THAILAND

Alright guys! We are almost there. Hope you enjoy the beginning of Thailand as much as I did!

PHUKET

We landed in Phuket midday of April 13, which just so happened to be the eve of the Thai New Year, known as Songkran. For me, it was imperative that we make it to Thailand by this day as Songkran consists of one massive water fight. HEAVEN! I can’t say that Keanan was all that excited, but trust me, his perception changed quickly. We were staying in Phuket Town, an hour drive from the airport, and throughout the entire drive we watched groups of people congregating on the sides of the street or in the beds of pickup trucks with drums full of water and super soakers, wetting each other and everything before them. I was elated.

Songkran festivities

We found a quiet and clean guesthouse close to the bus station and as we were settling in I was watching the festivities unfold from the balcony above the street. At one point I saw a group of at least 10 westerners packed into the bed of a pickup truck armed with drums of water and all sorts of water-firing artillery driving down the road. I couldn’t help but be jealous! What a brilliant way to celebrate, they definitely had the right idea.

Shortly after, Keanan and I hit the streets to join in the fun. As luck would have it, no more than 10 min into our walk, we happened upon the group I had seen from our balcony. They had created a gauntlet of doom, flanking both sides of the street, joined by locals, dousing everyone and everything in their paths. Keanan and I walked the catwalk and immediately went from dry to soaking wet. They were ruthless (in the best of ways, of course). We thanked them for the showers and ended up becoming honorary members of their brigade.

As it turns out, they are all crew members on a 100ft yacht, owned by a billionaire- the richest man in Israel. They hailed from all around the world; New Zealand, Australia, England, South Africa, Canada, etc.. With their accommodations and food completely covered, and their paychecks tax-free, some of them had been circumnavigating the globe on this yacht for over four years! I don’t blame them. On this particular tour, they had already spent two months in Sri Lanka, two months in the Maldives, and had been docked in Thailand awaiting their next assignment while enjoying themselves to the fullest. WHAT A LIFE!
Nevertheless, we ended our mission at a local bar where shots and drinks were flowing just as vigorously as the buckets of water had been an hour before. Luckily for us, and our livers, the boat crew had an early morning the next day, so we were cut loose before any real damage occurred. Being on a budget and not having a real reason to drink ourselves under the table, our tolerance was nowhere near where it used to be in DC. We just saw it as a welcomed detox for our systems and our wallets :)

Fisherman village

The alcohol provided us with the deep sleep we needed to wake early the next morning for a tour of Ao Phang-nga National Park, an area of the mainland just north of Phuket Island. We were grouped with three Thai travelers; one woman named Meow, and another man and woman whose names have escaped me. Phang-nga is a bay area spotted with limestone karsts jutting out from the clear blue waters. The tour was entirely by longboat and began by winding through a long channel of water with dense mangroves on either side. The sky was bright and clear and in the distance you could see the enormous limestone formations rising above the trees. As we wound between the forests, through caves and alongside the karsts, we eventually came out to an opening where a small fishing village had settled above the water, their huts on stilts, sheltered by the limestone. All around us and along the horizon were islands of limestone; it was unlike anything I had ever seen. Its beauty too broad to be captured by a single photograph.

James Bond Island

The tour lead us to a couple of large stationary boats where we transitioned to inflated canoe-like rafts, manned by local Thai guides. For roughly 45 min we were taken under, through, and around the limestone caverns; cooling our feet in the still water. From there we went back to our longboat and went to an island where another of the James Bond movies was filmed (The Man with the Golden Gun). After snapping photos that hardly do the place justice, we finished our tour by heading to the village for a quick snack before returning back to the mainland. The day had been extremely satisfactory and when we returned to Phuket Town, we found that the city was still busy celebrating the New Year and large parties with music and gushing water were underway.

On our final day in Phuket we went to the coast to check out the beach scene. Huge mistake. It was like Myrtle Beach on crack. A carnival of people everywhere. Even the extremely long beach was at capacity with chairs, towels, and bodies covering 99% of the sand between the street and the water. We patted ourselves on the back for choosing to stay in Phuket Town, even if there seemed to be less to do there. In this case, less was definitely more.

