Thailand: Krabi and Koh Lanta

From Koh Samui we flew to the Krabi Province on the Andaman Coast. When most people picture the sexy Thai islands with karst mountains and clear, green water, images of this area spring to mind. We spent just one night in the small town of Krabi, mostly using it as a jumping off point to the Andaman Coast islands. Krabi is known for its picturesque limestone mountains sitting atop the beach, so we went to check out the local scenery. After a harrowing taxi ride on the back of a pickup truck (see photo for reference), we spent the afternoon in a small fishing village to the south of Krabi where most of the population is Taoist-Confusion and Muslim, and watched the long boats come in at low tide.

The next day we took a two-hour ferry to Koh Lanta. Long and thin, Koh Lanta is the largest of the Thai islands in this region. We stayed on Khlong Dao beach, not far from the main pier, which was bustling with restaurants and bars on the sand catering to tourists like us.

Koh Lanta is relatively flat when compared to other nearby islands so we spent a good amount of time exploring the island on a motorbike. On Tuesday, we scooted along the entire western side of the island stopping at five different, secluded beaches to cool off with a swim in the ocean. It was pretty wild to have a beach to ourselves, even in the middle of peak season. A noteworthy highlight from our motorbike journey was stopping abruptly as three wild monkeys casually crossed the road.

We found Koh Lanta very laid-back, but after two days we decided to continue our island-hopping and move along to the infamous Koh Phi Phi.

Christmas on Koh Samui

After a quick fifty-minute flight from Bangkok, we arrived to Koh Samui, a popular getaway island in the Gulf of Thailand. We knew we were in for a good time when even the airport looked like a lavish tropical resort. We opted to stay initially on one of the island’s quieter northern beaches, Choeng Mon Beach. Now this is was our kind of place! Within hours of arriving, we had walked the crescent beach, swam in the warm gulf water and settled in for dinner and drinks at a table on the sand.

From there, the next several days were spent exploring the local area, reading by the ocean and trying some adventurous (and very inexpensive) Thai cuisine. Christmas day was a very untraditional this year. We rented a scooter and drove around part of the island’s 100-km ring road, stopping to check out some other beaches, fill the gas tank from a stand on the roadside and visit a gigantic golden Buddha overlooking the water. We had lunch outside about halfway down the eastern side of the island before treating ourselves to Thai massages and dinner on Choeng Mon beach.

We extended our stay in Koh Samui 3 times, eventually moving east just a bit to another beach for a change of scenery. As you might imagine, it was tough for us to board a plane departing the island when the time finally came, but we did. Our next stop would be across the thin middle of Thailand to Krabi, a jumping off point for the islands in the Andaman Sea.

Happy New Year, everyone. We miss you!

A Quick Stop in Bangkok

We arrived in Bangkok, Thailand a few days before Christmas. We spent just one day in Bangkok since we were excited to scrap city life and rush down to Thailand’s beautiful islands. In Bangkok, home to 7.7 million people, we stayed in an area called Banglamphu and spend an afternoon visiting the city’s most famous attraction, the Grand Palace. From our accommodation, we took a short water taxi ride to the Palace. The water taxi had a section reserved for monks that we accidentally sat in!

It was a hot, humid day and, as is customary, we dressed conservatively to enter the Palace (no shorts or skirts, no open-toed shoes, no exposed shoulders for women). The place was teaming with sweaty tourists, but the compound was an impressive sight nonetheless. The palace was built in 1782 upon the order of the Thai monarch at the time, who was clearly interested in an lavish and ornate residence. The grounds encompass more than 100 buildings, including the beautiful Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Here, we removed our shoes and sat in front of the Buddha, who was perched high above the floor, careful not to point out toes in his direction, which is considered extremely disrespectful. The Grand Palace is home to over 200 years of royal history, so despite having traces of a tourist trap, it is an important destination for Buddhists and Thai nationals.

Later that day, we hopped onto a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to the island of Koh Samui! More on that soon.

Hong Kong and China in a Nutshell

HK/China Fun Facts:

• $1 US = 7.75 Hong Kong Dollars
• $1 US = 6.83 Chinese Yuan
• China’s population is 1.3 billion
• China is home to 20 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities (25% of California’s pollution comes from China)
• Percentage of China’s population under the poverty line (>$1 US per day) in 1979 = 64%. Percentage in 2004 = 10%
• China recently overook the US as the world’s largest broadband market. (Don’t ask about Facebook or Twitter, though!)

