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Monkey Diary: Holidays in Thailand

Thailand was the first stop for the monkeys on their journey through South-East Asia. Landing in its Capital Bangkok, Bimbino and Bambina didn't spend much time there, but quickly proceeded to the country's tropical islands. After staying for one week on the busy Koh Chang, they proceeded to the much calmer and smaller Koh Mak. A place the monkeys could have stayed forever.
Krung Thep, Thailand 🇹🇭
1. Arrival in Thailand
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Bimbino and Bambina landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport East of Krung Thep (Bangkok.) The name Suvarnabhumi is Sanskrit for "Land of Gold" and was chosen by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It refers to the Hindu-Buddhist golden kingdom, theorised to have been located to the east of the Ganges, possibly somewhere in Southeast Asia.
2. Khao San Road
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Like for most travellers, the monkeys first stop in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (like the Thais call Bangkok) was Khao San Road. Khao San is a world -famous 'backpacker-ghetto'. It is famous for its cheap hostels, bars, and street food.
12th January 2018
Krung Thep, Thailand 🇹🇭
3. Pearl Bangkok
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Pearl Bangkok Bimbino and Bambina enjoying the view from the balcony of their Couchsurfing host upon the pearl Bangkok building in Bangkok's Rachakhru Village.
4. Odean Gate
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Bimbino and Bambina took their stay in Bangkok very easy, as it was only a stop over on their way to Koh Chang. They rested most of the time and only went out of the house in the evening to visit China Town. There they were welcomed by a huge Chinese gate. Funnily the characters on the monument where not in Chinese but in Thai script.
5. Thanon Yaowarat
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Thanon Yaowarat Bangkok's China Town was like no other China town the monkeys had ever seen anywhere in the world. The area around Yaowarat Road had turned into a large food market bursting from masses of locals and tourists from all over the world.the smell, the noise and the colourful neon lights were more than overwhelming.
6. Fortification Wall
Travelling Monkeys @
On their way home from China Town, the monkeys walked along the massive fortification walls of Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang, Bangkok's Grand Palace. Unfortunately it was already too late for a visit.
13th January 2018
Laem Ngop, Thailand 🇹🇭
7.1 Welcome to Paradise!
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7.2
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7.3
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7.4
Travelling Monkeys @
After only two nights in Bangkok, Bimbino and Bambina moved on to their final destination in Thailand: Koh Chang, a tropical island in the Gulf of Bangkok. From Bangkok the monkeys took a bus to the pier in Laem Ngop. The journey lasted around 6 hours and costed only around 6€ per person. From here the monkeys took a ferry that brought them to the island. Welcome to paradise!
14th January 2018
Koh Chang, Thailand 🇹🇭
8. Kai Bae Viewpoint
Travelling Monkeys @
The First two days on Koh Chang the monkeys took easy. They started exploring the area around their bungalow and went for a little hike to the famous Lonely Beach. To get there they had to pass a steep hill. On top their was a viewpoint from where they had a spectacular view over some smaller islands.
15th January 2018
Koh Chang, Thailand 🇹🇭
9. Hat Das Khao
Travelling Monkeys @
Hat Das Khao (White Sand Beach) is located on the North-Western part of Koh Chang and is one of the the most favourite beaches among tourists. Despite being a wonderful strip of white sand, the beach is a little bit too crowded for the monkeys taste.
10. Sunset Over Bang Bao Cliff
Travelling Monkeys @
From White Sand Beach the monkeys travelled to the far South-West of Koh Chang. Here lies the small fishing village of Bang Bao and near by a cliff from where you can perfectly enjoy the sunset.
11. Ao Bang Bao
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Ao Bang Bao (Bang Bao Bay) is a bay located in the South-West of of Koh Chang. It is probably the most beautiful natural harbour on the island.
12. Ban Bang Bao
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In the centre of Bang Bao Bay lies Ban Bang Bao, a fishing village build on wooden piles. What once used to be a peaceful place at the end of the world has turned into a busy tourist destination in recent years.
