I am now all tanned from the sun’s kisses. A
4-days trip to Koh Samui, Thailand, was truly a memorable and pleasant one.
Couldn’t thank the group enough for making the company trip happen. Especially
Jazz and ZhiEe. *hugs*
Now, brace yourself,
this is going to be an extended one.
5th Feb: Day 1
My initial plan was to catch a bus with Melody to KLIA 2
from One Utama but unforeseen traffic practically messed that up so I ended up
on my way to the airport via ERL from KL Sentral which wasn’t a bad idea at all
because it only took Siti and I approximately half an hour to meet up with the
rest of the YToday familia.
Fast forward to our arrival upon Surat Thani Airport, we
took an hour (or so) bus from the airport to the DonSak jetty where we had to
take another hour ferry ride to finally land our feet on the Samui island.
After a 45 minutes ride from jetty to our hotel, GoSamui, where we were warmly welcomed
by one of the most affable receptionist I’ve encountered by far, Ake. If there’s
one thing about Thailand (to be specific, Koh Samui) that comes to my mind
first, it’d definitely be their excellent hospitality. Checked in and settled
down, out we went to hunt for food after a long and tiring day of trains,
planes, ferries, and vans (and no proper meal). Day 1 was when I discover the
wonder of their convenient stores such as 7-Eleven and Family Mart. I just couldn’t
contain the excitement each time I went into these stores. The varieties of snacks
and food they sell overwhelmed me. My heart sinks a little now each time I see
our local convenient stores. Needless to say, even their fast-food chain stores
have better menus.
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| Look at them thrilled faces before flight! |
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| Ferry ride to the island. Munched on snacks along the way. |
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| I'd probably seen like at least 30 of these during my stay there. |
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| 50 Baht for one of these. Tell me how could anyone resist? |
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| See what I mean, their menus in 7-E. Excuse protruding enthusiasm over convenient stores but I suspect they even sell fairy powder in there. |
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| Just put these in the microwave (or I would very much name it magic box instead) and VOILA! Teriyake chicken is served! |
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| (Part of) Our first proper meal. |
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| Strolled around the streets and stores after a round of satisfying meal. Oh, meet the ever-so-lovely Siti. (: |
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| A round of drinking by the beach on the first night. The crowd was pretty intense and the clubbing atmosphere was so different comparing what we have here. |
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| Supper seemed necessary after hours of drinking and dancing. |
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| Supper round 2? Look at them shrimps. |
6th Feb: Day 2
It was officially the day for us to feel the island! Beef
soup noodle for brunch and off we went exploring a couple of tourist’s spots.
We traveled around with rented motorcycles and a family car which saved us
quite a bit of baht than if we were to take TukTuk (taxis) to mobile about the
island. Another plus point about traveling
around with rented automobiles would be getting to stop by anytime and anywhere
along the journey instead of arriving directly to the destination. When we were
on our way to the Hinta & Hinyai Rocks (aka the Grandpa & Grandma Rocks),
we found a picturesque spot on a cliff which was truly a serendipity discover
and we just had to stop by for a couple of shots. In case you’re wondering
about what so particular about those rocks which resemble the shape of
reproductive organs that people travel miles for it, here’s why.
“The legend goes that these rocks were created
when a couple were travelling by boat with their son to his forthcoming
wedding. The unfortunate family were caught in a violent storm of the coast of
Samui and their vessel capsized. Unable to swim, they drowned and magically
became the rocks as a sign of their good intentions towards his proposed bride
and her family. “
Upon the mighty call of growl, it was time for us
to make a move for food hunt again. A street market by the beach is held weekly
on Fridays at the Fisherman Village. Street markets are where all the hidden
gems at. Friendly vendors, scenic view, scrumptious street foods, how else
could we spend our evening if not in such merry and laid-back atmosphere?
Strolling along the street holding grilled pork skewer in one hand and a cup of
authentic Thai Tea in another, or sitting down in one of the bar sipping mojito
while watching the faces of contented European passerby devouring local Thai
rice pudding, that was the kind of moment brings the stirred emotions out of
you, a mixture of blessed and grateful feeling.
