A travel gem in the Andaman Sea - Koh Mook

If you have to define a paradise I don't think there is just one right answer. For me it's a small place with fine white sand on a beautiful beach, palm trees and sunshine and it's somewhere secluded and not too touristy. When our ferry took us to Koh Mook I instantly felt like I could stay there for a longer time even before we got to our bungalow and that this place fits my definition of a paradise perfectly. There were small restaurants and travel agencies next to the pier but you could instantly tell that tourism hasn't affected the infrastructure too much yet.

Arriving to the tropical paradise

Quiet streets of Koh Mook

Everything is basically within walking distance in Koh Mook. When you arrive to the pier there is a taxi service (motorbikes with carts) which costs 50thb per person and takes you anywhere on the island. We opted to walk and see the area as we go. Thailand is called the land of smiles and in Koh Mook it really holds true. Local people were always smiling and greeting regardless if you ate at the restaurant next to theirs and they were being nice and helpful without trying to sell anything or benefit some other way. When we were in Phuket and Phi Phi it could get annoying when there's constantly someone trying to sell you something, probably even talking your own language a bit ("Terve, mitä kuuluu?!"). There those famous smiles feel sometimes forced.

On the first day we went to look around after checking in to Village Garden Bungalows. We bumped into a nice bar on the beach (De Tara Beach Resort's bar) and had the place entirely to ourselves if you don't count the little snake that we saw a moment earlier. After some refreshments we made our way to Farang Beach on the other side of the island to have some late lunch. On the way we saw an adorable (and the only?) village and the nature was beautiful as well. Enjoying a good and cheap meal while the sun was getting down and the waves were hitting the beach gently was just perfect and one of those moments you look back to many times in the future. It can't get much better than this but our dinner in Yummy Restaurant later on made it a bit better still. A seafood hotplate served in a flavorful coconutty sauce was a wonderful way to end our first day in Mook.

De Tara's bar

Views from the road to Farang Beach 

Beautiful nature of Koh Mook

Farang Beach sunset

On the second day we did a snorkeling trip around the island including a visit to the Emerald Cave. Basically there's only a small opening and you swim through it and after a little less than 100 meters in the darkness the daylight starts to show and you arrive on this small beach. Our guide had a small flashlight with him but the cave is still really dark. Steep rock walls surround the beach and the story goes that pirates hid their treasures there a long time ago... The cave was definitely worth a visit and we saw lots of different fish while snorkeling so I really recommend doing the trip. We stopped in various locations and the guide was snorkeling with us and showing us best places to spot fish. The whole trip took us 3 hours and it was 1200thb for the boat regardless of how many people attended.

Next day we found a great place to eat breakfast (Sugar's Coffee & Restaurant) right next to a quiet beach with some beautiful scenery. We could have just sat there for hours. Later we headed to De Tara's bar for drinks and from there we took a walk on the beach around the sharp peninsula. There's an expensive resort there but the beach is free to wander around. Other than that we were just chilling the rest of the day, just as you should once in paradise :)

Getting to Koh Mook 

You can get to Koh Mook and the neighboring islands Koh Ngai and Koh Kradan either from Koh Lanta or from the mainland through Trang. Many travel agencies sell the ferry or speedboat tickets and they should also include the transport from the hotel to the pier. Our tickets from Koh Lanta cost us 600tbh per person and we bought them straight from our own hotel's travel agent.

Also remember to bring cash, there are no ATMs on the island. Some places change money though. 

The entrance to the Emerald Cave 

On the other side of the cave

Plenty of life under the surface 

A starfish

Breakfast at Sugar's Coffee 

Bumpy ride to Koh Lipe with Sunburn Express 

You can get from Koh Mook to Koh Lipe either by a speedboat or with a ferry. The high season in Thailand is just getting started so right now there's only the speedboat option. So we got the tickets for it (1300tbh per person) the previous day and woke up early so we had time to go to Sugar's Coffee again. We had a pick up at 10 am and the motorbike taxi took us to the pier. The speedboat was supposed to leave at 11.00. We waited. And waited. And then... we waited some more. This is quite common in Southeast Asia and you should try to just stay calm, because the conception of time is, umm, somewhat different here than in many western countries. Luckily our speedboat was only one hour behind the schedule and at noon we left Koh Mook behind us. I would definitely like to get back there and visit Koh Ngai and Koh Kradan also  someday. There were seats inside but we stayed in the front enjoying the sun. Our plan was to stay there for half an hour or so and after that get in the shade. But as the boat flew through the waves and the wind cooled us down we kind of forgot our plan.. And got, unsurprisingly, little sunburned. The ride was bumpy and fun though. 