13. Built on Wooden Piles
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Bang Bao is build on wooden piles to withstand the tides of the ocean.
14. Bang Bao Lighthouse
Travelling Monkeys @
Bang Bao's lighthouse stands at he end of the village's pier. The monkeys came right in time to see the building in the beauty of the blue hour.
16th January 2018
Koh Chang, Thailand 🇹🇭
15. Tropical Fruits
Travelling Monkeys @
Thailand is a paradise for food lovers. The country has not only one of the most delicious cuisines in the world, it is also home to a huge variety of tropical fruits. For 225 Baht (around 5.50€), the monkeys bought today around 15 baby bananas, ca. 25 longans, 2 avocados, a papaya and a mango. What a dinner!
17th January 2018
Koh Chang, Thailand 🇹🇭
16. Swinging at Hat Kai Bae
Travelling Monkeys @
Hat Kai Bae is one of the closest beaches to the bungalow the monkeys are staying at. There they discovered a small swing that looked like it had been made especially for them.
17. Sunbathing
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The daily routine of Bimbino and Bambina.
18. Shower Time
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The monkeys washing the salt and sand from their bodies after an exhausting day at the beach.
19th January 2018
Koh Chang, Thailand 🇹🇭
19. Tha Klong Son
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After a day of relaxing, it was finally time to explore the island. Therefore the monkeys rented a motorbike. There first stop was the village of Klong Son in the north-west of the island. Here they found a small pier fishing village community that probably looks like what Bang Nap had looked like two decades ago.
20. Fishing Boats of Klong Son
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In the old fishing village of Klong Son the monkeys found many colourful boats anchoring. Everything was quiet and peaceful here. What a contrast to the busy beach & party villages of the westcoast.
21. Tha Than Mayom
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The East coast of Koh Chang was a total contrast to the busy West coast. Here the island felt more like rural Thailand than like a touristy holiday island. On the way to the south-eastern tip of the island, the monkeys stopped at Tha Than Pay, a picturesque pier that is used by locals for fishing.
22. Wat Salak Phet
Travelling Monkeys @
The first bigger village in the south-east of Koh Chang is Salak Phet. Here the monkeys visited Wat Salak Pheng, the most famous and most colourful Buddhist temple on Koh Chang.
23. Salak Phet Mangrove Walkway
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Koh Chang's coast is not just lined with beaches but also with a couple of mangrove forest. One of these forests the monkeys found not far away from Way Salak Phet. The walkway through the forest was not in the best shape, but the the views here were breathtaking.
24. Salak Phet Mangrove Forest
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Koh Chang appeared to be a save place for tourists, after the tsunami of 2004 had hit the west coast of Thailand. The result was a construction boom on the island. Once there had been great mangrove forest at Bailan and Bang Bao Beach, but both have been removed for the construction boom in the wake of the tsunami. Only the lack of beaches in the surrounding area helped the mangroves of Salak Phet (and also Salak Khonh) to survive.
25. Ao Salak Peth
Travelling Monkeys @
In the evening the monkeys drove to Long Beach, the most southern spot on Koh Chang. Shortly before their destination they passed a viewpoint from where the could look over Ao Salak Peth (Salak Peth Bay.)
26. Nightfall Over Long Beach
Long Beach is the most remote sand beach on Koh Chang and time seems to stand still here. While all other beaches have been overrun by tourism in the last 20 years, Long Beach is still a backpacker's paradise with bamboo huts, a weak internet connection and electricity provided by a generator.
20th January 2018
Koh Chang, Thailand 🇹🇭
27. Jungle View Bungalows
Travelling Monkeys @
After a week on Koh Chang, the monkeys decided to leave the island in favour of its neighbour: Koh Mak. Before leaving however they took a last photo in front of the bungalow they had been staying on for the last week. Despite not being located at the beach, Bugle view had been a comfortable temporary home for the monkeys. The stuff and the service left nothing to be desired.
20th January 2018
