Lessons from my Self designed South East Asia Tour

Lessons from my Self designed South East Asia Tour 

It was only after I got a surprise financial dividend in July 2018 that I could even afford to dream of a Mekong cruise tour of South East Asia. Since language is a barrier, access to information regarding travel packages to Vietnam becomes a barrier and most people rely on travel agencies to devise packages to Vietnam. But I thrive on backpacking and I relish the challenge. I did check with travel agencies; two very renowned travel agencies shirked the responsibility by not reverting to me. A third travel agency gave me exorbitant quotes only for Vietnam.

Whereas, when I booked all accommodation, flights, cruises, and planned my food and beverages, and local transport - myself, I could pack in four countries within the same budget. Given the language barriers and paucity of reliable information to plan a self-funded and self-designed tour of South East Asia, I decided to share my experiences in a separate article for interested travelers.

The wildlife, the river-scape, the lush green forests, wildlife, and biodiversity, the beckoning paddy fields, the avian fauna, the sense of oriental adventure on the Mekong Basin was the stuff of my dreams ever since I graduated from University, almost thirty years ago.

In July 2018 when I decided to travel the Mekong Basin, I planned to travel according to my no compromise - fastidious priorities: the Mekong Delta cruise over Christmas vacation. Essentially I wanted to be on the river cruise for a full 5 days on the Mekong River over Christmas vacation, because of pleasant weather and wanted to see the Pacific Ocean for New Year Eve. After doing a lot of research on You Tube, I zeroed in on the cruise liners. I went through their websites, noted the tariffs, made notes of the packages including itineraries, vegetarian food options, places that will be visited, and of course keeping my budget in mind constantly. The sense of self-reliance gives one an additional source of soul satisfaction. Treat yourself to Glimpses of Laos

I went through portals like Kiwi.com(https://www.kiwi.com), Make My Trip.com, (https://www.makemytrip.com/) Expedia,(https://www.expedia.co.in/) Booking.com, (https://booking.com) Agoda, (https://www.agoda.com) Trivago(https://www.trivago.in/),Airbnb (https://www.airbnb.co.in) to book air tickets and accommodation. Then I checked portals like Viator (https://www.viator.com/) and Expedia, (https://www.expedia.co.in/) to book sightseeing packages. All of them had wide range of different kinds of budget options for accommodation,  flights, cruises, packages, and accommodation.

Some people prefer to book deals on the websites of the travel & tour / cruise companies itself … which maybe an easier and user friendly option, but the safety of guarantees and Google reviews work better on portals. However I must caution you... booking on portals makes cancellation and refunds of flights a ghastly nightmare. So booking flight tickets works best on their respective official websites itself. But coursing through portals / aggregators gives one an idea of competitive pricing. Add ons like wheelchairs for assisted passengers, payment for extra luggage, meal options are weak links on portals... official websites are more effective for these kind of add ons. 

For starters Google reviews on portals keep a check on fly by night operators. It is safer to book with credit cards through portals… Having said that in case of cancellation or rearranging dates may prove costlier on portals. Changing dates of flight tickets may give you refunds in some cases but that will be applicable only if it is booked on the website of the airline. Portals like Kiwi.com or Make My Trip.com may most likely redirect you to the official website of the airline should you need a refund on a cancelled / changed flight ticket. Changing the date of flight might prove costly with no refunds possible. So it helps to have planned one's itinerary, tentative list of accommodation sightseeing, and plan of surface transport, F & B, shopping etc.

Between the warranties and terms and conditions of the two sites then, chances of losing the refund are higher. So it is really mandatory to freeze plans before booking tickets. One more essential factor: when booking on aggregators or portals like on the ones mentioned above, it may not be possible to book extra essentials like either meal options or wheelchairs etc. Promo codes might not be valid on portals either... sometimes they work, but mostly they don't ... so cross checking over and over again helps you save your money during budget travels. One has to do some extensive research. Low cost airlines may not even be listed on portals… these are essential factors to reckon with.

