Visiting the Islands of Phang Nga Bay in Thailand

Visible from our hotel in Krabi, the islands (at least a subset of them) are simply breathtaking. They rise dramatically out of the sea, large limestone cliffs, remnants of a vast karst plain dating millions of years back. Flooded eventually by the invading sea, only the largest of these porous limestone edifices form the islands in Phang Nga bay.

I've always loved their grandeur, as portrayed in the movies (specifically, The Beach and The Man with the Golden Gun), and was looking forward to taking a closer look, racing across the wide stretches of sea to experience the dramatic geology.

Trip One: Hong and Surrounding Islands

We signed up for a full day excursion. Picked up at our hotel, we made the 20 minute drive to what is called the Ao Nang pier, but is, in fact, simply a narrow, shallow channel where speedboats (powered mostly by twin 225hp engines) simply back into the beach for passenger embarkation.

Holding around 20 passengers or so, we staked out the uncovered bow of the speedboat for maximum sun and 360 degree views of our surroundings. Remember, this is the low season, yet the 'pier' was packed with tourists all waiting for their chance to view these remarkable islands.

One of many nearly vertical islands where vegetation has a tenuous hold on the sheer limestone cliff faces

Though Hong island was our primary destination, and the location where we spent the most time lounging on the beach, our things constantly under threat of being soaked by the flooding tide, we made a few stops to snorkel, take photos and admire the dramatic beauty of these islands.

First off, these are no Maldives, where maximum elevation is measured in feet and sometimes inches. These limestone giants, with rich green vegetation taking root along the steep cliffs rise hundreds of feet, reaching high into the sky. This particular chain of islands was tightly grouped, and it was breathtaking as the speedboat weaved in and out of them, leaving one behind, turning a corner only to face another monolithic geological wonder.

Though I brought my camera and host of lenses, it was extremely frustrating trying to capture the grandeur of the scenery. The scale is simply too large to adequately capture, even with a 24mm wide angle lens.

Our first stop was Phak Bia island. Connecting two looming limestone islands, a small accessible sandy beach allowed our speedboat to pull in, and drop us off for 45 minutes or so. Unfortunately, throughout the islands, the fish life is pretty limited. Though (donning mask and snorkel) Liam saw a few varieties, they were nothing spectacular, and certainly no reef to serve as host to a greater variety of sea creatures.

Leslie at Phak Bia

One of the few photos with me in it...I'm usually behind the lens



The fam with the looming limestone islets

Next stop was Paradise beach on Koh Ra Ding island. This island is actually inhabited. It sounds like a horrible experience - no electricity, water gathered likely by the monsoon rains. The beach and the small natural bay were breathtaking. In the distance, as background, was another towering island. Here, we were served boxed lunches of some type of chicken concoction on steamed rice (with a fried egg served up in its own individually wrapped packet). Among the many speedboats, there were also privately hired long tail boats (named for the distinctive propeller that spins on the end of a long (I'm talking 20 feet plus) crank shaft. This is yet another way to explore the islands, but given the slow speeds of the long tails, and their susceptibility to being impacted more severely by rough seas than the speedboats, it's something we choose not to utilize.

The view from Paradise beach on Koh Ra Ding island

Lily snorkeling - not the abundance of fish surrounding her

Looking inland (what there is of it) on Koh Ra Ding. The large containers hold drinking water for the residents.

Looking out from Paradise beach at the island opposite

Though the locals charged 10 baht to use the toilets (about thirty cents), Leslie said they were unusable - stinky, splattered with feces...pretty nasty

I'd guess this is a cooking area for the locals on Paradise beach

Leslie and Liam returning from snorkeling

Liam and I walked through a poorly marked trail to the other side of  Koh Ra Ding Island. Nothing there but a small bay surrounded by mangroves

Finally, we made the short five minute ride (always at speeds of close to 30 knots) to Hong island. A very large island, its two features are a mangrove ringed lagoon, only accessible during high tide, and a lovely beach cove with lots of great swimming. After a jaunt around the lagoon, where I felt like I was in the presence of a primeval geological wonder (towering cliffs, screaming monkeys, lush vegetation), we spun around to the other side of the island, where we were let off for a couple hours to snorkel and sunbathe. The water was more green than blue, but it was refreshing, with many of the shallow areas covered in shade by trees growing out and overhanging the water.  A few smaller haystack islands added a nice photogenic quality, and we spent the time playing in the water and enjoying the atmosphere.

