Reset search
SE Asia 2023
  • Angie Evans

SE Asia 2023

A 31-day adventure by Angie Read more
FollowInsightsCalendarShareShareBucket list
Newest first
  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler

    (Draft) Karan Village

    February 13, 2023 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    The people in this community are gifted artists. The women weave beautiful cloths. The community also grows and harvests nice herbal teas and coffee. It's a traditional community and one of the first in this area to open the tourists. They allow people to come in and see some of the Weavers and purchase their Wares. They also open one Street to the Coffee and Tea Store. People are not allowed to wander The Village otherwise. It seems like a fair way for them to support their Community financially without becoming an exhibit.

    Note: this is not the "Karen Longneck Village" that so many people go to see in Thailand. That was on one of my tours but I refused to go in because it seems to me like treating people like they're in a zoo.    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler

    (Draft) White Temple

    February 15, 2023 in Thailand

    A local artist started building the white temple in '97. It took 7 years to build enough start having visitors. It continues to be built. His pictures and bronzes are beautiful. There's a museum there that features his artwork. Right beautiful colors. Very crowded even first thing in the morning.Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler

    (Draft) Blue Temple

    February 15, 2023 in Thailand

    This Temple was built 40 years ago in gold. It was turned blue 10 years ago because Buddha wanted something like the sky and the sea. The artist was a student of the artist who built the White Temple. The name of the blue Temple means tiger so there are tiger things around here.Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler

    (Draft) Black House (Baan Dam Museum)

    February 15, 2023 in Thailand

    This artist was a local guy who went to live in Bangkok put himself through school. He was homeless for a while and his family would not support him to be an artist. He found a black room or a black corner or something that he feels help support him to accomplish his dreams. He went on to do his PhD in Amsterdam and is now a world-renowned artist in high demand. He built a pakoda in Germany and has done a lot of work in japan. His works are worth millions. He started building the black house with his own money 35 years ago. He gets a lot of donated animal parts used in his art. He is a collector not a hunter. He has since died. All the paintings have a code beside them and they come through animation on instagram. It's way cool! He died 8 urs ago and his son took over caring for the place, including the IG effects

    The black house is a whole complex. The first third is Olive Wood. The next 3rd is made of wood & concrete. In the next 3rd is made of concrete.

    Online info:    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler

    (Draft) Choui Fong Tea Plantation

    February 15, 2023 in Thailand

    Organic tea plantation. This place is beautiful and reminds me of Vineyards. They can grow green tea. It all has to be handpicked. In the dry season it takes 45 days and then it must be harvested. By hand and then the machine (also pulled across the top by hand) comes to chop the plants lower so they'll produce more. And the rainy season they pick every 21 days. Oolong tea is fermented for more caffeine. Oolong 12 must be grown between $300 and 500 ft above sea level. Oolong 17 is stronger and must be grown above 500 ft. Green tea is the same leaves and it can be sun-dried and then sold.

    The plants all grow in rows. None of them are more than a meter high and most are closer to 60 cm.

    Plants were imported from Taiwan.    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler

    (Draft) Mae Sai - Border w myanmar

    February 15, 2023 in Myanmar

    We visited up high on the hill where the months live. Giant white buddha. We can see over the border to Myanmar. Used to be Burma. Way back it was part of thailand. British came and somehow the Border got changed to be the river. Many people in the neighboring City still speak tie.

    Also saw an almond tree. Very steep hill.

    The border between Thailand and Myanmar has been closed for 2 years due to covid. No one knows when it will reopen. The river doesn't look deep and it's so small people could probably get across pretty easily.    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler
    Hat Yai at night. I borrowed this one, which captures the area perfectly.
    Happy to be flying away instead of taking a 2 days bus.Lush land in South Thailand.Local agricultural lands.Tiny but busy airport.Path from Hat Yai airport to downtown. I managed to sort out a Grab all by my own self!My hotel, the P-Residence. No idea what that means.One of the fancier street-food places. Most were little carts attached to motorbikes or bicycles.My planned journey for the morning.

    Hat Yai, Thailand

    February 17, 2023 in Thailand

    Quick flight in from Chiang Mai to Hat Yai - thanks Air Asia! I'm sad to leave CM but all signs were pointing in the direction of heading to the south islands. Hat Yai was a short overnight stop for me on the way to meet Naila & Justin on the island of Koh Lipe.