I booked one forest bungalow through Airbnb in Koh Phi Phi in Thailand and ferry tickets on Siam Ferry As far as public transport goes, its best to go through the official website rather than through outsourced agencies’ / aggregators’ websites. Here again the AirBNB forest bungalow was a misnomer. Although priced at a cool $50 a day, it was deceptive because in humid Koh Phi Phi even in the 2nd week of January air-conditioning was missing in this cozy looking bamboo cottage on stilts on a forest hill slope! And this package was room rent only, sans complimentary buffet breakfast, or any meal-plan. 

After almost 60 days of intense online research,  and disappointment with travel agencies, I shortlisted an itinerary. My self-designed itinerary included-  according to my priorities - 

1. 4 – 5 days cruise on the Mekong Delta in Vietnam; I was also fastidious about a Mekong River cruise in Christmas vacation and to celebrate New Year Eve in Halong Bay. 
2. I also prioritised wildlife, what I could see of geological impressions and the wide horizons. However the cruise that fell within my budget was not available on 25^th December despite all my planning and efforts! I could only get a 2 nights 3 days package starting from Ho Chi Minn on 26^th December 2018. That I had the time of my life comes out in the film I made on on Budget travel in Vietnam which can be viewed here.
3. Next priority was to do sightseeing in and around Angkor Wat temples of Cambodia in the week before Makara Sankranthi which occurs around 14th to 15th of January every year. If you want to view my photo blog on Angkor Wat click here: Angkor Wat temples of Cambodia The synchronicity of Makara Sankranthi is an intellectual marvel and you may want to read a couple of blogs by me on the traditional wisdom of the lunar almanac here: Earthquake Forecasting Lunar almanac and synchronicity

Do please, subscribe to my blogs, if you are interested in traditional wisdom, travel writing, photo blogs and environment. 

But for now, coming back to my South east Asia trip planning ...It was essential to book flight tickets, then accommodation and then apply for visas and then the tour packages in that order. I had a few priorities. I had to be in Siem Reap in Cambodia in the week before 14^th January as the sunrise is spectacular before the winter solstice of the lunar almanac. The winter solstice of the Lunar Almanac occurs on 14th / 15th of January - approximately 21 days after the Winter Solstice of the Christian Calendar - this 21 days is in perfect synchronicity to the tilt of the Earth's axis. So I had fixed my visit to Cambodia between 2^nd to 7^th January. Thereafter I could work my way around these crucial dates.

My Itinerary:

Finally my itinerary shaped up like this:

1.      A Sunset cruise on the Mekong River in Luang Prabhang in Laos on day 1 on 23.12.18;

2.      Then a full day in transit before reaching Ho Chi Minn City in Southern Vietnam on 24.12/18;

3.      1 day sight-seeing in Ho Chi Minn City on 25.12.18; I had also wanted to do sightseeing in HCMC on 30.12.18 if time permitted. 

4.      Then a 2 nights 3 days Mekong Cruise in the Delta region of the Mekong in Southern Vietnam starting 26.12.18;

5.      Then a one day trek cum package tour of the Kangya Mangrove Biosphere Reserve where the Mekong drains into the Pacific Ocean (29.12.18);Then a dinner cruise on the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minn City the same evening.

6.      Then another half day rest, if possible sightseeing in HCMC before transiting to Hanoi in northern Vietnam (30.12.18).

7.      From Hanoi I was to go to Halong Bay to spend New Year’s Eve 2019 for an overnight cruise (31.12.18 – 1.01.19).

8.      Thereafter I was scheduled to return to Hanoi for an overnight stay, rest a bit and fly to Cambodia (2.01.19).

9.      In Siem Reap Cambodia I was essentially there for a recce for an upcoming film I have to do on Angkor Wat and the Khmer temple civilisation;

10.  After 5 days in Cambodia and a full day in transit I was scheduled to arrive for a 7 days holiday in Thailand on 7.01.2019.

11.  In Thailand I had promised myself to do some soul satisfying beach bumming and have a true holiday for seven days from 7.01.19 – 14.01.19. 

