Koh With a Bit of Samui

Turquoise waters, long blonde beaches, obsessing about tanning, masses of tourists, kayaking, fresh seafood, Marine Park, fire shows, island hopping, trash on the beach, cocktails by the pool, getting soaked on speedboats, snorkelling, fresh fruit, fresh fruit smoothies, fresh fruit smoothies with vodka, falling down the stairs, bruises the size of pineapples, bungalows on the beach, naps by the pool, cheesy holiday music, Emerald Lake, obsessing about tanning, 24 hour happy hours, Hakuna Matata, infinity pools, bad coffee, feeling relaxed, food poisonings, warm sea breeze, gross toilets, candle-lit dinners on the beach, dying for a cigarette, fireworks, Singha beer, obsessing about tanning, piña coladas....and not being bothered about writing a proper post about it all.

Travelling From Bangkok To Koh Samui

The train

The island of Koh Samui was our next stop, and getting there involved nothing less than taking a train to Surat Thani, then a bus to the pier, and finally a ferry to the island.

I had heard that taking the train at daytime from Bangkok to Surat Thani was worth it for the amazing scenery. So when Pete and I went to book our journey tickets to Koh Samui, that is what I had in mind - a fun tour of the beautiful Thai countryside. Unfortunately once again things didn't quite go to plan, as all the day trains had been sold out for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, the night trains were also full for the next day which is when we were planning to leave! With this new information in mind we had no choice but to postpone our journey to the day after. We were just happy we managed to get the tickets, there were only four beds left!

Getting comfortable

Getting to the train station was another one of those sweaty palms moments as we had definitely not factored in the rush hour traffic. I'm just really bad at dealing with situations like this; poor Pete had to sit next to me listening to my complaining and whining about how we should have left earlier instead of chilling at the restaurant drinking beer whilst twisting in my seat wiping my sweaty palms on my shorts. I hate not knowing where I am and being in a situation where I have no control. It didn't even help having a map in my hands, since all the street names were written in Thai. I couldn't even figure out which part of the city we were in; it drove me crazy! At some point when we had been standing still for several minutes I asked the cab driver how long we had left and he just showed me two fingers. Did that mean two minutes? Twenty minutes? Two hours? Fuck off?

Dinner time

Of course we got to the train station on time. In fact, we got there 30 minutes before our scheduled departure....

The train was very comfortable and FUN!! The seats were so wide you could easily sit on them sideways with your feet folded up like in a big armchair. We ordered some beers and dinner and enjoyed some quality card playing before the seats were turned into beds. We both had upper berths which, I'm not going to lie, scared me a bit. The beds aren't exactly wide and I'm a restless sleeper. I clung to the wall for my life for the entire night.

Mr. Jenkins and me ready for bed

Luckily the night passed without any major incidents and we arrived in Surat Thani early the next morning. It's a little confusing, knowing when to get off the train, as the stations are not announced very well - earlier a couple missed their stop because the guard was sleeping and forgot to let them out so knowing this didn't exactly help my worrying. I felt I had to stay double alert.

It was all fine of course (so far it always has been no matter what little hiccups have occurred along the way) (I jinxed it, didn't I?), most people got off at Surat Thani because it is the main transfer point to Koh Samui as well as Koh Phangan.

The rest of the journey went very much the way the journey had gone so far, smooth and effortless. It helped having our tickets sorted for the part after the train too, the 1.5 hour bus ride and 2 hour ferry to Koh Samui. Managed to tan the outline of my flip-flop on the top of my foot. I think that was the most distressing detail of this bit of the travel. Very fittingly, the place we stayed at in Koh Samui was called Hakuna Matata.

Problem free philosopheee, just the way I like it!

Ferry to Koh Samui

The Name's Jenkins, Mr. Jenkins

Mr. Jenkins in Halong Bay

Mr. Jenkins is my travel monkey and he goes wherever I go. If he survives all the way back to London in one piece I'll be well impressed (as I'm sure Emelie, the creator of Mr Jenkins will be too). Already at this point Jenkins has been subject to my stitching twice as some of his body parts have got a bit loose along the way but lucky nothing unsalvageable (once his arm almost fell off on a boat but I managed to save it at the last minute).

