Great Start

After flying during the night to Bangkok, including a 4 hour transfer in Manila, we embraced our new budget regime by traveling on a public bus from the airport to Khosan Road area, where we found a very nice as well as cheap hotel in our favorite street in Bangkok. While the first night was used to catch up some sleep, the second one surprisingly turned into a big one. Through Flora's determination to make new friends, we met a Swiss couple with two daughters that were, coincidentally, just finishing what we were about to start, a one year trip! We also met James, Puki and the kids, and of course Joao, who also arrived in Bangkok that night. All at the same table for food and drinks, people we'd just met, Qatar friends and an old and dear friend, meant great and cheap fun, Pedro and Joao going to bed at 3.30am, after avoiding the laughing gas and all that it represents in the chaotic and loud night

life of Khosan Road.
The following day we flew to Hat Yai, where we stayed one night and had lovely food at the local night market, so we could take on a 2 hour mini bus journey early on the next morning towards Pakbara where we would, then, take the speedboat to Koh Bulon Le (the Swiss couple had convinced us to change our initial plan of going to Koh Lipe under the argument that it was too busy, too party, "used to be good 10 years ago" type of place). Well... we just didn't take into consideration that it's low season... So, after being told that no speedboats were going to Koh Bulon Le due to lack of demand, we still got an expensive private long tail boat to take us there, just to bring us back again as the

island was completely shut... Nowhere open to stay... This involved 3 hours on the boat... Back in Pakbara port, we took the last speed boat to Koh Lipe. Another 2 hours...
Koh Lipe is stunning! Rough around the edges like anywhere else in Thailand, but absolutely beautiful landscape. Turquoise sea, white sand beaches, lush vegetation, cute cafes/bars, delicious food and a couple of Reggae Bars. The island size is also perfect, making it very comfortable and easy to stroll around, passing by a vast multitude of accommodation offers (hotels, home stays, hostels catching all kinds of budgets and preferences) from and to Sunrise Beach, Sunset Beach and Pataya Beach through the cute "Walking Street". We stayed in Sunrise Beach the first four nights, in a simple but lovely bamboo bungalow. We watched the daily speed boats taking and bringing mostly Chinese tourists, canoed to the tiny island just in front of us for private snorkeling and Cat scuba dived

with Marai (very sweet Dutch girl that was living on the island and managing our accommodation). We then moved to the super quiet Sunset Beach where, due to the low season, we could afford to be in a more "up market" place and pay even less. The beach was absolutely beautiful and literally just for us, as only by sunset a few tourist arrived to enjoy the view that gives the name to the beach. Truly sensational... Great start!