• Debbie Le Grange
  • Debbie Le Grange

2017 Singapore and Thailand

A 16-day adventure by Debbie Read more
  • Trip start
    June 30, 2017

    Singapore Saturday 1 July 2017

    July 1, 2017 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Booked into Hotel Mono
    Explored Gardens by the Bay, and up to observation deck on 57th floor of Marina Sands hotel.
    Walked along the Lower Boardwalk and popped into Louis Vuitton (where a leather jacket costs R45 000...)
    Took pics at the Merlion - the symbol for Singapore, which means Lion City.
    Went to Starbucks for the all favourite White Chocolate Mocca Frappaccino.
    Shopped at H and M and then took MRT (underground) to Orchard road, the main high end shopping road in Singapore with 22 Malls.
    Spent 2 hours at Victoria's Secret. Very happy girls!
    Ate ice cream sandwiches.
    Went to dinner at a food court, home for a rest, and then tackled China Town for the evening.
    Carmen ate a chilli and started crying. It made charne's trip.
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  • Ao Nang, Krabi Sunday 2 July

    July 2, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We were meant to wake up at 7.30 and go shopping and be back in time to leave for the airport at 12pm.
    We overslept by 5 hours!!! No natural light in the rooms at Mono Hotel and our clocks were still in SA time... Woke up at 12.30pm and in less than 1 hour we managed to pack and get a taxi and arrive at the airport.
    Booked into La Playa hotel in Krabi.
    Alleyway into the hotel looked horrid and slummy so we were nervous, but the hotel was stunning! Interlinking rooms with a lounge area, 2 tvs, private balcony and an emerald green pool (that we didn't end up swimming in)
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  • Ao nang, Krabi District, Monday 3 July

    July 3, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Fetched at 8.30 and transported in an open bakkie for 30 min to Talin (?).
    Went kayaking to a tiny beach that is like a huge cave - Monkey Beach. No monkeys at that time of day.
    Then paddled up a Gorge with an outcrop that looks like the one in the Bond movie - The man with the Golden gun.
    Then kayaked through mangrove area and walked around a sandy outcrop with thousands of mud crabs.
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  • Ao Nang, Krabi, Tuesday 4 July

    July 4, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Day of shopping.
    Pictures on the beach
    Got caught in the rain walking home and only had one poncho :)... Hence Charne trying to occupy mine!
    Went to swim in the sea at sunset.
    Dinner with a beautiful view over the Boardwalk onto the sea
    Heard a South African playing live music in a bar and clapped when he mentioned SA. So he called us into the place and he played Loslappie. In front of all the people Nardus and Charne took to the dance floor and sokkied. Everyone was clapping and smiling to see father and daughter dancing. So special. Memory of a lifetime.
    Then Charne danced some more alone with 3 other girls .
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  • Kata Beach, Phuket. Wed 5 July

    July 5, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Last minute shopping in Krabi and had to rush to buy another coconut ice cream. Best ice cream ever made of real coconut and coconut milk.
    Drove in private taxi for 3 hours to Kata Beach, phuket. (with the Thai couple who stopped to buy fruit shakes on the way...)
    Kata Palm resort and Spa stunning.
    Situated one road, parallel, from beach, behind the long wall of the Club Med. To get to the beach turn left from hotel and walk 5 minutes along the wall and then turn right to the beach.
    Lovely hotel. Our rooms connected via a wooden door on the balcony. 1st floor, overlooking the pool.
    Probably the most magical pool we've ever had. Gorgeous windy pool with tropical foliage all around and a seated area for drinks in the pool.
    Went to Hippo discount market and bought candied Mangos etc and had our first Fried ice cream - Nutella ice cream rolled up into 5 tubes. Delicious!
    Had dinner across from Hippo discount store at the end of the street. Pineapple fried rice pad Thai, red curry, spring rolls
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  • Kata Beach, phuket Thursday 6 July

    July 6, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    First full day in Kata.
    Spent the morning in the pool at the hotel.
    Went to beach and Tanned and swam in the afternoon.
    Nardus took the girls to the L side of the beach near the rocks to snorkel. They came back very unimpressed with the little jaunt! Murky and waves crashing them against the rocks.
    Charne got stung by a jellyfish.
    Weather turned rainy so we headed home.
    Walked through night Market and Charne bought sunglasses.
    Had Indian food for supper at a nice restaurant on the sidewalk. Very nice.
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  • Kata Friday 7 July

    July 7, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Spent most of the day inside the hotel cos of bad weather.
    Long walk along Beach along front of Club Med.
    Went to Starbucks for Caramel Frappachinno.
    Bought delicious lemon grass fish and pad Thai and ate in the room.
    Girls swam.
    Nardus and I went out some for supper. Tom yum, and salmon steak and chips. Ended up calling the girls to the restaurant to have a Tom yum soup chips cos it was so delicious.
    Packed in the evening
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  • Koh phi phi Don -Tonsai villageSat 8July

    July 8, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Left early in the morning and went on classy large ferry to Phi Phi.
    Chow Koh Phi Phi resort and Spa.
    Lovely hotel in the middle of the town but has private path up to it with lush trees/shrubs and a swimming pool. Rooms gorgeous and restaurant for breakfast across the path that runs along the beach, and upstairs overlooking the sea.
    Nardus mongoosed/explored while we swam for 2 hours while waiting to book in.
    Walked to the beach for sundowners. Not that impressive.
    Went to restaurant that served blue cheese pizza and spinach and cream ravioli. The best. Girls had a massage.
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  • Koh phi phi Don 9 July

    July 9, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Went on a full day snorkelling trip right around phi phi Don Island and over to Phi Phi Leh (Maya Beach and Viking Cave), stopping at many places to swim or snorkel or tan. Lunch at lah moo dee and tanned and saw a goat. See map.
    Stunning day.
    Went back to the same restaurant as last night and more blue cheese pizza.
    And of course a Thai massage for the girls again :)
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  • Phi phi Island Village resort 11 July

    July 11, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Packed up to move to other room.
    Beautiful sea that in high tide laps right up to the hotel retaining wall so it looks like a rim flow pool.
    Read our books overlooking the beach. Magical.
    Headed into the little town for dinner.
    Carmen's quotes for the night :
    * maybe I should be a Dontist (orthodontist)
    * I'm going to have my thumbs in many pies when I'm older.
    And then again her ongoing referral to "stitches" in her shoulders (knots). And earlier in the holiday saying that pasta can't be Vegan because it has flour in it. Lol. She has amazed us with her brilliance this holiday :)
    To those who read this in many years to come - she is actually an extremely bright child, believe it or not. Lol.
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  • Railay Beach

    July 13, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Swam and Tanned for the morning and then at 2pm got a long-tailed boat to phi phi Don. Then caught a ferry to Ao Nang Krabi. Then a speedboat to Railay Beach.
    Pouring with rain on the journey and when we arrived we had to walk in the rain to Bay Hotel.
    Hotel rooms nice. Outdated bathrooms (turquoise) so not really up to standard for a 4 stay hotel.
    Went out in the rain and bought chicken wrap for Nardus and a vegetarian one for Charne (which consisted of loads of raw onion, some tomato and cabbage - dismal) then to a restaurant for red curry for Charne, chicken cashew for Debbie, and a scary club sandwich for Carmen.
    Dinner followed by banana pancakes of course.
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