We stayed in Koh Lipe for two nights but there's not much to tell about it. There should be some nice snorkeling and diving opportunities but we didn't take any trips there. Other than that it felt similar to Koh Phi Phi, tourists filling the walking street and restaurants selling western dishes and playing western music (if you do stay here try pizza or burgers at Elephant). All in all an ok place to visit but I would not want to stay there longer.

- Matias 

Waiting for the speedboat 

Our route so far

Phi Phi Islands and Koh Lanta - Kayaks and frisbees

On Monday the 13th it was time to set sails and head to the Phi Phi Islands. Our ride picked us up early in the morning and took us to the pier in Phuket town to wait for the ferry. Last time we were in Thailand we mostly traveled on the decks out with the sun but this time it felt nicer to chill inside and watch a movie. The boat ride took approximately 2 hours. Fortunately the movie ended before we got to Phi Phi so we went outside and had our first proper view of the archipelago of the Andaman sea. Wow!

Phi Phi Don closing in

After hitting the shore we paid the island fee (20tbh) and started to navigate towards our hotel.
I have been on a small island before (Koh Tao.. what a paradise 😍), but still the place amazed me.
I mean the narrow streets filled with shops and how there were no tuk tuks or taxis or anything like that (Ok the police had a scooter but other than that..). It was like a walking street all the way. Cool!

We left our stuff at the hotel and headed to the beach. As we got closer to it the more in awe I was. It's so beautiful! I mean Bangkok and Phuket are cool, but this is what I consider a piece of paradise and sights like this is what I seek.

Loh Dalum beach

Later on that day we rented a kayak from the beach. Matias googled that the price should be 200tbh per hour (two person), but the salesman said 300tbh/1h and 500tbh/2h. We did some bargaining and got the kayak for 400tbh/2h.

I got the front seat and off we went! I have kayaked only once before in the canals of Leiden (The Netherlands) so I was a little scared when we got closer to the open, more unsteady waters. There might have been a scream or two.. 🙈😁 The sun was getting low so first we headed to the Monkey Beach where we once again saw monkeys. This time I stayed far away because no monkey shall ever try to steal from me again! :D Matias on the other hand felt right at ease with his hairier mates ;) after awhile we kayaked a bit more to see the sunset. Ai ai ai.. I highly recommend kayaking, it's good exercise and you see and experience a lot. Big thumbs up!

Paddling

In the evening we were walking around and doing some cat spotting (there are so many cute cats on the island!) as we found out there was a fireshow in a bar called Carlito's. Off we went and it was not a disappointing experience! Guys were dancing to the music and spinning their fireball sticks with mad skills. It seems to be a quite popular umm sports (?) here in Thailand. I am beginning to wonder if they teach that also in schools and how could I learn the skills also. I mean a fireshow in Turku, on Christmas 2018, held by me. Could be a thing right? :) (don't hold me accountable for this, written under the influence of Sang Som) 

Carlito's fire show

We ended up staying two nights in Phi Phi, but the second day was just for laundry, chilling, reading and eating :)

On Wednesday we headed our ways to Koh Lanta. The trip took about one hour from Phi Phi.
We planned to carry on with our trip the next day so we stayed close to the pier in Saladan.
As we walked to our hotel, Matias noticed that the tide was low and there was a lot of open area just for us.. and what was the idea he got into his head? Well of course to practise some Frisbeegolf (disc golf)! :D this guy! Matias has taken few frisbees with him because you never know when moments and opportunities like this arise 😅
We watched the crabs on the beach for a bit and then started to throw the damn frisbees :D it was awesome! Barefoot, on the sand, the sun was shining and the temperature was reaching +30 degrees. And also it was wonderful to notice that my forehand has gotten some power (I mean, do not get me wrong.. not like Paul McBeth but! I may start to use my forehand next summer on the courses too 😋)

Practice time!

