Relaxation at Koh Samui

Thai temple

I have been to Thailand a couple of times before, and I must say it has become quite a favourite country of mine. Most of it because of the variety of options it offers. Culture, shopping, beaches, water activities, nature, relaxation, luxury.. You could be looking for any of these ways to have a vacation, and you can find it all in Thailand!

Relaxation

On this vacation, we wanted to relax, and so decided to spend a couple of days on the island of Koh Samui. And as always, we were not disappointed! We were in Koh Samui for about 4 days and had an amazing time. To be frank, we did not do much, and our plans for diving also got spoilt because of communication issues, but still it felt that we had an activity filled vacation as well as relaxed completely.

Koh Samui is quite a small island, almost roundish in shape and about 20-25 kms across. The popular tourist areas of the island are all around the coast, while the interiors apparently has mountains and forests. The terrain throughout, even next to the islands is hilly with dense green forests everywhere. The whole feel of the island is very tropical, dense green vegetation all around, plus lots of mosquitos (and loud toad noises) at night.

Chaweng

The popular beaches on the island are Chaweng and Lamai, both located near each other, on the east coast of the island. Both these areas are pretty commercialised along the main streets, which run parallel to the beaches. Other than these, there are beaches all along the coast which are slowly getting populated, but for now don't have as much of shops and noise there yet. Also, even though partially commercialised, the overall atmosphere on the island is still pretty relaxed which makes it very easy to unwind.

Lamai at night

Both the Lamai and Chaweng beaches are quite similar - long stretches of white sand, with restaurants on the beach and multiple water activities available. Other than that, the parallel streets offer many shops to browse through, and massage shops to get different treatments everyday. Honestly, as I said we did not do much, just walked around, ate, got massages daily, swam and ate some more!

Chaweng

On a Sunday, we also walked into the local Thai market near Lamai beach. It was a street full of vendors selling all kinds of foods - meats, crepes, insects etc.. The interesting thing though was how cheap it all was! All the restaurants which seemed very cheap compared to London rates, now seemed like a rip-off! Also made me realise how much our sense of prices has changed while staying in London.

Koh Nangyuan snorkelling

One of the days, we took a day trip to two islands, Koh Nangyuan and Koh Tao, for a snorkelling trip, and had a great time. The first thing we were impressed with was how their process worked very efficiently. People going on different trips are picked up from multiple locations, by different vans. All assemble at one location, and after check-in sorted into different ferries based on the colour of the ribbon on the hand. Each tour runs efficiently with lunch, food, equipment well taken care of. When you come back, again based on the drop off locations, everyone is assigned a van and dropped back to the correct location. Many small things were so very well co-ordinated throughout the trip, it was very impressive!!

Koh Nangyuan

Koh Nangyuan was a pretty island, small but self-contained. It had good beaches with sun-beds, corals for snorkelling just off the beach, a small trek up to the viewpoint, a restaurant on the island and lots of sun - all making for a fun-filled day! Both these islands are more famous for diving though, but that's for another time:).

One thing I really liked were the spirit houses (or little temples as they look like) that you could see outside all Thai homes and businesses. They are very small and colourful temples that are built outside every building. They look so cute and beautiful, caught my eye everywhere.

Thai spirit houses

There are a couple of other things to do on the island (which we did not), you can go to see the Thai boxing matches, or visit the touristy places like the Big Buddha temple or go diving to the island of Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan. I would also suggest if you want to travel around the island, hiring a scooter is a very good option. Its comfortable, easy to park and good fun especially given the weather is so great. The mornings and evenings are pleasant with a cool breeze blowing most of the times. The afternoon does get sunny and hot and humid, but then thats what the sea is for:).

Renaissance

We stayed at the Renaissance hotel, between Lamai beach and Chaweng, which was a nice resort away from the noises of the main areas, and had a tropical hilly feel to it. Everyday, we would take their shuttle to one of the other two beaches and chill away the day. Other than that, we did not do much else. Food was tasty and spicy! People were helpful, though their English wasn't as good. Bargaining is key while shopping. Other than that, just sit back, relax and enjoy:)

Cultural learnings in Bangkok

While in Singapore, I got a chance to (finally!) spend time in Bangkok unlike the last few times when I had just stopped there while in transit. And frankly I was impressed even more than I was expecting. Somehow Bangkok as a tourist place always gets overlooked as people prefer to go to the beaches and shopping in Thailand rather than explore its past.