In retrospect it was an exhausting tour. By the end of 22 days I was homesick and was left craving for simple home cooked Indian food. I managed to lose 4 kilos during this 3 weeks holiday. If only I can keep up this pace I can lose the 7 kilos that I should, to please my doctors! But well, I had wanted to do a tour of all these places for a very long time. Better to do it one’s own terms and convenience than shelling out to travel agencies to go to places where your heart does not necessarily sanction pleasure.

It helped to book tickets on Thai Airways for four segments – 

• Bangalore to Bangkok, then 
• Bangkok to Luang Prabhang, then 
• Luang Prabhang to Bangkok and 
• Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City. 

Being the flag carrier, Thai Airways offers sufficient luggage allowance and food at no extra cost. In Vietnam, I booked the low cost Viet Jet to fly from: 

• Ho Chi Minn City to Hanoi and 
• Hanoi to Siem Reap Cambodia. 

Booking Viet Jet was a regrettable affair; for, not only were they discourteous to a physically challenged passenger, but even the wheelchair service I purchased was not honoured. The vegetarian meal I purchased was not given either. And no refunds sorry. 

Then booking tickets on Air Asia and its alliance partners like Thai Air Asia was not bad. Air Asia is the best among low cost airlines on globally competitive terms. 

From Siem Reap Cambodia to Bangkok in Thailand I got Thai Lion Air… though they did not have vegetarian meal that I had booked they were able to give me soy milk and a sandwich which is more or less a full meal one can expect on a flight. But considering I had to fly further from Bangkok to Krabi with a 7 hour layover in Bangkok, sandwich and soy milk was not really a full meal!

Again, Thai Air Asia flight from Bangkok to Krabi gave me the vegetarian meal option I had booked so Malini was very pleased! Krabi to Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur to Bangalore also pleased me gastronomically :) ... on Air Asia.

For accommodation I settled for budget accommodation: - all booked through Booking.com and that gave me my Dollars’ worth of returns. 

Y Not Laos Hostel was just perfect for a one night stay in Laos. 

Although Laos is very scenic, and photogenic, I admit I was a bit scared before arrival there. Decades ago – before Luang Prabhang was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site it was at the heart of a Drug Triangle. As a single woman traveler who is also physically challenged and without the support of a travel agent, I was a bit nervous. What if a drug addict or peddler deposits a small packet of crack in my back pack? What if I would have been subjected to a court trial in Laos and awarded the death penalty? Scary thoughts made me decide in favour of a short stay for my first trip to Laos. Safer than sorry, I told myself. After visiting I realised that a group tour with the comfort of a travel agent’s services makes Laos a rewarding visit. But this recce tour as it turned out will help me discern  the travel agent's avaricious maneuveres if at all for a future trip. 

One has to visit Laos for at least a week to 10 days to do full justice to Nature and Adventure tourism, heritage tourism and sightseeing destinations. Check out my travelogue on You Tube: - Mint Mojito on the Mekong

There are Indian restaurants in Luang Prabhang, Pakse and Vientiane in Laos for foodies like me. For people  who are fastidious about Indian flavours of vegetarian food, South East Asia was indeed a challenge; For full details of Indian restaurants Indian restaurants in Southeast Asia you may want to scroll down on Trailblazer 

The sightseeing places to visit in Laos include Luang Prabhang, Pak Ou caves, Kwangsi Falls, Nam Et - Phou Louey National Protected Area, Nam Xam National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area, Nakai-Nam Theun National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area, Dong Hua Sao National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area, and Dong Hua Sao National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area.

In these places, if you are wildlife lucky - you can get to sight the Wallacean predator bird the Cassowary …Cassowary is the pyramid avian species in this hemisphere.

However I have to clarify that Cassowary is a land bird not given to flying. Pakse is the gateway to those famed tree top resorts in Pakbeng province. Apart from Luang Prabhang, Vientiane, Pakse, there is an archipelago on the Mekong River called 4000 Islands.

For those inclined towards rural tourism and heritage tourism, this place is worth a visit. 