Doing some maintenance

Later on that evening we went out to eat and Matias had locked eyes with some mantis shrimps. They looked creepy but he wanted to try one of them (they actually do freak me out a little bit :D editor's note from Matias) . It cost 1000tbh/kg and Matias picked his dinner (one mantis shrimp) from the aquarium and sat down to wait. Later the thingy arrived with some deep-fried garlic. The shrimp looked weird but it actually tasted really nice. Matias said it was the softest shellfish meat he had ever gotten :) I also tried it and it was yummy. So thumbs up for the mantis shrimp then! :)

- Sini

Freaky things

A yummy thing 

Our route so far

Scootering around Phuket

One week ago we decided to leave Bangkok finally behind and continue our journey to Phuket. We searched for the flights one day before flying (I use Skyscanner almost always) and got the tickets with Thai Airways for a reasonably good price. We also booked a hotel near the Phuket airport because the most popular beaches are still a long way from there and our flight landed after 9 pm.

In the hotel we searched for what would be the best place to stay in Phuket and decided to go with Kata Beach first. Patong is the most touristy one with all kinds of attractions (particularly for single men...), Karon is a bit smaller and Kata's the most quiet one. When we got to Kata next day we stayed at Little Mermaid Guesthouse & Restaurant. It was budget friendly but we had to change rooms because of a bad smell in the bathroom and some little bugs all around the room. Also it was located a little further away from the beach. No thumbs up.

Kata Beach in Phuket 

When it rains, it pours

Our next hotel, Pro Andaman Place, was in Karon and it was a way better place to stay. It had an excellent location near the beach and some good restaurants (nice live music at Two Chefs, good Thai dishes in Schlusslicht and Ying to name a few), and the two always smiling aunties who run the place made us feel very welcome. Only downside was the noise coming from the street outside but other than that it was a bargain being a thousand baht per night. There was also a temple within walking distance, Wat Suwan Khiri Khet, that we paid a visit on the second day in Karon. Later that night they held also a night market there in the temple grounds. You can find some good deals there, we bought some clothes and a couple of sunglasses 100 baht per piece.

Wat Suwan Khiri Khet

The best way to see around in Phuket and many other places is definitely renting a scooter. It's cheap, it's fun, and you easily bump into places you would never otherwise see. 24 hours rental cost us 200 baht (~5€) plus gasoline. Considering that the local Tuk Tuk drivers charge 300 baht just to go from Karon to Patong, it's a no-brainer. We drove to Patong Beach and had some lunch in Nicky's Handlebar (good memories there, cheers Darab if you're reading this!) and then continued towards north until we noticed some food stalls and people gathered around so we pulled over. The sun was getting low and it turned out to be a wonderful place to check out the sunset. Around Patong Beach the traffic can get somewhat crazy so remember to stay alert at all times if you decide to drive there.

Cheesy deliciousness at Nicky's

Kalim Beach sunset

We had rented the scooter around 4pm, so we still had plenty of time to use it on the next day. After a late breakfast we turned on the ignition, fired up the engine and rode our 125cc beast to Phuket's Big Buddha, which was about 16 km away from our hotel. The views were nice, the buddha statue was big standing 45 meters high, and the monkeys near one of the viewpoints were trying to steal everything they could including our water. We won that battle, at least this time.

The Big Buddha

A monkey and the view

A cup of joe on our way back

Our route so far

Bangkok (not so) dangerous

I guess it's my time to take the wheel now!

So this is my second time in Asia and for me too it felt good to be back in Bangkok :) It's a vibrant city with lots to do and see. Also it's more western, comfy but exotic :) A good way to start this big trip. Also I didn't see any cockroaches 👍

On Saturday we went to see Thor Ragnarok in an IMAX teather in the Toyota Quartier. It was a cool experience! First we made sure that movie "with soundtrack" meant that it's in English with thai subtitles so we could understand it.. the movie was ok, but the quality of the sound and image was astonishing! Really good experience so we didn't mind to pay 9€ per ticket!