These structures are the symbols
 of Thailand

Anyways I was excited to be in Bangkok and for the first day, we just explored a couple of temples in the city. The first was the Grand Palace, the symbol of Thailand and what a grand place was that! It is spread in a huge area and there are multiple sections and structures within. The first part is where all the temples and other religious places are located. The second is where the royal buildings are located where the king's coronation and other events take place. And then there was the royal palace in one section where the King's royal guests now stay.

Ravana guarding the idols

Each of these sections are full of stupas, temples, huge statues and other religious structures. Each has been exquisitely decorated with mirrors, coloured mosaics, gold plating and carvings. Everywhere in these structures, you will notice multiple influences of Hindu mythology. You find imagines of Garuda, Vishnu and Sheshnag in many of the depictions. There are even statues of Ravana (the good version) guarding their idols!

The first area is where the temples are located, especially the one with the emerald Buddha as well as the royal library, royal chapel, the library, the replica of the Angkor Vat and many others.

Emerald Buddha

The Emerald Buddha is actually not made of emerald but of jade! It is a small exquisite statue of Buddha which was apparently discovered in the ground and has had an interesting sequence of locations it has been to! The Emerald Buddha is also clothed differently in the different seasons of the year. It was a delicate looking statue and the temple around it was well decorated , with artistic and colourful paintings all around shining in gold.

Ramayana paintings

The royal chapel and library are not open to the public. They are just well crafted buildings with an interesting architecture, to look at and admire. As is the stone replica of Angkor Wat, the biggest Hindu temple which is located in Combodia. Just next to the temples is a wall on which are painted scenes from the Ramayana, but of course the Thai version which has some differences from the Indian version that we all are used to.

Royal buildings

The second part of the Palace includes some royal buildings where the royal thrones are and where the coronations happen. All these were closed when we visited but they are open sometimes during the year.

It takes at least a couple of hours to explore this Palace fully and its a heaven for photographers to practice their skills:). There is just so much art and painting (and gold) all around. For  a person  interested in intricate craftsmanship, its the perfect place to get lost and lose all sense of time!

Sitting Buddha

The next temple complex we saw was the Wat Po (or the temple of the Reclining Buddha). It is comprised of 3 temples inside, one of a standing Buddha, one of the sitting Buddha and the main one of the reclining Buddha. The temple of the sitting Buddha has hundreds of statues of Buddha in sitting pose all around the temple.





The Reclining Buddha temple has the statue of the Buddha reclining, but with his eyes open signifying him attaining Nirvana.

The face with half closed eyes

Reclining Buddha

Stupas

Just outside the complex is a Bodhi tree which is supposed to be from the same tree where Buddha attained nirvana. This complex also has many stupas within the compound and 4 big ones dedicated to the kings of Thailand. Am sure there is a lot more to the history of this temple except that our guide was a very old man who could barely speak English, so we did not manage to catch much of what he was trying to tell us!!

Wat Arun

The last temple we went to was the Wat Arun, a tall tower with engravings all around and which you can climb to geta look of the river and the city beyond. The last section of stairs leading up the Wat are very steep and not for the faint hearted. But the view from the top is worth it. You get a view of the river and the other temples and palaces at a distance.

Grand Palace from Wat Arun

The river with the tourist boats

You also get a good view of the river and the expanse of it breaking apart (and joining) the city! The river in Bangkok is a hub for a lot of activities. You can take boat rides on the river which take you through the maze that the river creates. In fact for the same reason, Bangkok is sometimes called the Venice of the East.

Also the ferry across the river is very cheap. We took a ferry to Wat Arun and it costed just about 2-3 THB which is about 4-5 Indian Rupees and some cents or pence in USD and GBP. Had totally forgotten things could be so cheap anymore:).

The modes of travel in the city are numerous. Taxis (even in pink colour!) and tuktuks abound. The tuktuks are cool actually, and their drivers maneuvre it like they was a scooter! Though beware, they charge tourists for their ignorance. And then there is the metro and the ferries to go longer distances or along/across the rivers. So all in all, very easy to go around the town.