Approaching Hong Island

Entrance to the lagoon on Hong Island

View of the lagoon's narrow inlet from the inside

Leslie and Lily, with the towering walls of the lagoon as a backdrop

View from the beach on Hong Island. Photos can't adequately capture the astounding beauty

Liam snorkeling on Hong beach

The girls on Hong beach

Finally, after a 20 minute ride back to Ao Nang, the sun was falling in the west, and it was time to head back to the hotel - exhausted by the heat and humidity, but thrilled by the experience.

Trip Two: Heading south to the Phi Phi island group

On our trip to Hong island, we were sitting next to an older couple from Sydney. She mentioned that she was more impressed with the southern islands since the water there was more blue (as opposed to the green of the Hone island group). After a few days at the resort (and a wonderful spa treatment - including a chocolate rub down followed by a Thai massage), we decided to spend our last making the long trek to the Phi Phi islands. They happen to be equidistant from Phuket, so the tourist throngs were overwhelming.

Our first stop was Phi Phi island proper. It was all but hidden behind the massive, populated island of Koh Phi Phi Don (by the way, 'ph' in Thai is pronounced with a 'p' sound...so we were visiting pee pee island). Once we rounded the larger island, we saw Phi Phi looming large on the horizon. It looked like something straight out of Treasure Island or any other book where mysterious happenings occur.

Phi Phi island. "The Beach" beach is on the other side

The girls on 'The Beach"

The view from the beach of Maya bay...throngs of tourists. I can't imagine how bad it gets during the high season.

That's Liam on the bottom in the skull swim shirt...the rest are a combinations of Aussies, Brits, Russians, Koreans, Chinese and who knows what else.

The fam on the Beach

Our first stop was Maya Bay. Famous (extremely famous) for its role in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach" (it's one of those movies if showing on TBS or some other cable network, I'll always tune in). In the movie, some CGI magic was applied to make the bay look more like a lagoon, with no outlet to the sea, In reality, it's a national park, and for the movie, the beach was flattened, white sand shipped in, and palm trees added. It didn't go over well with the local governments. Fortunately (or not), the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 returned the beach to its original state.

First impression of the beach/bay? Huge disappointment. Throngs, literally hundreds of tourists had overrun the beach while we were visiting. Dozens of speedboats and long tail boats where anchored on the beach, leaving a small length of beach from which tourists could snorkel. Another surprise? It's much smaller than it looks like in the movie. No doubt, it's a beautiful beach and bay, but we encountered much more beautiful ones on the rest of this journey and our trip to the Hong archipelago.

After only 20 minutes there (thankfully, our guide realized the insanity of staying longer), we whipped around the to the lee side of the island, anchored, and jumped off into some beautiful blue water. About three meters deep, the azure waters were framed by the towering limestone cliffs, slowly eroding from the water lapping at their bases, and the wind howling across their faces.

Lily leaping into the warm, blue water.

Liam showing off for the camera

View of the area where we jumped off the boat to snorkel

After one final stop in the lagoon that reaches deep into Phi Phi island (accessible only during high tide), we headed to Koh Phi Phi Don - a much larger island home to a substantial population and several high end resorts.

Phi Phi island lagoon - only accessible during high tide (as you can see from the shallow depths)

We stopped briefly at Monkey beach. Aptly named, as there were hordes of the things along the water's edge (and even venturing into the water, which surprised me) to feed on the bananas and other treats tourists were throwing them.

Looking for a bite

Wading into the water looking for treats

It's a family affair - mom and baby looking for handouts in the water

Once arriving at the main part of Koh Phi Phi Don, we enjoyed a buffet lunch, and Leslie & Lily did a little shopping. Our guide told us, quietly and with sadness, that the tsunami waves had crested well above the tall palm tree tops, and over 5000 residents, most living in the more habitable, low lying areas, perished from the surge. Everything on the island, to the last building, was built anew in the last nine years since that dreadful event.