    I stayed at the P-Residence in downtown Hat Yai. My hotel was behind bars and all kinds of security, which some folks would find reassuring but of course it had me wondering what the heck kind of neighborhood is this? In spite of the sketchy location, it was a nice spot.

    Nomadic travel revolves around finding food, determining the next spot to visit, how to get there, and finding accom in said spot. Hunger took me out into the neighborhood.

    What a different world! No one spoke English and I seemed to be the only tousista in the land. The streets were bustling with traffic and activity, the norm in all places I've visited so far. It was wall-to-wall street food carts; not a restaurant to be found. To say there are different food-health standards here than at home is a vast understatment. 🤣 Oh well - this will be a real test of my gut protection protocol. I settled on spring rolls - the best i've ever had - and sushi - tasty but strange with things like bacon. (Note from the future: my guts stayed healthy.)

    It was likely a safe area but I felt too conspicuous to stop for photos, especially as all the bank machines are just a little box on the sidewalk where everyone can see others taking out money. Which I had to do. Cash rules here and many places don't take plastic. A white woman stopping for cash then stopping for photos seemed a bit much. I tried to find a balance between keeping myself safe and not making assumptions based on the people & area for simply being "other" from what i'm used to. However, women are trained from childhood for safety and a healthy dose of paraonia when walking alone at night, so I erred on the side of caution.

    The hotel owner arranged for a van to pick me up in the morning to take me across Thailand - literally across from east to west - to Pak Para, where I will get the boat to Koh Lipe.    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler
    This is our boat and company.
    Today's cotinued path.General busyness where we get dropped off.The ticket offices as we approach the pier.More of the office area near the pier.Everyone has to stop here to purchase a park-pass for equiv of $7.85.End of the pier.This is our boat. How the heck will that hold 80 + luggage + staff?I might rather go on this?The floating dock at Koh Lipe.

    Pak Para Pier (Satun Bay) to Koh Lipe

    February 18, 2023 in Thailand

    Today's journey to join Naila & Justin in Koh Lipe, a small island, includes hours on a boat. Ugh. There's a reason I've skydived >100x, climbed rock & ice, and enjoy hurling down ski runs - but have never scuba dived. Open water terrifies me. Plus 🤢. Stole 3 barf bags from the plane yesterday...

    I left Hat Yai early in a fancy van. (Everything starts early morning here. I am adapting.) Fancy vans are common here for tourists, complete with sparkly ceilings, maybe some fairy lights, and comfy chairs with seatbelts. After 2 hrs in the van, we arrived at the docks in Satun Bay, where I am to take a "speedboat" to Koh Lipe. The other option is a ferry that takes twice as long but seems more sensible. Oh well, my hotel owner booked the speedboat.

    It was so busy here! Seems everyone wants to get to an island. There was a healthy mix of locals and visitors, but definitely more visitors. Everyone had to pay the park fee as the islands are in Thailand's Tarutao National Marine Park. Then we're let into the Pak Para Piers. It was rather chaotic to find out where to go and what to do next. Each boating company provides a sticker that must be worn on our shirt, which helped me find fellow lost travelers. So far we each had a sticker, a boat ticket, a park pass, and a receipt to carry around, plus our luggage. Many people had those large rolling suitcases. How much stuff does one need to a tropical island? Plus rolling suitcases on beach sand? Crazy.

    Turns out we had to find the right desk in a sea of tiny desks, and turn in the ticket for a number card. Then find the correct peir, which is not indicated on any ticket. So, listen for the instructions that are yelled out in heavily accented English when it's time to line up for our boat. Just watch all the other folks with the orage sticker and hope the first one knows where they're going. 🤯 In the meantime the boat staff load up the luggage. When it's time to board, they allow people on the boat according to their numbers. Wait - the numbers go up to 80!! How are 80 people plus all that luggage fit onto this boat? Crap.

    We were stuffed into the boat with tiny bench-seats and absolutely foot-space, as all that luggage was stuffed under the bances. Think of sardines in a can.

    Off we went into (onto?) the Indian Ocean, specifically the Straight of Malacca in the Andaman Sea.

    Two hours later, we arrived at Koh Lipe and disembarked to a floating wobbly dock, a great sand beach, and a lot of confusion as 2-3 boatloads of people waited for their luggage to be unloaded and find their way. It was rather funny to see people try to roll those giant suitcases on the beach.