Anyways I think this was the end of the cultural aspect of our trip. Thereafter we got what Thailand is famous for, the Thai massage! Its unbeleivably cheap, just about 300 THB for an hour in a good massage place in a mall. Is difficult to imagine this even in India anymore!

View across from the Deck

In terms of eating, we tried a couple of places which were good. One was the Deck near the Wat Po, it was a three tiered restaurant just next to the river with a view of Wat Arun across the river. Though the food was decent, the location of the restaurant is its best selling point. Its nice to sit there in the heat with the river wind keeping you cool. Plus once the lights come on, and twinkle in the water, the view looks even better. The other restaurant we tried was the Nahm restaurant which has some very awesome Thai fusion food. A definite recommend.

For partying we went to an area called RCA, and what a sight it was. A huge street closed to traffic, and a line of clubs playing loud music in the open. There was dancing inside and lot of seating outside. It did seem like a fun place:).

Erawan Brahma statue

Just next to the hotel we were staying in was a very interesting sight, a Brahma temple site called Erawan. There was this open space in the middle of a bustling market place with the statue of Brahma in the middle and people praying in the open. There was a continuous crowd there at night as well the next morning and on one side of the place

Dancers at Erawan

were some Thai dancers also dancing continuously. I found this very surprising, especially since there are so few Brahma temples in India. A lively site nonetheless.

Bangkok is definitely the place to shop. There are multiple malls which sell branded stuff for cheap, as well as the Chatuchak market for branded fakes. In fact, any street you walk on in the central district is full of people on the side selling all kinds of stuff. Its really surprising to see people selling things with no consistency at all!! I missed shopping when in Bangkok this time but its definitely a must-go.

I had also heard a lot about lady boys in Thailand, who are actually men but who dress up and live an ordinary life as a woman. It was a thought which is difficult to imagine elsewhere in the world I guess. But I did see it in Thailand, I met two ladyboys in the airport who no one could have said were not women! I for one found it quite interesting and open as a society.

One disturbing thing I saw in Bangkok though was the number of European men walking around hand in hand with local Thai women. What it stands for makes you feel bad for Thailand as a whole, how sad would it be for a country to have the reputation it has?

People in the city were mostly helpful to us. Even though most of them know some English but still not enough to help you get by comfortably. So many times we found ourselves stuck,  trying to explain what we wanted to and finally giving up. Everytime we were in the cab, we would always pray we reach the right destination since we were never sure if the driver understood what we were saying or not! Also, as tourists, it makes sense to be very careful when in Bangkok. People try to con you all the time. Just outside the Grand Palace, a couple of people told us to go somewhere else as the Palace was closed at that point! Which was not true at all! Wonder why they did that!

Anyways, on the whole loved my time exploring the past of Bangkok and would definitely recommend it to anyone going to Thailand. Do spend a couple of days getting to know and feel Bangkok. It will be worth it!

P.S. We all went crazy clicking photographs when in Bangkok. They are nice ones and thought will share them anyways!

AT THE GRAND PALACE - THE HINDUISM EFFECT

Royal Chapel

Hanuman and demons supporting the stupa

Garudas holding up the temple

Angkor Wat replica in stone

A golden statue

Golden Garuda, carrying Vishnu

TEMPLE OF RECLINING BUDDHA

Stupas of the kings

Paradise in Thailand

Never heard the term, 'paradise on earth' being used for Thailand, but I think this place deserves the title! Maybe because Thailand is famous for things other than its exoticness, or then maybe not..

An island (or a place as cut-off as an island), which is a must-go for any itinerary in Thailand is Railay, near Krabi. This island resort is a part of the mainland itself, but is divided by cliffs from the mainland, because of which the only way to reach this place from Krabi is via water, by the famous tail-boats that is. Railay is heaven, literally, away from the world, an amazing place for an adventure weekend, or even a honeymoon getaway....

The way to reach Railay is via Krabi, which has an international airport, and then the tailboat from there. When you approach Railay,you just see this small clearing in the midst of the cliffs, where there is a private beach, and a couple of resorts. Thats all there is, and then much more.

