Operation: “The World” is a Go

(A late update taken from the journal)

We have been on the island of Ko Chang for seven days now. We arrived on a Saturday and joined the masses of local Thais on their long weekend. We chose to stay in a bungalow on Kai Bae beach on the west coast of the island. It’s a little more affordable and less touristy than “White Sand Beach” just north of us.

Porn’s Bungalows doesn’t have much of a sandy beach until the tide goes out in the evening, but it is the home of one of the best restaurants. We spend our long breakfasts, lunches, and dinners relaxing at the very laid back haven. It has mostly low tables and floor mats to sit on with randomly placed hammocks and beach chairs filling in the gaps.

The atmosphere at night, with the Asian lanterns glowing along the thatched roof is something else.

We rented a scooter and made it around the island in two days. The landscape has many steep hills and jungle like brush. A little scary at times on the scooter, but still fun. Most of our time is spent along the beaches - kayaking, swimming, reading, or just listening to music.

We may have the occasional trip to town for a change of scenery, but we decided that we prefer to stay away. Each little town or inland market is the same. They each sell the exact same clothes and items, but you end up spending several more Bahts trying to unsuccessfully haggle over the price. Each restaurant tries to find its niche, offering such classics as Italian, Mexican, and European style foods. None as good or as cheap as the local Thai meals. All in all a great get away from the nearby Bangkok.