An example of a building built from scratch after the tsunami

Hard to fathom that the tsunami's surge was higher than this palm tree...complete destruction

Lily and I

Liam

The beautiful coast of Koh Phi Phi Don

Finally, we stopped at Bamboo island, about half the distance from the Phi Phi islands to our port of Ao Nang, and was given an hour there. Granted, there was snorkeling, but most passengers found some shade (ironically, no bamboos were present) under the beach pine trees, and simply escaped the scorching sun. Our final day in Thailand, and our day at sea, was by far the most beautiful - cloudless, blue, but scorching.

Bamboo Island

Well burned from the sun, but extremely happy we decided to head to the southern islands, we made our way back to Ao Nang, and began the extremely stressful and time consuming activity of packing up our eight suitcases - including all the dirty clothes we've accumulated over the previous two weeks.

Bozinny the Expat? A Possibility

Way back in November, I applied for a job, managing a Product Quality Operations team in Hyderabad, India. Having visited India on five different occasions, and having fallen in love with the culture and people, I thought it a great opportunity to explore potential employment in one of the few countries whose time zone falls on the half hour (when it's midnight in Seattle, it's 12:30pm in India). At the time, with me being a complete unknown quantity, I was passed over.

Fast forward to April of this year.

I interviewed for a role down in Google's Mountain View HQ. I had several phone interviews, then was finally invited for onsite interviews. Lasting a good four hours, I had the pleasure of meeting a group of really smart, very friendly folks who really dig the Google culture, and upon further examination, I found quite a contrast between Google and Microsoft's back stabbing guised as 'relationship building' culture.  My interviews went really good, having connected with all the folks with whom I met. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, my sources tell me it was a squeaker of a decision - I was passed over for someone with a bit more experience.

That said, my recruiter told me that the interview process feedback was very positive, and if I were to find another Google opportunity that may make a good fit, she'd help me pass along the feedback from the interview process.

Out of the blue, the recruiter in India called me and set up a video conference interview with someone who would be my peer, should I get the role. While in Singapore, well into our vacation, and while the family was off keeping busy out of the room (and my hair), I spent a good hour on the phone with this person. We had a great conversation, she asked good questions, and I felt I supplied good answers.

Fast forward to the following week, and the Google recruiter has managed to set up a second video interview with the director of the group in India. Of course, being on vacation, I was in the pool all morning, and to prepare for my 1:30pm video interview, I dried off and styled my hair as best as possible with some of my patented strong hold hair gel.

Now, this guy with whom I talked was much more direct. Sure, we enjoyed some idle chit chat - he shared that he was heading on vacation to Krabi, Thailand soon (of course, having just arrived from there, we had a few moments of exchanging notes on the area). He started with some management questions, regarding my experience as a manager, and my style as a manager. Then he dove into some functionally specific examples. As soon as I had finished answering those (and I admit, I took some time thinking through the issue), he mentioned that his questions were finished. I followed up with a few basic questions, then ended the call.

Boy, was my afternoon ruined. I was so stressed about the call. This guy (as opposed to the women with whom I talked on the first video conference) was direct, and tough to read. I couldn't tell if he thought I was an idiot, or if he was planning to report back that I warranted further consideration.

Heading to the pool after that, I found myself in a haze. The joy of vacation was momentarily put on hold as I analyzed the call in retrospect, and pondered the chances of my advancing through the process. However, after a few hours, I slipped back into vacation mode, much to the relief of my family, who could sense the negative, stressful energy radiating off of me those few hours.

And yes, this job is in Hyderabad, India. I've always wanted to work abroad, and in my five visits to India (2x in Hyderabad, 2x in Mumbai and once in Bangalore), I fell in love with the people, the culture and the climate. I think it would be an exciting experience, and surely a good resume builder.

Next steps? I'll ping the recruiter in a few days, hoping for some positive feedback and direction on next steps. Until then, I'll continue to enjoy these strong trade winds washing over Nusa Dua's east coast with my family



Hyderabad Traffiic

Charminar

Qutb Shahi Tombs

 

Thailand Tourism 101: Riding the Elephants

One of the activities to which Leslie was looking forward (me, not so much), was riding an elephant in the 'jungles' of Thailand. The last time we rode elephants was in Bali several years ago, a ride that drove my stoic take on danger to a rush of fear induced adrenaline when the damned beast took off on a run, heading for a patch of vegetation on which to dine. I swear to god it felt like we were going to fall off.

