Mr.Mac’s Hotel Blog : The Pattaya Blog

So you’re interested in a homestay experience with a rural hilltribe community in northern Thailand? Sounds Great! Just remember, don’t be expecting luxury or hotel type accommodations. Be prepared for rather basic accommodations without too much amenities. Most likely your shower will be very rudimentary and consist of a bucket of cool water that you empty on yourself, and your toilet will be the traditional Thai squat toilet, which is low to the ground and does not flush by itself; you’ll have to pour a bucket or two of water to induce the toilet to flush. Don’t worry; if you have chosen the right homestay, you’ll get a very rustic but clean room with a functional bed. Don’t be anticipating gourmet restaurant style food, however meals should be very tasty and healthfully prepared. The ladies in the village who prepare your meals will most likely be very experienced cooks and well versed in their own culinary traditions. If you’re a vegetarian, they should be able to accommodate you.

Just a tip - if you’re staying with a hilltribe community - i.e. Akha, Hmong, Lisu, Lahu, Karen or Mien, it wouldn’t hurt to do some research in advance on their culture and history.

While I have no personal experience with homestays in Thailand per se, I had the opportunity to do a site inspection of a relatively new homestay in the mountains, about an hour drive from Chiang Mai, the tourist hub of Northern Thailand . Rooms were simple and small as expected but very clean and had a small outdoor verandah with chairs in addition to a small area inside the room to lay your personal belongings.

The villagers grow both tea and coffee in the immediate vicinity and many people in the community were engaged in farming and other agricultural pursuits. While perusing the merchandise in their community’s gift shop, I bought a special neck collar-pillow stuffed with aromatic green tea. For some strange reason, I thought that US Customs might tear it apart looking for marijuana but they didn’t even bat an eye.

Bus Goldberg is a seasoned world traveler and the director of Calypso Island Tours, a travel company that specializes in botanical adventures and nature tours to such diverse destinations as Costa Rica, Thailand and the Caribbean. He also maintains his own travel blog, Calypso Island Chronicles

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Probably the most common question any foreigner living in Thailand will hear from people planning to visit the Kingdom is “When is the best time to come to Thailand“…not an easy question to answer without knowing “why” a person wants to come to Thailand.

There are basically three seasons in Thailand (though of late the cold season seems to have gone missing), the seasons are, The Hot, The Wet and The Cold. Cold being a rather subjective description though, the shots of emergency blankets being handed out in the northern provinces when it drops to a chilly 10 degrees…that’s 10 degrees Celsius. So what does each season offer.

The Hot
March to June : The hottest month is April when even the geckos stay inside and most expats look outside at lunch time and decide to not eat rather than melt on the walk to a food stall. The Hot season is beach season, if that’s your thing then this is the time to come to Thailand, guaranteed sun sun sun all day long day after day. For Trekkers you might find this to be a tad hot to go trudging up hills unless mounted on an elephant, sun stroke and dehydration are high up on the list of things to beware of. Bangkok turns into a molten vat of pollution as the winds die and the smog just hangs around choking up the oxygen. Hotels are at their most expensive during the hot season and weekends will see many of the mid range ones fully booked.

The Wet
July to November : The change over from hot to wet is the worst time to be in Thailand regardless of what you’re into. It’s Hot, it’s wet and the humidity is ruthless. You’ll be desperate to take three showers a day at a minimum…living in a shower for a month might not be a bad plan. If you can imagine living in a sauna for a month then you get the right picture of Thailand at the start of the wet season…unless you’re in Bangkok, then get in a sauna and pipe your car exhaust into the sauna to get the right idea…hmmm yummy. Then thankfully the skies really open up, the wind blows and things freshen up . Rain is pretty much a guaranteed feature on a daily basis and usually kicks off in the afternoon, sometimes lasting all night, Floods are common along with power cuts. So why come to Thailand now…the cost…. hotels are empty, tourists are away, it’s a great time to see Thailand with fewer tourists than usual and get the best prices as even the Thai people stay home at the weekends.