The Mekong cruises both Up River and downstream have a variety of luxury and budget options to choose from. You may wish to book up your Mekong cruises from Viator, Agoda, or Expedia. Mekong Eyes and Mekong Explorer are cruise companies with a variety of budget options for luxury cruises and budget cruises.  Your hosts or hotel staff maybe able to guide you additionally for half day cruises or cheaper options of Mekong River cruises. Some sites which are useful for cruise research are:

1.      http://cruisemekong.com/routes-destinations/impressions-of-the-mekong.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzfGbwff-4gIVDyQrCh3xswh7EAAYAiAAEgIDy_D_BwE,

2.      https://www.luangsay.com/,

3.      https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g295415-d13172160-ReviewsLuang_Say_Cruise-Luang_Prabang_Luang_Prabang_Province.html,

4.      https://www.asian-oasis.com/luang-say-cruise.html,

5.      http://mekongboat.com/cruises/luang-say-cruise-20.html, 

6.      https://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Luang_Say_Mekong_River_Cruise.htm?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzfGbwff-4gIVDyQrCh3xswh7EAMYAyAAEgKBVPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Mekong Eyes, Mekong Explorer were the two most prominent cruise operators when I was planning my trips. I chose Mekong Eyes cruise in Vietnam. The Kangya (spelt as Can Gio) Mangrove Biosphere Reserve is a large Mangrove forest on the southeast coast of Vietnam … about 100 kilometres southeast from Ho Chi Minn City where the Mekong drains into the Pacific Ocean. Boat rides in the creeks are possible only during high tide. Lunch is included in the one day package tour and they offered vegetarian options for grass grazing Malini! 

The one day tour includes a stop at the Kangya Edible Nest Swiftlet Research Station which is a captive breeding station for edible nest swiftlets. Edible Nest Swiftlets are a delicacy in large parts of Southeast Asia. During the visit to this research station we were treated to a fine cup of cold lemon grass tea. Lemon grass tea and echo location of edible nest swiftlets done with; we headed to the Kanya Mangrove Biosphere Reserve. Here a 4 kilometre trek on plain ground (dry / wet clayee soil) takes you to the frontier of the mangrove forest where you see life size exhibits of American soldiers and scenes from the Vietnam War. The Kangya Mangrove Biosphere Reserve was the amphitheatre of war crimes because this was one of the places where the Americans dropped the nerve agent Sarin. To know more about the incident which changed the course of the Vietnam War read the sad story of kim Phuc on Phan Thi Kim Phuc

This bomb had seared the skin on the young children of the nearby villages. Photographs published around the world literally brought home the cruelty of war crimes in Vietnam to the whole world. It marked the beginning of the end of the War and American hegemony. It came to personify the defeat of Uncle Sam as it were and changed Geo politics – ironically in favour of a uni-polar world. Ofcourse it twisted the Cold War in unimaginable ways and like they say, the rest is history.

After an exhilarating trek in Kangya Mangrove Biosphere Reserve in the forenoon of 29^th December 2018 it was time to head out for lunch which was included in the package tour. The operator had ensured that I get some satisfying vegetarian fare. I got a whole platter of vegetable salad, noodles, some fritters, some bread (which is referred to as Phobun in Vietnam). I could not eat much of the noodles and raw spinach (which is Bokchoi in the Far East), but I ate to satiate the hunger. Much as I craved for Sake made of Breadfruit or Pandanus I could not get it in the winter). I ordered an extra cup of hot chocolate to satiate my tongue. Then it was a rapid return to Ho Chi Minn City splitting my hair to beat the traffic.

I had been invited for a dinner cruise on board the Bonsai cruises that same day, so I had to report at the pier in Ho Chi Minn City’s District 4 by 6.45 pm. It was a bit tense to beat the traffic, reach my hotel by 6.00p.m, change, and rush to the pier by 6.45 p.m.

The Bonsai Cruise meanders through the Saigon River in the heart of Ho Chi Minn City showcasing the illuminated buildings in the Central Business District. Glimpses of the flotilla on the Saigon River make for an inspiring and rewarding evening on board the cruise. The dinner buffet is widespread and rewards the taste buds too.