Fast forward five years, and we found ourselves in a van (air conditioned, thankfully), with a driver who could have very well been on meth (very prevalent in Thailand, believe it or not), careening around corners at outrageous speeds. Finally arriving at the site of the elephant 'safari', we were ushered out of the van, up some steep steps, and onto a platform from which we boarded the elephants. Did we get a safety briefing? Did we learn anything about how to best behave while atop the back of an elephant? No. Basically, we were directed onto a flimsy bench strapped in two ways to the elephant: the bench was roped around the belly of the beast, with around seven or eight blankets protecting the poor elephant from the pressure of the bench's steel frame, and a rope swept behind the elephant, under its tail, creating an anchor for the setup.

Liam not sure sure about the seating arrangements, having just boarded the elephant

My son cried when initially faced with boarding the Asian elephant. It was scary, and even I had trepidation about how to exactly board the damned thing. Eventually, we coaxed Liam onto the bench with Leslie, while Lily and I took the second elephant. The guides took to either riding on the skull of the elephant, or walking along side, all the while whistling commands and cajoling the beasts to stay on track.

The elephants are amazingly sure footed. They navigated dried, rocky river beds with ease. Going uphill was easy on us passengers. We simply were pushed back into our bench seats. Downhill, on the other hand, was a bitch. With only a rope loosely strung across us as a barrier from falling forward and off, gravity was our fear inducing enemy. After a few bouts with mortal fear, we learned to reach behind and brace ourselves to prevent the feeling of falling forward.

During the hour long walk through the woods/jungle, our guide was making small talk, especially with my daughter Lily. It was so obvious that he was flirting with her, even picking a flower especially for her. I teased Lily as much as possible, which of course, embarrassed her and prompted her to tell me to shut up several times. Teenagers are so easy to embarrass.

Lily's suitor

When we finally returned, we thought (and were ready) to go back to the hotel. It was damn hot in that jungle, with high humidity, but lots of canopy cover to give us ample shade to help cool us. For 50 baht, we fed the elephant sliced pineapple, which it, of course, picked up with its trunk and placed directly in its mouth. We were surprised to learn that it ate every part of the pineapple, even the spiny top.

Moreover, of the operators of the 'tour' wanted to show us tricks that a baby elephant could do. I felt bad for it - who knows what improprieties it faced, what punishments it endured to reach the point where it could perform a variety of tricks.

Even after that, we started to the van, and were told fruit and water was waiting for us. Not being the rude type (we are west coasters after all, not New Yorkers), we went with the flow, and spent another 15 minutes with pineapple, watermelon and bottled water.

Finally, with our driver having apparently come down from his high, we enjoyed a safe and sane ride back to the hotel. We all looked at each other afterwards and thanked our lucky stars we opted for the one hour ride and not the two hour or full day 'adventure.'

 

Drunken Live Karaoke

For dinner, we decided to leave the Westin, and head to a nearby outdoor mall called the Bali Collection. Leslie and I have visited on each of our previous three trips to Bali, and have enjoyed the range of shops and restaurants. Liam, tired from the sun and without the crutch of having an afternoon nap, moaned the entire time. He just wanted to eat dinner and be done with it. The girls (Leslie and Lily) wanted to do some window shopping, so Liam and I partook in a fish pedicure. Pretty cliché in Asia, it's a foot bath in an aquarium full of these little tiny fish that get off on nibbling the dry skin off of the legs and feet of the person submersing them in the water. It's a strange, tickly sensation that either you love, hate or simply endure. Fortunately, Liam had fun with it. A good way to kills 20 minutes for 100,000 IDR each ($10US).

After we finished, we caught up with the girls (whom, I later learned, secreted some ice cream from a nearby vendor), and headed to a restaurant in which Leslie and I have dined on each of our previous trips. A tapas and Churrascuria establishment, they offer a bottomless selection of meats served right at the table (I was the only one to order this). However, and more importantly, they feature a local band that specializes in Latin and Spanish music, but also, in order to pander to the predominant tourist host countries, sang Japanese, Korean (Gangnam Style, natch), and Russian tunes.