The Cold
December to February : Thailand freezes over, snow falls from the sky and ice-skating is the nations most popular sport…well if you watched the TV or the Thai people running around dressed in winter jackets, boots, gloves and scarves you may start to think it’s true.. in Bangkok it can drop to a bone chilling 15 degrees Celsius at night, and up north it has on occasions dropped down to 2 degrees, the south gets off much lighter and you can escape with a body warmer and a bobble hat. Thailand again is swarming with tourists who have come to take advantage of the cool weather to do see Thailand without burning up. This is the best time of the year to actually “see” Thailand, you’ll enjoy seeing the sights and touring the cities and trekking will be at its best. Again prices will be up and hotels fairly full.

So in a nutshell the best time to come to Thailand is the time that suits what you want to do, Trekkers and Tanners will have different needs, those looking for bargains will have different needs. Just add that there are occasional down pours even in the hottest parts of the year and even the wet season can be dry for a week or more…..but leave your skis at home…there will be no snow…..guaranteed.

Article can be used with permission of Chris Sanderson as long as the signature and in place links are left unchanged. Chris Sanderson is an Affiliate Marketing Manager based in Bangkok Thailand with AMWSO.com and the owner of Xaap.com.

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Made up of fifty-two islands, there are plenty of places to visit within the Ko Chang National Marine Park besides Ko Chang itself. Due to their protected status these islands offer some of the best and well preserved wildlife in all of Thailand. The area’s naturally mountainous landscapes and rainforests make for a dramatic skyline filled with a stunning array of majestic cliff-tops presiding over the many white beaches and permanently turquoise seas.

It has been agreed that any land that was planted before the assignment of the area’s national park status in 1982 can be bought and used for private development but this is only about 15% of the total land available. Development has also been carefully restricted and as such many of the islands are totally uninhabited. Only ten of the park’s islands offer overnight accommodation. On some this may be no more than a basic beach bungalow for about ten US dollars a night, whilst other islands are equipped with resorts providing an extremely high level of luxury and may cost up to 100 US dollars per night. At the cheaper establishments it is possible to just turn up and find a room whereas the more exclusive resorts tend to cater more to visitors who have pre-booked their accommodation with package tour-operators. This is a particularly good option for those who are looking for a secluded spot away from the crowds as most package deals will include boat transport directly to the resort’s private beach as well as day-trips to the surrounding attractions and smaller islands.

Following is a list of the best of the smaller islands that the Ko Chang National Park has to offer:

Ko Chang Noi / Laem Chang Noi

The closet of the smaller islands to the arrival port of Ao Sapparot, Ko Chang Noi is situated near the north-western tip of Ko Chang and the bay of Chang Noi (Laem Chang Noi). Although both the bay and the island are made up of rocks rather than sand, the appeal to this area is the stretch of water joining them which is home to a fabulous and pristine coral reef ideal for snorkelling and admiring the abundant marine life. For visitors who wish to stay in this area the Aiyapura Resort and Spa is a five star resort offering guests luxurious rooms with delightful views looking over the island.

Ko Yuak, Ko Man Nai, Ko Man Nok

Following the western coast of Ko Chang and heading south there is a cluster of small islands which can be seen from Ko Chang’s Khlong Prao and Kai Bae beaches (creating a spectacular view during sunsets). Due to their small size and close proximity to Ko Chang these islands make ideal day trips but do not offer their own accommodation.

Of these smaller islands Ko Yuak has a small sandy beach with shallow waters making it a good spot for snorkelling, whilst the neighbouring Ko Plee and Ko Suwan have rocky shores. Nonetheless snorkelling around this area is still a real treat as their is an abundance of marine life to be found amongst these rocks. Furthermore, close to Ko Suwan there is a small island known only as Ko Rom or ‘Umbrella Island’ (due to an enormous tree in the centre which takes the shape of an umbrella), and in the water surrounding this island there are a number of extremely bright corals that should not be missed.

Directly opposite the beach at Kai Bae lies the island Ko Man Nai. During low tide this island reveals its sandy beaches and it is so close that during this time it is also possible to reach it by wading through the waist-deep waters that join the island to the Sea View Resort area of Kai Bae beach. Boats and canoes are also available to make the short trip. Next to Ko Man Nai is its sister island Ko Man Nok which is again reachable by walking through shallow waters or taking a leisurely canoe ride.