We left Phuket on the fourth day and head to the island of Koh Phi Phi.

KOH PHI PHI

Koh Phi Phi and is much like its quieter, smaller, and less inhabited sister. Like I said, it was heaven. Luckily, we were just hitting the beginning of the slow season and the island, which is normally packed with party-goers, was much quieter; allowing us to enjoy all the different sides of the island in our one night stay.

Keanan spent the day seeking out accommodation for him and his friends in preparation for a bachelor party getaway that was scheduled to descend on the island in six days’ time. While he was doing that, I wandered the island and came upon a distant beach, Long Beach, which was only accessibly by longboat or through forested paths. However, it was extremely hot and after sometime, even the water was not enough to provide me with a cool escape. I had to head back to a shower and some time under a fan. On my way back I ran into Keanan and we returned together to refresh ourselves and to enjoy the nightlife Koh Phi Phi had to offer.

We began the night at a Reggae bar, which doubled as a Muy Thai arena, and discothèque. There, we watched trained fighters, as well as random volunteers, duke it out for glory and free buckets (literal buckets filled with your choice of alcohol and mixer- a specialty of Thailand). After watching women, children, and horribly unfit men enter the ring, we had had our fill and meandered along the beach to find another form of stimulation. To my delight we came across a bar with a beachside dance floor playing great dubstep jams. As usual, Keanan and I started the dance party and spent the rest of the evening enjoying this diamond in the rough. Boy, do I miss that place and looking back, wish I would’ve had one more night there.

The next morning we debated and decided to spend the eve of my birthday and our last night together (before we split ways for a two week span) on the mainland in Railay Bay, a peninsula off the city of Krabi. Railay Bay is surrounded by steep cliffs and is known for its world class rock climbing. We arrived in the early evening and checked into a wonderful resort. It was our first, and my only, resort like accommodation and feeling the comforts of class was a most welcomed treat. Happy birthday to me! *Thanks to Keanan, of course.

The bay was small and beautiful and as it just so happened, our arrival came on the last night of their international rock climbing competition. The beach was alive with music, lights, and numerous food stands. We spent the night walking up and down, eating and swaying to the music. A party just for me?! I blush ;)

The next morning, my birthday, was bitter sweet as Keanan and I packed our things and prepared to return to Krabi only to split ways; Keanan heading to Bangkok to prepare for his friends arrival and I to the island of Koh Phangan, on the gulf side, for the world famous full moon party. Unfortunately, this journey ended up being much more expensive than anticipated, but hey, it was my birthday and if I won’t treat myself then, when will I?

It began with our longboat taxi driver refusing to take only Keanan and I across, resulting in a long wait time hoping that other passengers would come to expedite the process. When we finally got to the mainland it was only to find that I had missed the last bus to the port at the city of Surat Thani, which meant that I would not be able to get to Koh Phangan until the next day; thus, missing the full moon party. This answer was not acceptable and my only option was to rent a private car and driver to get me to the dock in time to catch the ferry. I was left with the decision to shell out the cash or spend my birthday in a ghost town, alone, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. I chose the former. Within 15 min I had said goodbye to Keanan and was on my way. It was weird being on my own for the first time in two months, but I was filled with excitement for what lay ahead of me.

INDONESIA- Bali and the Gili Islands

We landed in Denpasar, Bali on a beautiful sunny day and were met by friends, James and his girlfriend Lita, at the airport. James and Keanan had worked together at Science Club and James has been living in Bali for about five years. They were extremely accommodating and had hooked us up with a room at their friend’s, Regina’s, house. The house was in the Canngu/Kerobokan area, about 10 min north of Seminyak (where all the shops, bars and restaurants are) and roughly 30 min west of Denpasar. Regina had been looking for someone to rent a room, so it worked out perfectly. She is incredibly sweet and made a great roommate! The house itself was fantastic. When you walk into the main gate there is a space to park the motor bikes (we had one, too) and on the right side was a path to the courtyard. In between the courtyard and the entrance was our room, standing alone, and attached to an open air living space with a big chair and TV. Across the courtyard from us were the open air kitchen, Regina’s room, spare room, bathroom, and laundry room. We were in a beautiful and quite neighborhood where roads to Seminyak were flanked by rice patties. How lucky we were to have such hospitable and fun friends and a great place to stay right off the bat!



