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Archive for February, 2009

After enjoying the sun of southern Thailand we headed back to Bangkok to catch our flight back to Auckland.  The first flight was from Bangkok to Brunei which took about 4 hours.  After a couple of hours in Brunei’s transit lounge we set off on the final 10 hour leg to Auckland.  As we came into land at Auckland International airport we managed to get a few photos of the city.

We caught an express ferry to Koh Phi Phi from Koh Lanta docks early in the morning and set off on our snorkelling trip to the islands.

Once on the island we boarded a longboat which would guide us to Kho Phi Phi Lay.  This was an uninhabited island just south of Kho Phi Phi Don.  We paused to look at the Viking (Bird’s Nest) Cave before entering the crystal clear bay of Pileh.

The next stop was a Loh Samah Bay where we could dive amongst the crystal clear waters.  There wasn’t much corel here but plenty of colourful fish to observe.

Lunch was at Maya Bay, before our second dive just off the main island.

More images are available in the gallery HERE

After investigating staying on Koh Phi Phi, and realising the prices of guest houses there, we opted to stay on Koh Lanta.  From our Ao Nang hotel we caught a minivan via Krabi to Koh Lanta.  It took a few hours and two ferry crossings but we finally made it to the island about 1pm.

After settling into our beach side hotel, and checking out the pool and beach, we decided to hire a motorbike and have a quick drive into town.  Here we could stock up on a few essentials and also book a boat trip to Koh Phi Phi for the next day.  On the way back we found a British bar so thought this would be a good place to stop for some real British food!  Just as we were finishing our meal the heavens opened and a massive storm drenched the island.  The tropical storm left the roads pretty much flooded so after letting the roads drain away we rode back to the hotel to watch the sunset.

More images available in the gallery HERE

We had initially planned to stay on Railay beach but because of its isolation, only accessible by boat, prices were too expensive.  By basing ourselves at nearby Ao Nang we could visit the beach in a day so we caught a longboat to the west beach at 9am.  The boat ride gave us a great view of the beach and surrounding rock formations.  We landed at the beach and jumped out the longboat into the sea.

The beach wasn’t very long so we decided to have a quick look explore of the local area.  A small street linked the west to the east beach so after a 10 minute walk across the peninsular we found the quieter east beach.  This beach itself wasn’t as spectacular as the west beach but by walking to the end and then crossing the peninsular again you could reach a small secluded beach.  Although this was hard to access on foot, a hotel was within 2minutes so we found that this beach was too busy!

We made our way back to the main beach for a couple of hours rest on the beach.  The local bar was located right on the beach front and gave us a vital break from the sun.  After a couple of drinks we hired a sit-on kayak for an hour so we could explore the coastline.  The sea was fairly calm so we paddled 500m out to a couple of local islands.

After a little more sunbathing on the beach we caught a longboat back to Ao Nang.

More images are available in the gallery HERE

After a night in Bangkok we prepared for the last leg of our trip – We would have a few days in the sun of Southern Thailand before returning to New Zealand.  We took a taxi to the southern bus station before catching an overnight sleeper bus to Krabi.  At 4am we arrived at a local bus station to find everything all shut up!  After waiting around we finally found a van that would take us up to Ao Nang about 20km away.  We made it to Ao Nang just before sunrise so decided to spend 30minutes watching the views before walking around the town to try and find some accommodation!  Most of the places we tried were either full or out of our budget however we finally found a nice hotel that suited our needs.

After resting in the hotel we set out to explore the town and the beach.  It was extremely hot (36degrees) but we managed to see everything before retreating to the aircon!  At sunset we decided to sit on the beach again before finding a good restaurant.

More images are available in the gallery HERE

After a day at the temples we set off to travel from Siem Reap to Bangkok.  A Tuk Tuk picked us up from the guest house and took us to the bus stop.  We were in the first group to arrive so managed to have our bags stored at the back of the bus and get a front seat.  By the time we had collected a few more passengers it became clear that this would be an interesting trip.  With no luggage stores underneath, the bus soon filled up.  When we reached the final pickup we took on even more passengers so that meant that all the luggage had to be piled up in the aisle!

The twisty Cambodian roads didn’t help the journey in the old bus.  At the second stop the door failed to open so the driver climbed out the window and attacked the mechanism with a lump hammer!  This must have upset the bus as when the driver tried to start the engine to leave it wouldn’t work so we had to push the bus back to jump start it!

Fortunately we reached the Thai border after 5 hours crammed into the bus to find that a Thai minibus waited on the other side!  In less than 3 hours we were at our guest house in Bangkok ready to begin our trip to Southern Thailand the following day.

Angkor Wat is the centre piece not only of the Angkor Archaeological Park, but of Khmer civilization. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag.

We arrived late in the afternoon and soon found where all the other tourists were!  This temple was extremely popular and it was understandable due to excellent condition of the temple.  Unfortunately we weren’t allowed up the towers which were now closed to the public due to recent accidents on the steep steps but we could freely walk around the site.  The walls of the temple were marked with inscriptions and carved stories from Khmer civilization.

More images are available in the gallery HERE

This is not one temple but in fact a large collection of temples in a concentrated area with the Bayon being the centerpiece. Angkor Thom was the urban centre of the Angkor empire. The entire area is walled in with four gates, with us completing the journey in the reverse direction, we entered through the North gate.

After a lunch break we explored the Bayon before visiting other areas of Angkor Thom.  After Bayon we visited the Baphuon and the Elephant Terrace.  Most of the Baphuon was under restoration so access was limited but it was interesting to see how they were integrating new sandstone into the temple in a way that did not look out of place.

More images available in the gallery HERE

Built in the late 12th century or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom. It doesn’t look like much from a distance, but once you get an inside you’re treated to an endless variety of angles and compositions of heads. The Bayon’s most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.  We got to Bayon just after lunchtime so missed the majority of the tourists, the slight downside though was that the sun seemed to wash away all of the colours from the walls leaving a very dull grey colour.

More images are available in the gallery HERE

Like the nearby Ta Prohm, Preah Khan has been left largely unrestored, with numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins.  It is a small temple-within-the temple that looks more like a ruin from ancient Greece. Numerous corners, nooks and crannies give lots of opportunities for exploring.

More images are available in the gallery HERE