Hello from sunny and laid back Koh Pha Ngan. Things here in the Gulf of Thailand are starting to pick up after a rough start. Our time on Koh Samui was somewhat spoiled by another stomach bug. This time it was Sebastian doubled-over in pain. He's nearly recovered, but still feeling the after-effects of harsh antibiotics. Since we've already moved onto another island, I'll just list quick highlights of Koh Samui:
- Phuket to Samui was rough - hour mini-bus, 5 hour bus, 2 hour boat, hour taxi.
- Holiday Guesthouse in Chaweng Beach was great. Full breakfast, AC, hot water, english movies, and comfortable beds. Luxury living except that we were sitting right on top of a bar.
- We rented scooters again and explored the east coast of the island. Lamai beach was our favorite, much more laid back than Chaweng.
- We tried to get up into the mountains, but only made it as far as a waterfall and viewpoint. Apparently only 4x4's can manage the rest of the road.
- Splurge night at Three Monkey Pub. It was just pub food, but the red snapper fish and chips were a welcome change from curry.
So far Koh Pha Ngan has been much more our speed. We're staying at a small place (Private Beach Resort) close to Thong Sala. The place is full of young backpackers looking for the same laid back experience that we crave. Tonight is the big Full Moon Party in Haad Rin so a bunch of us are going to jump in a taxi and check out the festivities. I'm looking forward to some good beach dancing so hopefully the party lives up to all the hype.
Check out the two new photo galleries - Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan. I'll add more to the latter as we explore the island over the next couple of days.