Mr. Jenkins hanging in there

Mr. Jenkins on a train

Mr. Jenkins was the result of a blind date at a pub in Putney. Two socks and a monkey-making-kit later Jenkins was born and the date was over; but I bet you neither Emelie nor her date would have thought this monkey was to travel thorough the whole of Southeast Asia!


For more details on the date please refer to Emelie.

So when I saw the little rag(doll)monkey I couldn't think of a better travel companion for the lonely journeys, and truth be told it's been great to have him! Everyone loves Mr. Jenkins - or perhaps they just think it's funny that a near 30 year old woman carries a stuffed animal around - but either way he really does entertain me especially when I spot him in the background in some pictures where he unintentionally ends up in.

Jenkins is my travel monkey and he goes wherever I go.









Thank you for my travel-buddy Emelie!

Back To Where It All Began. Again.

Pete is here!

Back in Bangkok again, I met up with my Pete fresh off the plane from snowy London. All this worrying about whether or not he would be able to take off on time or take off at all due to the snowstorms and in the end it was my flight from Clark that was delayed by four hours for no apparent reason. Thanks, Seair.

It was nice to have a few days in Bangkok again; I got to do and see things I didn't have time for during my two last visits, like take a city tour on a Tuk Tuk, go to the Grand Palace, and visit the best rooftop bar in Bangkok, Sky Bar.

City Tour on a Tuk Tuk
We took a two hour tour around Bangkok in a Tuk Tuk, visited some temples, tailor shops, and a jewellery factory. The Tuk Tuk drivers will take you to these tailors and jewellery factories with or without your consent as it means they get stamps for petrol as a part of a government scheme (and more stamps if you buy something hence the look of disappointment when you walk out empty-handed). I didn't mind being taken around as I found it quite fascinating especially since I had decided to get myself a cashmere and silk tailor-made three piece suit at some point (when I have more time) - I mean, how could I not? The finest materials made to measure for a lesser price than a suit from Zara! I'm on a mission!


The jewellery factory was just torture. I should have played the lottery more often before I left is all I can say. The selection of gorgeous rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings made of yellow gold, white gold, silver and all kinds of sparkling semiprecious stones was overwhelming. I've never seen anything like it. It was very difficult to walk away empty handed - in fact I'm going to go as far as saying it was one of the most difficult decisions of my life, especially after I had set my eyes and heart on a ruby set including a pendant, earrings, and a ring. It would have looked stunning with my (for now) imaginary tailor made cashmere/silk suit.

Pete also managed to resist the temptation of buying me beautiful jewellery. I don't know how but I'm sure it won't happen again.

The Grand Palace

The Grand Palace
The Grand Palace is nothing short of Grand. It consists of the royal residence, a number of government offices and the famous Temple of the Emerald Buddha (a statue when first discovered was thought to have been carved out of emerald but turned out to be jade); all laid out over an area of 218,000 square meters, surrounded by four walls totalling 1,900 meters in length.

The Reclining Buddha

Whilst impressive, I feel templed out. I've just seen one too many Buddhas in the last six weeks and the only one out of these ones that really impressed me was the golden Reclining Buddha, 45 meters in length, lying on his side. It was impossible to take a picture of the statue as it took up most of the room so I couldn't go back far enough to get the whole thing in one shot!



Sky Bar
I think the highlight of the night was the fact that I wore make-up. Oh how I had missed the make-up version of my reflection in the mirror! It's not that I've lost interest in my appearance, but it is just generally way too hot and humid to be wearing make-up; for me at least.

My verdict on Sky Bar: it's worth every penny. Sexy rooftop bar on the 63rd floor of a skyscraper with a live music band, most magnificent views and signature cocktails guaranteed to take all your senses Sky High. I'll have five, please! It was so good that we didn't want to leave, and therefore what was meant to be one drink turned into two cocktails and later dinner. Would you have thanked no to crispy Chilean sea bass in a champagne butter sauce? Didn't think so.

A wonderful experience and a nice taster (and teaser) of the highlife.

If you're ever in Bangkok don't forget to stop by this gate to heaven.

