Singapore Skyline at Night

I haven’t posted anything to the bog other than photos over the past week because I’ve been so busy during my time in Malaysia and Singapore (over the last three days). Both countries were the two new destinations for me on this trip and I really loved what I saw of both. I had wide-ranging experiences in Malaysia such as attending the Thaipusam Festival at the Batu Caves, exploring the sites in Georgetown and motorbiking to see monkeys, tea plantations and scenic views in Penang and the Cameron Highlands. I also got to hang out with friends, old and new, as well as their family, co-workers and other friends, getting a more authentic taste of life in Malaysia.

In Singapore I saw sites and ate great food but I also met some very cool people along the way, all of whom were interesting and friendly. I got to see some examples of a really clean, organized and well run city including advanced urban features we don’t even have going on in New York yet. Last night I spent time near the river eating a huge crab, listening to live jazz and taking photos of the city at night. In addition to the photos I’ve posted, I have much more to say about my time in Malaysia and Singapore but I’ll have to play catch up while in Vietnam over the next week. For now, enjoy the photos and I’ll try to post more soon!

A view of the Pai River from the nearby mountain

We’ve just uploaded photos from our last two days in Pai. Instead of joining an organized trekking tour, we decided to ride around by ourselves and explore different villages, waterfalls, wats and farmland. It was fabulous.

Check out the photos from day 3 and day 4.

We are now back in Chiang Mai packing our bags and getting ready to say goodbye to each other and to Thailand. Tomorrow morning we both fly out of Chiang Mai – I am flying back to HCMC for 1 night before flying back home (via Tokyo) and Kevin is flying to Malaysia to start his adventure!

Pam Bok Waterfall Near Pai

We’ve uploaded new photo albums from our first two days here in Pai in the North of Thailand. Check out photos of our motorbike travels:

Pai, Thailand – Day 1
Pai, Thailand – Day 2

We decided to skip the included “American Breakfast” as it’s called and cross the street for something a bit more interesting and healthy. We first dropped off our dirty laundry, also across the tiny street, where they wash your clothes for 20 Baht (50 cents) and it’s ready by 6PM the same day. The breakfast cafe was small and charming with statues, flowers and little offerings of food in dishes which the passing dogs seemed to enjoy very much. Tamar had a fruit, yogurt and muesli cup and I enjoyed a mushroom crepe and some very strong and good coffee.

We rented a motorbike yesterday and we’ll probably keep it for the entire week that we’re here. Motorbikes are only 100 Baht here in Pai which is about $2.50 and you can fill up the tank for about the same price so it’s just good to have a bike handy for whenever you might need it. However, the air is so cool and clear in the morning that we plan to go on mini-excursions each morning before the afternoon heat arrives.

Narrow walkway along the Pai Canyon

Today we ventured South past the turnoff to the waterfall we visited yesterday, our current destination being the Pai Canyon. The travel agent we spoke to in town apologized to us in advance that it’s “much smaller than the Grand Canyon” and she told us to not be disappointed. It’s true that if Las Vegas were to create a “Grand Canyon, the Experience” theme park it would be roughly the size of the Pai Canyon but with the mountain view and trees everywhere it was really a nice place to visit. Many narrow natural walkways or dirt paved ridges surrounded the canyon, most of them looking too precarious to even attempt. The view from the canyon was beautiful.

We then continued further South to the “WWII Bridge” which was an old steel bridge over the Pai River. This was actually the same location from which we set out on the previous day’s bamboo raft journey down the river. From the bridge we could see several miles of farmland extending all the way to the surrounding mountains.

Water buffalo in the fields near the Mae Yen Waterfall

We decided to visit another waterfall to the East of Pai and we stopped for lunch along the way. While waiting for our food I set out on foot down the road a bit to photograph some water buffalo. I got pretty close to one who was near enough to the roadside but I think the real camera worthy moment must have been me jumping up and down, waiving my arms and making noises trying to get the buffalo’s attention for my own photo.

We followed the flow of water while driving on a narrow dirt road through fields of crops until the road ended in the shade. We found out that the waterfall was another seven kilometers walk from there. Since this was the hottest time of the day we decided it would be best to return for the hike to the waterfall tomorrow morning when it’s still cool and we weren’t stuffed from eating such a large lunch.

Back in Pai we have WIFI Internet, electricity and a large selection of organic, vegetarian food (and seafood) and fresh baked goods at a nice restaurant called “The Sanctuary” just along the river. It’s the perfect place to chill out during the peak of the day’s heat and to catch up on our blogging!

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.

The beach by the slow boat pier

We’ve just uploaded a new album of photos from the island of Koh Mak in the Koh Chang Archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand. This island is smaller than Koh Chang with less tourists and activities but offered an excellent getaway from big island life, plenty of roads to explore by motorbike (or bicycle) and very nice beaches and seafood. Click here to view the photos!