Watch my travelogue on Vietnam here: Mekong Cruise: A dream come true

The next day I had a leisurely morning in Ho Chi Minn which gave me an opportunity to do yoga in my hotel, and then after a relaxed brunch I had a half day ahead of me for transit to Hanoi in North Vietnam. Hanoi is referred to as the garden City of Vietnam and the Pearl of the Orient. Generous lovers of Hanoi also call it the Paris of the East.

If you wish to visit my photo blog on Halong Bay do visit Halong Bay

If you don’t have a taxi hailing app in Vietnam, you will be at the mercy of the taxi and Tuk – Tuk drivers, much worse than India as is the case in most South Asian countries. Since I was ripped off when I bought a local sim card I was operating only on Wi-Fi so taxi hailing apps regardless of the language barrier was not for me. One thing in favour of taxis service in Vietnam, is they are all prepared to accept card payment. Given that $ 100 is VnD 2,328,835.91 going cashless is safer! Not necessarily because of any concerns about crime… Vietnam is largely crime free ... a compatriot living in Ho Chio Minn City tells me… but safer for numerically challenged people … to which I most certainly belong!

From experience I suggest not to go by low cost airlines like Viet Jet in Vietnam. I was duped thrice over by Viet Jet on two flights. First because my advance purchase of a vegetarian meal option for my flight from Ho Chi Minn to Hanoi was not honoured. Neither was the wheelchair service I had purchased given to me in Hanoi International Airport. In retrospect I think the concept of a wholly vegetarian meal is completely alien in the Far East.

The staple food normally comprises of a bowl of salad with minced beef or pork, a slice of fish, a cup of white polished rice and a drink … either coffee or a fruit juice. Both coffee and chocolate drinks are generously sweetened; unsweetened options are rare and have to be insisted upon; but one can never be sure of getting unsweetened food or beverage. Diabetics beware! Same goes for yoghurts and fruit mock tails. Sweeteners are generously used.

What really cheesed me off was that despite paying for a wheelchair service, in Hanoi I was not given a wheelchair. This was utterly unfair to a person in need of a wheelchair. In any European or American country the airline operator would have been scared of being sued; not here in he Orient though. The ground staff at the Hanoi airport refused to bring the wheelchair to the plane. Nor was there an air bridge connecting the aircraft to the airport terminal. It was past 10.00 pm, cold like hell at 9⁰ Celsius, raining with sleet and hailstones on the tarmac. An air hostess held an umbrella for me and accompanied my slow walk across the hailstone ridden tarmac to the waiting bus that was ferrying passengers to the terminal.  On arrival inside the terminal I noticed the ground staff waiting cosily for me with a wheelchair! Not really funny. Very insensitive I thought.

The flight from Hanoi to Siem Reap in Cambodia on Viet Jet too deprived me of the vegetarian rice meal I had purchased. I had to additionally purchase canned milk to sustain my cravings over a long transit.

Yet, I must say the Mekong Eyes Cruise company Mekong Eyes which I had chosen for a Mekong delta cruise in Southern Vietnam had made arrangements for a wheelchair even on a timber boat across the Nine Dragons – the delta region of the Mighty Mekong.

Despite the blighting cold, the much anticipated Wind Down to the New Year, in Halong Bay was a mixed bag. The tour operator tried her best to make it comfortable. There was no heating on board the cruise ship in Halong Bay. The crew compensated with warm bed linen. There was not much of a choice for vegetarian fare - atleast not the spicy fare we Indians are used to - but I had bargained for waiver of surcharge against bringing my own Heat and Eat Indian packaged food, which was a saviour to some extent. To be fair, the tour operator had made available some choice including vegetarian spring rolls, Pho Bun, Rice with Soy sauce and vinegars, vegetarian spring rolls, vegetable salads, scrambled eggs with tomato curry, fruit platters, rice noodles and endless amounts of Connoisseur's choice Vietnamese coffee. But there was comfort in eating microwaved preservative laden heat n eat Indian rice fare.  

Only problem with the Vietnamese coffee was that they offer it with sweetened condensed milk. This sweetened condensed milk although delicious deprives coffee connoisseurs the genuine taste of coffee!