Price Disparities
What doesn't cease to astound me is the difference in price of certain things in relation to others. Like Pete pointed out, the Häagendasz ice cream treat we enjoyed at the Grand Palace was £12. Compare that to the two hour Tuk Tuk ride around town from earlier that day for the equivalent of £0.90. Or the £1 Phad Thai from a street cart vs my £100 meal at Sky Bar. Or the fact that one glass of decent wine will cost you the same as three nights at a backpackers dorm.

Me eating a grasshopper

Or perhaps a grasshopper for 20 baht?

New backpack
Very disappointingly my small backpack wasn't doing a great job at staying alive. The straps were suffering badly, the top strap had already broken and one of the side straps was about to tear off. I didn't want to wait until that day arrived so I decided to take advantage of the fact that I was in Bangkok and get a new bag. After some shopping around I opted for a (what I'm sure is a fake) "North Face" 40 litre bag. Never had I imagined I'd be that excited about a £16 backpack!! You couldn't wipe that smile off my face even if you tried! You'd have thought I had just purchased new shoes or something, that's how happy my new bag made me. I think I packed and repacked it three times in three different ways I was that happy about my new travel equipment. It's the little things, right? Jenkins seems to like his new home too :)

Temples. And then some more Temples.

View from the Sky Bar

Back in Angeles

I should have done my research better. Getting to my overpriced hotel (the same one from last time, Phoenix Hotel) in Angeles city from Manila airport was a little confusing since I had no idea where I was meant to go, or how.

I arrived at the domestic terminal and asked where I could get the bus to Angeles city/ Clark airport (I just wanted to get anywhere close-ish to the hotel) and was told I had to take a taxi to the bus station whereas I'm sure I read somewhere that there was a bus from the airport in Manila to Clark airport. Perhaps it was from the international terminal? Anyway, I got a taxi to the bus station - obviously not knowing if it was the right station or not - and was dropped in the middle of Philippine mayhem it seemed like. People running and shouting, reeking smoke coming out of food stalls selling things that smelled...questionable. I walked up to what looked like the ticket counter that had three lines with (what I presume were) destination names written on top of each service window. I joined the queue with the most people in it - seems like that's normally the one I need to be standing in - and waited. I didn't quite get to the front of the line when a man asked me where I was going and I explained it was Angeles city I wanted to go to but Clark airport would do too, and he said that there were no buses to either from that station! What I had to do was to get a bus to....ehhhh....a place that begins with the letter D and then a tricycle to Angeles and that the bus was leaving NOW and that I had to follow him NOW and that he'd sort out my ticket on the bus.

What had just happened?!

Somehow I had gone from standing in a line to a ticket office selling tickets to a place I don't know, to sitting on a bus headed to a destination which wasn't where I actually wanted to go.

Yeah ok.

I'm not going to lie I was a little worried but there's just something about the rocking motion of a bus and my ever-so-comfortable pink IKEA neck pillow I soon forgot about everything and fell asleep. I mean I had 28 hours on me before my flight to BKK, surely if I went the wrong way I'd have time to figure it all out later. And as it turns out all was OK of course - the mystery man who pulled me out from the ticket line woke me up to let me know we had arrived at this place beginning with a D, and that it was time for me to get off the bus. Off I got and jumped into the tricycle and 20 minutes later arrived at my overpriced hotel. Ta-daa!

Just like last time, I was the only white woman there. All other guests fell into one of two categories:

1) European / American fat bald men aged 50-70
2) Filipino girls aged 20-30

TV in my room it is then....

And that concluded my trip to Pilipinas. This time.

Same Same But Better

Honda Bay, Palawan

Ah....Palawan...

Honda Bay, Palawan

The atmosphere, the people, the beaches.
The lifestyle, the scenery, the state of mind.
There's no doubt in my mind I'll be going back to the Philippines, if not on this trip then on the next. But one thing is for sure, I'm not done with the country of the perfect beaches. Hell, I barely got started! What choice do I have but to return to do all the fun activities I missed out on because of my stupid stomach bug (which incidentally was cured with the second set of antibiotics I was given after they analysed all my bodily fluids)?

