Nature
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Konglo Day 2
Woke to the sound of cockerels all around the bungalow at 5 am. I had a leisurely breakfast and before renting a kayak to explore the river next to the resort. The resort is on bank at the fork of two rivers with one river emerging from a spring a forming a ‘blue lagoon’. The water there is crystal clear and the locals come to collect water for drinking. The river was perfect for kayaking as it was slow moving and was in a great location amongst the soaring limestone kaksts. The locals were re-establishing small patches of crops on the banks of the river now that the rainy season…
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Last morning in Chiang Mai
I awoke early this morning to pack before heading to Laos this evening. It was a beautiful morning and so I decided to head out to the lake on the edge of Chiang Mai near the forests where I had previously seen a kingfisher. I found the lake and waited to see if the kingfisher would emerge. After 45 minutes of occasionally seeing a flash of blue dart across the lake, the kingfisher decided to perch in close to me. It was amazing to watch the kingfisher dart off from the branch into the lake and to catch a fish. I left the lake and returned to the hostel for…
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Return to Chiang Mai Day 2
Woke this morning to the sound of heaving rain which looked set to continue for the rest of the morning. I decided to head for Wild Rose Yoga Studio and got completely soaked on the way. I got there early just as people started to arrive. By the time the class started the room was completely full and extra mats had to be brought out. Many other people had the same idea that this would be a good way of spending a rainy morning. It was the same teacher as last week and he again encouraged us to explore practicing hand stands and forearm balances. He made it looked so…
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Chiang Dao Day 2
I woke early so set out to see the sunrise over the Chiang Dao mountain. Unfortunately I needed a permit to access the National Park as they are trying to crack down on poachers who hunt the local wildlife. The park can now only be accessed via an official guide but as it is off-season no guides were available. However, part of the mountain can be accessed Wat Tham Pha Phong which has a temple cut into the mountain side and can be accessed through a steep stairway cut through the forest. The sky was overcast but the views from the top were great. Looking down the hill I could…
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Pai to Chiang Dao
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Pai Day 2
I woke early and joined a yoga class at Bodhi Tree Studio. It was a great class and I met a lovely Norwegian couple. We had a long chat over a homemade kombucha. They were coming to the end of a 10 month trip and enthusiastically told me about all their amazing adventures and experiences. I picked up some great tips and ideas from them. I hired a mountain bike to explore the countryside around Pai. I headed out south stopping at the iron memorial Ta-Pai bridge which was built by the Japanese in World War 2 in their attempt to capture British held Burma. I next turned off the…
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Chiang Mai Day 2
I woke up early this morning to explore the old town before all the tourists woke up. Chiang Mai is such a peaceful and relaxing place. I visited Wat Ket Kram which has beautiful intricate carvings on the outside of the temple and is dedicated to the worship of dogs. I returned to the hostel for a light breakfast before joining a yoga class at the Wild Rose Yoga Studio. The teacher Jear was very funny and his class very challenging. He had us all doing handstands and forearm balances towards the end of the class! After the yoga class I went for a Gong Bath Meditation session. This is…
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Ayutthaya to Lopburi
This morning I woke early to see the sunrise over the Ayutthaya temples. It was a beautiful morning and it was great to see the temples with only a few locals about. Whilst cycling through the park I came across many storks and cranes hunting in the canals around the temple complex. After the cycle I returned to the homestay for breakfast before packing and heading for the railway station to catch a train to Lopburi where I would spend the day before catching the sleeper train to Chiang Mai in the evening. Lopburi is another historic town with main temples from the same era at Ayutthaya but is less…
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Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya
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Koh Jum Day 2
Woke this morning at 4.30 am to what felt like every cockerel on the island calling to each other. I went back to sleep only to be woken by the 5 am call to prayer followed by the 5.30 am call. The mosque is located opposite the bungalow resort. The more south I travel towards Malaysia the greater the islamic influences I see around me. I decided to get up early and explore the island. I walked towards the main town where the harbour is located. I stopped for breakfast on the way at a place where all the locals were eating. I had very tasty boiled rice soup served…
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Railay to Koh Jum
This morning I left Railay to head further south to my first Thai island called Koh Jum. As it’s out of season I was unable to take a direct boat to Koh Jum. Instead I would had to head for Ao Nam Mao to take a local long boat service to the island. From Railay I caught the long boat to Ao Nam Mao where I then shared a taxi with a dutch couple to Krabi. Once in Krabi I needed to find a way to get to Ban Laem Kruat. I asked to be dropped off at the main pier and asked once of the offices the best way…
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Krabi to Railay
This morning I woke up early to see briefly see Krabi in the daylight before catching a short boat ride to Railay. Krabi water front looked great in the early morning sunshine but the rest of town is very commercial and mainly used by tourists as a stopping point for the beaches and Andaman islands. Only the locals were up and about at 6.30 am. The Thai’s are early risers and are up and about before 6 am presumably to get things out of the way before the midday heat. It was fun watching the Thai ladies doing their morning dance/exercise routine on the waterfront. Railay is a small area…
