After two days on the lake in our comfy raft houses it was time to say goodbye and get back to the mainland.
Tag Archives: Thailand
A Day around Chiaw Lan Lake
The second day on the Rafthouses included a number of activities.
Already before breakfast we left for a morning boat tour to see and hear nature waking up. Later in the morning we boarded the boats again to get to the starting point for a jungle hike. After a short hike we arrived in a small village, where we changed to a bamboo raft to cross a little part of the lake to get to and later into a cave.
The afternoon then was spent at leisure – so simply relaxing – or for the more active by swimming, kayaking or reading.
Heading for Relaxation around Chiaw Lan Lake
We left Bangkok this Sunday evening by night train, making it into Surat Thani in the early morning. After breakfast we were transferred to the banks of Chiaw Lan Lake.
Here we transferred to boats for the the one hour trip to our home for the next few days – the Pleanprai Rafthouses. On the way we already could get a feel of the setup around the lake with limestone carsts.
The days on the rafthouses themselves were quiet relaxing with little activities. We enjoyed the included food, some boat trips to get closer to the wild and options for swimming and kayaking.
Back to Bangkok
It was now back to Bangkok – which by now somehow feels like coming home 🙂
After breakfast in the Imtrav hotel I got repacked to finally meet up with some of the others to catch a taxi over to Khao San Road. From there I made it by foot to the good, old Viengtai hotel. Here I met parts of my new group in the evening. On Sunday morning we met up for a Khlong (canal) tour, followed by a visit of the Grand Palace.
Final Night in Bangkok
Today was the last night of the tour – we ended up in a restaurant around the corner of the hotel. After dinner we went to what turned out to be the most expensive, most scenic – yet best cocktail of the whole trip. We had that one in the rooftop bar of the Banyon Tree Hotel – on the 62nd floor. An amazing way to say good-bye to Thailand.
Erawan Falls
Today we were heading out for Erawan Falls, which included the opportunity for having a swim in and under the (second level of the)waterfall.
Kanchanaburi
From Ayutthaya we continued to Kanchanaburi – home of the (in-)famous bridge over the river Kwai.
We did a short tour, visiting the JEATH War Museum, as well as the war cemetery – to arrive at the bridge just in time for the sunset. Samlors (bike rickshaws) were our transportation of choice for this tour – including a quick try by ourselves.
Rice Barge Trip
Gallery
This gallery contains 12 photos.
We now had a two day trip on a rice barge ahead of us. We boarded the rice barge in the early afternoon of the 12th and left Ayutthaya by boat – slowly moving down (or even up?) the river, … Continue reading
Ayutthaya
Gallery
This gallery contains 12 photos.
We arrived in Ayutthaya in the early morning (around 05:00); while the others went to bed, I stayed up and watched the sunrise – to walk over to a morning market across the street. Later that morning – after breakfast … Continue reading
The Golden Triangle
Today we had a full day of excursions around the Golden Triangle, the border region between Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Laos.
We had the opportunity to get about the border town to Myanmar and even have a quick jump over the border at Thailand’s northernmost point.
We also made it to a viewpoint at Mekong to get a glimpse of the two neighboring countris, before heading for the Opium Museum – followed by a speedboat tour on the Mekong.
The speedboat trip included a stop in Laos – with the shopping opportunity in a fairly unethical market. They had everything on stock (and for free sale) from snake whisky (including a snake of course), to liquor with pieces of tiger penises or ivory statues.
