Located at the top of an extinct volcano and surrounded by lush green rice paddies, Phanom Rung was spectacular. To reach the complex we walked along a paved laterite (volcanic rock) walkway lined with stone lotus buds and up series of well worn steps.
We walked around the complex admiring the intricately carved lintels and the incredible views over the surrounding countryside.
Our next stop was Muang Tam at the base of the volcano.
On Tuesday morning, we caught the train to Ayutthaya because we didn’t want to get caught in the Bangkok traffic – which really is terrible.
Most of the ruins at Ayutthaya are on an island. On our first afternoon, we explored the temples on the island. We spent a couple of pleasant hours walking around the ruins in the late afternoon light.
On the second day we chartered a longtail boat around the island and visited some other “off-island” temples located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.
Large goanna on the riverbank
On Monday we spent a day on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. We took the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat and got off at each of the stops and walked around taking in the sights and the smells and stopping for an occasional snack before getting back on the boat again.
Waiting for the next boat
The Chao Phraya River was a highway of activity. There were longtail boats, local ferries, tourist ferries, tugboats pulling improbable loads of building materials and construction equipment, schools of catfish and islands of lush green water weed.
We caught the Skytrain to the Chatuchak weekend market. We thought that the Chatuchak market was absolutely fantastic. There was a wide range of products besides the usual clothing and accessories, including vintage clothing, jewellery, home wares, local handicrafts, art and collectibles, food, live animals, plants and gardening accessories, flowers, wickerwork and ceramics. This was a shopper’s paradise with an enormous number of stalls housed in steamy aluminium sheds running down narrow alleys overflowing with merchandise and people. The market was organised into sections with similar products located together – our favourite sections were the ones containing ceramics, home wares and art. We managed to get totally lost - we tried to find a food stall that we had seen earlier but found that we had wandered miles from our original location. We ended up walking around the markets for a few hours snacking on mango sticky rice, orange juice, crispy roast pork, pineapple, som tam (papaya salad) and coconut ice cream from the various food stalls.
Art in Chatuchak Market
Chatuchak Cowboys
We caught the Skytrain to the Central Pier where we caught a ferry to Memorial Bridge. From there we walked to the Yodpiman Flower Market. We saw stalls piled high with brightly coloured orchids, chrysanthemums, roses and lotus. Many of the stallholders were busily making attractive floral arrangements.
Large bunches of roses for sale for THB 30 or USD 1!!
Our first stop was the scenic Ao Nang Beach near Krabi on the Andaman Coast. Unfortunately it rained most of the time we were there but we were still able to enjoy the views of the picturesque limestone islands.
Our bed at the Sunda Resort, Ao Nang
When the rain did stop for half a day, we caught a longboat to the Railay Peninsula. The peninsula is only accessible by sea because of the high limestone cliffs blocking access from the mainland.
Phranang Beach, Railay Peninsula
After a few days in Ao Nang, we moved on to the border town of Ranong. We arrived in Thailand over a land border and our visa was only for 14 days so we needed to do a “visa run” to get a further 14 days. We had planned to catch a longtail boat from Ranong to Kawthoung (Victoria Point), Myanmar – but because the weather was quite bad, we did the crossing in a larger (safer) boat.
This meant that instead of queuing with the Burmese workers at the main immigration office and longboat pier, we went to the Andaman Club Pier where they had a nice departure lounge and their own little immigration window. And, instead of going to Kawthoung, we went to the immaculate Andaman Club Casino on an island just off Kawthoung. The Casino was set in beautiful surroundings with a large pool, sauna, restaurant, expensive duty free shop and slot machine room – all of which were strangely empty. We stayed there for an hour and then we were put back on the boat into Thailand.
Views from the Andaman Club Casino in Myanmar
Our hotel in Ranong was located next to some particularly pungent markets.
Our visa run completed, we spent a couple of nights in Prachuap Khiri Khan – a pleasant beachside town halfway to Bangkok.
View from our hotel window
When we arrived in Hat Yai, Thailand on Tuesday afternoon we found Suzie’s Uncle Bob was also in town with Aunt Ah King and some friends. This was really great news for us as we had not been able to catch up in Malaysia. Uncle Bob took us to the beachfront in Songkhla to eat some seafood.
We went to one of several open air beach front restaurants with views of the South China Sea. In front of the restaurant were tubs of ice filled with a large range of prawns, fish, crabs, shellfish and mushroom. Uncle Bob and Aunt Ah King went to work - first examining seafood for freshness, then selecting tiger prawns, freshwater prawns, grouper, horseshoe crab (trilobite), scallops, sand crab and mushrooms, and finally specifying how they should be cooked.
Tiger prawns
Grouper
Giant freshwater prawns
Front and back of horseshoe crab or trilobyte
We sat down at a table each with our own young green coconut and bowl of chilli mixed with onion and lime. First to appear on the table were large tiger prawns fried in garlic, steamed freshwater prawns and stir fried mixed mushrooms. This was followed by the horseshoe crab – which consisted of chewy saffron coloured eggs mixed with a spicy salad of green mango and topped with roasted cashews served in the shell. It actually tasted really amazing – the chewy eggs were a great combination with the spicy salad. Then there was the grouper and scallops both of which were fried in garlic and crab fried rice. It was really fantastic experience for us as Uncle Bob and Aunt Ah King had been there before and knew exactly what to order.
Chilli mixed with onion and lime
Tiger prawns and grouper fried in garlic
Horseshoe crab eggs with a spicy salad of green mango and topped with roasted cashews
We went with Suzie’s Mum and Dad to Penang Island which has been dubbed the “Food Paradise of Asia”. We spent three fantastic days sampling the local cuisine (research purposes only) and walking around the UNESCO World Heritage Site of George Town admiring the colonial buildings and street art.
Street Art in the Old Town
Typical colonial shopfronts
Furniture delivery
Penang assam laksa
Our last meal in Penang!
We spent a few days in the Cameron Highlands, a hill station in Malaysia famous for its tea plantations, orchards, nurseries, farmlands, waterfalls, mossy forest, golf course and oh bliss, cooler weather!!
Cameron Valley Tea Plantation
Morning walk through the forest
View from the Clubhouse
Strawberry farm
