Archive for May, 2011
Andaman Coast: Quest for the Perfect Beach
By Thomas on May 30, 2011 | 1 Comment »
We have talked plenty about the tourism boom and overdevelopment in Thailand, but let’s be honest, there’s a reason why everyone wants to come here. And even though it can get a little crazy, we have managed to find relaxation on some of Thailand’s most beautiful beaches.
Some scenes in the video are well known destinations while others are isolated beaches we discovered while water-hiking. It’s all part of our ongoing quest to find the perfect beach.
Fun with Locals
By Thomas on May 29, 2011 | No Comments »
Although Tony mentioned growing conservatism among Muslim minorities in Southern Thailand in Burkas and the Art of Roti Canai, there’s obviously another side to the story. Young girls are still young girls, with or without headscarves. These girls were especially outgoing, stopping us to take our picture on Koh Tarutao. When we asked to take their photo, the girls struck a pose. Let’s just say there was a lot of giggling, and not just from us. 
Cleaning up Thailand
By Thomas on May 27, 2011 | 3 Comments »
On our previous visit to Koh Adang, Tony came across a beautiful stretch of white-sand beach while water-hiking. (Clearly, he was ignoring rule No. 2 in our last post.) He couldn’t wait to go back and show me his discovery. Twenty minutes of walking and twenty five minutes of swimming took us to what he had perceived as paradise. As we climbed out of the water onto the beach, we found ourselves standing on a once stunning stretch of white-powder sand covered in garbage. How could this be? » Continue reading this post »
Water-Hiking
By Tony on May 25, 2011 | 3 Comments »
It’s no secret that we love nature. And if you haven’t figured it out by now, we aren’t huge fans of crowds of tourists lying on our beaches. (We’ve said it before, we’re beach snobs.)
But our pictorials and videos from Goa to Palawan often show stunning, empty beaches completely devoid of much of the overdevelopment we complain about ad nauseum. Where are we getting these pictures?
On occasion, we are able to rent sea kayaks to get off the beaten track. But more commonly, we must resort to what we have come to call “water-hiking.” We often pack our beach sarongs and our smaller camera into a lightweight, good-quality Sea to Summit waterproof bag and put that into one of the low-cost, heavier Asian knock-off waterproof bags available everywhere and start exploring the coasts.
Walking through dense jungle without a good trail system is painful; thorns, vines, leeches, and pterodactyl-sized bugs don’t make it easy. This creates nice barriers between more populated beaches and small isolated beaches situated along undeveloped coastal areas. So if jungle trails start to disappear and rocky coasts become impassable » Continue reading this post »
Sunda Flying Lemurs
By Tony on May 23, 2011 | No Comments »
Well, they’re not lemurs and they can’t really fly, but they definitely are awesome! After almost two years in Southeast Asia, we’ve finally spotted two – count ‘em two – Sunda flying lemurs here on Koh Adang. The amazing gliding mammals swooped down in front of us and landed on a tree not far from our bungalow. Their highly unusual gliding skills are a site to behold – almost worth the two-year wait.
We know the brainiacs who visit our site need more info on these unusual creatures, so here is a link to the appropriate Wikipedia article as well as a short BBC clip below. Watch them fly – it’s weird and wonderful!