I think there were about 14 passengers including children and teenagers for the New Year Eve sail. The sighting of karst rocks and mountain chains across the shallow sea makes an inspiring sight. If only it had not been so cold dull and grey the sea would have looked a stunning blue. The best season to visit Halong Bay is apparently end of September and first week of October. 

In Cambodia I was booked in a very charming leafy guest house. But the unpleasant surprise in Cambodia was that the tour operator of Viator in Siem Reap bluntly refused to allow me on a small group tour and the Sunrise photography tour on the grounds that I am physically challenged. While I lost $99 I had paid for the tour booking which was never reimbursed, I felt really hurt and discriminated against for being physically challenged. The local agent of Viator went ahead and cancelled my booking and I have still not got the reimbursement for the arbitrary, unjustified, discrimatory, cancellation. The two sightseeing packages I had booked in Cambodia – on Viator - were cancelled by the tour operator – like I said - on the inhuman grounds that I am physically challenged.

One sightseeing trip that was not booked on Viator was a half day cruise on the Tonle Sap Lake, which was a nice experience. We get to see a floating market where fisherfolk dwell on boats in the Lake. A vegetarian food option that was included in my ticket offered vegetarian fried rice with ketchup, a cocktail, a fruit platter and either coffee or a chocolate drink. There are Sunrise, lunch, Sunset or dinner cruise options for the Tonle Sap Lake tour during the dry season.  They come in an affordable price range. As a bonus I saw a fresh water snake swimming in its natural habitat during the boat ride on the Tonle Sap. That was a heartening surprise!

The next day I was booked for tethered balloon rides courtesy of Angkor Balloon Rides (https://www.angkorballoon.com/sights.html) who invited me to Sunrise, late afternoon and Sunset tours or balloon rides. Thanks to late afternoon winds the afternoon ride and the sunset tour were pushed to within minutes of each other. They offer rides for $15 per head for a 10 minutes balloon ride and needless to reiterate the Sunset and Sunrise tours offer dramatic denouement of the celestial kind. 

“The limitation of words”… to quote my friend Alex makes an apt description of the helium balloon ride to watch Angkor at Sunset! 

The setting Sun does magic to the architectural marvel. The tethered balloon operates on helium air and is thus climate friendly unlike the hot air balloon rides.

The following day, 7.01.2019 I left for Thailand. It was again a half day in transit. But the moment you set foot in Thailand you see the sophistication in the economy. The creature comforts, the availability of a wide choice in foods and drinks, the food courts, the duty free shops, the care and comfort for physically challenged people … my anxiety vanished after arriving in Thailand. Even the so called low cost airlines airport – the Don Meung Airport in Bangkok has a vast array of creature comforts.  After a 5 hour layover in Bangkok I took an early evening flight on Thai Air Asia to Krabi. I could watch sunset from the Air!

I arrived in Krabi and checked into the Reset Hostel which is located close to the beach and gives you stunning views of the Sunset. Reset Hostel is run by a young couple. It is very well kept, has a choice of male and female dormitories as well as a couple of private rooms but what struck me most was the wide choice in the buffet breakfast

The next day I was booked for a day trip of the James Bond Island. If you wish to visit my photo blog on James Bond Island  visit James Bond Island 

My film on Thailand can be watched on Thailand Beckons

You can also see my photo blog on Thai architecture on Samples of Thai architecture - a slideshow

The day trip to James Bond Island was the trip of a lifetime. Words cannot describe the beauty of the landscape and seascape. The mangrove forests, the fault-lines that jut out of the sea, the sea breeze that lets your hair fly, the contrasting colours, the food, the merry laughter on the cruise ships, the sighting of birds, rocks, caves, cliffs, marine wildlife, … it makes for an inspiring day’s outing. Finally when you arrive in front of the James Bond Island, despite the tricky hopping in and out of the boats, the sight of the rock is not just mesmerising, but the allure for shopping kitsch and Thai textiles beguiles the woman in you! The tour includes a lunch break in the Muslim village where vegetarian options included fried rice and fruit but enterprising travellers can check out Pad Thai, colourful cocktails, Thai curry with the famed lemon grass flavour, and a variety of other native Thai foods including squid, prawn curry, Tom kha kai curry and rice, papaya salads, Tom yum, Gaeng Keow Wan Kai. In the Muslim village one cannot expect pork – for those who want to indulge in red meat.

