Image by Filippo Frazzetta from Pixabay
“If there’s heaven for me, I’m sure it has a beach attached to it.”
– Jimmy Buffett
During a cold winter in New England in 2010, my husband and I sought warmth and sandy beaches. One of the best places in the world for that is Thailand.
On Tuesday, January 26th, after a couple of weeks in other countries of Southeast Asia, my husband and I caught a Bangkok Airways flight from Sim Reap, Cambodia, to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. It left at 5 pm and took less than an hour. Unlike most American carriers now, they provided a boxed meal for the short flight. That evening, we took a taxi to the Thong Ta Resort and Spa, a hotel near the airport where we spent the night.
On Wednesday morning, January 27th, we taxied back to the Bangkok airport. The taxis to and from the hotel were inexpensive (40 Baht/$4.50 each way). We boarded an Air Asia flight to Krabi International Airport in the southwest of Thailand.
From the Krabi airport to the Krabi Town pier, we took an open-air shuttle bus at 180 Baht/$6.00 for the two of us. It was more like the back of a truck with benches, and we shared it with several other travelers from Australia who were spending six months exploring Southeast Asia.
From Krabi, we took a ferry (900 Baht /$28.00 for two) across the Andaman Sea to the island of Koh Phi Phi Don (as distinguished from the smaller Koh Phi Phi Leh).
Upon arrival on Koh Phi Phi Don, we walked from the dock to the Phi Phi Banyan Villa Hotel, where we stayed for five nights. We spent the days beaching and exploring. The nearby, palm-fringed, white-sand Loh Dalum Beach was like a picture postcard. The aquamarine water was partially encircled by dramatic limestone cliffs and dotted with longtail boats, their tails decorated with colorful fabrics. The town was filled with restaurants, bars, shops, and a kaleidoscope of people from different nations.
On Friday, January 29th, I enjoyed a massage at a shop close to the hotel. It was a bargain at 500 Baht ($15.50).
On Monday, February 1st, we checked out of the Phi Phi Banyan Villa Hotel and took a ferry (700 Baht/$22.00 for two) from Koh Phi Phi Don to the larger island of Koh Lanta, to the southeast. From the Koh Lanta dock, we took a taxi (400 Baht/$12.50) to the Srilanta Resort, where we stayed for five nights. It fronted on a long sand beach that ran for miles, but behind it, the rest of the island was very green with many trees, and there was a road paralleling the beach on which we enjoyed walking. Some nights, we ate on the hotel patio facing the beach, and one night, we walked to a nearby beachfront restaurant that had tables set right on the sand. One of us had red curry and the other, green curry. They were both delicious. The restaurant entertained diners with paper lanterns they lit with flames and set aloft into the sky, creating a magical environment.
On Friday, February 5th, my husband and I enjoyed outdoor massages right on the beach. We were each given a bed set up on the sand. The price for two was only 600 Baht/$18.75. My husband opted to follow up with a pedicure for 100 Baht, another bargain at $3.00.
On the morning of Saturday, February 6, we made the most of our last beach day at the Srilanta Resort, then we checked out, left our luggage with reception, and had a nice lunch. At 2 pm, a public minivan picked us up at the hotel, and after a few stops at other hotels, it whisked all of us to the Krabi airport on the mainland (250 Baht/$7.80). (Well, maybe ‘whisked’ is an exaggeration. It took close to 3 hours and required 2 ferry crossings!)
Our 7 pm Air Asia flight to Bangkok took under an hour. Since our stopover was an overnight, we reserved a room at the Citadines Bangkok Sukhumvit 16 Hotel in the city and took a taxi there. (It was a rushed visit, but worth the effort to get a taste of the capital.
It was after 9 pm when we got to the hotel and we were famished. The woman at reception suggested the nearby Foodland. Once outside, we could see Foodland to our right, but it said “supermarket” so we went looking elsewhere. Inspired by a TV program, my husband was itching to try some street food, but we nixed the few menus we saw because they mentioned “entrails” and “stomach linings.”
We turned down a side street where a place seemed busy but soon realized it was a brothels with hookers welcoming guests! It was getting late, and not much was open in the area. Finally, somewhere close to 11 pm, we found a Mexican place. It was kind of weird to be eating Mexican on our one night in Bangkok, but it did taste good!
As we headed back to the hotel, we saw that Foodland was open 24 hours, so we headed there to buy a couple of beers. To our surprise, it also had a restaurant that was busy and looked good. Too bad we hadn’t taken the receptionist’s advice.
On Sunday, February 7th, we got up early to make the most of our one morning in Bangkok, but most places didn’t open until 10 am. The weather was hot, but we walked and found a nice park that was a cool oasis. It was dedicated to Queen Sirikit and was filled with fountains and recreational courts, playgrounds, gardens, and a pool. Lots of young kids were running laps, some with their parents. They appeared to be participating in either an organized run or a club activity. It was a peaceful respite from the traffic outside the gates.
Bangkok also had a Skytrain, which was an elevated rail system that ran through many of the central parts of the city. Since that time, a Skytrain connection to the airport has opened.
At 11 am, we took a taxi to the airport for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. (The taxis between the hotel in the city and the airport were only 200 Baht/$6.25 each way.) We were impressed with the modern airport when we first arrived, but this time we had a chance to see the full scope of the international terminals. It rivaled Heathrow for the number of shops and restaurants.
Security was super tight. At the TSA, they went through our carry-ons and confiscated small bottles of hot sauce. When we got to the gate, inspectors came through and asked all of the waiting passengers to line up for a second baggage inspection. We passed and made our 2 pm flight on time. It was with Air France on a 747, a relaxing ride after the stressful ordeal at the airport, but in keeping with our overall lovely experience in Thailand.