    Naila met me at the dock. Fortunately I had booked a posh place and they were waiting for me with a hot-pink sign and a motor-bike taxi. Relieved I did not have to figure out where to go.    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler

    (Dr) Koh Lipe & Pattaya Beach (Thailand)

    February 18, 2023 in Thailand

    This island in general was one of my favorite places. Maybe my fave as I love heat and beaches and laid-back living.

    Koh Lipe defines island paradise. Warm water, clean fine white sand beaches, and a hearty island culture. Time stands still here - no one knows the date or time. (This is why Naila had to try 4x to watch the sunset 😆. They kept missing it. We waitjed the time in the last night to ensure we got there.) Well, tourism staff and dive shops surely do but the rest of us just walk around in ignorant bliss. We follow our bellies to mealtime and wander where and when we like.

    Cats & dogs. Tides.

    No clubs. No cars.

    INFO FROM THAI TOURISM:
    Koh Lipe Island in Thailand boasts a Walking Street, where souvenir shops, pharmacies, travel agencies, cafes, restaurants, etc. The prices on the main street of the island are quite high. This local attraction begins at Pattaya Beach and stretches to Sunrise Beach. The signs indicate that the street is open from 6pm to midnight, but Walking Street does not close. Many cafes, restaurants and bars open in the afternoon. Of course, most of the establishments empty and close by midnight.

    Interesting fact! The maximum distance between the beaches on the island is 1 km, so during your vacation you can easily visit everyone. A walk from one to another takes about a quarter of an hour.

    Koh Lipe Island in Thailand is located in the southern Andaman Sea and belongs to the province of Satun. This is the southernmost point of the country. On a sunny, cloudless day from the island you can see the coast of Malaysia, namely the Langkawi archipelago, located at a distance of 30 km.

    The Adang archipelago, located in the southern part of the Andaman Sea, near the mainland of Thailand and Malaysia, is often called the “Thai Maldives”, primarily for snow-white sand. Koh Lipe (Thailand) is the only inhabited island in this archipelago.

    Tourists come here to enjoy serenity and tranquility. In addition, the island attracts divers, because many marine inhabitants live on the coast – almost a quarter of all existing in nature. The island is the southernmost point of Thailand.

    The length of the island is only 3 km, it is easy to get around on foot, the indigenous people on Koh Lipe about 800 people. The main source of income is fishing, tourism.

    Interesting fact! The indigenous population belongs to the sea gypsies – immigrants from Malaysia, who arrived on the island about a century ago.

    In Koh Lipe, there is the Tarutao Theme Marine Park, which has been given national status; at the end of the 20th century it was called the second largest in Thailand.

    The distance to Phuket is 250 km, to Krabi is about 220 km, and 70 km to the mainland of Thailand.    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler
    That little spit of land is Koh Lipe's northern most tip!View from our lunch spot.

    North Point Beach, Koh Lipe

    February 21, 2023 in Thailand ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    We walked to this beach and enjoyed the warm, shallow waters and a yummy restaurant. There were lots of lounge chairs to choose from in the sun and in the shade. Very few people were at this beach.

    Although the boat captains are mindful, we were a little watchful of the many longtail boat taxis coming and going - it seems most people would rather get a boat ride than walk.

    Naila & Justin put their new snorkel gear to good use and saw all kinds of amazing sea life.

    Apparently this beach isn't as popular since there's only one place to eat and very few accoms. Surprisingly, the food was reasonably priced.

    Fun fact: This is the only beach on Koh Lipe unaffected by the tides.

    North Beach is kind of a continuation of and at the far end of Sunrise Beach.    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler
    My morning mango shake - just mango and ice. Yum!
    The shop that made my shake.Salisa Resort Weather Station. 🤣Longtail boat tied off with one of the many ropes on this beach.Some lucky kids go to school here.One of the paths back to my hotel passes a wild Lotus pond!Zodiac bar is the epitome of chillaxing beach vibes.Naila and some kind of art piece.Terrible video but it will remind me of the feel and sound of this place.

    Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe (Thailand)

    February 21, 2023 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    This is one of the 4 main beaches on Koh Lipe and as the name suggests, it's known for its spectacular sunrises. Not that any of us saw that! Even if we were awake at 5:30am, it seems unwise to walk in the dark to get there. Snakes! Obsticles.