Early on, little kids joined the band, dancing and basically moving around on stage. Later, couples came up to dance and the singer went into the crowd to get tourists to sing along in their native languages. Now I, having downed two liters of sangria, actually approached the band (in my drunken state) and proffered to sing 'The Girl from Ipanema" - the catch being that I was drunk enough to volunteer to sing in the native Portuguese (where the song is called "Garota de Ipanema"). Much to Leslie's simultaneous delight and horror, and with a sweet ass buzz killing any inhibition I may have otherwise endured, I jumped on stage and proceeded to butcher the song. Not the words, mind you, but I'm pretty sure I was well out of tune.

Unfortunately, since Liam was tired and the kids were generally whining about hanging out so long in one place (they don't appreciate the art or chilling at their age) we sent them back to the hotel in a taxi (all of a two minute ride). This was, unfortunately, before my drunken live Karaoke performance.

When I paid the bill, we headed to the taxi stand. The place was overrun by tourists waiting to find some way back to their hotels (many of which are within a 2-10 minute drive from the Bali Collection). We were having none of that, so in asking a local about getting a taxi, he said he'd take us as long as we tipped him. Now tipping for services rendered, I have no problem with. It turns out he drove the hotel shuttle that carries passengers to and fro the local Nusa Dua hotels (in fact, we stuffed ourselves in one going there from the hotel. Basically a pickup tuck, with a covered bed and benches lining each side, it ain't luxury by any means. Wanting to get back without dawdling and waiting for a cab we agreed.

The funniest part, the moment that we both laughed fully out loud, was when we were pulling away from the mall (mind you, in a public shuttle that runs every 15 minutes or so, not on demand). Several people were waving, trying to get the driver's attention as we pulled away. Our driver zoomed onto the main road, leaving them into the dust.

When I was in my 20s, I'd wait hours to save a dollar. Now in my middle age, I am more than willing to pay for immediate and exclusive service. When we arrived at the Westin (again, a whole 2 minutes later), I tipped the driver 50,000 IDR (around $5), and we laughed, revisiting those people's futile signals for the driver to stop.

It seemed like a late night for us, but we were back at the hotel by 9pm. So sad - the days of staying up well into the wee hours are long gone - I just love my sleep too much.

Anyway, I thought anyone reading this would get a kick out of our night out.

P.S. I'm still pretty buzzed from the two pitchers of Sangria.



From the archives - A Swiss Couple (with whom I'm still Facebook friends) dancing at Pico Tapas restaurant in Nusa Dua - the location of my drunken singing

 

Arrival in Bali - Using Modest Corruption to our Advantage

After a couple of flights via Singapore from Krabi on Tiger Airways, we arrived at Denpasar international airport. As per our previous experience (a lesson especially learned from our first visit in 2008), the entire immigration process is a zoo. First, one must line up to buy a Visa on Arrival at $25 a pop, then it's on to the next endless line to go through immigration proper.

This is where a little corruption comes in handy. Many firms and hotels offer VIP arrival services. For a nominal fee, there's a person waiting for you (with sign with our name on it in hand, natch) just outside the jetway. You hand over your passports, along with the visa fee, and he disappears for a few moments. While you wait, you look over the snaking immigration lines, wipe the sweat from your brow due to the severely lacking air conditioning, and before you know it, the guy returns with passports in hand, with tourists visas affixed to the passports.

Then, following our fine fellow, we bypass the immigration line altogether (as he waves to his buddies manning the immigration desk), and head straight to baggage claim. It's not a very secure practice for the country of Indonesia, but clearly widely accepted. Sure, the immigration officials see our passports as they issue our visas, but they never see our faces to match them to the passports. We could be terrorists for all they know! Frankly, I could care less. It's a handy service that decreases the stress of waiting 30 minutes to clear immigration.

Oh, but wait, it gets better. We paid for an additional option - a police escort for our car to our hotel (the Westin in Nusa Dua). Sure enough, as we pulled away from the curb, the cop was just in front of us, lights flashing, sirens blaring. Granted, the compliance rate of drivers to pull over isn't nearly as high as in western countries, but enough did (and his sirens allowed running a few red lights) to get us to the hotel in record time. My son loved it, and was transfixed by the experience.

