We Heart Na To Nai

Our flight from Sydney to Bangkok exceeded our expectations. Thai Airways treated us with our own individual entertainment unit, where we got to chose from a wide range of newly released movies, which we all took advantage of. The service was amazing, and we felt extremely spoiled. As soon as we walked off the plane our driver Na To Nai greeted us with open arms and four beautiful bouquets of flowers. We met Jon and got to see our luxurious accomodations for the next few days. We went out to our first Thai dinner at a little restaurant on Sukhumvit and Soi 11, where we met Jon's friend Kristen and feasted on a family-style dinner of cashew fried rice, curry, cocunut soup, and a few cocktails. Jon left for the States the next morning and left his luxurious apartment, driver, housekeeper and huge selection of movies all to us! The next day Danielle felt a bit ill and rested up while the rest of us went out to explore Sukhumvit Rd. That night we took a tuk tuk to the Suan Lum night bazaar, where we wandered through a maze of stalls and drank our first of many delicious fruit shakes. We were entertained by hilarious Thai renditions of popular American songs, from artists like Akon and JT, while watching the emotionless backup dancers strut their stuff. The next morning our smiley driver took us to the well-known Damnoen Saduak floating market about two hours outside of Bangkok. We floated through the canals on a longtail boat and sampled some of the local food. Danielle purchased a fresh cocunut, which she enjoyed thoroughly. It was touristy but interesting nonetheless. That same night we went to one of the world's sexiest bars, according to Conde Nast Traveller. On the rooftop of the Banyan Tree Hotel, we sipped on yummy cocktails, and took in the amazing view of Bangkok's expansive city lights. On our last morning in Bangkok, before flying to Phuket, we hit up the Chatuchak or JJ Market, where we got lost among vendors of everything from clothes to puppies.
Our flight to Phuket was short and sweet, and definitely a better choice than a 13 hour bus ride. After arriving in Phuket we grabbed a cab to Phang-Nga. Our cab driver was less than enthusiastic to take us there, to put it lightly. For the entire ride he tried to dissuade us from our destination. "No beat (beach), no food, no people, no disco, just mountains" is all he had to say about Phang-Nga, which made Rachel a little uneasy about where we were headed, but Danielle reassured us all. We got our first glimpse of the limestone cliffs that surrounded the small town. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by thunder and lightening and a downpour of rain. The receptionist at the Guesthouse where we stayed laughed when we decided to shared one room and two small beds, where we enjoyed a cozy, but very warm overnight stay. Our first real look at the backpackers lifestyle. We quickly arranged a tour of Phang-Nga National Park for the next morning. We left early on a longtail boat and spent the day admiring the spectacular landscape of lush green islands surrounded by clear ocean water. At one point the driver of our longtail boat pulled up to a small beach, roughly ten feet in length, and handed us each a torch, pointing to a ladder leading to a cave. We curiously climbed inside to find a surprisingly large sparkling cave, at the end of which was a small crack opening into a lagoon. After lunch on a small beach and a quick swim we arrived at Koh Panyi where we spent the night on the floating Muslim fisherman's village. We had dinner with a lovely Swiss couple, and spent the night in a rickety little bungalow. The next day we were off to Koh Phi Phi! We made friends with two English girls on the ferry ride over, and looked for accomodations together. After over an hour of searching the island in the heat and the rain, we found a cute little bungalow to stay in. That night we all went out to dinner together, where we ate amazing curry, and then made our way to the beach for a fire show, our first buckets and lots of dancing. We spent most of our days on Koh Phi Phi lying lazily on the beach and drinking delicious fruit shakes (mango, watermelon, banana, pineapple, coconut). Our nights were spent avoiding thunderstorms, eating curries, and enjoying the bustling nightlife of the island. It was here that we experience our first taste of thai style banana pancakes, which quickly won our hearts over. We also met two lovely English guys, playing the guitar and singing songs. Maya beach, from the movie The Beach, was a must see, so we headed out early one day on a longtail boat, and got to see the gorgeous beach before the crowds arrived. The water was crystal clear, and the fish swam at our feet as we explored the warm ocean water. Molly, Rachel and Beth snorkelled to a small adjacent beach, although the snorkels were completely unneccessary with such incredibly clear water. The beach lost some of its appeal as more and more tourists arrived, so we headed off to see the rest of the limestone islands. The longtail boat took around even more spectacular waters, and at one point it was so enticing that we had to ask to stop the boat and jump in. Our last stop was Monkey Bay, where we were amused by what seemed like dozens of monkeys who were surprisingly people-friendly and hungry for fruit and pepsi. One even climbed on top of Molly's back and perched on her shoulder, while another attempted to steal Danielle's sunnies. A great end to life on Phi Phi.