Backpacker Rat Race

This entry was written 2 days after arriving on Ko Phayam. We stayed 2 more days and are now in Bangkok; further updated post to follow later

 

Cyclist turned backpacker officially having jettisoned my bike in friendly territory (Refill Now, locked to a post still encased in plastic).
If I don’t write down my thoughts, ideas, discoveries, insanities right away, there’s increasing effort to pen these entries ("pen" of course used in the most proverbial of senses). So, I now write in the time honored tradition of scatter brained thinkers, the bullet pointed list:

• Thewet , quiet GH neighborhood by National Library
• Khao San, finally, not as crazy as hyped, fun vibe though
• Airport encounters, solo becomes partnered
• Tuk-tuk
• Candy indulgence, sweet piece of home, happy birthday to me, thanks Mom, Dad, Rachel
• Rain is still no stranger, cabbies have a special relationship with it
• Bus route map, braver to try, somehow a free ride
• Realizations, solo easy life, partnered rewarding but challenging, lack of plans
• Bangkok little explored before its already created two more victims of overexposure
• Hualamphong, plan: escape, where: decided on ticket availability, night train to Chumphon
• Burning through cash at surprising rate, transport adds up
• Time to kill, oh yaaaa! JatuJak (Chatuchak) Weekend Market! Convenient subway ride away
• Shopping madness, lived up to hype. More locals than tourists and more cool schwag than crap, amazing art, cute yet depressing animal section
• Night train far better than buses, very enjoyable, 4am arrival
• 4:30am custom tailored tour of sleeping Chumphon by friendly neighborhood drunkard, singing "Swallows to Capistrano" at no extra charge, led to bus station
• Bus to Ranong, off one transport, easily on to another, seamless
• Ranong, again, familiarity to a still unfamiliar continent sheds an odd feeling
• Band of backpackers, scooped up another off the bus, looked in need (of conversation or otherwise), visa stamp for her, Ko Phayam for us
• Songthaew, market, roundabout route, pier
• Slow boat to…Ko Phayam, pleasant, calm, Burmese and travelers aboard, largely German
• Moto taxi, only transport on the island, bit crazy
• Ao Yai, what a peaceful spot, bungalows dot the shore, only a handful of people around
• No luck with bungalows, first abysmal, second noisy rasta bar neighbors, decided against a third (despite its lucky reputation)
• Swimming more fun than usual, actual waves you can body surf
• Discovered a favorite restaurant with the sweetest people

Whirlwind description of several days adventure I know but the typical verbose elaboration just doesn’t seem my style at the moment. Something I do want to try though is individual review of the restaurants and guesthouses I’m staying at. Given this here world wide intarweb, dissemination of useful travel information is amazingly easy and infinitesimally useful to other travelers (I would know for I am amongst the sect). Besides that more altruistic approach I will concede there are a few that I would simply like to bash upon for their inept offerings

 

Taewez Guesthouse – Thewet, Bangkok
Situated as the last guesthouse in the row on Thanon Si Ayuthaya, it offers an inviting small (or "cozy" if you prefer) dining area with Western and Thai food generally overpriced but not anymore so than typical. Check out the four books in the magazine rack for very personal accounts of travelers to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand: you’ll find brochures, business cards and hand written notes to future travelers giving tips, recommendations and cautions; quite useful. The double bed AC room, shared bath, for 400B I was booked in was spacious with a tile floor but lacked any life and had the unfortunate positioning on the main walkway (noise) with its one window pointed into the common area (privacy, made worse by sheer low coverage drapes). Very nice staff though.

Tavee Guesthouse – Thewet, Bangkok
First GH in the row on Si Ayuthaya, it features a nicely vegetated exterior and comfortable inside dining area. Different tours and airport taxi are advertised on the wall but were overpriced (head to Khao San). Tavee has the best decor on the block, the rooms are beautiful decked out in wood with a recessed ceiling housing a fan. 400B, shared bath with a double bed; no AC but for the atmosphere I think a better deal. Staff is also nice here and will hold your bags in the back room at no charge. Take one of their business cards with a map, you’ll find it useful for taxis who aren’t familiar with the quiet neighborhood of Thewet. (Pronounced Tae-wet)

