The main reason for our return to Thailand was to spend time on some of the country's famed tropical islands. We had time to visit three. Each had its own unique culture and personality.
KO PHAGNAN
From Bangkok we took an overnight bus to Ko Phagnan. The island has international notoriety for hosting the 'Full Moon Party', which is among the largest parties in the world. The event draws 10,000-30,000 people to the island every full moon.
The day we arrived there was no accommodations available (within budget) so we ended up sleeping in the reception area of a guest house. We were able to book a cheap bungalow for the next few nights.
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| Our bungalow was 50 yards from the beach |
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| Sunset at Ko Phagnan |
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| Local school children put on a show to thank those who donated money to fund their school |
KO PHI PHI
This island is know for having some of the best dive sites in Thailand. While on Phi Phi I did four dives, and saw dozens of sharks, cuddlefish, sea anenomies, and much more. No pictures though, my camera is not waterproof. Twenty years ago Ko Phi Phi was an island visited by only the most adventurous tourists. The movie 'The Beach' (staring Leonardo DiCaprio) filmed on the island exposed it as a tropical paradise. Today it is among the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia.
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| Maya Bay--where 'The Beach' was filmed |
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| Ko Phi Phi mosque. Most Thais are buddhist, but residents of the Thai islands are muslim |
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| A hammock oceanside on Long Beach, Ko Phi Phi. Why did I leave this place??! |
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| SPF 0! There is no hope for humanity... |
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| Island Divers. Thanks for the memories. |
KO LANTA
This island was the most relaxed of the three. The lack of a bar scene made it very popular among families with children (and Swedish people. Go figure). The bungalow we stayed in was...pretty gross, but we had an amazing pool.
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| Welcome to Ko Lanta! |
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| Our pool has ELEPHANTS! |
On our last day in Ko Lanta we decided to rent Kayaks to see Mangrove Island. We were given pineapples to feed monkeys that live on the island. Unfortunately one wrong turn in this bayou turned our two hour kayak tour into a six hour ordeal. We got so lost and barely made it back to the kayak outfitter by sundown. The worst part was we didn't see any monkeys.
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| The dock of the kayak outfitter |
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| My feet have no idea how lost they're about to be |
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