Vientiane--->Bangkok--->Trat--->Ko Chang

Hi everyone,

I apologise for taking so long to update this. The few times we've been on the internet, we've been busy researching places to stay both here on Ko Chang and also in Cape Town. Africa is approaching quickly, and we are a bit under-prepared.

We left Vientiane after one night and headed to Bangkok on the night bus. We were totally swindled by our hotel in Vientiane, and the bus was not as advertised. We paid 800 baht per person, and then found out we could have done it ourselves for about 500. We were promised dinner, movies, and a 6am arrival time on Khoa San--and then didn't stop for food until midnight (and it was terrible), the movies were in Thai only, and the bus dropped us off at 4.30am at the Northern Bus Terminal. It was pretty much a disaster.

So we got a taxi to Khao San, only to find out that everywhere was full and wouldn't be able to check us in until at least 11 (if they had rooms, which nobody was sure). We finally got a room after killing SEVEN hours around Khao San, and we were so exhausted and dispirited that we went straight to bed for a couple of hours.

After one night in Bangkok, we left for Trat in the morning. Trat is where the ferries leave from for the Eastern islands, and it was actually a pleasant little town in itself. The streets were leafy and quiet, and every window revealed families eating together, watching TV, or playing with their pets. We had some awesome curries at a local restaurant and then called it a night.

We caught the ferry to Ko Chang the next morning (which meant that we hadn't spent more than one night in a place for almost a full week). Our aim was to find somewhere nice, and then just stay put for six nights or so. We arrived on the island, took a taxi to our chosen beach (Kai Bae), and then started the hotel search. It wasn't easy. Everywhere was booked solid, and our options were looking depressing (dirty, smelly, windowless bungalows). It took us about two hours to stumble into KB resort, who did have one room available--and it was perfect. A lovely, wooden fan bangalow with tons of windows, set in beautiful gardens. We pounced on it, and then found out that a beautiful breakfast buffet was included, which made it easily within budget.

So we spent the first three nights in that bungalow, watching sunsets from a hammock, drinking beer on our private deck, and swimming in the sea and our gorgeous swimming pool (for about 31 US per night for both of us). Our luck nearly ran out, though, as the resort thought they were full again and nearly had to kick us out. We spent hours searching for another place yesterday with no luck, and we were wondering whether we might have to leave the island. Very luckily, they offered us a different family bungalow for a discounted rate for the next three nights--so we remain at our resort, which was a huge relief.

The best things about KB are the breakfasts and the resident dogs. The breakfasts are massive, and include tasty treats like pineapple samosas, banana pancakes, and omelets made to order. The dogs are always around, and are real characters. My favorite is one we call 'fruit bat' (because her face looks exactly like one). She has taken to sleeping on our porch--not on the ground, but actually on top of our patio table. She growls at other dogs if they come too close, but she's nothing but cuddly with us. It's been really fun to have a temporary dog.

So we have three more nights on Ko Chang, and then two more in Bangkok before we fly back to Singapore. I'll try and post some pictures this evening.

Love,
Ames