The Pool at the Coral Resort, Kaibe Beach

We stayed a total of seven nights on the island of Koh Chang and four of those were at a very nice resort, the Coral Resort, located at the northern end of Kaibe Beach. This is not a huge resort or even a fancy resort like the ones a bit further North at Klong Prao Beach. But this resort had what we needed and more.

We opted for a private cabin with air-conditioning which ran us 2,000 Thai Baht ($53) a night. Identical cabins with a sea view were 2,500 but from our cabin the sea was still visible between the neighboring “sea-view cabins”. Walking about 20 meters brought us to the edge of the sea for an unobstructed view.

The cabin was really very nice. For starters it was quite spacious and hexagonal in shape. the ceilings were very high and the structure was a combination of painted cement and wood which was attractive and clean looking. Each cabin had its own stairway and balcony that wrapped around a third of the cabin, facing in the direction of the sea. There were plenty of windows for fresh air but the AC was a nice defense against the mid-day heat and the mosquitoes at night. The bathroom was particularly nice with a large shower.

Probably the single most attractive part of the resort was the large swimming pool situated between the restaurant, the massage tables and the sea. The views from the pool looked out over the water and it was simply stunning. Most of the resorts on Koh Chang face west and so sunsets are incredible to watch from any part of this resort.

Massage was very nice and only 250 Baht for one hour. However, for an amazing massage or spa treatment we recommend Bodiwork Spa located on the main road.

Coral Resort doesn’t really have its own beach but you can walk just a bit to get to a strip of beach from the neighboring resort, still within sight of Coral. We’ve found the other resorts on Koh Chang (and on Koh Mak) to be very relaxed in terms of hanging out on their sands, even sitting in their beach chairs when we’re not staying at their resort. Nobody ever asks to see our room key, requests money or tells us to move on.

The restaurant was good but nothing special. The food was tasty but sometimes the portions were rather small. However, the pricing of the dishes was probably less than you would expect from a “resort” anyway. The room included a choice of breakfast and we opted for our daily fruit, yogurt and musli combo which was nice. The neighboring Nang Nual Resort to the South has an even better restaurant which serves an amazing crab with garlic and peppercorns and stays open into the night unlike the restaurant at Coral. The two resorts are under the same family ownership and are separated by a small foot bridge over a canal.

The staff was friendly and professional and this was a smaller relaxed type of place. Tipping is only necessary for housekeeping and possibly at the bar/restaurant since it’s not like there’s a concierge staff or porter carrying your luggage around.

The Coral Resort is only a short walk from the main coastal road and is therefore conveniently located near all of the restaurants, bars and ATMs, 7-Elevens, etc. It’s always nice to have a rented motorbike handy to visit other beaches but it’s well known that Koh Chang is full of steep inclines and winding roads which are only suitable for experienced drivers.

The most interesting part of Coral was the family of animals that also share the resort. All of the animals are domesticated but they add a nice friendly atmosphere and it’s interesting to see them all sort of inhabit the same piece of the island together. There are 2 small pigs (a small one and a tiny one), a cat and several dogs and they all wander around pretty freely or nap in the shade when they’re not busy playing with each other.

One other perk at the Coral Resort was the WIFI access that easily reached our cabin. Prepaid cards are sold at the reception for 100, 250 and 500 Baht for 60, 200 and 500 minutes of WIFI access.

We definitely recommend the Coral Resort for its spacious rooms, beautiful pool, friendly atmosphere and four-legged friends. The clientele is older than what you’d find at the backpacker scene at Lonely Beach and there were a few families with small children. But the resort is very quiet and is a real getaway yet still near enough to the action you might seek on the rest of the island.

Click here to view photos of the Coral Resort!

More Than Just A Diagnosis

Philipp, a co-worker at MSS, had a motorcycle accident yesterday. This is quite common in Vietnam and is not really a big deal. This time, however, Philipp got pretty scratched up and decided to go to a hospital. Considering he wasn’t wearing a helmet during the time of accident, he was very lucky to only have a few scratches here and there. This morning he showed up in the office (after driving his motorcycle to work of course) bruised yet cheerful and we were talking about his accident. He showed me the doctor’s note he received at the hospital and it was just so funny I had to take a photo. Take a look at the last item under treatment!

My Friend Trang at Dinner

I met my friend, Trang, for dinner at one of the Banh Trang restaurants in the city. At a Banh Trang restaurant you order meat or fish and get a huge basket full of herbs (some are quite exotic), cucumber slices, bean sprouts, dry rice flour crepes, pickled carrots/shallots and fish sauce of course. The fun part is assembling your meal: you take a little of each ingredient using chopsticks, place it on the rice paper and transform it into a nice roll. Some do it a little more gracefully than others (mine kinda looked like a Vietnamese Burrito) but either way, it is super yummy.