The resorts at Railay are expensive by Thailand standards, but compared to most other countries, still cheap. Where else would you get resorts with rooms literally on the beach, for 1200 THB per person per night. The resorts seem lively, and the island heaven! The place is so removed from everything, you can easily spend a long time there, just enjoying the serene and calm, and the beauty of the place.!!

There are lot of activities to do here, water sports, kayaking, snorkeling, rock climbing etc. You can just kayak to the neighbouring stone-islands, or swim across to the opposite beaches. Most of the sea there is shallow, and you can even have beer, sitting on the rocks 500m away from land. Believe me, its an experience(or even smoking 500m into the sea, sitting on a rock for that matter!!) Snorkeling in the nearby seas is good fun, you can see the fishes even without the snorkeling gear.
Rock climbing is what it is famous for though, the cliffs offer something to everyone, the beginners, and the experts. Its a delight to even watch the experts manoeuvre themselves to climb rocks which seem unconquerable too. Would be a good place to spend 2-3 days just practising climbing and learning on the way.

One place to definitely go is the trek up to the viewpoint. Interesting though not a very strenuous trek, and a view worth the effort. The same path also leads to the lagoon, though the trek to the lagoon is tougher.At night, just sit at the beaches, with not many people around, play in the water, with the cliffs on both sides overlooking the beach, and with lighted lamps lighting up the sky (seems to be a national hobby!).

There are a couple of good places on the beach itself to sit and eat, with music playing in the background. The effect of the place is so calming, its very difficult to imagine or believe. Just remembering it all takes me there and makes me nostalgic!

Couple of good places to visit nearby would be the Maya beach, which has been voted among the best beaches in the worldor the Vikings cave. You can take a boat to these places, lot of exotic islands on the way. Maya beach, you need to pay something to get onto the beach, but you can just snorkel there given the abundance of fishes. Vikings cave has a 'jhoola' in case you want to try:)









Phi-Phi island is appealing too, especially the view point giving a complete view of both sides of the beaches.
Phuket, our next halt was the complete anti climax to the previous experience. A commercial place, where everyone lands up and which has nothing to offer (well I have a negative view because of the stay at Railay maybe).
Please don't stay in Patong, and please don't go to Bangla street! Otherwise the nearby beaches should be a good place to chill. Nice restaurants, all the luxuries of a commercial beach resort town. Nothing much to point out about the place, other than the resort though that we stayed in, Deevana Patong. A good find, a luxury hotel, again available very cheap, and close to the Patong beach. One good place to visit would be the Phuket zoo, you can get yourself photographed with a tiger and a tiger cub (and a python too). Seems expensive, but is an experience in case it interests you. The tuk-tuk guys will take you there free, since they get a commision from the zoo. In fact you can ask them to pay you to take you there!

Bangkok was again an experience, such a lively city. The city was much more developed than I had anticipated, high rise buildings, but still retaining the Asian touch. Din get to spend much time there though, is definitely a place will go to again.The night market is fun, lots to bargain. Sometimes the price you can get actually shocks even you. A good strategy would be to start with 30% of the quoted price, and end there! The river front in Bangkok is supposed to be fun, we tried looking for it for an hour, but it got lost! The city was still alive though even at 2am! People selling all kinds of things imaginable on the streets, even at that hour. The place to stay in Bangkok is a street called Khaosan Road. Its out of this world! Such a vibrant street, with people on the road even late at night, buying and selling anything and everything under the world, cockroaches, insects, food stuff, bags, shoes, clothes..whatever you want! We also spotted an elephant on the road!!

People in Thailand are friendly, though most don't know English at all. They do try to help though, for sure its a tourist friendly place. One of the best guides we had, was a person whose English wasn't as great, but who made up for it by his humour! It was on an elephant safari and river rafting trip, and his best joke was, '..the last and most important activity of the day would be.... lunching..' (it doesn't sound as funny now, but that time it did:)). Bargaining is rampant, anywhere and everywhere. Helps if you are skilled in that area. Food is good too, and even for vegetarians. Place is warm even in April, and humid too, but rains almost every afternoon. A must-do for the trip is the Thai massage. Just breaks your bones, which you din even know existed!!