The “sexiness” of the beach destinations was evaluated based on a combination of how sexy the local population is thought to be, the sexiness of the tourists crowd and the overall sexy nature of the nightlife or party scene. Most of the beaches were top quality in terms of standard beach criteria as well: sun, sand, water, etc.

We have not yet been to either of these beaches but Koh Phi Phi has been on our list for some time now.

One of the many dirt roads around Koh Mak

We decided to end our week long stay on the islands by spending two nights in Koh Mak – a smaller island off of Koh Chang. We took a slow boat from Koh Chang’s fisherman’s village and an hour later we were on a gorgeous new island. Even before getting off the boat, I could already see that the water was crystal clean turquoise and the scenery resembled one of those posters you see in a tour agency. Koh Mak is definitely less touristy than Koh Chang with far less resorts, restaurants and activities. There are stretches of land where you see nothing but trees (and dogs). It is very quiet and somewhat secluded, a perfect romantic getaway.

We stayed at “Monkey Island” in a simple bungalow with a bed, mosquito net and an outdoor shower attached to the room (there is no ceiling, showering is done under the stars). In the evening, we listened to a live acoustic Thai music performance at the resort sitting a few steps from the beach. Can’t say I liked the music but I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere. In the middle of our first night we woke up to the sound of a major downpour. We were surprised by how dry everything stayed inside of the cabin but we both got soaked going out to the bathroom.

Learning to ride the bike on Koh Mak

The best way to explore the island is by riding a motorbike. We wanted to be sure to try every single beach and sample every dish around (not very hard to do as I counted 3 restaurants in total, not including resorts). Last year, while on Phu Quoc island in Vietnam, Kevin started teaching me how to ride the motorcycle. I am guessing there are still a few locals in Phu Quoc laughing their heart out at that unforgettable driving lesson. While in Koh Mak, we decided to try again, we were on a deserted island after all. This time, we rented an automatic bike and it made a huge difference! After a 10min lesson in the resort’s parking lot, I drove out to the main street and started riding around. We rode around on dirt paths exploring hidden paths and pristine beaches. It was super fun! Here are some photos from Koh Mak.

On Thursday morning, we left the island and embarked on a full day’s journey to Chiang Mai, all the way in the north of Thailand. A speedboat, minivan, bus, plane and taxi later, we were settling into our charming room at the guesthouse.

We’ve added a new video of the friendly animals (pigs, cat, dogs) from the Coral Resort at Kaibe Beach in Koh Chang, Thailand. Everyone mostly gets along although I’m not sure there’s a lot of love there. But we loved these guys!

Coral Resort, Koh Chang

Koh Chang has everything an island needs to have in order to qualify for paradise status: great beaches, beautiful scenery, excellent food and plenty of cats around. On our first day here, we took a little survey of the beach and pool situation, I am happy to report the water is warm and clear. Perfect. Tomorrow we hope to explore the waterfalls and do some hiking.

Tien Dat Resort

I am in heaven, also known as Mui Ne beach. I arrived in Phan Thiet very late Wednesday night after a 4.5 hr bus ride from HCMC. Phan Thiet is located north east of HCMC, by the South China sea. It is a very popular beach retreat with Vietnamese and expats alike.

As soon as the bus pulled into Mui Ne, I noticed large fields of dragonfruit trees everywhere. The trees look like a psychedelic cactus and when it’s lit at night, it’s even more magical.

I wake up every morning in my beautiful sea view room at Tien Dat resort to the sound of the waves. My daily routine includes, tanning by the pool, tanning at the beach, lunching with friends at “Sailing Club”, exploring Mui Ne by foot and reading on my porch. It’s definitely exhausting.

All the resorts are located on one stretch lined with coconut trees and excellent seafood BBQ restaurants. In between the resorts, you can sometimes spot a couple of cows or a duck.

This is all so relaxing, I have completely lost sense of time. I think I am going to make this a Christmas tradition.

Merry Christmas!

Riding around Phu Quoc Island

We rented a bike and drove to Duong Dong, the island’s main town. We decided to check with Vietnam Airlines office across from the airport if there were any available seats flying back to Saigon. So far there are none and we may have to stay here forever.

After lunch, we started heading south along Long Beach (Bai Truong). We couldn’t help but stop for a drink and a quick dip at Long Beach which is a stretch of pristine beach with golden sands, crystal blue water and no tourists in sight. After cooling off, we hopped back on the bike and continued to Bai Sao which we heard was a picture perfect beach on the southern part of the island.

Bai Sao was indeed as beautiful as promised and provided the perfect afternoon spot for us. After relaxing at Bai Sao, it was time to head back and we enjoyed a leisurely ride into town. Plans are in the making to turn this quiet island into a well developed version of the Thai island of Phuket. Driving around, we felt that we came at the last moment right before all this charm gets turned into a multitude of resorts. Passing by small villages, cows, dogs, ducks and of course smiley kids was a lot of fun and we didn’t want the ride to end.

Eventually we arrived in town right in time for the night market where we had excellent local food sitting with friendly people. The bun thit nuong we ordered was so good, we had to order 2 dishes each!