To give you a deeper insight or introduction to Thai food you can click the photo blog link Thai Foods

From experience I share this: it helps one to base oneself in Krabi and do one day tours of nearby Railey Beach, Ao Nang Beach, Koh Lanta, Ko Yao Yai, Poda Island, Koh Phi Phi Don, and Phuket instead of shifting from one place to another. Ferry boats from the harbour are reliable and functional. Additionally fantastic cruise boats are also a luxury option.Star Cruise If you want to soak your soul in fancy cruise ships go no further than Cruise Ships!

Thereafter one can take a flight to Langkawi Langkawi for another three days to hop over to nearby islands for sightseeing if one so wishes. But by and large all the islands have similar ecosystems. 

Ao Nang and Railey Beaches and Koh Phi Phi Islands have tourist friendly infrastructure and accommodation types to suit all budgets. I took island hoping too seriously and booked for myself a low budget beach bungalow in Koh Lanta which looked very photogenic but it was a beach bungalow with an attached toilet a cold water shower and nothing else. 

No food outlets other than some beach restaurants which were very expensive, no room service, no buffet breakfast; so not a very practical option. That is why I said earlier it is better to base oneself in Krabi and do day tours of nearby islands.

Another practical option maybe a  Cruise ship holiday where you retire to air-conditioned luxury suites on a ship with dazzling evening entertainment on board, gourmet food choice,  and day time island hopping or beach bumming. For a full blown photo blog on cruise ships click Here

But Phi Phi Island is a must do. Koh Phi Phi Don is so photogenic and on Airbnb I got a fantastic looking log hut in a forest setting for $50 a day. The posters for the log hut on Air BNB was not the one I got though. And there was no AC. To go to Phi Phi one has to make an informed decision. There is no public transport as no four wheelers are allowed within the island.

My story of arrival in Koh Phi Phi may make you laugh even if I was crying. Hear me out!  There is no public transport as no four wheelers are allowed within the island. It’s a merry place for those who really enjoy walking and the outdoors.

On arrival in Phi Phi, the chap who had come to the pier to pick me up had not displayed my name on the board, rather, he had mentioned his name on the display board! Secondly, the name of the resort that Airbnb had displayed mentioned the Log Hut as Roomfilla. However the guy from the resort had called himself Ingphu resort, this was the name registered in Thailand. Now how are we supposed to know this? I went past him. It was only when the ship crew who assisted me with my huge suitcase to the arrival deck beckoned me to stop, that I did. The ship crew prompted me to tell this guy that I am the guest he is waiting for. He was too sleepy and said something in Thai language to which the crew from the ship nodded and asked me to accompany him further to the market square at the head of the arrival deck of the pier. He told me to wait there with my luggage, took his tip and left me to the elements. A bevy of shops selling kitsch to textiles looked enticing even; but I could not kill the anxiety in my bosom… A while  later I saw other passengers also waiting at this same square and figured that this was the actual pick up spot for guests to Phi Phi. It took another 30 minutes for an old and frail looking man with an apologetic grey stubble breaching his face to come to me with a luggage trolley. No vehicle in sight anywhere. The language barrier made him incommunicado. He clumsily deposited my luggage on the trolley and gesticulated to me to follow him.

A furlong later I figured that I could not quite climb a mountain accompanying this man and my luggage on foot. I kept whining asking him to bring a vehicle. What he told me was not comprehensible. He stopped a passing motorcyclist and said something to him and gestured to me to explain the situation to him in English all by flailing his hands wildly. I did. The motorcyclist was kind enough to understand my situation and offered to drop me at Roomfilla. I took my passport, purse and sat pillion on the motorbike. The frail porter took my luggage including camera bag and return flight tickets and went to the resort on foot. I did not know who this guy was and I was utterly nervous. I only knew he was kind and helpful. 