On Sunday the fifth was a big day, the birthday of Matias! :)
I had already asked him months ago what he'd like to do on this day and the answer was then 'floating market'.. so what else is there to do than just go for it,  right :)
We hopped on a BTS and went to the Bang Wa station. From there we took a taxi to the market (Khlong Lat Mayom). It cost only 100tbh and it took around 15min to get there. It was packed with locals and few Western people. We strolled around and looked at all the wonderful things there was to eat there (I wasn't ready to eat anything.. I mean I didn't see any fridgerators anywhere...how could it be safe😅). Matias saw this one snakehead fish stall and we both remembered seeing this in an YouTube video by our favourite Mark Wiens. Matias was excited about the fish so of course I had to get his bday fish for him :) So we sat down and ate it :D "the fish and the sauce was a very good combination and a cool local experience" said Matias. I myself wouldn't say it was a feast but I am happy I tried it and experienced it too :)

Snakehead fish

After coming from the market we ended up at Nana station. Last time we were in Bkk Matias had a 200tbh haircut there and he was looking so scrubby already on day 5 so we went to find the familiar cheap salon :) Matias had his clean cool shave costing  200tbh and I figured that I need to ask how much would it be for my hair.. and it was only 300tbh! What the Hell i thought! Let's do this! So i sat down and now I have a quite short hair but luckily i don't think i need a haircut before the Philippines ;)

300tbh haircut 

In the evening we were in the area of On Nut and Matias had googled a beefy buffet nearby (Best Beef). So we went there and what an experience it was! It was 269tbh only with the meat but 439tbh including beer (separately 100tbh/bottle) and soft drinks.. "hmm we do have a flight tomorrow and had couple of Sang Som rum drinks already.. but if we have three beers in total.. we are winning!".. two Finns there so what do you expect?! Of course we had the whole package! It's celebration day so let's get the bacon and beer coming! :) We had so many sort of meat and got to cook it ourselves in our own hotpot. We stayed the whole two hours there and enjoyed  our stay until the place was closed. I cannot express how cool the best beef was but I definitely would like to experience it again! Maybe we have to start our own business in Turku or somewhere else :) Ai ai ai and nomnomnom!

The menu

Best beef! 

I have to say I feel lucky to be on this trip and also that I have had the opportunity to chat with my granny and my family few times already with WhatsApp.. thank God for the internet! :)

I am btw writing this from Karon beach, Phuket, but maybe i'll save something for the next time :)

- Sini




Our route so far

Bangkok vibes, peanuts and vaccinations

Our flight took only 9 hours but we were pretty tired for the first day. Not too much sleep in the plane. If you have only one-way ticket you might run into problems although it's not likely. I've been asked for onward ticket only one time when I was flying from Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur. That time the check-in agent had to make some calls but it was not a big issue and I could board the plane. This time we used an online service called bestonwardticket.com. I was a little hesitant about it because they don't have many reviews yet being a rather new site but it worked like a charm. They actually book you a real ticket which you can present if someone asks for it. Then they cancel the ticket 48 hours after purchasing.

Apart from being quite tired it felt good to be in Bangkok again, it felt a little like coming home after a long time. After taking the train from BKK airport to Sukhumvit we found our hotel pretty quickly. Staying close to Terminal 21 shopping mall we decided to make it our first stop. There's an excellent food court there where you have many tasty food options for less than 1€.

Made it! 

Loving street food and being allergic to peanuts is not always the best combination in Thailand. If you are in the same situation I recommend printing an allergy card translated in Thai. And actually using it if you're unsure about the dish which I didn't do so of course I got something peanutty :p I got away with an itch and somewhat swollen tongue but next time I might take my own advice.

Yesterday we took it easy because we still had some sleep debt. A little bit of walking in Lumpini park, strolling around in MBK mall and trying out some street snacks. Later at night we had some dinner at Cabbages and Condoms (that is really the name of the place, interesting concept and good food) It was also our anniversary few days ago so no better way to celebrate it than ordering some delicious pork neck!

Lumpini Park lizard

Suspicious pork balls put to the test 

Condom fashion

Today we headed to Hospital for Tropical Diseases after breakfast. There's a travel clinic (www.thaitravelclinic.com) where you can have all the vaccinations you need at a low cost. I booked an appointment there yesterday for my Japanese encephalitis vaccination. It cost me under 700 baht (less than 20€) whereas in Finland the cost would have been around 300€. So big savings here, I recommend!

Visiting Travel Clinic 

Our route so far