Island Life

White sands, crystal clear waters and lush green mountainous surroundings; Thailand's islands are postcard picture paradise. Like most people, Thailand was brought to my attention years ago after watching The Beach. I was seduced, not by Leo DiCaprio but by the idea of ultimate escapism on an idyllic, untouched island. Years later and the journey to Thailand's islands is a path well trodden, dismissed by some who say that tourism has ruined Thailand. Despite this I still longed to go. It was a thirst I knew I could not quench until I had drank in the experience for myself.

PARADISE

We headed straight to Koh Tao and it did not disappoint. Many travelers flock to Koh Tao to do their diving PADI, as the tiny island is the second cheapest place in the world to receive this qualification. The streets are lined with various diving resorts and centers along with restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. Everything is accessible. I chose not to do my PADI as I wanted a good amount of time to explore the island, so we rented a scooter out, got a map and set off.

I thought the roads were difficult to navigate in Pai but they were nothing compared to Koh Tao. They were absolutely treacherous. We headed south of the island first to Shark Bay to go snorkeling, and despite a few steep declines and winding narrow roads this wasn't too bad. We made it to Shark Bay in one piece and I stepped foot on the most beautiful beach I have ever seen in my life. It was a "pinch me" moment. I also got to experience snorkeling for the first time, which I fell in love with immediately and was thoroughly enjoying until somebody warned us that there was a shark swimming nearby (we were on Shark Bay after all.) I decided it was time to get out then.

Afterwards we headed north to go to the viewpoint at Mango bay and this is where things got tough. Steep inclines, sharp bends and rocky dirt paths are not a good combination for scooters. Some confident drivers were speeding ahead with a self-assurance that showed they were used to these roads. We had to abandon the scooter and walk, and were rewarded with a breathtaking view of the island (and a little companion to enjoy the view with!)

PURE ABANDONMENT

After Koh Tao came Koh Phangan. Koh Phangan gained popularity for it's famous Full Moon party, which started out in the early eighties as a hippy gathering to celebrate the full moon. Sounds beautiful doesn't it? What was once a small intimate setting is now a huge tourist attraction. Haad Rin beach pulsates with a sweaty throng of travelers and chart music saturated with processed beats. Did I go? Yes. Did I have fun? Honestly, yes. A group of us from the hostel headed down, and at first I wanted to leave. Maybe at 18 I would have been more excited by the music and the atmosphere but I was dubious now. However I was determined the give it a chance so I succumbed and bought a bucket (gin and tonic), had a dance, and together we headed along the length of the beach to see what else was on offer.

At the end of the beach, a bar set above the rocks and the ocean offers a different experience of the Full Moon party. We danced until the dawn, then sat and watched the sunrise. Watching from above made me feel a bit like Wendy when Neverland comes in to sight. It is a distant land of pure hedonism. It is dreamlike, yet you feel so involved with this energetic moment. I've never felt so attached to a moment of pure pleasure and freedom before. 

THE REST, EATS, SLEEPS AND PARTIES

Blue Water Restaurant, Koh Tao

I loved this place! You can sit out on the beach at night to eat, the food was really fresh and amazing and not too pricey, and they had live acoustic music <3

Shambala Yoga, Koh Tao

As well as exploring the island I also took the chance to do a lot of yoga. Shambala was around the corner from my hostel and only 300 Thai Baht for a 2 hour class. I hadn't done yoga for a while but found the classes really well guided with alternative poses given for the less advanced members. We also did meditation, which I LOVE, at the start and end of each class.

Lazy House Shenanigans Hostel, Koh Phangan

If you want to go to the Full Moon party, make sure you get a place on/very close to Haad Rin beach. It's the heart of the action. We were in a hostel about 20 minutes away from Haad Rin for the first night and felt out of it, so we moved to Lazy House which was a 5 minute walk from the beach. I'm so glad we did. In low season getting accommodation was easy but in high season you have to be really prepared.

Dancing Elephant Hostel Street Party, Koh Phangan

I had so much fun here! Dancing Elephant hostel advertises itself as the biggest party hostel in Koh Phangan. They hosted an amazing street party on the Friday night, we stayed until around 1 AM and it was still going strong when we left.