HK/China Superlatives:

Best Hong Kong/China experience:

Krista - The Symphony of Lights night laser show in Hong Kong and walking the streets of Yangshao for a traditional feel.

Scott - The Great Wall of China. Exceeded expectations. Wandering around Yangshuo is a close second.

Best iconic attraction:

Krista - absolutely the Great Wall. It was one of the most impressive structures I have ever seen. The steep hike at Mutianyu is well worth it

Scott - The Great Wall, definitely.

Favorite Chinese dish

Krista - Kung Pao Chicken. It tastes even better here - I swear! I ate it twice.

Scott - Anything on a stick. The Chinese eat everything on a stick.

Most random photo taken with complete strangers:

Biggest surprises about China:

Krista - 1) The public restrooms are porcelain holes in the ground called “squat” toliets and they do not provide toilet paper so I had to always keep tissues in my pockets. 2) Many people do not speak English, including cab drivers and waitresses which makes getting around and eating a challenge. 3) Maybe it was because of the frigid weather, but I did not notice the pollution in Beijing.

Scott - Surprised by how widely English is spoken, even in Guanxi

Hardest language ever: Mandarin Chinese

Most helpful suggestion we can offer for YOUR trip to China:

Krista - Keep tissues in your pockets at all times and make sure to have the address for where you are trying to go in Chinese to show a cab driver!

Scott - 1) Bring an appetite. The food is good and very inexpensive. 2) Sharpen your bargaining skills to save some money along the way 3) Don’t go to Beijing in the winter

View China in a larger map

Brrrrrr, Beijing

Last week we flew into China’s capital, Beijing, home to 15.6 million people., Immediately we were thankful for the puffy, down jackets we’d purchased in Guilin. It was cold, cold, cold. But despite the bitter temperatures, we were excited to explore this enormous city. Beijing is similar in size to Belgium, and unlike Hong Kong, which felt compact, Beijing is spread out. We found it a bit more conservative than Hong Kong, and not quite as friendly as elsewhere in China. We stayed in an area of town called Chaoyang, just east of the Tiananmen Square and the capital’s center.

Some highlights of our stay in Beijing included strolling around ancient buildings in the Forbidden City, home to 26 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties, snapping photos in Tiananmen Square, the world’s largest public square, people-watching in the shopping district, and eating Beijing’s specialty dish, Peking Duck.

All of this was great, but nothing compared to the afternoon we spent exploring the Great Wall of China. On a clear and sunny day, we visited a less touristed and extremely steep part of the wall, Mutianyu, which was built during the early years of the Ming dynasty (a very long time ago). This 3-km section of the wall provided an up-close look at some of the wall’s watch towers and a nice view of the surrounding mountains. We were impressed and took a lot of photos. Some of our favorites are below.

Exploring Guangxi: Guilin and Yangshuo

Seeking a break from the busy streets of Hong Kong, we took an hour or so flight to the Guangxi Province, which borders Vietnam, to explore the lush green landscape and limestone mountains around Guilin and Yangshuo. Our first stop, Guilin, a town of 740,000 on the west bank of the massive Li River, is a popular destination for Chinese nationals. Since it is the low season (and getting cold - we bought jackets), we found it relatively sleepy and fun to explore. We spent most of our time wandering around the Li River and Guilin’s pedestrian shopping area, taking in the interesting sites, people-watching, and, ahem, Scott waiting patiently while Krista explored many shops.

Our next destination was Yangshuo, a beautiful smaller town of 310,000 surrounded by stunning topography and skyrocketing limestone mountains. We really enjoyed this place and stayed for a few days. Beyond its natural beauty, which you’ll notice in the photos, the village area was teeming with shops, great noodle restaurants and cafes. Although we were asked if we wanted a ride on a bamboo raft thousands of times by the local “entrepreneurs“, we found the area very charming. We liked the prices, too, paying just $9 US for a night in our hotel, $8 for a delicious authentic meal with drinks, and $.87 for a large beer. We definitely stuck out like sore thumbs here. In fact, Krista kept saying that she felt like we were in a Social Studies video.

Following Yangshuo, we flew back to Hong Kong for a night, where we stayed on Lantau Island. Next, we’re off to Beijing.