Dinner with James and Lita



The walkway, living room, and our room

The entrance to our room

The stone design on the living room wall

Our garden and Regina's room

Kitchen, laundry, and hallway to the bathroom and other bedrooms

We spent three weeks living in that house, going to the beach, learning to surf, going out dancing and drinking (a nightlife we never had in India), watching soccer matches, and making great friends. Bali itself was incredible. The people were very nice, the food was delicious, and the scenery was out of this world. I am convinced that Indonesian skies and sunsets are impossible to beat. The only downside was that, due to it being the end of their rainy season, much of the runoff from Bali and Jakarta had caused a few of the beaches to be filled with trash. The best beaches were further out of the city and proved to be great day retreats.

Soul Sista party with Regina and friends

Late night party time after Soul Sista event

Karaoke crew

Amazing fresh seafood dinner on the beaches of Jimbaran

At the opening of the W Hotel in Bali- so fance!

One of our many nights at the Cave

Towards the end of our stay, Keanan and I decided to take five days to go to the Gili Islands. The Gili’s are a string of three islands that come off the northwest side of Lombok, the next main island east of Bali. From west to east the islands are named Gilli Tarwangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. Tarwangan is the most developed tourism wise, Meno is the smallest of the three and has very little to offer in terms of nightlife, and Air is the calmer version of Tarwangan with a larger local population. All three are absolutely beautiful. They are surrounded by marine life and definitely had the laid back island feel. Adding to the uniqueness of the islands is the fact that they have no police or law system in place. All matters are taken up with village heads that act as island mayors. The system has been working there for years and we were lucky enough to share a drink with the current village head of Tarwangan on our second night!

Our first two nights were spent on Tarwangan where we ran into a friend, Atu, who we had met in Bali. She was there looking at property and introduced us to her “island guide” and all around keeper of the peace, Made (Mah-day). It was great spending time with them, but Atu left after the first day and after two days we were ready to check out the other islands. Made arranged everything and even met us in the morning to send us off.

Nature on Tarwangan

Nature shot #2

Sunset with volcanoes to the west

Sunrise with volcanoes to the east

Made! He let Keanan get behind the bar and make some tasty cocktails!

Our first stop was Meno. The boat ride took about 20 min and as soon as we had secured accommodation we were in search of a beach to spend the day soaking in the sun and scenery. We were in luck and happened across a stretch of beach that provided us with a day of bright skies, vibrant waters, and all the privacy we could ask for. In the seven hours we spent playing on the beach, we only saw four people. After our day at the beach, we spent the beginning of our evening walking through the middle of the island where the locals live. That was a day of pure bliss. Everything was better than expected and Indonesia blessed us with unforgettable memories. It has been one of the best days of the trip without a doubt.

Paradise and our private beach combined

Private beach shot #2

Private beach shot #3

The next day, high on life, we took another ferry over to Air. We came upon a great bungalow and after setting up camp, we went on a tour of the island. It was somewhat of an overcast day, but the greys, blues, greens, and purples still had a way of illuminating our surroundings. We spent much of the day snorkeling and wandering about empty beaches. Watching the sunset over the horizon from the porch of our bungalow was a special treat. Looking out onto volcanoes on both sides of the straight and watching the world drift by into night was a luxury I felt lucky to have. It reminded me just how far from home I was and how different this world was from anything I had ever known. Amazing.

Relaxing on the porch of our bungalow

Going back to Bali from the Gili’s almost felt like going back to reality- until I realized that we were still traveling and every day is an adventure of its own.

Unfortunately, our time in Indonesia ended before we were ready to leave. Being such an unbelievable place, I am positive I will be back. I really feel as though we barely scratched the surface of all the wonders of Indonesia. The next time around cannot come soon enough! As you can imagine, I cannot recommend traveling to Indonesia enough. Yes, a flight may be expensive, but it will be worth every penny and more. This should mean something coming from someone who really only saw a sliver of what the country had to offer. DO IT!!!!!!