Wat Pho Reclining Buddha

We’ve just uploaded some photos from our day in Bangkok including many photos from a short cruise up the Chao Phraya River the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. Click here to view the photos!

First of all, we’re planning on spending a good deal of time in Thailand. A couple days after I arrive in HCMC we’ll take off for some island fun.

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Koh Chang

This archipelago is situated far from the famous islands like Koh Pi Pi and Koh Phangan and the full-moon parties. However, everything I’ve heard about Koh Chang sounds just as good if not better than most of the other more popular islands of Thailand. From beaches to hiking, motorbiking (although reportedly risky for beginners) to hanging out with elephants, this island getaway sounds like the perfect break from the fast paced life in New York City. In addition to the main island of Koh Chang there are several smaller nearby islands to explore and we plan on doing some island hopping just like we did last year in Si Phan Don, Laos.

Bangkok

We’ve been to Bangkok before but only briefly and many years ago. In 2001 we first landed in Bangkok coming from Israel (via Copenhagen). This city was the very first place we visited in Asia. However, three things prevented us from really seeing and experiencing Bangkok.

1) We landed and headed straight for Khaosan Road and sort of got stuck in that backpacker scene.
2) We ran around town trying to get malaria pills at a cheap price and also had to procure visas to Vietnam.
3) We took off to the beautiful island of Koh Lanta while waiting to receive our Vietnam visas.

This time, however, we’re all set to explore other parts of the city and to see how it’s changed over the years. For example, we’ve yet to check out Wat Phrakaew (with the Emerald Buddha) and the Royal Grand Palace as well as the nearby ruins of Ayuthaya, on the road to Chiang Mai.

North of Thailand

photo credit: garycycles2

Thailand, along with Vietnam and Laos, offers a lot of diversity for travelers especially when you compare the northern and southern regions of the country. All three countries feature mountain ranges in the north and have some things in common: gorgeous scenery, indigenous mountain tribes, cooler weather, and lots of great nature and hiking. We’ll have plenty of time to rest on the islands but we’re also planning on getting some exercise in the mountains. It seems like the main place to go is Chiang Mai, the capital city in the northern region of the same name. Many people recommend Pai, another town which is not too far. We’ll probably look into some motorbiking in this region in case we get tired of walking. If it’s anything like the northern mountains of Vietnam, where I did a 5 day motorcycle tour to the border of China in 2001, then it should be an excellent and scenic adventure!

Also on this trip Tamar and I may both visit Singapore (separately) and I’m planning on staying a few weeks longer to check out Malaysia in February. More on that to come! In the meantime, we’re looking for recommendations and open to anything.

photo credit: JasonDGreat

Thailand has a new prime minister and the country looks to be bouncing back from its relatively brief period of instability caused by mass protests and the blockage of Thai airports. The airports have reopened and things are returning to normal. We’re following the news closely as we prepare for our upcoming trip. Even if nobody closes down the islands and beaches we still may need to enter the country by plane so we’re hoping that there will be no further disruptions to the Thai way of life as well as our upcoming visit. Read more about the current situation here: Thai PM vows to restore stability – CNN.com.