TravelBio

Our next stop was Chiang Mai, the largest city in northern Thailand.  I've heard it called the second largest city in the country on several occasions, but after a little reference check that's actually wrong - big surprise that a random word of mouth fact is incorrect ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Largest_cities_of_Thailand ).  It's hard though to say exactly how big a city is; do you use just the city limits or the metro area?  And what constitutes a metro? This topic is probably boring or too technical for many, so I'll try not to drag it out.  It's caught my attention because I like statistics and I've seen widely different numbers for a city's population.  For example: in my guide book the population of Bangkok is 7 million. On Wikipedia the population of the city proper is 8.3 million, the metro over 14.6!  Anyway, back to Chiang Mai: the metro area has close to a million people. The old city is surrounded by a moat, but there are...

After four days on Koh Tao it was off to the mainland, the first time not staying on an island.  The trip to Bangkok was an excruciating 12 hour+ affair via ferry and bus.  I thought it best to stop somewhere along the way to break up the trip and see a smaller city.  We picked Hua Hin, a coastal vacation spot for wealthy Bangkok residents. The beachfront in Hua Hin We stayed in Hua Hin for only two nights, as it was more of a transit stop for us.  That seemed to be enough as the city didn't have much for tourists.  There were interesting markets and some nightlife - but as with most of Thailand you get the working girls ladyboys too. From Hua Hin we took a train to Bangkok.  Buses are common but we wanted to experience the train.  It was nice to have done it but not the best way to travel.  It took us 5 hours to make the 200 km journey on an old non-AC packed train.  It was great to get off once we arrived in Bangkok...

Koh Phagnan, a short boat ride north of Koh Samui, is infamous in backpacker circles.  The reason?  Every month on the night of the full moon thousands gather on its beach to party the night and (for those with enough stamina) morning away.  Party-goers get sloshed on alcohol and many partake in other seedy activities.  By seedy I mean drugs...no getting around it - even though drugs are illegal and offenders highly punished, they are plentiful on Koh Phagnan for the full moon party. Full Moon Party scene many don't make it till the end of the party Joanne went to the full moon party around New Year's and had some crazy stories.  About 40,000 people attended the party, located on a beach less than a kilometer in length.  People were puking left and right, getting frisky in the ocean, and dancing to their hearts content.  Thailand is a relatively safe country but on that night a tourist was killed by a stray bullet.  A fight broke...

After traveling together for two weeks in Thailand Chaz and Bobbys' trips were coming to an end.  Chaz had to leave on Saturday, March 2nd, and Bobby on Sunday.  It sure felt good not to have to be back for work myself!  Once they both left Mike and I stayed one more night in Phuket and made a quick exit. From Phuket we booked a trip to Koh Samui, which is an island on the other side of the peninsula.  Thailand has a long, narrow strip of land extending to Malaysia with islands on each side (see map).  Of the eastern islands Koh Samui is the most visited and touristy.  But it is also the biggest, so there are still opportunities to (somewhat) get away from the crowds. The trip from Phuket to Koh Samui took over 10 hours by minivan, bus and ferry...long trip for such a short distance! Here's a close up view; we stayed on Chaweng Beach, with many hotels and bars; the interior was great for exploring with a motorbike Mike and I ...

As I mentioned in the last post, our next stop after Kradan was Koh Lanta.  On Koh Phi Phi I saw advertisements toting Lanta as a great destination to get away from the tourist crowds.  Several shops also had posters written by travelers who praised the beaches. Both of those points were a stretch.  I guess after Koh Kradan many islands would seem 'busy' with tourists, but Lanta certainly had its fair share.  There were fewer travelers than on Phi Phi, and since the island was big they weren't nearly as concentrated in one area.  The beach was decent, but nothing amazing.  I may start to sound like a beach snob, but that can happen after you travel for weeks around the southern Thailand. This was one of the first images I found when I typed  Koh Lanta on  Google.  As I've said before, the real  thing is usually not as  nice as the picture.  Either  that or we just didn't find the right beach! Old Tow...

  Koh Phi Phi is another party island, but different than Phuket.  The island itself is much smaller - Phuket is actually an island, but Koh was dropped from the official name, and it doesn't really feel like an island either.  Phi Phi also has far fewer package tourists, families, and - thankfully - old dudes.  The tourists are mostly young backpackers on holiday after high school or university.  There are a few sketchy massage parlors and lady boys, but for the most part the seedy elements from Phuket are missing here. Koh Phi Phi on the bottom right We spent two nights in Koh Phi Phi, and I think overall we all enjoyed the island.  The beach is picturesque, with a natural bay enclosed by hills on either side.  The water is so shallow that only long boats can venture in and the pier is on the other side of the island (which isn't far at all).  No cars or scooters are allowed on the island, and I wouldn't want to drive there anyw...