Jungle Party, Koh Phangan

Some people say that this is better than the Full Moon party. It depends what your looking for. The Jungle party was impressive and had a lot to offer with great DJs, Muay Thai fighting rings and fire performers, but it costs 600 Thai Baht for a ticket and that doesn't include taxi fare there and back. You also have to buy drink coupons, which I think is a hassle. I also lost 1,000 baht there (not that I'm letting that cloud my judgement. At all. Well maybe a bit.) 

Visiting the islands have only made me fall in love with Thailand even more, but I feel that I haven't even scratched the surface of this vibrant country. My visa expires soon and I will be heading in to Laos, but I am making it my mission to return to visit Koh Phi Phi, Krabi and Phuket. Thailand, I miss you already!

Grace xo

Pai

Pai is a small town a few hours drive away from Chaing Mai. We got a bus which we arranged with our hostel in Chaing Mai, which cost 250 Thai Baht. Some people do hire scooters and tackle the drive that way. The drive is a good 4 hours and the road is a myriad of twists and turns so I'd take this into consideration beforehand. 

As soon as you arrive in Pai you immediatly get a sense of how chill and relaxed it is. It's surrounded by beautiful lush green hills and the streets are lively and active but not crazy busy like Bangkok. The main streets are full of cafes, taxi ranks and tour guide stands and at night they comes alive with restaurants and bars. There are a lot of live music sets in most of the bars which I loved (Yellow Sun and Boom seem to be the most popular). There are also lots of stalls selling jewellery, clothes, art work and street food.

WHERE WE STAYED 

We stayed at a hostel for one night called Circus (or The Circus Hostel Pai) which we heard a lot of mixed reviews about. They do free yoga most days and they also offer circus lessons. The idea is you go and take the opportunity to practise Circus tricks and there are people around to teach you, but when we got there there was a lot of equipment like hula hoops and juggling batons as well as a tight rope strap but there were no scheduled lessons, it was basically pick what you want to try and give it a good go.

Most people are just hanging out with each other or alone reading, chilling and doing thier own thing. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. There is also an amazing infinity pool with beautiful views of the hills. 

We had a great time in the day just hanging out and trying new things, but night time was where I struggled. The dorms are all basic huts, which is fine, but you have to walk to the bathroom and showers which are in separate huts and the amount of insects that are around made this unbearable for me. They were everywhere!! On the floor, in the toilet, in the sink! Argh!

I would describe my stay at Circus as an experience. It's ideal if you want to try something new and different. (And if you can put up with the amount of insects that are around. And toads. I saw two toads.)

For our final two nights we stayed in a hostel called Common Grounds, which was brilliant! A few people we met in Chaing Mai were staying there but we found everybody so friendly including the staff. They also have different activities on every night like quizzes, pool and beer pong and they made everybody feel involved and welcome. I was really sad to leave! 

WHAT WE DID 

Like most places in Thailand one the of best ways of getting around is by scooter. We rented one for just a day and visited two waterfalls and the big white Buddha. The drives were beautiful and it's one of the best ways of seeing Pai. Most places are easy to find. If you don't feel confident on a scooter, you can ask the place you hire from for a quick lesson, but these can be very hit and miss so it would be better to try and find somebody you meet in a hostel to teach you (if they can drive well!)

We also did an organised day tour which covers Lod cave, a popular Pai viewpoint, some natural hot springs and a place called Canyon which also gives amazing views. It was a full day so if you only have one or two days in Pai then I'd give this a miss and rent a scooter instead to explore at your own will but if you have a bit longer then definitely do this tour. The Cave was amazing, full of natural wonders and going inside was both eerie and exciting. Canyon gives brilliant views of Pai so ending the day there was perfect but you have to be prepared to navigate some narrow paths and do a little bit of clamoring and climbing. It's well worth it. 

WHAT WE ATE 

Pai is pretty much one of the only places in Thailand where it's acceptable to get Western food because they do it so well. There's plenty of burger places but the best one by far is called Burger Queen. They do a good few vegetarian options and you can also order it as takeout, which we did at our hostel Common Grounds.

There was a bit of hype around Lasagne from one of the street stalls. The best is called something like "The best world famous Pai lasagne", I never got around to trying it but if you love Italian food then hunt this stall down. 

They also do amazing crepes in big banana leaves ❤

If you are travelling Thailand and find yourself in Chaing Mai or even just in the North try to set aside a few days to visit Pai. It's been my favourite place so far, I loved everything about it, especially the beautiful surroundings and relaxed atmosphere. Travelling can get pretty hectic so if you want a few days of chill downtime then Pai is the place to go. 

Grace xo