A vacation destination like Thailand had always felt a little out of reach in the states - high on the list of places to go, but a pretty big commitment of time and resources to get there. Now that it's a half-day journey it seemed almost too good to be true.
We had the good fortune of having Abbi's friend and roommate Emma join us - not only is she a hoot, but she also speaks Thai from her time as a missionary there. Huge fun having her along
Adventure began with a flight to Krabi, a van, and finally a longtail boat to our destination on Railay beach
Although we were on the end of a peninsula, it might as well have been an island since the only access was via boat, and there were no motor vehicles. Beaches were beautiful, water was crystal clear, and the food...we eagerly tested the limit of the maximum number of fresh mango and coconut smoothies the human body can safely handle. I learned that three in one day was my upper boundary, but I'm ready to put in the work to extend that in future trips.
We hiked thru the jungle to get to this beach. It was hot. That's real sweat you're seeing there
Also. the wildlife - monitor lizards doing their thing on the way to the beach
Monkeys pretty much everywhere, including our balcony
And this incredible display of thousands of bats heading out each evening at dusk for dinner. After a little research learned that this colony is the same species of bat called flying foxes that we saw in Indonesia - i.e. they're huge - 3-4' wingspan. That's a lot of bat.
Most of our time in Railay was spent hiking, swimming, or chill on the beach time. We did book an excursion on a speedboat one day - Phi Phi island is a pretty iconic destination. Soaring limestone cliffs, turquoise waters, white sand...incredibly beautiful
And unfortunately well within ferry distance from Phuket. Result was that for our time there it was totally overrun with people looking to land their perfect instagram picture. I recognize that I sound like a bit like an a-hole complaining about having to share paradise with others, but the density of crowds was really next level. Like standing in line at disneyland to march in formation to a beach that swimming wasn't permitted due to overuse. Sucking in diesel fumes from the dozens of boats all dodging each other to try and provide their group with a glimpse of the natural beauty.
I think we've been pretty spoiled by our recent trips to islands that have been a little off the grid. Not looking for sympathy here, just a little sad at how overuse can suck the fun out of a magical place. We'll definitely do it differently when we go back. We did get in a couple of snorkel trips -saw some sharks, eels, and lots of amazing fish. Next time we'll put our newly minted diver certification to work.
The surprise hit of the vaca was Chiang Mai - friends had recommended it as a good place to see the elephants, visit the national park - seemed like a nice counterpoint to the beach to round out the trip. The place totally exceeded expectations - cool artsy shops and restaurant's, walkable galleries and bookstores, and an amazing laid-back vibe. Jo and I are already looking for the right long weekend to go back just so we can eat our way through all to places we didn't get to try.
Abbi and Emma went for a ride, Jo and I joined them at the waterfall at the end of the trail to give them a scrub (the elephants). Super memorable to be so close to them
Also - additional awesomeness in Chiang Mai - we took a day and hired a driver to take us to the Doi Inthanon national park, which included the highest point in Thailand - about 7k ft elevation...the weather was heavenly - after wallowing in 90 degrees and humidity for so long, it felt like Oregon in late September. Here's the crew at the top of Thailand monument
Also near the top were the national pagodas and some pretty spectacular flowers
And a sweet little waterfall too
Did I already mention the food in Chiang Mai? Regardless, its worth mentioning again. Just ask Jo with her chronic coconut ice cream or the fried dough with coconut pandan dip
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