Monthly Archives: February 2010

Thailand 11 – Koh Phi Phi Don

1 Reply

img_3169
 From Phuket we took the ferry to Koh Phi Phi Don, larger of the Phi Phi islands, and the only one that is inhabited. We stayed at a hotel (The Holiday Inn) on Laem Tong Beach, a few miles from the main town of Tonsai. This part of the island was much more remote & secluded, with a just handful of resorts and a couple local restaurants on the beach.

It was a gorgeous location, and the island (running north-south) was so narrow here that we were able to see both sunrise and sunset from our hotel property.

Continue reading →

Thailand 11 – Phuket

Leave a reply

img_3036
 After Chiang Mai, we flew to Phuket, spending one night before our early-morning ferry to the Phi Phi islands. We stayed at one of the smaller beach towns, Kamala, which was nice, but still sort of crowded.

Overall Thailand is an incredibly friendly country, but Phuket seemed to be a bit less so than the other places we visited. This is probably because it attracts so many tourists, many of whom treat it as a typical party/beach vacation and aren’t really interested in the culture. As a result, the locals can’t help but become a bit more standoffish.

Continue reading →

Thailand 10 – Elephant Camp

Leave a reply

img_2988
 Formerly logging camps, these have been converted over to nature preserves / tourist attractions. The elephants do seem to be treated well & are happy. One reason may be because they are paired for life with a single trainer, resulting in a strong bond between the two. We rode an elephant and then watched them perform various tricks such as playing soccer and painting. After that we were able to feed & interact with them, which was probably the best part.

Continue reading →

Thailand 9 – Cooking Class

Leave a reply

convar324
 After the flower parade we joined Tom & Janet to go to a Thai cooking class. We first went to the market and learned about various Thai foods and ingredients. After making our purchases, we walked to the cooking school and learned how to make some typical dishes including soups, stir fries, curries, and dessert.

Continue reading →

Thailand 5 – Chedi Hotel

Leave a reply

convar250_0.jpg
 While in Chiang Mai we stayed at the Chedi Hotel, one of the nicest hotels either of us has ever seen, let alone stayed at. The grounds are beautiful, the staff very friendly, and our room was huge! It’s right on the river in Chiang Mai, the perfect place to eat breakfast in the morning. One night we had a celebration dinner at the hotel, and launched Thai lanterns afterwards.

Continue reading →

Thailand 4 – Chiang Mai

Leave a reply

convar343.jpg
After two days in Bangkok we flew to Chiang Mai, in the north of the country. It was cooler than sweltering Bangkok, but with a few mosquitoes, although they didn’t really bite, for some reason.

The major attractions (Chedi Hotel, Doi Suthep, Prince Royal’s College, Flower Parade, Cooking Class) will have their own photo galleries, but here are some pics from the airport and around town.

Continue reading →