Nagtabon Beach

Gutted as I was about having to cut my stay in El Nido short and return to Puerto Princesa earlier than expected, the feeling was short lived. I had such an amazing time I didn't care in the end! I met some people back at Banwa Art House (where I had stayed before too), and after a failed attempt to rent a boat to go island hopping we each got a motorcycle and drove to a Nagtabon Beach on the west coast of Palawan and spent the day there. Not only was the driving crazy fun but the beach itself was empty and stunning, and swimming in the huge waves was incredibly exhilarating.
 Like being a kid again and discovering a magical place no one else knows about.

Banwa Art House
Banwa deserves to be mentioned separately. It is the best hostel I have stayed at so far - the staff know your name, it's clean, the food is fresh every day, and other guests are fun. It is THE place to stay in Puerto Princesa (for $8 a night). Did I mention the view?

The disappointment of the Underground River
I couldn't possibly write about Puerto Princesa without mentioning the underground river, one of the NEW seven wonders of nature (along with Halong Bay in Vietnam which was, funnily enough, not that special in my eyes either...) as voted by people through a global poll in 2011.

At the Underground River, Palawan

I had to wait four days for my permit, it took an hour and a half to get to Sabang, another hour and a half to get a boat to get to the river itself, a whole of more waiting until we got inside the cave for 45 minutes. Essentially, it is a full day trip for a 45 minute experience.


What was it like? Well, it's a cave. If you like caves, you'll probably like it.

I should maybe add I was very hungover that day - I went out with some of the boys from the hostel the night before so perhaps this detail clouded my opinion a bit. But still - it's a cave.

I have a huge bump on one side of my head from sleeping whilst leaning against the window on the bus coming back from the cave. That's how tired I was, actually capable of falling asleep whilst my head was banging against the glass with a F1 wannabe driver taking on those mountain road curves on a bumpy dirt track at a hundred miles an hour. I only woke up a couple of times when my head banged really really hard.

Posers

I truly enjoyed meeting and talking to the locals. What I noticed was that they love having their picture taken. The kids would run up to me smiling and posing, people on the street would shout "Picture! Picture!" when they saw me with my big camera around my neck. The security guards of a bank insisted I take a picture of the three of them busy at work. Posing. Ha!

Smiles

Everyone was so smiley and friendly, I loved it! What I also enjoyed about Palawan was that no one, not street vendors, tricycle drivers, or massage / beauty parlour workers hassled tourists in any way like they do elsewhere. You could peacefully walk around town without having ten people shout at you shoving tourist crap into your face.




Whilst some things are same same...but different, other things are just better.

El Nido - The Place I Didn't Go Riding, Diving, or Island Hopping

Some things are like Goldilocks's porridge - just right. For me, it was El Nido. Although NOTHING went to plan, the town of El Nido was hands up one of the most amazing places ever. Not only did I almost run out of money in El Nido but none of the activities I had planned - horse riding, diving, and island hopping - happened.

El Nido, Palawan

Electricity
El Nido is a remote town and electricity is scarce. In fact, it is cut off between 6am and 2pm; and comes and goes throughout the rest of the time. At night when there was a power cut I loved walking around looking at the candlelit town. Some places like bars and restaurants (although not all of them) had generators but all the shops and most hostels and houses relied on candles when the lights were out. Even people on the street walked around holding candles rather than flash lights. How could you not fall in love with El Nido?

Mine! Las Cabanas Beach, Palawan

The Philippines is a country I will most certainly be returning to only with a bit more money. It was more expensive than any of the other places I've been to so far; although partly it is because the cheaper backpackers' accommodations get booked up weeks if not months in advance in the popular destinations. I thought I was early when I went to book my hostels a week in advance but as it turns out I was way late and failed to find a backpackers dorm on the net (also some of the dorms aren't listed on the net) in El Nido so had to book a double room at a "hotel" that had very bad reviews, Blessed Inn, for $18 a night. That is a high price when you have no one to share it with. Other people I met told me they took a risk and went without having booked anything knowing many places can't be booked online, but they walked around for hours before finding a place so I am definitely glad I had my room - even though it was probably smaller, dirtier, and noisier than any of the backpackers' I've stayed at for half the price!

Food is also more expensive. I spent on average $25 a day which broke the bank a bit, but damn it was good! I had fresh seafood in every shape and form almost every day. What also broke the bank was an ATM that told me my transaction couldn't be processed but still showed -£127.50 on my bank statement. I really hope my dispute with Barclays is successful and I get my money back!