Phi Phi Don is a H shaped twin Island with sea water engulfing the isthmus that connects the two islands. We started searching for Roomfilla. But he did not know about it as he had never heard it before. Up we went on one hill, searching for it in the forest covered hill. Could not find it. We came hurtling downhill on the two wheeler. We stopped at a village and asked around. None had ever heard of Roomfilla. Up we went on the other hill. We came down to the pier between the two hills again. He told me that the safest place for me to wait for the resort to pick me up was at the tourist police station, he brought me there, explained the situation to the cops left me there and went his way!

Imagine my state. I was convinced by then that this internet booking was not just a rip off but I maybe in serious trouble. I started crying in desperation. In panic I offered to show my visa and passport to the cops. They said it was unnecessary. One cop knew English and asked me if I had the contact number of the resort. Between sobs I told that it was there in my e mail but without Wi-Fi I had no access to my e mail. He helpfully signed in with Wi-Fi password on my cellphone and I gave him the contact number of the resort. The cops called the resort. The driver of the resort was asked to come to the police station and pick me up even if it is on a two wheeler. Meanwhile handsome cats in the police station kept me company between sobs. So finally I reached Roomfilla or Ingphu resort by 1245 noon even though the ship had docked at the pier in Phi Phi at 9.00am sharp. I was famished, hungry, upset, shaking with fear and rage … all emotions rolled into gritting teeth! At check in I did not have the energy or the nerve to complain further.

I asked the owner cum receptionist why she had not sent a vehicle when they had sent someone to pick me at the pier. How are guests expected to walk uphill with luggage I asked her? “By walk” she snapped. That was when I was told that Phi Phi Don does not have vehicular movement save for two wheelers. I told her with moist eyes imagine how one would feel ending up at the police station when one comes for a nice seaside holiday.  

Then came the discovery that the fabulous looking log hut in the forest actually lacked air conditioning; - a mandatory fixture in coastal areas of the tropics, definitely in Thailand. I immediately upgraded my room to a pool side air conditioned luxury room and successfully bargained. Hell I deserved it after skipping dinner, meals on flights, falling on my knees at an international airport, and losing my credit card in Phi Phi Don! Yes on the day I arrived in Phi Phi, I lost my international credit card t an ATM. What Luck!

Unfortunately I could not do much sightseeing owing to the fact that I am not fit to walk downhill and uphill to do sightseeing in Phi Phi… That was a pity. The Port authority operates a round the island boat trip for a cool 600 Thai Bahts which is supposed to be highly sought after especially by Europeans and Americans. I am told it’s a magnificent colour kaleidoscope of Nature’s blessings on the Tropics! Such a pity I could not avail of this treat … didn’t know if I should blame my childhood paralysis or the island Administration.

After three days of stagnating in the resort I only did a bit of birding, learning Thai cooking, making friends in the resort and a bit of textile shopping and filming inside the resort, I finally left Phi Phi by ship again to reach Krabi for the connecting flight to Kuala Lumpur to head back to India. The return journey by ship from Phi Phi to Krabi offers the spectacle of cool sea breeze, sea spray and the beguiling sights of fault lines appearing above sea level as mountain chains. It is a live and fascinating lesson in Marine Geology. On reaching Kuala Lumpur airport, homesickness hit me hard. All my family members, pet animals cousins were all waiting for my return and boy I couldn’t wait to eat home cooked comfort food. It prompted my former colleague in Sri Lanka to exclaim that we Indians love our food so much. The Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Bangalore seemed an eternity and I kept looking down longingly into the Bay of Bengal!

Home cooked food and the comfort of sleeping on my own bed at home after reaching home at 1.00 am on 15th January 2019 gave me a new meaning to homesickness and home sweet home!

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog and viewing the embedded links. I sincerely hope my experience will aid you in planning your trip to any one or all of the destinations in this region. Wishing you safe travels... 

Malini Shankar for Digital Discourse Foundation https://digitaldiscourse.org.in   

Photo credits: Malini Shankar, Pixabay, WWMC.

Compiled  curated and blogged by Malini Shankar