LIVE AND LET THAI

Arriving on the South-east peninsula of Koh Phangan the Full moon party takes place on the Haad Rin beach. There are different types of accommodation throughout the island such as bungalows, hotels, resorts. Checking into our hotel at the Drop in club resort and spa located on Haad Rin Nok, which is a five minute walk to the full moon party beach at Haad Rin Nok. We were excited to relax before we hit up the beach and explore what they have around the beaches. The hotel service was amazing the staff was friendly and the hotel was very nice and clean. After checking in we got changed and decided to check out what the resort has to offer before we head to the beach when the night life begins. As we were walking through the beach it’s incredible to see how many people and tourist there were.

The full moon party starts at dusk and peak time was from 10:00pm till 2:00am.There was an entrance fee of 100THB. I couldn’t wait to get out there and start my first night at the full moon party. We walked to the beach and it’s was packed, around 10,000 people were on the beach, it was amazing to see how many people from around the world came for the same experience. There were dancers everywhere throughout the beach; there were many things for everyone there from trance/techno, reggae, drum-bass and commercial dancers. The exhilaration of fire eaters, dancers, fire skipping ropes, and fireworks display was phenomenal.

We headed out and about to get drinks, most stalls sell Thai whiskey, ice, coke, and red bull together in a bucket with 4 straws price was between 200THB – 350THB per bucket which was about $7.00CAD - $11.00CAD, I didn’t end up finishing it all but it was a great drink to start off the night. I noticed that there were people body drawing, thought id check it out and get some art done on me, with all the fluorescent colors it looked wicked.

Everyone enjoyed themselves by the end of the night, we ended up hanging out on the beach grabbed a drink and a bite to eat they had. Sitting on the beach watching all the action and dancers it just felt like paradise. I can’t wait to come back again next year and meet more people.

On our last day in Thailand we decided to head over to Railay Beach. We stayed at the Sand Sea Resort which is located on Railay Beach in Krabi Province, we stayed in a deluxe fan bungalow, and there were along cottages available which I would definitely try out in the near future when I come back. It’s a beautiful location the views of the cliffs and water were amazing. We decided to try some kayaking during the day it was a lot of fun, having the chance to kayak through some of the caves great experience.

After kayaking I walked along the beach and was astonished that the movie “The Beach” was filmed right on Railay beach. I always wanted to cliff dive which was exactly what I did and after my jump when I hit the water it gave me a huge adrenalin rush which made me feel like Virginie Ledoyen who played Francoise in the movie. It’s a great attraction to tourists and is worth the visit. One of my other favorite attractions was the rock climbing its known to be famous there with so many cliffs to climb, the rock was all limestone and the height was scary but really exciting if you have a fear of heights I wouldn’t recommend rock climbing when you’re at railay beach.

At our resort the food was amazing while travelling I always like to try different types of food, more of what the locals eat every day. Walking along the beach there were longtail boats which turned into little food stalls, also Drinks and snacks can be purchased on the beach which was pretty neat. Railay beach is definitely a paradise you’d want to visit!

This was one of the loctions for the movie "The Beach". When you travel to Thailand you would think that Leonardo Dicaprio is Thai royalty. On Railey beach this is especially true.
If you walk to the farthest end of the area with the resturants you will find "Mom's Kitchen". This is a little open air cafe with a full menu. The cafe is run by a Thai lady who likes to be called Mom by the backpackers who visit her. She is in love with Leo and claims that he ate at her establishment while he was filming. She will even go as far as calling herself his Thai mother.
The food here is cheap and good.
The rest of Railey beach is beautiful, except where a newer gated 5 star resort was built, with tsunami relief money. The rest of the accomodations are more welcoming even though you can tell the prices have become a little inflated after the movie came out.

Today, we’ll take a speedboat tour of Phang Nga bay. Phang Nga province is located north of Phuket, however most tours of the bay depart from Phuket. Famous for it’s limestone cliffs and formations that jut out from the water, the bay is full of awe inspiring scenery that has been the setting for many films and is another one of the most photographed places in Thailand. There are many ways of exploring this area, from bus/boat combined charter, to sea kayak, to traditional cruises. Koh Pannyi and Koh Ping-Gan are the two most popular islands for tourists to visit.

A speedboat tour bringing us to these and several other islands, as well as the massive sea caves at Tham Lod Noi costs 3100 Baht. The tour includes hotel transfers, national marine park entry fees and snorkeling. Transferring back to the hotel around 4:00 pm, there is plenty of time to check out Bangla road, famous for its bustling nightlife and bars, many of which are outside.

Phuket is the most popular destination in Thailand, and for good reason. There are so many different attractions and things to do for every different kind of traveler, there truly is something for everyone. Our visit to the island province off the Andaman coast begins with an island and city tour, to get familiarized with the highlights of the region. Costing 550 Baht per person for a group of 3 or 4 travelers, this half day tour includes transportation from the hotel. We are driven along scenic beach roads through Patong, Karon, Kata and Rawai, stopping at various lookouts, for fantastic photo opportunities of this unique coastline. The Sam Haad viewpoint or ‘three beaches’ viewpoint as foreigners have come to call it offers stellar views of the Kata, Karon and Kata Noi beaches. We are then taken to one of the most photographed places in the country, Promthep Cape. After checking out the colorful wooden and stone elephants that surround a shrine to the god Brahma, we head north to Wat Chalong. Known as the spiritual heart of Phuket, this spot is home to the island’s largest Buddhist temple. The last part of our tour takes us through Phuket Old Town. There is an interesting variety of architecture here due to the many foreign influences in Phuket Town’s history.

After the tour, we stop for lunch at the Phuket Market on Yaoarat road. This fresh market has been around for as long as anyone can remember and is a great place for some cheap local food.
Later, we’ll take in the Phuket Fantasea show. More like a theme park, the 140 acre entertainment complex is located on Kamala beach, easily accessible from hotel areas in Phuket Town and the other beaches of the area. Before the main ‘theatrical illusion’ show we’ll have time to spend at the beer garden, or the 4,000 seat themed restaurant. There are carnival games, fireworks, live music and cultural parades. Tickets to the show will cost 1500 Baht.