I cashed in my annual two-week leave in Thailand and returned with the fragrant taste of time well spent, a hankering for more adventure and the compulsive need to recreate the perfect Thai curry at home (attempts happen least once every week.)
The busy streets of Bangkok. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Touch down in Bangkok takes some acclimatising. It’s overwhelmingly pungent – both good and bad smells – and that well-used travel description ‘The City that never Sleeps’ perfectly applies. In fact, most of Thailand only truly wakes up at about 10 o’clock – sorry early birds, there are few worms to catch if you try get anything done in the wee hours.
A Saturday food market and a life on the river in Bangkok. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Kids wave to us from the banks of a Bangkok river. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
You soon learn to take it easy in the mornings (unless you have a train to catch) and keep your energy stores for later when the night releases its food stalls in the market-riddled alleys and switches on the red light district – you’re bound to find one wherever you go and remember, the adam’s apple rule applies.
A street-side restaurant offering tasty seafood. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
We stayed at a basic airport hotel because flights landed at midnight and the last thing you want to do is hustle a taxi. The Princess Suvarnabhumi Airport Residence wasn’t pretty, but there was little to complain about considering the cheap price and on-site riverside restaurant.
Basic accommodation for about R150 a night near the airport. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
The Riverside restaurant. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
The cluttered view from my hotel room in Bangkok. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
I skipped the big city pretty quickly catching a bus and ferry to a small island called Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand (a direct crow flight south of Bangkok) – a postcard-perfect island frequented by avid divers.
Palm tree views and blue sea views of Chalok Bay in Koh Tao. Photo by Melanie van Zyl.
A small cement walkway allows access to the main Chalok Bay during high tide. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
The best pizza in Koh Tao if you need a palate cleanser from curry. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
A blue boat takes divers and snorkelers exploring around island coast. Photo by Melanie van Zyl.
Take a day trip to Nangyuan Island. There is only one resort so it’s pricey, but popular with day visitors who climb to it’s highest point for the view. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
You can travel by boat taxi in one of these colourful long boats. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Three days of island revelry ensued – too short to complete a diving a course, but now we know – where snorkelling, drinking freshly blended fruit shakes and exploring took up most time. Using Trip Advisor I found great deals at the View Point Resort in palm-studded Chalok Bay and stayed at the Koh Tao Royal Resort for the last night because it was closer to the ferry.
Longboats wait for passengers in Chalok Bay near the View Point Resort. Photo by Melanie van Zyl.
It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the beach bar and garden bungalows were a real win. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
The bungalow at Koh Tao Royal Resort. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
The view from the bar at Koh Tao Royal Resort. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Lush garden views from the small bungalow on stilts at the View Point Resort.
We didn’t get beach views or a hot shower, but every moment was spent exploring so it was just a spot to rest our heads.
Curry and Chang beer – staples in Thailand. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Exploring the island by foot. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
There was no excitement about taking the ferry back to mainland. On the way to Koh Tao we experienced vile seasickness and needed a full day recovery. There is a good ferry experience and a bad one. For a good experience, sit on the highest point of the boat (pay the damn 50 or so bucks for the VIP section) and get seasickness medication. Even if you aren’t prone to feeling ill a boat-load of other seasick passengers is bound to get to you. They are small yellow tablets and cost about 30 baht for 10.
Seasickness. Not fun. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
One short bus trip, and an overnight train journey later, we were back in Bangkok and heading north to the edgy city of Chiang Mai. An up and coming arts district, it’s the first city stop for tourists coming in from China and is surrounded by incredible jungle.
Waiting for the train to arrive at the Bangkok station. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
A passenger looks out the window in the train to Chiang Mai. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Days were spent traipsing around the city finding great eats, exploring enormous weekend markets that spanned several streets, having our feet eaten by fish and scoring the most incredible guide for a jungle trek and white water rafting.
Colourful sushi on offer at the enormous Saturday night market in Chiang Mai. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Meat skewers at a Thai market. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
You’ve got to try it once (in our case twice). Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Monks wear traditional orange in the streets of Chiang Mai and every Thai male has to experience life as a monk for at least a week. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
A little Thai girls dressed in traditional garb sits outside one of the many temples in Chiang Mai. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Golden bells from a temple in Chiang Mai. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
A Thai woman asks for blessings at the temple. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
It’s customary practice to take off your shoes before entering temples and some stores in Thailand. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
His name was Chai and he was born in the jungle – and even saw a wild tiger once while making his way through the thick mass.
Chai points out some local flowers on our overnight jungle trek to a hilltop village outside Chiang Mai. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Chiang Mai is brimming with offers of great jungle treks so shop around for one that suits your needs – and don’t be afraid to hustle. We had no place to stay in the city, so we walked around for ages until finally finding an affordable hotel (thanks again to Trip Advisor), but it only had one room for the night. And there were four of us. Despite our dire circumstances, we made the best deal of the trip – we shared a room for the night (no biggie) and the owner organised the jungle trek including one night in the Hill Top village and two nights on our return. So, four nights accommodation and one jungle trek plus food cost us R600 each. Several air punches later, we all learnt not to settle.
Our top-notch hotel in Chiang Mai. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Off we set on the jungle trek – arguably the best part of our trip. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Even though it was tough! Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Packets of rice to go with lunch. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Chai stopped at the market and bought us lunch as locals would eat it. We used non-toxic leaves for plates and made a fire in the jungle to cook sausage and chicken. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Jungle scenery. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Home for the night in the hilltop village. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Our dorm room. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Friendly village children came to visit. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Beautiful rural scenery in the village. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
As the sun set a dog scurries home. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Tired of helping with the rice, children came to play. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
A village lady crushes rice using a see-saw like mechanism. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
Thai people are enormously obliging, incredibly kind and a little bit hard to understand sometimes, but always well meaning. One Bangkok morning before 10 am, we had no accommodation planned and needed breakfast. A pretty Thai lady asked us if we were lost. “Come”, she said and set off with haste beckoning us to follow. She walked two blocks out of her way to show us where we could get either a Western breakfast (egg, toast, muffins and the like) or eat at a local Thai alley of delicious smells. It was curry for breakfast. Absolutely delicious, incredibly cheap and we’d never have found it without her.
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Walking to the ferry to leave Koh Tao. Photo by Melanie van Zyl
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Longboats wait for passengers in Chalok Bay near the View Point Resort. Photo by Melanie van Zyl.
