Phang Nga, Ranong, Ko Chang

PHANG NGA

After wandering endlessly through thewalkways of Ko Panyi, we were excited to do some forest
hiking.


Phang Nga is surrounded by forest parks, caves, and temples. We found ourselves off the beaten path, often having to flag down passing trucks to ask directions or hitch rides to remote hiking trails.

Our walks took us through rubber plantations, vaulted caves, a dragons throat, and lush green jungle. We even took a trip to the Buddhist hell realms.
















HITCHHIKING
"To stand on a road and try to flag every vehicle that passes by is, to the Thais, something only an uneducated village dweller would do." -Lonely Planet

It had been in the back of our minds for a long time. We just needed a little encouragement, and after hitching several wonderful rides from the always friendly Thais while trying to get to remote areas around Phand Nga, Tino and I decided we had to give it a go.

We set our sights on Ranong, almost 300 km to the north, and set out in the morning with our packs and newly purchased tent. Once we got over the embarrassment of being laughed at my the confused Thais, we really enjoyed the experience, which included rides in a huge SUV, the back of a closed in box truck, and in the back seat of a car piloted by two giggling old men who didn't stop talking to each other and laughing the entire two hours we spent with them. We were hooked... there was no better way to travel.
















Ranong: cheap food, a funky little place called the TV Bar, where you don't watch TV, you sit on them, and the loudest guesthouse ever
















Ko Chang for Christmas

We spent a few nights in Ranong, and then took a boat to a nearby island: Ko Chang

It was a quiet get-away, perfect for arelaxed Christmas. Highlights included good food, a nice bungalow, and volleyball every night with an odd assortment of Thais, ex-pats and travelers.























































Written on Ko Chang:
"The lights flicker, orange and gold and fragile as spider webs. At night they sputter before they die, plunging us into darkness and then fishing us out again, over and over. Until finally, the bungalows go black, and I crawl across the floor for my headlamp. I like how sparingly they use the generator. I don't miss its guttural rumbling in the night. Instead I am lulled to sleep by waves singing against the sand, and wind whispering in the trees.

We have a western toilet for Christmas... the first I've seen in a long while, but looking at it from the doorway I think, 'I haven't even missed you.' The freedom of not wanting, not needing, that familiar throne... these are the things you let go of when you leave home."