Ko Khlum

Once used as a port by the Thai navy due to its sheltered location, Ko Khlum is also a place of historical importance as Thai ships clashed with the French navy here during France’s colonisation of Indochina. These days the area has become a popular site for divers who come here to explore the coral reefs submerged under about fifteen metres of clear water. Amongst these corals you will also find a variety of large fish which also makes the area a firm favourite amongst those who enjoy fishing.

Ko Sai Khao

From the southern tip of Ko Chang at Ao Salak Petch it is possible to reach the small island of Ko Sai Khao. The island’s many coconut trees gave it its original name of Ko Phrao, although more recently it has taken the name of Ko Sai Khao meaning ‘White Island’ after its beaches’ pristine white sand. During low tide this white sand forms a giant sand dune that is quite spectacular. A large concrete pier allows the island to be easily approached by boat and this pier also provides clear views over the whole area. There is also a paved path alongside the beach which makes for a pleasant seaside walk whilst admiring the beautifully clear blue waters. Limited accommodation is available on the island at the Ko Sai Khao Resort which offers beach bungalows to full board guests only.

Ko Laoya

Heading further south from Ko Sai Khao lies a cluster of three small islands known collectively as Ko Laoya and individually as Ko Laoya Nai, Ko Laoya Khlang and Ko Laoya Nok. These islands share a fertile green rainforest surrounded by long white beaches and remarkably clear blue waters filled with impressive coral reefs. The islands of Ko Laoya Nai and Ko Laoya Khlang are connected by a small wooden bridge and nearby the Laoya Resort offers accommodation to full board guests.

Ko Wai

Continuing south, Ko Wai has become famous for its collection of rare corals which are in excellent condition and can be easily admired by snorkellers and divers alike who come to these shallow waters to see the area’s huge two kilometre reefs. Fishing is also a popular activity here as the large rocks are home to a wide variety of large fish. The island is quite big in size but the northern beach is the most popular as this is where the best beaches and corals can be found. There is a choice of two places to stay with the Ko Wai Pakarang Resort offering luxurious rooms to full board guests and the Ko Wai Paradise Resort offering cheaper and more basic beach bungalows.

Ko Mai Dang

Just east of Ko Wai, Ko Mai Dang is a much smaller island but in its favour it offers a serene tranquillity that makes it a fantastic place to camp. Other attractions include a well-preserved coral reef, good fishing waters and sandy beaches.

Ko Ngam

A short distance off the southern tip of Ko Chang lies the small but very unique Ko Ngam. Almost two separate islands, Ko Ngam is held together by a thin sand dune which divides two beautiful natural lagoons filled with an abundance of corals and colourful marine life, making it an ideal spot for swimming, snorkelling and fishing. It is even possible to see dolphins swimming here.

There are a number of fresh water pools inland and during the rainy months a waterfall forms in the hills of Ko Ngam. Indeed after cooling off in the sea it is possible to make the one hundred metre climb up the hill on the south-western side of Ko Ngam. The walk is quite demanding but there are rope lines provided to guide the way and the view from the top is spectacular. From here visitors can see all over Ko Laoya, Ko Wai, Ko Krada, Ko Mak and Ko Chang itself, and naturally this is a stunning place to catch the sunset.

Accommodation on Ko Ngam is ideal for families with the Twin Island Resort offering large rooms to full board guests.

Ko Mai See

Just south-west of Ko Chang lie the islands known collectively as Ko Mai See. They comprise mostly of mountainous rainforest but are also home to a number of small fishing villages that gather around the sandy shores and coconut groves. Of these the beach on Ko Mai See Yai is perhaps the best, with a wide sandy beach stretching across its eastern coast.

The options in the Ko Chang National Marine Park are manifold and when on a trip to Thailand it can be a very enchanting experience to visit any of the above places in addition to the typical tourist destinations.

Richard Meyer is a fulltime travel writer for Excelloz which is an online travel website that specializes in hotel reservation in Asia and Oceania but soon worldwide. In addition to hotels, Excelloz provides free travel guides and independent hotel reviews.

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