Southern Thailand

Friday February 15 – Tuesday February 26

Very rarely do I manage to get through a winter without getting hammered by the flu. This year, apparently, is no different (even though we’re in the tropics, mind you, boohiss).

On February 15th Heather and I took a 9hr bus from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Bangkok, Thailand. I was sad to leave Cambodia, but excited to eventually get to Southern Thailand…and Heather and I were definitely anxious to get back to the land of King paraphernalia, thai iced teas and 7-11’s on every street corner. Unfortunately, I started running a fever as we left Siem Reap…and it still hadn’t let up by the time we flew to Phuket, in Southern Thailand on the 16th.

We were met at the airport by Jim Mielke, a friend from Silver Bay. After traveling for about 6 ½ weeks, it was great to see a familiar face, and even nicer - he’s a resident, so drove me directly to the international hospital to get checked out. While the final diagnosis was just a ‘really bad cold’, appropriate meds (read: strong antibiotics) were prescribed. 6 weeks in SEAsia and no health problems…apparently I’d been pushing my luck.

We stayed with Jim for 4 nights --- he’s in one of the few areas of Phuket that is still slightly deserted, happily situated far from the touristy, built-up beaches and Phuket town. He’s got an amazing view of a bay and nearby islands that have just recently begun to be bought up by developers. It made for an amazing place to recuperate (Jim, thank you so much), we just feel horrible that we managed to pass along the cold.

February 20th was the day we finally got to see a bit more of the infamous Southern Thailand travelers rave about. We took a scenic boat ride from Phuket to Krabi, another mainland beach tourist destination, and met up with Heather’s friend Tom who’s on his way back to the States from 6 months in Antarctica (talk about temperature change?). The trip itself was 2 hours of stunning ocean views…we couldn’t wait to get to the beach. The three of us caught a longtail boat to Railay where we stayed for a week – Heather and I further recuperating and Tom warming up.

There are a few specific populations of people on Railay…
Resort Beach-goers…while Railay itself it less built up than islands such as Ko Phi Phi or Ko Samui, it does have at least 4 or 5 resorts spread out along it’s 3 main beaches. Resorts mean that the restaurants cater to Western cuisine, there are minimarts around every corner and tourist offices are everywhere, offering limitless day trips and tour packages. If you can’t find one that fits your needs…they probably can. Or they’ll call a friend and set it up for you.
Backpackers…there are those of us that are traveling that are on a slightly tighter budget than one that would allow a resort stay, and there are a few budget places to be found. Ton Sai, a beach to the North, caters especially to backpackers --- specifically the climbers --- who are looking to live cheaply.
Climbers…Railay is known for its climbing, more so than its beaches, depending on who you talk to. There are actually more climbing operations than dive shops (an oddity for this part of the world) on Railay. Climbers can be lumped into the backpacker group, but also form their own community. Many whom I spoke to had been there for a few weeks…and weren’t necessarily planning on leaving anytime soon.
Locals/Rastafarians…for such a large crowd of tourists, there’s obviously quite the niche for restaurants, beachside shake stands, bars and tour agencies, all which are run by locals. Even the dive shop was mostly staffed by Thais – a contrast to what we would find in Ao Nang the following week. Rastafarians, many of whom spend their time off either listening to Bob Marley or hitting up their favorite climbing spots, are everywhere, and are the first to let you know where the party is that night, or what happy hour specials they’ll have later that day.

Obviously we had our share of entertainment for the week we stayed on East Railay (the beaches were as follows…West Railay = resort, Phra Nang = resort, Ton Sai = climber’s paradise, East Railay didn’t have a beach you could sit on, but was full of backpackers and smaller resorts). Heather and Tom went diving on our last full day there; I spent it on the beach, again. Not too much to share other than gorgeous photos…which will eventually be posted, once I’m in a place long enough to do so. Promise.