Asian Trip Part 3: Thailand, Our Last Stop
I. Ao Nang, Krabi Thailand
April 8-10
Our trip wouldn’t be complete without going to the BEACH!
(Cue music: Pure Shores)
After a super stressful travel from KL to Thailand, a swim at the beach was a great reward :)
We took a 4 islands beach hopping package tour worth 390 baht (after much haggling with ate..hehe) and was able to see Poda, Chicken and Tub islands. Too bad it rained so hard that we weren’t able to go to the 4th island.
II. Phuket
We went to Patong Beach, Phuket with the image of a breathtaking shoreline in mind. So just imagine our disappointment when we saw that Phuket is far from that. It is densely populated with resorts, restaurants, and bars. The beach itself is filled with beach umbrellas and chairs that totally ruins the view. Worse, the water is uninviting and itchy.
The hostel we stayed in was a disappointment too (not the place itself but its rude owner and receptionist). He’s a far cry from the very accommodating Mr. Mayor of PetSoc from Hotel Petaling.
The good thing about Phuket, however, is the numerous shopping centres and the loud nightlife (if ur into that ). Too bad we didn’t have the budget for both..ahaha.
III. Bangkok“Sa Bangkok na lang”
That’s what we always said whenever we wanted to buy something during the earlier parts of our trip. After all, Bangkok is known as “the shopping destination”. And since the other places we went to sells stuff at a higher price, we opted to restrain ourselves from buying.
We were in for a surprise when we arrived at Bangkok and saw a flurry of activities --parades, banners, free drinks are strewn everywhere. And on our way to Khao san Road to find a cheap hostel, we immediately had a bad feeling that their Songkran Festival (Thai New Year, Water Festival) will start at that day and our street will be the center of the festivity. Water guns, water bottles, hoses and a stage are being set-up outside.
Because of the &%#@ festival, I was at my worst mood. Who would want to get their clothes and cameras get wet when all we wanted to have is a stress-free sightseeing and shopping time for our last day.
Water gun directed at my ear, Tuktuk ride that got us drenched and heat stroke at Grand Palace and reclining Buddha… these are some of the events that got me pissed off. And as if this is not enough, our shopping galore plans vanished as the stores were all closing… huhuhu… I only got to buy a few items from the few stores that were still open.. sigh.
Going back to the hostel was another challenge. By late afternoon, everyone was already partying on the streets.. Khao San was closed and a stage was set-up for dignitaries and a Miss Songkran beauty contest…If only we weren’t set to leave for the airport that night, it would have been fun to join the partying crowd. But fudge! How do we leave for the airport without getting wet?
As it turned out, even with our backpacks on, the Thai people did not spare us from getting wet. ARGH. whatthe!
