from the Hilton brand, but the hotel itself mostly provides fantastic views of the city from the restaurants, rooms, and the guest-access-only infinity pool located adjacent to the lobby. Worth a visit? You bet!

Avani Pattaya Resort. Pattaya Beach Central
Five Star. Rate 5,000 baht ($165 US) per night. Some rooms have ocean view, but hotel is not on the ocean. Courtyard a relative jungle oasis in the middle of the busy city. Excellent breakfast. Decent facilities and modern rooms. Two-minute walk to Pattaya beach. Good for both families and couples. Great location, peaceful.

Imagine yourself amid the hustle and bustle – and heat – of Pattaya. When you reach your hotel, you walk through the expansive entrance and are magically transported into a quiet, tropical garden. Well, if this is the vacation you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place! Avani Pattaya is situated in the middle of Pattaya and across the road from Pattaya beach. Dozens of restaurants, shops, and several shopping malls are simply a short walk away. But when you walk into the hotel’s courtyard, the city simply fades away. Facilities are excellent with a wonderful pool and garden area (as mentioned). If you plan to stay at the Avani Pattaya resort during your next visit, ensure you request a room with a sea view to experience the best of both worlds!

Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya. Pattaya Beach Central
Five star. Rate 5,000 baht ($165 US) per night. Some rooms have ocean view. Good breakfast. Excellent pool facilities with separate kids area. Across the road from Pattaya beach. Good for families. Great location.

The Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya is wonderfully positioned in the heart of Pattaya; simply cross Beach Road and you are on Pattaya beach! Facilities are excellent and include a very large pool area watched over by several lifeguards. Décor and maintenance are in keeping with the standards expected of the brand. Property size and room size slightly on the smaller size from other international Hard Rock Hotels Tiger and Bird have visited. The location is where it all comes together! The convenience of stepping outside your hotel and having the entirety of Pattaya beach and the surrounding restaurants and small shops available cannot be understated. In Thai, the word would to describe this place would be “saduak”. If you like the Hard Rock Hotel brand, you may want to look no further and simply book your stay now! As always, be sure to ask for a room with a sea view.

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Coming up next, we'll look at the nearby beach of Jomtien!

Previous post: Taking a day trip from Pattaya to the isle of Koh Larn

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Related Posts

Daytime activities to experience around Pattaya beach

Hua Hin is a sleepy, seaside town with beautiful white sand beaches- and only a two hour drive from Bangkok!

Beaches and national parks to the south of Hua Hin in the region of Pranburi