Koh Lanta

The next day we went to Koh Lanta for one day. The island is larger than Koh PiPi and it has a lot of natural beauty. The beaches are very rocky and so you really can’t swim out there or at least you have to be careful. In order to get around on the beach we rented a scooter and drove it along the island road to just enjoy the sites and see what was around. Unfortunately, we missed all of the day outings so most of the day was just relaxing. At night we hung out at the hotel bar on the beach. The next day we headed back to the airport to end the island jumping weekend.

Koh Lanta

PiPi Don

The first day was spent arriving at the beach, checking out the shops, and laying on the beach and doing some small snorkeling. It was a nice relaxing beach and was great until some clouds and rain moved in. We had some dinner at this seafood restaurant and I had the silver fish in the pictures. The next day we went to the north beach and rented a kayak. We kayaked out the bay and to monkey beach. It was kind of stormy so it was a bit rocky, but the beach had great white sand and some monkeys for some good pictures. After some rest on the beach we kayaked back. After lunch we took a boat trip out to PiPi Leh where the movie “The Beach” was filmed. We got to do some great snorkeling, but unfortunately the underwater camera was broken and the pictures didn’t turn out. There was a bit of a storm so we had to walk over the island to the other beach in the rain. It kind of ruined the laying on the beach, but I think it added to the natural feel and a little bit of adventure to the island. The storm picked up when we were leaving and we had to have the workers paddle us out of the rapid waters. We ate dinner on the boat and headed back to PiPi Don. We caught some great fire performers at this bar before we called it a night.

PiPi Don Pictures Monkey Beach Pics PiPi Ley Pics

Krabi Province

This trip was a while ago, but better late than never. I went down to the Krabi province and stayed one night at Ao Nang Beach which is one of the stopping off beaches to take the ferry to Koh PiPi islands. It took a couple of hours to get to the island, but the scenery was beautiful. At Ao Nang it was mostly walking up and down the shops along the beach. I did walk into a bar that was setting up for a band. It was a pretty cool bar. It looked like it hadn't changed since the 70's. The decore was all American and British 60's and 70's rock bands. They were playing CCR and The Who with old videos of their concerts. I wanted to stay and hear the band but they took forever to setup and so we continued on and got ready for tomorrows travel.

Ao Nang Beach Pictures

Sentosa Beach

The next day I headed down to Sentosa beach which is a big island that is a big tourist destination. I dropped my stuff off at the hotel which was a modest stay and then started to check out the area. The first place I found was Under Water World. The Under Water World was very cool and you were able to walk through while the fish and sharks swam above you. I was able to get some good pictures from there. After the UnderWater World, I checked out the rest of the 3 beaches that were along the island. Also, I went and looked at the giant Merlion, a famous symbol of Singapore. It was a pretty impressive statue with nice fountains and gardens in the area. After checking out the beach, I went back to my hotel to actually check in and take a short break from the heat. Later, I returned to the beach for a little reading, people watching, and sleeping under the shade of a big palm tree. I did this until the evening when I caught part of a water light show and accidentally walked onto a performance of these fire performers. I decided to call it a night and an end my adventures in Singapore.

Under Water World

Sentosa Beach

Fire Performers

Night Safari

The Night Safari is one of the few tours in the world that operates at night and actually takes you through a trail with numerous animals. It was a pretty good tour with animals ranging from small flying squirrels to tigers and lions. You could even walk into some of the areas with these ugly looking bats and other small creatures. Unfortunately, it was at night and no flash photography was allowed. So no pictures, just imagine. After the Safari I headed back for a late dinner and headed to bed.

Singapore:Mixing of Culture

So I know I am not an inspiring writer because I am now writing in an airport about my trip almost 2 months ago in Singapore. The memory has faded slightly and the images are less vivid, but they are still there. Singapore is an interesting melting pot of cultures and lifestyle. It is on a fairly small island and is an expensive place to live. Yet, with those expenses come many nice things, clean air, organized living, and little or no crime. When you enter a country and you see signs that say, "Death to drug dealers" you know they mean business. Although, the government probably has too much power when they perform roadside tests to make sure your car is environmentally friendly. I didn’t have much time on this trip so I just got a glimpse of the culture. The first day I wondered through Little India with its street vendors selling everything and the very interesting temples. After that, I continued for around 5 blocks and came to Arab Street with very unique mosques and Arab schools. A few less vendors. In between these areas I walked upon a Malay Culture Center that had some small booths selling different products and people playing music. So many different cultures were living in a very close proximity. After the tour, I went to do some shopping at Bugis street, the biggest tourist shopping area. Again it had a main meeting area with many different fortune tellers, medicine men, and other side show entertainers.

After a short break from the heat, I headed down to Chinatown. I found Chinatown very interesting and especially a museum about the area. It showed the times and living environment of when Chinatown first began and when the port in Singapore first formed. Walking through the streets, I had little time for shopping, but there were some very amazing old items: chess boards and art. The evening approached quickly so I headed back to my hotel to get ready for the Night Safari.

Singapore Pictures