On April 1st we boarded an overnight bus--1st class in Bangkok and arrived the morning of April 2nd in Dom Sak. Here we caught a ferry...to our surprise our bus actually got on the ferry with us so it was an easy transition for us--no need to lug our bags around. We docked in Thongsala and from there caught a pick-up truck/taxi to the town of Had Rin. We checked into our aircon room at the Same Same Lodge and we were immediately disappointed in the room. It was not the "clean" room we had read about in Lonely Planet. Oh well it would do for one night. The next day we set out early and found a really cute bungalow right on the beach...Haadrin Resort. There was no aircon but the bungalow was much cheaper than the dirty room at Same Same.
Had Rin: We decided at the last minute to stop through Had Rin despite the negative reviews in LP--more expensive lodging and big party scene. Overall I would say we loved our bunglow location (although the bathroom was gross) and we loved the various restaurants to choose from. However, the beach we discovered was quite dirty--bottle caps, glass, plastic, etc... and it was really a pretty lame party scene. According to one of the locals, the tourism had been really slow all year and it was quite unusual for it to be so quiet.
On April 6th we left for another beach on the island known as Bottle Beach. We heard good things from other travelers so we decided to give it a try. We booked a tour of the island, including snorkeling, the day before so we were able to scoop out the lodging options on Bottle Beach before we arrived. Great idea! To get to Had Kuad from Had Rin, we took a taxi back to Thongsala and then onto another small town where we caught a water taxi or long tail boat to Had Kaud...the road up to the beach is in really bad shape so people and supplies all arrive by boat. For example, our boat was loaded down with cases of beer, vegetables, blocks of ice, fresh fish, and souveniers. Interesting!
Had Kuad (aka Bottle Beach): This beach was breathtaking and the water crystal clear and various shades of blue. We checked into the Smile Resort (1 of 4 resorts on the beach). We decided on the 2 story bungalow they had showed us the day before and they had agreed to a lower price--500 baht per night (approximately $12) if we stayed for 4 nights. Not bad at all! The lower story was the bathroom and the upper floor was our bedroom complete with a mosquito net and a very nice balcony. It was awesome! We literally spent our days here getting up around 9am (because this is when they cut the electricity so when the fan stopped it got very hot!), eating breakfast, lounging in the hammocks or chairs in the shade and then as the sun starting setting we would move onto the beach. Some days we walked the length of the beach, caught dinner and a movie at a nearby resort, played frisbee, and/or played a game of volleyball....but other than those activities it was all about relaxing! :)
As I type this we are in Thongsala again (April 10th) and we are waiting to catch a 12:30pm ferry to Ko Tao...can't wait to tell you all about this next island. We are contemplating getting our scuba certification! We'll see how it goes....
Love,
D
Addendum: One interesting note to add about the culture of Bottle Beach--surprisingly for its remoteness there is a strong sense of western culture here. Likely due to the fact that the guests outnumber the local Thais running the operations. There is no town just a beach lined with bungalow resorts. Of the people we met most were British or German and a few Swedish, French or Canadian. Most we spoke to came to Bottle Beach with the intention to stay a few days but in fact found themselves staying several weeks if not months (Jon & I referred to these people as "lifers"). Similar to a small town there are clicks---the lifers and the FNGs. The lifers took over one area of the resort's restaurant and the newbies filled in around. I spoke with an older British gentleman (Jon & I referred to him as "mayor" as he seemed to be the ring leader of the "lifers"), maybe early 60s, on the morning we were leaving and he boasted of his continual return to BB every year for the past 5 years and he sighed as he explained the changes he has seen over time. In fact, the beach was soon to be spoiled by new construction--an English millionaire is installing a pool behind one of the resorts in preparation for a dive shop. It is only a matter of time...
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