Yes, I know, another example of corruption. Obviously, part of the fee we're paying for the service is being kicked to the cop, but it's harmless enough, and widely accepted. Spreading a few bucks (or Rupiah in this case) definitely greases the wheel.

Thailand in the Off Season: Great Weather and Fantastic Value

Flying to Thailand

Happy to leave smoky Singapore behind, I had my first experience with a bare bones cost airline. In the U.S., there are a number of low overhead, low cost airlines (Southwest and Jet Blue come to mind); however, I had never flown on a nickel and dime carrier before (I hear Ryan Air in Europe is very similar) until our first flight on Tiger Airways. Don't get me wrong, there's no better value in airfare, but that's before the extras are piled on. Have extra luggage? Pull out your wallet. This is understandable, and pretty standard in the US. It gets worse. Want a seat assignment to ensure your party sits together? Pay up. Need extra legroom in an exit row? Pay up. Want to board first to ensure you get overhead space for your carry-ons? Yep, pay up. However, even with all the extras, the total all-in cost was very reasonable compared to similarly distanced domestic American routes.

After boarding, and cramming ourselves in seats with horrible legroom (my knees slamming against the seat ahead of me, naturally) we ended up waiting an hour at the gate, waiting for Air Traffic Control clearance; this was likely due to the continuing hazy conditions at Changi. Once airborne, I was surprised that there were five flight attendants for our small A319 aircraft. I shortly discovered that the job of these flight attendants isn't so much to serve, and though they are surely trained in safety, their main purpose is to sell, sell, sell. Want a coke? Pay up. A snack. Yep, more money. We ended up spending about $40 US on snacks and drinks.

Fortunately, the flight was a short 90 minutes, and after a bumpy approach with some killer, fish tailing crosswinds, we landed at Krabi airport.

Our flight to Thailand - delayed due to hazy conditions at Singapore airport

First impressions of Krabi

To be perfectly honest, I was always a little snobby about Thailand. We've all heard the stories of the pervasive sex trade, the full moon parties, the beaches and towns overrun with backpackers. My wife even reminded me (though I don't recall saying this) that I called Thailand a poor man's Bali. Yep, very snobby.

We had a couple of things going for us that reset my expectations. First was our location. We chose not to travel to and stay on Phuket - it just struck us as too touristy, too cliché. The more I researched Krabi, the more it seemed a laid back version of Phuket. Both places border Phra Nang bay, with its archipelago of beautiful limestone cliffs rising out of the sea.

Secondly, we arrived in low season. This translated to great values across the board. Hotel rooms are cheaper, discounts on food at restaurants in the tourist town of Ao Nang were plentiful, and the crowds were non-existent. The only risk we faced was the weather. It's low season for a reason; in the case of this part of Thailand, the southwest monsoons bring in heavy rain during the summer months. It's hit and miss though. Some days/weeks face non-stop rain, while others experience sunny, albeit humid weather.

We were lucky. Extremely lucky. The week prior to our arrival, we were told it rained all week long. For the entire eight days we stayed in Krabi, the weather was phenomenal. Lots of sun, with only a few rainy periods...and they were late at night. It was definitely steamy out - both day and night; lots of humidity. However, it paled in comparison with the sauna that was Dubai.

The scenery looking out to the sea is simply awe inspiring. Stretching across the horizon are dozens of islands, a few inhabited, but most are simply limestone monoliths reaching out of the sea towards the sky, with lush vegetation clinging to the sides. In the mornings, with the sun's rays striking the islands, they appear as emeralds shining in the distance. At sunset, with the sun setting behind them, the islands are silhouetted against the sky as it shifts from blue to red to scarlet and then to indigo and finally black.

Islands of Phra Nang Bay near sunset

Though we got off the resort several times, including two days spent visiting the many islands, a few trips to the nearest town of Ao Nang, and an excursion to ride elephants, much of our eight days were spent at the Amari Vogue resort. Throughout, we experienced such radiant, sincere and friendly service from staff at both the resort and the various restaurants and destinations we visited. I must admit, it rivaled the friendliness of the Balinese people. Definitely a far cry from our Mexico trips where most with which we came into contact in the tourism trade were hustling for tips. Granted, the proprietors at the shops lining the main drag of Ao Nang were constantly trying to attract us into their stores, but that was understandable - especially with the dearth of tourists during the low season.