Koh Wai, Thailand 🇹🇭
28. Mu Koh Chang
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The monkeys left Koh Chang with a wooden boat from Ban Bang Bao. On the way to Koh Mak they passed through a world of many small islands, many of them totally uninhibited.
29. Koh Wai
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On the way to Koh Mak, the monkey's boat stopped at Koh Wai, a small island encircled by a coral reef. It has nice sand beaches, and is perfect for people who like it a bit calmer, as there are only four bungalow resorts. Bimbino and Bambina however remained on the boat as they had a different destinations.
20th January 2018
Koh Mak, Thailand 🇹🇭
30. Ao Sun Yai
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Bimbino and Bambina arrived on Koh Mak at the island's main.pier in Ao Sun Yan (Sun Two Bay.) Instantly the monkeys realised that this island hat a completely different atmosphere.
31. Ao Kao
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Some parts of Koh Mak's coastline are still completely unspoiled, like here at Ao Kao (Kai Bay).
32. Monkey Island
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When Bimbino and Bambina passed the Monkey Island Bungalows, memories of Guybrush Threepwood and three-headed monkeys came up.
21st January 2018
Koh Mak, Thailand 🇹🇭
33. A First Time Diving Experience
Mu Ko Chang National Park is a marine national park with an area of 650 square kilometres including more than 52 islands. It is well known for its intact coral reefs and its crystal clear waters. As the monkeys' Couchsurfing host on Koh Mak is a diving instructor, Bimbino and Bambina decided to go for a diving trip. He took the monkeys to a diving spot off the coast of Koh Rang. For Bimbino and Bambina it was the first time to experience the underwater world with its corals and fishes. Overwhelmed by the experience there was one thing clear at the end of the day: this was not the last time! Have you ever been scuba diving? Where did you do it? And was it a one of or did you get back to it?
34. Washing Off the Salt
Travelling Monkeys @
After swimming in the open sea, it is essential for stuffed little monkeys to wash of the saltwater from their bodies.
23rd January 2018
Koh Mak, Thailand 🇹🇭
35. From Dusk till Dog
Ko Mak seems like a paradise with its beautiful tropical beaches and romantic sunsets. For little monkeys however this island is really hazardous with all the hungry dogs strolling around. Music: Married to the Sea by Trevor Caldwell and Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men
24th January 2018
Koh Mak, Thailand 🇹🇭
36. Injured
Travelling Monkeys @
Poor Bambina had to stay a whole day in bed after the dog attack. Good that Bimbino was there to take care of her facial wounds.
25th January 2018
Koh Mak, Thailand 🇹🇭
37. Work Life Balance
Travelling Monkeys @
While Bambina was recovering from her injuries, Bimbino was working on the latest blog entry:
38. Tubing
Travelling Monkeys @
And than two weeks in the Ko Chang archipelago came to an end. Bimbino and Bambina used their last evening for the typical Koh Mak routine. Enjoying life at the beach.
26th January 2018
Koh Mak, Thailand 🇹🇭
39. Bye Bye Koh Mak
The monkeys left Koh Mak by speedboat. It was time to return Bangkok. In the end Bimbino and Bambina had stayed way longer on the island than planned. As a result they had to cancel their return to Koh Chang. It was the right decision however, as the peace and silence of Koh Mak had been a better working environments for the monkeys.
26th January 2018
Trat, Thailand 🇹🇭
40. Waiting for the Bus to Bangkok
Travelling Monkeys @
Bimbino and Bambina at Trat Bus Terminal, a very typical Thai bus station. Buses in Thailand are comfortable and cheap at the same time. They are probably the matter of transport with the best value for money in Thailand.
27th January 2018
Krung Thep, Thailand 🇹🇭
41. First Travel With Air Asia
Travelling Monkeys @
Vietnam, the monkeys are coming!

Комментарии (4)

  1. Polly | Hiking in Crimea with toddlers:
    Mar 31, 2018 at 03:46 PM

    Did you seriously washed them?? How long did it get dry?
    btw can`t watch videous, just the white screen, and then I press 'start' nothing happens

  2. Bimbino:
    Apr 04, 2018 at 06:12 AM

    Hi Polly.
    Of course we wash them, otherwise they would be very messy by now.
    About the videos: just try a different browser. Firefox should work.

  3. Polly | Hiking With Kids:
    Apr 04, 2018 at 04:56 PM

    Why don`t you upload videous on youtube or vimeo?

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