Brett and Bernii

We have spent the past seven weeks in Thailand. During the first three weeks we caught up with a friend from Brisbane. We stayed at the Ibis Bangkok Sukhumvit 4 for five nights (AU$86.92 per night).

For the second time this year, we went on the Hidden Bangkok Boat Tour – a two hour cruise along the Yai Canal on a private boat. It was nice and relaxing and we were able to buy some beers and drink them as we cruised along. This time we were able to pass through a loch after queueing with about 15 other longtail boats and we were also finally able to see the Big Buddha of Wat Paknam with the scaffolding removed. The tour ended on the Chao Phraya River at Rajinee Pier where we had a few more beers before catching the MRT Metro back to Sukhumvit.

After a few days in Bangkok we flew to Phuket where we stayed at the Oceanview Bungalows by EAT for three nights (AU$114.64 per night). The accommodation was located between Karon and Kata beaches and was very good. The days usually started streaming the cricket on my laptop and drinking beers on the balcony at Oceanview Bungalows.

We would then make our way to Kata and a nice bar Ska Bar overlooking the beach. In the evenings we went to Montana Bar – a cool little bar where we got to know the staff really well. The owner’s son is a musician and he performed live in the bar on the Monday night.

After three nights at Oceanview Bungalows, we moved down the road to Neptuna Hotel Kata Beach (AU$83.38 per night). It had a nice bar in the lobby so we often started our day there before heading out. The staff there were also very friendly.

One morning we took the staff from Montana Bar out for lunch at the Rawai Seafood Market where we enjoyed fish, squid and prawns.

We returned to Oceanview Bungalows by EAT (AU$91.20 per night) for three more nights before we caught the ferry to Ao Nang in Krabi province. The three of us had been to Ao Nang about 8 years prior, however the weather wasn’t very good and I got sick so this was another opportunity to see it in a better light.

We spent four nights at Kokotel Krabi Ao Nang (AU$131.96 per night). Most days were spent at the restaurants along the beach – initially at The Last Fisherman Bar, however they closed from 4:00pm until 5:30pm, so we moved down the road a bit to C2 Beach Club Restaurant. The staff there were very good and they remained open all afternoon, so we skipped The Last Fisherman and spent most of the remaining days at C2 Beach Club.

We took a longtail boat to Railay Beach where we walked through the small village and had a few beers before heading back to Ao Nang Beach and C2 Beach Club to watch the sunset.

The evenings were often spent playing pool in bars along Soi RCA.

After four nights in Ao Nang we flew from Krabi Interntional Airport back to Bangkok.

We spend the next four weeks in Bangkok – relaxing and getting reacquainted with the Bangcockney Bar, Tipsy Tap and The Kicking Donkey. We stayed at either the Ibis Bangkok Sukhumvit 4 or the Ibis Styles Bangkok Sukhumvit 4. The latter was good as it has a pool and a gym which allowed us to get back into a bit of an exercise routine – something that had been a bit lackinig over the past few months.

We also went on the White Orchid River Cruise, a sunset cruise on the Chao Phraya river that included a buffet dinner and unlimited beer. The cruise departed from Asiatique pier and overall it was okay, but the food and entertainment were a bit disappointing. We cruised past the spectacular Wat Arun temple right at sunset and the Grand Palace, the official residences of the King. It was supposed to be a 2 hour cruise, however it departed 15 minutes late and we disembarked 15 minutes early, so was only 1.5 hours. The highlight was getting a tuk tuk from Asiatique to Sukhumvit Soi 4.

New Years celebrations were again spent between the Bangcockney Bar and The Kicking Donkey, however this year we knew many more people – expats, locals and other travellers who visit Bangkok regularly.

It will probably be our last extended stay in Thailand for the foreseeable future so we wanted to enjoy our time in Bangkok. While we will be back here two or three times next year, they will likely be for shorter stays in between trips to other new destinations.

In January we will be returning to Vietnam which we are looking forward to, before we head to another new country. Stay tuned for our next update. And Happy New Year!!!