Another thing Thailand lacked were the aromas and scents that permeate Bali throughout. I assume this is due the large differences in religion (Thailand is nominally Buddhist, but seemingly more secular than the Hindi Balinese), where in Bali, incense based offerings are ubiquitous, where the air itself seems more infused with the smell of exotic spices and incense.

Then there's the food. I've enjoyed many a meal at home at various Thai restaurants, but it was such a joy to experience the food in the homeland. Of course, I had a few servings of Pad Thai, but was more enamored with the various curries (red, yellow and green). The food was definitely spicy. My shirt soaked by the steamy air typically went into overdrive in the consumption of these delicious curries. I was surprised at the prevalence of eggplant and mushrooms in so much of the food. Of course, lemongrass is also a big flavor component.

The other surprise was the temperature of the sea water as well as the drastic change in the tides. At low tide, the water fell back hundreds of feet, exposing an ocean of sand, broken up by the receding channels of tidewater. At low tide, the beach was overrun by sand crabs. Thousands of them dug holes, from the size of a dime to larger than a fist (the holes reflecting the size of the suckers). They were extremely fast, and scurried into their hides whenever we approached.  As for the water, though not crystal clear like other places I've visited, was the warmest I've ever experienced - and I've been a lot of places. My son Liam spent countless hours walking the beach, looking for seashells. He collected over 40 of them, and hopes to bring them home and sell them to his friends. :)

Liam collecting sea shells on his many excursions to the beach

Our Hotel: The Amari Vogue Hotel

After a pleasant 35 minute ride from the airport (in a van - we have eight pieces of luggage, and we have to plan ahead to make sure we have a car big enough to hold us and our luggage), we arrived at the Amari Vogue, a boutique resort that was a stark comparison to the mega resorts we stayed at in Singapore and Dubai. Much more to our liking. We had originally booked a villa for the four of us, but when we walked down the many steps of the resort to our accommodations, we discovered that they had two roll away beds stuffed into the sitting room. There was no way this was going to work, since it left no room to even open our suitcases. After trekking back up the steps to reception, the staff was kind enough to offer us a second room - a honeymoon deluxe room with Jacuzzi on the deck - at the price of a basic deluxe room. Leslie was initially worried that the kids were separated, but I talked her into the advantages of more space for every one. This turned out to be a great arrangement. The kids had a modicum of freedom, while we had lots of room to spread out in our villa.

Villa Bathroom - Sinks and Vanity

Villa Bathroom - Shower and tub

Villa Sitting Room - An ungodly mess with our suitcases spread everywhere

Entrance to Villa

Beachside Restaurant

Morning Buffet Spread

Lobby Area

Moreover, the location of our villa was adjacent to the main pool, and its lounge chairs, and the beach was just steps away.  We spent lots of time at the pool, smallish, but beautifully decorated with stone elephants shooting water from their snouts - a great way to cool off our heads in the pool.

The Amari clearly attracted the honeymoon set. Lots of couples hanging out, many young and fresh off what would have clearly been their first marriages. There was one European couple, with a PDA habit that bordered on the disgusting. Out in the pool and on their lounge chairs, he was constantly nibbling on her neck and back. If they had been attractive, that's one thing; but they were hideous. Fortunately, that was the only example of such behavior. Perhaps I'm a bit prudish, but that was over the top.

As far as we could tell, we were the only American guests. Russians, Australians, and British seemed to make the majority of guests. A veritable melting pot.

View from the upper pool

Water Spouting Elephants

Beach bar outdoor seating area

View of the resort from the beach

In summary, we loved the Amari, and wouldn't hesitate to return. The staff was friendly, the service excellent, and the location - though remote (Ao Nang, the nearest town, was a 20 minute drive away), was ideal for relaxation.

In upcoming posts, I'll dive into the details of our two excursions across the sea and into the magic archipelago of limestone islands - backdrop to such movies as The Beach and The Man with the Golden Gun of James Bond fame. Also, we did experience a ride through the jungle on Asian elephants. A very sketchy operation with the minimum of safety standards, but a wonderful experience nonetheless.