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| Beef noodle for brunch! I personally prefer it with extra chili flakes! |
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| Places like these were where you can just grab a bottle of local beer after brunch |
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| Big Buddha temple. We challenged ourselves to take the hot red tiles instead of the cooling white ones. It's good for blood circulation alright. |
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| What a magnificent statue |
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| A lady saying her prayer |
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| Caught in action: Sun bathing naked in the holy temple. |
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| All you need to do is to slow down and discover the beauty that lies within each and every object around you. |
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| So much love! |
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| There's never a lack of these art stalls along the street. This place's overflowing with so much creativity and talents. |
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| Pleasant discovery by the Cliff |
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| Melody and I. (: |
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| Rich Coconut Ice Cream with meaty coconut flesh. Perfect treat for a sunshiny day out |
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| Eye test: Spot Grandfather's |
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| AND Grandmother's |
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| The Wharf at Fisherman Village. The trees somehow just put me in mind of California |
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| Close enough: I succeed in picking up decent gentleman along the journey |
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| Street food: Papaya salad is something you CANNOT miss |
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| Street food: Grilled catfish and chicken |
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| Street food: Vege Rice Rolls |
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| Street food: Mango Sticky Rice |
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| All sorts of insects up for sale. People were queuing up for these. |
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| I had two of these crickets. It tasted pretty much like, vege chips? |
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| Street food: Thai Rice Pudding |
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| Almost everything intrigued me |
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| This view during the stroll along the market |
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| The seafood's so fresh I could still see the heart beating |
7th Feb: Day 3
A day for sunshine and beaches! We (Melody,
Kamfoo, Vickt and I) bought a package for a day out to AngThong for only 750
baht thanks to Vickt’s marvelous bargaining effort. The rest decided that they
wanted to explore somewhere else so that left the four of us for island hopping.
Our package includes a ferry ride to AngThong, breakfast, tea, and lunch, and
also snorkeling equipments. First stop at AngThong National Marine Park involved
a lot sweat and blood (literally). We hiked with slippers and the polished and
pointy rocks did not help with the climb. But, magic happened as we reached
each viewpoint. The view was spectacular, breathtaking, yet calming at the same
time. One moment you’re panting out of breath from the hike but as the view of
emerald fell into the windows of your soul, you feel a sense of peace in mind
just like a ship that battered through a ferocious storm in the ocean. Back to
the ferry where lunch was served just in time for the ravenous ones and we were
all set for another climb of stairs on another island. Of course, it was yet
one more worthy climb for the Blue Lagoon view. Snorkeling wasn’t something to
shout about unfortunately. One of the worker I met on the ferry told me
AngThong’s more of a place for hiking and kayaking instead of snorkeling
because the less corals and fishes. He suggested Koh Tau would be a better
place for an amazing snorkeling experience. Soon it was time for us to head
back. Despite a long and exhausting (yet satisfying) day out, the family
managed to pull a mini surprise party for Siti whose birthday was on the next
day. It was delightful yet funny how our receptionist, Ake, managed to surprise the group as well by
buying us KFC nuggets and fries in the middle of the night because he knew
about the plan and actually flipped through our passports to find out whose big
day was it. After a round of hoo-ha in the hotel room, it was the best time of
the night again. We drank through Ark’s Bar till 2am and stomped through Green
Mango till 4am. It was a crazy night but it was all nothing but fun.
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| Thrilled for our mini voyage! |
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| Morning faces |
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| First stop |
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| This is when you know the climb was worth it |
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| Now, I wasn't jesting when I said the hike was of sweat and blood. |
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| Anywhere is picturesque for a selfie/groupfie |
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| The Blue Lagoon, which isn't exactly blue I found out. |
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| Wouldn't you want to be there? |
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| It was more than the sum of the object itself. It was magic. |
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| Awkward pose but oh well |
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| Yes, I even find this interesting. |
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| We can be friends if you see the beauty that I see |
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| Warriors of the day! |
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| Spot us! |
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| Yours truly |
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Siti's mini surprise party! ( and the magic candle that she had to blow off 5 times)
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8th Feb: Day 4
Surviving on 3 hours of sleep, our first
destination of the day was the Musim Village. Buddhism is commonly embraced by
the local that’s why we could easily get pork or alcohol anywhere. Contrary to
that, there were hardly any halal restaurants so we’ve got to give it to dear
Siti for compromising the fuss throughout the trip. She had to stay in while we
were out for drinks and munched on bread sometimes when we dine in restaurants
that serve pork. Day 4 was rather free and easy. We went for a therapeutic
massage, visited mummified monk temple and had a great bonding session over
dinner at a local restaurant suggested by Ake. It was our last night there and
I’ve started to miss that place even before I left.
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| Ake came knocking our doors at 7:30am just to deliver these super delish breakfast |
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| A stall by roadside at Muslim village where we stopped for brunch |
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| Dinner: By far the best sour and spicy steamed squid I've ever had |
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| Dinner: This was like my third or fourth round of tomyum gung |
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| Group picture with Ake! |
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That marks the end of YouthsToday.com first ever company trip!
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This trip was far more than just scenes and views
and good looking tourists. It’s about immersing in a different culture,
strengthening bonds with mates, learning with stories from locals people with
different backgrounds , creating new relationships with tourists from all over
the world, trying things I’ve never done, finding beauty in every little thing,
and rediscovering the true desire in oneself. I found the wonder of traveling
and it just, pieces things up somehow. The world is much greater than we know,
we just got to go out and seize the most out of it.