Bamboo Bungalows – Ao Yai, Ko Phayam, Ranong
Thoughtfully landscaped bungalows amongst the trees (and their accompanying locusts), Bamboo has offerings from 300B to 1200B. Being the dirty budget backpacker, I settled on the 300B bamboo primitive shack with private squat toilet bath, fixed shower head, no mats, no electric light during the night and an awkwardly hung cut down the middle cloth poorly masquerading as a privacy door. The room, only slightly bigger than the double bed within it, has a numerously holed mosquito net, no natural light whatsoever (and given no power during the day, a problem) and a door that has a slide lock but unfortunately no longer slides to its holes after years of weathering the door has suffered causing it to fall off kilter. Our hut was positioned along the motorcycle track so occasional motor noise was heard. The 500B hut is the same but with a tiled bathroom around a squat toilet. The 1200B room though is gorgeous and highly recommended if you don’t mind plonking down that kind of change. Bamboo does offer some perks to its guests though: free kayak rentals are a serious perk, free wi-fi should be appealing to those who tote a laptop along with them (although I’d suspect that the satellite internet on the island is non too speedy), body boards, surfboards and snorkeling masks and fins are available for a charge as well as currency exchange, boat tickets, convenience store type items and a handy 7B water bottle refill service. The restaurants food is presented very well but unfortunately is lackluster in taste. The Thai food somehow lost all its Thai flavor. Overpriced on top of that. Definitely head next door to Phayam Resort for food, you won’t regret it. Staff is very kind and helpful at Bamboo although a bit resentful after we decided to leave for greener pastures.

Phayam Coconut Bungalows- Ao Yai, Ko Phayam, Ranong
Set close to the beach, Coconut offers bungalows with the quality of Bamboo’s best offering but at half the price (600B). Only drawback, water, or rather, the lack of it at running faucets. Every operation on the island pumps well water but Bamboos pump has likely seen too many seasons and you’ll find during your stay very touch and go water service. After the fifth time of getting the owners to pump more water because we had nothing, not at a drip, we were fed up enough to leave. Water aside, the main sitting area seemed completely lifeless except for the pleasant woman who runs the show. 450B room offered looked comfortable but after our last experience at Bamboo, we were content spending the 600B for the upgrade. Large balcony with two comfortable chairs, even a well thought out sprayer nozzle for washing your feet of sand before entering your abode (everyone hates sand in the house); no hammock though, always a gripe of mine. The room itself is nicely tiled with a private bath with sink, mirror, removable shower head and Western toilet. Room comes with a fan but of course only usable while there’s power (cut at around 10:30). Huge windows at both sides of the bungalow let a nice ocean breeze through and provide heaps of ambient natural light. Room has a mozzie net but unneeded if the windows are closed (all openings are well screened off). This place would be a winner if it weren’t for their water problems and unfortunately also their rasta problems: the rasta bar next door often plays music into all hours of the night. Don’t they get tired of the same songs?!

Phayam Resort (and JJ Restaurant) – Ao Yai, Ko Phayam, Ranong
THE best on Ao Yai. Sure, sure, an easily contested statement but you just can’t go wrong here. The sweetest people I’ve met in all my travels in Thailand: they are always so happy to help out in anyway be it filling up your water bottles with drinking water (for free) or checking on your room in a heavy rain to make sure everything is dry. They were also very happy to practice Thai with me in exchange for a few English words to add to the repertoire. The restaurant is setup right on the sand with prime ocean view and from 12-3 everyday they offer "happy hour" lunch: 50B Thai staple dishes like rad-nha, pad thai or som tam and for an island, that’s a damn good deal. Price aside, their Thai food is actually Thai and entirely delicious. For Westerners wanting their familiar tastes they offer up the usual fare including breakfast foods (although their take on omelets and pancakes has just enough Thai flair to stay interesting). The accommodations are a row of six sturdy wood deck platforms with very large spacious tents with vestibules extended. Main tent area has a full mattress, night table and lamp with just enough space left for storing luggage for two. In the vestibule, two axe pillows and a bamboo chair; a hammock on or near the deck as well. Private bathroom is concrete construction and surprisingly well built and spacious with separate areas for sink, toilet and shower. The staff clean everything with a zealous passion everyday. This place is awesome, especially the staff. Completely amazing, do yourself the favor and stay here

27.Mar.09 South East Asia 2009