    I walked this beach on my first morning in Koh Lipe but didn't swim as it was windy and wavy. Also many longtail boats tie off here and I didn't walk far enough to find a safe swimming spot. The longtail boats tie up to long, thick roaps that run from the top of the beach and far enough into the water that they can be used at high or low tide. I did find some great little food spots and saw some sweet beachfront accom.

    A few days later the three of us walked along Sunrise Beach to get to North Beach at the end. We found the amazing Zodiac See Sun Beach Bar & Resort and parked ourselves here for a while. We're putting money on it being owned by some pot-loving hippies. It's the ultimate chillaxing on the beach place - beanbags, hammocks, benches, booze, picnic tables, stoner bartender, probably some dope, beach-toys, swings, art creations and funky tunes.    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler
    Mornings are busy with people arriving and departing the island.
    That white speed boat is our getaway vehicle.These 2 had to sit on a big cooler for the 90min crossing.Back to Pak Bara Pier to find our far away van.First pit-stop for a stretch & late lunch. Gas is $1.34/L here.Even the gas stations have a Buddhist shrine.Our afternoon pit-stop at the Amazon cafe, for a stretch. This was after Krabi.

    Journey from Koh Lipe to Khoa Sok

    February 22, 2023 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We're all sad to leave this beautiful island. (Maybe me the most as it means another open-water speed boat.)

    Today's journey will be by boat back to Pak Para Piers. They stuff 50 of us into the boat and all the luggage. There were not quite enough seats and nowhere near enough life-jackets. The journey seemed to start with boat engine trouble. One of the crew opened them up and played around enough to get the boat on its way. The seas were choppy. - rough ride! I was handing out my puke bags taken from my last flight and sucking on Naila's magical motion sickness stuff. I held her hand a lot and grabbed the arm of my neighbor, a 12ish year old Italian, a few times. 🥴 After the first time i apologized and told him that might happen again. 😆 He said it was ok.

    Next, a very long van ride to Krabi, then another long van ride to Khoa Sok. Then a Songtaew to our jungalows. That's a form of Tuk Tuk. Songthaew means “two benches”. It’s basically a pick-up truck with two benches as seats and a roof cover.

    We started at 8:30am and arrived at Monkey Mansion Jungalows at 8pm, feeling hot, stinky, kinda gross, and happy to be on solid ground again.    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler
    Krabi bus station has some cool art.Town of Krabi.On our way just past Krabi.

    Krabi

    February 22, 2023 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Krabi is a significant destination and marked the 2/3 point in our journey to the Jungalows.

    Here we had to switch vans. We were just kind of deposited at the bus depot and told to wait. We crossed our fingers and hoped someone else was coming to get us!

    Around Krabi the lands started to change with tall soft mountains. Very nice.    Read more

  • Angie EvansSE Asia 2023Traveler
    Front entry.
    Back of the main house.Back entry to main house.Our place from the upstairs balcony in main house.Entry to our place.These are all over.Banana tree in front of our place.Our wrap-around deck with hammock.Our cabin is beautiful and spacious.Life - cycle of bananas. Theu start as the big red flower.Harvesting rubber! They sell it to a factory.Sun set. I love that tall tree on the left & cresent moon.Misty morning views.Clear views after our tour.Bananas right off our deck.

    Monkey Mansion Jungalows, Khoa Sok

    February 22, 2023 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Our spot for 2 nights. An eco-village in the jungle. They make minimal impact on the local environment and give back to the national park and locals.

    There's a yummy restaurant here and sweet staff. Good thing as there's nothing else nearby. Prices are fair. The owner is a German man, Bastien, who knows all the local tours and sets up his guests. There is surely a Thai co-owner, as Thai law states any foreigner who wants to own a business must have a Thai partner.

    It was pitch dark when we arrived on the first night. The thick morning mist dampens everything. The land here feels ancient & magical.

    The rooms are all cabins that are quite open to the jungle i.e. the critters and sounds. The bathroom has a big window with no screen or glass. The roof doesn't touch the walls. There are no screens on the windows nor the floor-to-ceiling glass doors which make up 2 of the walls. We sleep in mosquito nets. Bastien says staying in an eco-village means sharing our space with critters. 😆 No food allowed in the rooms. They provide a cupboard in the main house where we can store our road-snacks.

    There's a lot of solar energy on the grounds and free purified water refills in the lobby. The latter is a big deal as eveywhere else just hands out disposable water bottles. Not here!

    There are all kinds of exotic plants and trees on the grounds.    Read more

  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Help Center
  • Legal notice