The Lovely Gulf of Thailand

Amy: After our first couple of weeks in Thailand, we knew a trip to the beach was up next. We chose the island of Koh Chang on the northeastern side of the Gulf of Thailand. The island was recommended to me by a mentor and friend, Donna Duffy, and by others on our visit to Chiang Mai. We opted to fly and soon we were on the ferry crossing to the second largest island in Thailand.

Koh Chang was recommended as it is less developed and commercialized than other islands. We splurged (in comparison to our $15-$20/night average in Thailand) for our first nights at Sea View Resort. The resort was wonderful with three pools, fabulous vistas of the area, and a clear white sand beach. We felt spoiled. I also fell on the ladder in the pool and ended up with a HUGE bruise the size of cantaloupe. Ouch.

As usual, we needed to move our feet, so we hiked in the mountainous jungle into the National Park. We didn’t come across anyone else. Likely because even though it was morning, it was hot and HUMID. Really, really humid. We were a little intimated about coming across a snake or spider or other scary jungle animal, but merely saw some fish in a small pond we came upon.

We decided to stay on the island and tried two other lodging options, to see what more affordable accommodations were like. We headed up the beach via a taxi truck to Chai Chet. Koh Chang has a slower pace than other areas we had been to in Thailand. On our taxi ride, I was considering renting a scooter to explore the island. Just as I was considering that prospect, we passed by a truck and scooter accident, and sadly, the scooter driver was fatally injured. Two days later, we saw another man crash on his scooter as well, but thankfully he was fine. My motorbike and scooter thoughts were taken off our list.

 

The sea spray splashed us as we kayaked into the bay and along a fishing boat canal near Chai Chet. Schools of small fish jumped through the air as we passed. We also enjoyed a day of snorkeling and visiting four small, remote islands to the south via speedboat. We loved viewing the islands from the ocean (and seeing some macaque monkeys) with the warm breeze on our faces.

To wrap up our time, we headed down to Elephant Bay. We enjoyed the backpacker atmosphere with good conversation, playing Frisbee in the pool, lounging in the hammock at sunset, and a free BBQ for guests on our first night. At this place, I was shocked badly by an electrical outlet that wasn’t grounded when plugging in my phone at 5:00am. I screamed loudly and woke Jon and likely all of the neighbors. Ouch again.

We also used our time to plan our next steps. We plan as we go and sometimes it can be challenging to fit all of the logistical pieces together with transport, lodging, and activities while keeping it affordable. We have embraced the motto of appreciate more, expect less. As a person who has been prone to a bit of perfectionism, our travels continue to teach me so much about not expecting perfect, but enjoying what is and making the most of the day we are given. No experience is perfect and we are embracing that we learn so much from the challenging and difficult moments that can come with travel and life.

Our next stop was up to Pattaya for three nights after a long bus ride with a breakdown along the way. We were so pleased to arrive and be warmly welcomed by my aunt who has visited Thailand during the winter for the last eleven years.

Barbara and Bob welcomed us into their one room condo and we bunked on their couches in their place on the 22^nd floor. The bay below sparked with energy. During the day, parasailers and speedboats buzzed through the waters. At night, music boomed and colorful lights and lasers bounced across the sky. To us, this was like the Las Vegas of Thailand. We took many walks throughout the city and down to Walking Street, where you can get a massage and “other” pleasures. Pattaya has a significant industry with selling “short term relationships” and Jon got a lot of attention on our walkabouts.

An expat friend of my aunt, known as Connecticut Bob, also helped show us around the area. We enjoyed some tasty Thai food, visited the Big Buddha, saw our first robot waiter, and checked out the new Star Wars movie. On our last night in Thailand, we finally got a foot massage and it was well deserved after our city hikes exploring the streets, markets, and sites throughout Pattaya. We were sad to leave and wished we had another day. We are thankful to Barbara and the two Bobs for the tour of this energetic city.

We spent about four weeks in Thailand and celebrated the diversity in its nature, culture, and people. Our next stop will take us across the border and into Cambodia.

(Dates: December 9-20, 2015)