Amazing Thailand January, February 2002

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The following is our travelogue. Click here to view the Photo Albums, or follow the links of the cities. Warning: There are alot of pictures. We did our best to cull them, but we wanted to share our experience with all of you. So take your time, grab some popcorn, and ENJOY!

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I t had been a very rough couple of months. There was a lot of talking about should we or shouldn't we go. In the end, when January 21st came around, we were on a plane headed toward Thailand for the trip of a lifetime.

Needless to say, the journey is incredibly long. Our route went from Boston-NY-London-Bangkok. We did, however, get a little treat flying high over Newfoundland. The sight was awesome. This was quite a contrast to where we were going. So for all you Newfie fans out there, this is for you.

We spent four nights in Bangkok at the very posh Shangri-La hotel. We spent our days touring the Wats (temples) and klongs (canals), but most of all enjoying the Thai people. The pace is unbelieveably hectic, and you take a massage whenever you can. Thai massages can be pretty rough sometimes, but you walk out a whole different person.

We left the noise and pollution for three days on the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi. We toured the Kanchanaburi Memorial and the Jeath Museum, tributes to the soldiers who died during the building and rebuilding of the Bridge of the River Kwai. We took a ride on the Thai-Burma Railway also known as the Death Rail. Eventually, we made our way to the Jungle River Rafts, where we spent the night rocking with the river current. In the morning, we kayaked to our next accommodation, the Resotel. Very, very nice. We were able to skip the tourist "bus" activities and opted for our own program of biking and some more kayaking. We even had a chance to jump in the river and float downstream a ways. We did this A LOT!! These three days were some of the most peaceful days we spent in Thailand.

From Kanchanaburi, we piled back on the bus to Bangkok. We grabbed a flight up to Chiang Mai and checked into the Riverview Lodge on the Ping River. We were in the North for about a week. Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand, but it is much less hectic than Bangkok. Our first expedition took us to the Wat at Doi Suthep. This is a very interactive temple, where you ring bells, shake sticks, get blessed, etc. etc. But first you have to hike up the 300 steps of the Naga staircase. Once at the top the view is breathtaking. The next day we signed up for the Thai Cookery School. We were picked up early in the morning and headed straight for the market where received a lesson on Thai incredients. The rest of day was spent cooking and eating. We can't wait to try out our newfound recipes. We did a major road trip and ventured up to Chiang Rai on to Burma and the Golden Triangle. This is where Thailand, Burma, and Laos meet. We crossed over to Burma, just because we could. One day we journeyed down to the Elephant Conservation Farm & Hospital and talked to the animals. We did a lot of city exploring during the day (more Wats) and at night we usually ended up at the Night Bazaar or across the river having dinner and listening to the local bands. We were fortunate enough to be present for the Flower Festival. They could give the Rose Bowl competition. It was time to head south, but it was real hard leaving Chiang Mai.

Back on Thai Airways to Krabi. All points to the beach. We headed straight to Ao Nang. This was a big disappointment. The scenery was beautiful, but far too many people. Our first morning at Prang Bay Inn, we woke up at 6am to watch the Super Bowl live. Had breakfast sent up during half time and hooted and hollered all morning! For the rest of the trip, we kept saying "Now, let's see, we are in Thailand and the Patriots WON the Super Bowl?!!" Who would've guessed. We hung around Ao Nang for a couple of days, went on one snorkeling trip. Then we packed up and boarded the ferry to Phi Phi Don where we rented a bungalow right on the beach at Bay View Resort. Phi Phi is where they shot Leonardo DiCarprio's movie "The Beach", so it wasn't too quite here either, but our resort was pretty low key. Our bungalow had a view that wouldn't quit which made it all worthrthwhile. Unlike Ao Nang, here we were able to rent our own kayak and get away by ourselves to snorkel some of the most incredible water we have ever seen. Day after day it was as clear as could be. We bummed around a lot and when we got bored, hired a longtail to take us around the island or her sister island, Phi Phi Lei. The Viking Cave is here. This is where they collect bird's nests for some kind of Chinese delicacy. We strolled the streets at night and mingled with the 20-30 somethings. Before turning in, we would head down the beach to this great beach bar, Karma, where they put mats, pillows, and candles on the sand. A little nightcap and then off to bed. Eventually, it was time to leave Paradise.

From door-to-door, the trip home took 36 hours with no major lay-overs. The longest lay-over was 4 hours in Krabi waiting for a flight to Bangkok. We went into town and had a great time grabbing some food at the outdoor market for our final lunch before airplane fare. Then it was up, up, and away -- sawadee Thailand.