Horse riding - or the not horse riding
I had seen a poster advertising horse riding on the beach at the Four Seasons hotel so I thought to myself "Hell. Yes." I asked a travel agent to call the hotel and organise it for me, explaining I was an experienced rider and all that. The next day I could barely keep my breakfast down I was so excited. I could already imagine galloping on the beach through the waves! The hotel was a little bit outside the town so I took a tricycle to get there. I was all prepared, had even thought through the outfit choice so it would be most comfortable to ride; combat trousers rather than shorts, trainers instead of flip flops... I was sure it was going to be just spectacular - if the Four Seasns are offering it, it had got to be good!

Well, not quite.

I never did get to gallop in the breaking waves. I never did get to feel the wind in my hair. I didn't even get to sit on the horse. Here's why. The poor horse looked like it hadn't had a straw of hey to eat in weeks. His fur was dull, his ribs were sticking out, and he was just staring into space with the most apathetic look on his face as to say "just shoot me now." The poor thing looked like it would fall over if I poked at him, LET ALONE get on him!!! I felt so sorry for him I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture...

I didn't really know what to do next. I was out of town, it was 10am, and I didn't have a plan.

A plan emerged as if by itself. I suddenly realised I was sitting at the Four Seasons, next to a swimming pool and a cocktail menu!

I should probably explain that this "Four Seasons" hotel was a knock off version of THE Four Seasons chain. Still a nice hotel and swimming pool, bonus! But probably explains certain things, like the horses looking like knock offs of real ones.

OK, so I didn't get to go riding but I got to work on my tan by the pool and go for long walks on the beach. I ain't complainin' :)

Cash flow problem
There is a rumour that there is an ATM at the gas station in El Nido but I never went to see if it was true or not - I also heard it charges 6% commission and is not the most reliable machine. Seeing I still had my last ATM problem to deal with I wasn't about to add to that list. So a few days into my trip to El Nido and after paying for my diving and island hopping tours with the money I had withdrawn in Puerto Princesa I suddenly realised I was running very low on cash in a town where a meal will normally cost you about $10 or more, and on a normal day including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and coffees during the day and beers in the evening I would normally have spent $25-30. I realised I basically had to survive three days on $25 which wouldn't have been a problem anywhere but here. It meant not having dinner but rather buying fruit or bread and eating it in my hotel room. It meant drinking my water I had bought at the shop whilst others were drinking beers and cocktails at the bar.

I know, poor me, huh? Anyone reading this who has actually done the backpacking on a budget thing is probably laughing out loud. What I am basically saying is I had to live the real backpackers life for a change rather than overindulging on barbecued seafood and drinking cocktails all day long.

The not diving and not island hopping
I had booked to go diving and island hopping, two activities El Nido is renown for. Apparently the coral reefs and marine life are meant to be stunning, some of the best diving spots in the world are meant to be in the Philippines, so of course I had to try it! The same goes for island hopping (going from island to island exploring the white sand paradise beaches, snorkelling, sunbathing, barbecue on the beach...that kind of thing). However, the universe had different plans. The night before the day I had booked for diving a typhoon hit us. It sounds scarier than it is but it meant torrential rains and winds that would blow your hat off; and on the sea it meant dangerous waves. The coastguard forbid any and all boats from leaving the beach which consequently meant my diving was cancelled. No harm done I thought, time to chill, read my book (Superfreakonomics, flippin' funny by the way), write my blog, socialise with new people and reschedule diving for the next day and move island hopping to the day after!

The Four Seasons Hotel, El Nido

Unfortunately the universe had other plans for me again. The stomach problem I was still on medication for suddenly resurfaced despite the antibiotics and I spent the next sleepless night in agony - luckily though in the privacy of my own hotel room rather than in a shared dorm. I realised this was a problem I needed to deal with properly and knew by then it wouldn't go away on its own so first thing in the morning I went and cancelled my diving and island hopping and got on a bus back to Puerto Princesa.

That concluded my stay in El Nido. This time. I think it's safe to say I will be returning, and it will be sooner rather than later....

Las Cabanas Beach