Thailand: Koh Samui - How to go Koh Samui and Glimpse of Lamai Beach.

So March 2013 John and I went to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, the famous islands in Thailand. 

John loves sea and Koh Tao has the most dive spots among all the islands in Thailand, so we decided to just stay one night in Koh Samui, and transferred to Koh Tao for 4d3n. We took a day for Koh Phangan too. 

So if you're taking Airasia, you will stop in Surathani, the state of Koh Samui.

You will have to take bus to pier and change ferry to reach the island. In short...

How to go Koh Samui from Surathani Airport?

Airasia = Kuala Lumpur - Surathani (bout 1h +)

Bus = Surathani Airport - Pier (1 & half hour, )

Ferry = Pier - Koh Samui DokSak Pier (2 hours)

Don't worry because you're clueless on where to get bus and ferry ticket. 

There are ticket counter for Bus + Ferry ticket sold in Surathani airport, 500bath / way / person (as in March 2013), and bus is waiting right outside of airport to send you to the pier, just hop on the ferry and you'll arrive in Koh Samui in next 3 to 4 hours. 

Alternatively, if you want quicker route, you can take Berjaya Air for direct route from Kuala Lumpur to Koh Samui. So you can save on bus and ferry transfer time. 

And yea, there is an airport in Koh Samui, but its not a busy airport anyway. 

Random on the air pix taken by John

You can see this in the exist of custom in airport.

Pier meeting point.

The ferry.

and there we reach samui.

Alright, Koh Samui is not an big Island, but defo a very developed tourist destination.

There are a few bays in Samui but the most happening aka most tourists bay is Chaweng Beach (refer to map below), you can get almost everything (including airport and pier) in that bay. If you had ever been Phuket, you can expect Chaweng Beach is similar with that.

But John and I both dislike happening place, we prefer small town so that we could real relax.

And for that we choose Lamai Beach for our 1 night stay before transfer to Koh Tao in the next day.

grad from internet.

Its take half hour from DokSak Pier to Lamai Beach, there are plenty of minivan waiting in the pier so nothing to worry bout.

Just to remind you, some hotel do provide pier pick up service with minimal cost or free if you stay with them, so check with hotel before spend extra for taking transport. 

Lamai Beach has shorter bay but less happening, suitable for those who want a relax holiday.

Yet Lamai is handy enough even there are only one main street. You can get convenience store, McDonald, a right size of night market aka hawker center, tour center, budget to luxury accommodation in this place.

quite street in the late afternoon

started to see crowd and road block for night market later.

went for a short walk in the beach, thru this public road.

thanks for the great evening.

can you see the blue sea and sky?

Don't worry on restaurant and food in Lamai, wide range of restaurants in the place, you can choose a sea side restaurant for a romantic dinner date, you spend minimal bucks for maximum street foods in night market.

And we choose the latter.

Totally different with what we seen in the day time. 

hawker center is not huge but full of food!

the eating area 

John's fave pork

stir fried rice, noodle, meat and vege.

we couldn't get a table so we packed some food and had it in our hotel room. 

The next day, we went to a seaside hotel for buffet breakfast (our hotel doesn't provide breakfast), and enjoy our last few hours in Samui before depart to Koh Tao.

we came here for the view but not food.

nice and comfortable.

average foods though.

but the atmosphere worth it all. 

Ok now you may ask, how to go Koh Tao from Koh Samui?

There are plenty of tour center organize ferry / speed boat ticket to and from Koh Tao, 2 trips in a day and plenty of seats, so you have nothing to worry about even you book it one day before depart.

There are 2 ship companies organize the transfer trip:
1. Seatran
2. Lamprayah.

Both companies have same schedule, which is 8am and 130pm, both 750/way/person including hotel transfer to the pier.

We choose 130pm and minivan pick up in hotel between 11.30am to 12nn.

last but not least, my best travel partner and I.

Alright next post will be Samui hotel review. 

I promise i will pick up blog post as fast as i can ok! I putting effort la you see? this is the 3rd post of the month le!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kthxbye!

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
20140514, 1111am
Rach in prepare to work mood and yea my working hour start by 1230nn lalalalalalalal.

Nepal: Pokhara - World Peace Pagoda

The most obvious route up to the pagoda begins on the south bank of Fewa Lake, behind the Fewa Resort.

Boatmen will drop you in the lakeside and the path leads straight up the hillside on cut stone steps. 

easy path.

reminder.

a little bit tough after you walk into jungle.

1st stop point aka the Fewa Resort that i mentioned earlier. 

We had whole day for the pagoda so we take our american time to enjoy the scenery.

We stopped by for more than an hour, had our late morning tea and snack with the following wonderful scenery. 

I feel like never want to leave this place. 

oversea the Annapurna 

great weather indeed.

and you can see the old town of Pokhara from here. 

on the roof top of Fewa Resort. 

another leisure hiking from the stop point to the Pagoda.

Be respect

opening and closing time.

and ta-da, the beautiful white pagoda.

in memory of one of the founder. 

fats and i.

 We took another route to got back from pagoda and that is our biggest regret to did so!

