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Our first impression of Thailand was how green it is. We loved all of the beautiful tropical plants growing wild - ones we struggle to keep alive inside. We also saw tons of geckos and frogs everywhere we went in the evening. The kids got pretty good at spotting and catching them. It rained at some point everyday for the first part of our trip. That didn't matter to us since it has been several months since we have seen rain and it didn't last for long. Most people we encountered spoke pretty good English. We had the card from our hotel in English and Thai just in case, but we didn't run into any difficulties. Traffic was very polite, but there didn't seem to be any rules of the road. Because they drive on the other side of the road, crossing the street was very hard to get used to - we were always looking the wrong way. All through out Thailand there are tons of scooters. We found that most things were considerably cheaper in Thailand than either Canada or Dubai and the price for most everything was negotiable. Sometimes we didn't even bother to haggle because it seemed so cheap at the first asking price. Rick got a couple good quality tee shirts for about $5 each. Finding food that the kids would eat was pretty easy. There were lots of western restaurants (including McDonalds) and most of the other restaurants had fries and chicken for the kids. Again, the food was very cheap. Happily, there seemed to be a 7-Eleven on every street corner and we managed to get our fix of slurpees. Each block has several tour shops, massage parlours and tailors. They apparently will make you a suit, shirt.... in 24 hours and for very cheap too. We considered getting something made but in the end did not. Because we traveled in their low season and because tourism is reportedly down hotels were very cheap. We paid less than $75 a night and stayed in some amazing places (some weren't so great too). We booked ahead through a travel agent and probably could have gotten even better prices while we were there. None of the tours were crowded and the prices for those were also dropped.
We started out in Bangkok for 3 days. We took a couple tours (city and boat), hired a "tuk tuk" to show us around, walked around and took the sky train so we got to see quite a bit of the city.
We took the 13 hour night train to Chiang Mai. We had been advised to go first class and were glad that we spent the few dollars for the adjoining private berths. Chiang Mai is in the northern part of Thailand and is inland. We spent about 8 days here and this was a highlight for all of us.
One day we became "elephant trainers". We started by feeding the elephants to make friends. They taught us the commands and we practiced moving the elephants around. After lunch, we went on a couple hour trek through the jungle riding bareback. We went in pairs so I rode with Zoe and Rick rode with Chase. Because of Chase's size, a "mahout" rode with them. We let the kids do the commanding so they got the more comfortable spot on the front of the elephant. Zoe did a really good job with remembering the commands and getting the elephant to listen to her. There were mahouts (elephant trainers)walking along beside to help out when the elephants were stubborn. After the ride, we took the elephants to a pond and gave them a bath.
On another day, we went ziplining through the jungle canopy. We harnessed up and hung from a cable from tree to tree. The first time was pretty nerve wracking, but after that it was tons of fun. Chase was the barely big enough, but he managed to go alone most of the time. Crossing the bridge was the only time that he was scared. Of course, Zoe was fearless.
We also toured around temples, visited the markets, went on a boat tour and a carriage ride through the ancient city. We made good use of the salons and had very frequent treatments including various types of massages and pedicures. It cost between $6 and $12 for a one hour massage!
We spent our last evening at the Night Safari where we saw animals that we have never seen before and some that we had never heard of. Part of the safari is a walk through a zoo like area with a private guide. Then we went on 2 separate trams where we got up close with the animals. A zebra stood right beside the tram. Chase could have reached over and pet it. A buffalo was not impressed when a gentleman smacked him on the backside and he turned and looked as though he was going to charge. The evening ended with a fantastic laser and water show.
We flew to the island of Koh Samui next and spent about a week here. The weather was cloudy, so we only got one day at the beach. We rented scooters and drove around the island seeing the sights. If I thought crossing the street was difficult, maneuvering a scooter required even more concentration - especially right turns. The island is pretty small and the one major road goes all the way around the coast. I think we made it all the way around on our various travels. One of the most amazing places there is the airport. It is pretty much all outdoors with beautifully landscaped walkways and sitting areas, even a playground.
Our next stop was Patong Beach on the island of Phuket where we spent about another week. We didn't any exploring or sightseeing here. We spent pretty much everyday at the beach. We rented chairs from the same guy everyday and he took good care of us. He even let the kids leave the beach toys with him overnight. The water was rough and jumping in the waves was a lot of fun. The peddlers were rather insistent and got a bit annoying. The kids got into the act and made jewelry from shells, coral and palm fronds. The wandered back and forth along the beach and set up a tree shop in front of our chairs - but they were only allowed to try and sell to the vendors. Walking the streets was also an adventure where we were constantly hounded to take a tuk tuk, get a massage, or buy something. It felt so rude to ignore them, but that was the best way to handle it.
Our last stop was Phi Phi Island. It is a tiny island accessible only by boat. The roads are really only paths and there are very few motorized vehicles - and those are only scooters. It was easy to walk around the island although a lot of the locals used bicycles. Phi Phi was refreshing because the vendors don't approach you to enter their shops like they do in Phuket. We spent a lot of time at our resort pool. One day we went out on a boat excursion where we tried snorkeling for the first time. That was absolutely amazing! Zoe complained of an earache, so we took her to the hospital on the island. She was diagnosed with an ear infection and given antibiotics, 2 types of pain medications and another antihistamine. The visit to the hospital and all the medication cost about $45. Rick ate some bad fish and ended up being sick for a couple days too. Both recovered nicely in time for our journey home.Both of the hotels we stayed in in Phuket and Phi Phi were hit very hard by the tsunami in 2004. We heard stories and saw videos of the water being up to the second floor in both hotels. It was sombering to think about the devastation that the islands experienced. For the most part, things are rebuilt and the memorials are the only reminders of the tragedy.
