Thailand
Day 1 (5/31)-
Transit day to Thailand. Boarded an early flight, flew through Bangkok, was at the resort around 2PM. Place was incredibly nice, hung out by the pool drinking and went down to a restaurant on Naithun Beach for dinner.
Day 2 (6/1)-
Rented mopeds for the day. Ended up running out of gas almost immediately...
Day 3 (6/2)-
Headed to the Ao Po Marina to board our sailboat. Provisioned at the Tesco-Lotus. Boat we were supposed to be on had a bad gearbox so we were upgraded to a Mooring 4800, a 48'5" catamaran.
Day 4 (6/3)-
Slow start, but ended up having some good sailing on our way up to the Hong Island north of Ao Po Marina and south of James Bond Island. Used the grill to cook chicken and had a feast. We were joined at the anchorage by two other cats.
Day 5 (6/4)-
Woke up early and took the sea kayak and paddle board to explore the Hong. Upon returning, we began to set out, but broke the main halyard. Went back to the marina for repairs. Ended the day anchored off of Koh Rang Yai. Swam near the beach there, where the water temperatures were around 80 degrees.
Day 6 (6/5)-
Headed to Koh Khai Nok for some snorkeling, but tourists and weather made the stop short. Almost immediately after leaving the island we were caught in a squal with 35 knot winds and lightning. Good exercise in crisis management and staying calm. Storm kept up for hours, and we managed to motor to safe harbor at the south end of Koh Yao Noi. Incredible dinner at Leam Sai Seafood, watched the chef collect the grouper from a net at the end of the pier.
Day 7 (6/6)-
Rain came up again in the morning after we left anchor, and we spent a fair amount of time anchored to the east of Koh Khlui. Weather lightened up in the afternoon and we headed south. Tried to anchor between Koh Ku Du Lek and Koh Ku Du Yai, but waves and wind were unreal. Ended up heading farther south and anchoring off of Paradise Resort.
Day 8 (6/7)-
Last day out sailing. Weather cooperated and we had some quality time sailing. Stopped at Koh Phang Nga to explore the Hong there. Made it back to the Ao Po Marina by 5PM.
Day 9 (6/8)-
Cleaned the boat up and headed to the airport. Landed in Koh Samui and ferried to Koh Pha Ngan. Loved the resort, which was on the NE of the island and away from the backpackers.
Day 10 (6/9)-
Had a leisurely day, bought clothes for the Full Moon Party and got a massage. Headed to the FMP around 9PM. With several stops by the truck to pick up other party-goers, arrived at Haad Rin beach about an hour later. FMP was great. Super diverse group of partiers (though it turns out bros are bros, no matter what the country of origin is). Made it home around 3AM.