We refer to Lonely Planet, The Scenic Route (2h) and that route is actually having road construction, we were walking on the edge of the mountain when huge truck passing by.

this is how our feet look like after the "scenic route".  

Alright this is the quick one, and this mark the end of my Nepal trip.

Yea yea yea i know i mentioned to write some restaurant review in Pokhara but i got no nice picture to show (its either too dark because of current cut off or blur), so i will just skip that.

Next will be hmmm.... Koh Samui & Koh Tao, Thailand, which we paid the visit in March 2013.

And yea again i know has been delay for more than a year, i will pick it up ok!

Do come back and visit me often.

By the way if you have any question on Nepal or other trips, please do not hesitate to ask me!








Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
140503, 1115am
Rach in rushing out mood.

Nepal: Pokhara - Noble Inn Review + Fewa Lake Boat Trip.

This will be a combine post for Pokhara accommodation review and Few Lake, the main attraction of Pokhara.

As Pokhara is one of the main travel destination of Nepal (because of its lake, a few leisure to medium level trek and extreme activity such as paragliding and etc), just don't worry bout accommodation, there are countless of inn, guesthouse, hotel even luxury resort available.

We did some research and found out some famous place such as Hotel Blue Heaven, Hotel Peace Plaza are overprice, probably because they're located in the nicest point where guest could see Himalayan from room. 

But well, we don't stay in the room all the time so doesn't really matter if we could see the mountains from room.

Again, my priority to choose a room were: 

1. Great sun light.

2. Clean and airy. 

3. Quiet environment yet handy to go everywhere. 

So our final decision is Noble Inn, which located in an alley off the main street. 

where noble inn located.

you can see the signboard on the entrance of alley from main street. Noble inn is not the only guesthouse in that alley so nothing to worry bout when walk back during night time. 

lovely and sunny building.

We waved a taxi in the bus station and its only cost us less than RM10 to the place, but yea the bus station isn't far from main street.

We love the place in our first sign, lovely big garden and stand alone building with not more than 15 rooms, big window in every room and guess what...

We only book a standard double room (USD 14/night) and got upgrade to suite room (USD 24/night). Ok because we told the manager that we were on honeymoon hahahahahhahahahahahahaah.

Suite room come with a small living room and big balcony, where you will see the following view right there. 

right from our balcony. 

A short clip that shown the mountain view and surrounding of the guesthouse. 

Of course not super full view of Himalaya but it was good enough for us!

Shame that i didn't take down any room picture (i never thought i will have to starting hotel review post that time). But Noble Inn do have an website, you can get all kind of information from there. 

Noble Inn, Pokhara. 

Add: Mansawar Rd, Pokhara, 33700, Nepal.
Tel: +977 61-464926
Website: http://nobleinn.com/

You will love Noble Inn if...

1. You're looking for fair deal more than great hotel facilities enjoyment.

2. Simple yet clean, bright and airy room. 

3. Love quiet environment yet not too far from the center. 

And something that you might should have to know before contact Noble Inn... 

1. No power supply 24h, just like most of the hotels in Pokhara / Nepal. 

2. No internet connection when current cut off. But when power is on the connection was fair and smooth. 

3. Simple breakfast (breads and egg) serves slow (but hey what are you rushing for?)

4. Furniture is wore and old, but functioning well though. 

5. Hate to walk back though dark and quite alley during night time (we brought torch light and feel safe)   

6. Hot shower but hot water come slow. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pokhara got its name from Fewa Lake. 

Norbu told us, Pokhara in Nepal language mean "The Lake's City".

Fewa lake is the biggest lake in Nepal (or in the regional?), i love this place first saw from internet, because its very similar with Motueka, New Zealand, the small little town where i spent almost 4 months.

So the 2nd day in Pokhara, we took a walk in the lake side, like what the tourist usually did.

his collection, local door frame and his back. 

the lake is huge and hazy during early morning.

colourful boat everywhere. 

we decided to take boat to another side and hike up to Peace Pagoda. So we rent the boat with driver. 

our boat driver. 

very peaceful lake, but it is deep.

fats in the front.

and me.

the island in the middle is a temple, the Goddess of the lake.

lake and himalaya.

great weather

we come close to the lake and decided to stopped by and have a look.

small island and this is the only building 

the temple for the lake. 

people rushing in for praying.

this show you how big is the lake. 

bird on a bird.

the white peak is peace pagoda.

we love this small little town with calm lake. 

If you're confusing and wondering on the maps, let me do a little explanation. 

We took the boat from the boat place (refer maps below), and if you just want to visit temple, you can actually take boat from temple boat place, which is cheaper and nearer. 

So we took boat from boat place, stop by in temple and go to the starting point of world peace pagoda, and did 2 hours leisure hiking to the pagoda. 

Peach Pagoda post will be the next, and i'll continue with the surrounding of lake. 

So the day after we did hiking to pagoda, we went to temple boat place for walk after lunch. 

and we found lotsa colourful boats in the place and that was amazing. 

the best pix that i took in Pokhara

wider view of the lake from this point.

sharp color. 

sunken boat.

the lake bank. 

last but not least, us. =)

Alright will come back as soon as i can.

Next is Peace Pagoda.






20140501, 0420pm
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Rach in keep praying mood.