“The "Million Star Hotel"”
Exploring Phang Nga Bay has been on my travel wish list for a long time, and in November, along with two friends, we booked the "Expedition Express." This was a great experience that I'd recommend to any slightly adventurous traveler.
Our guides were Tee and Lex - two hardworking gentlemen who took great pride in making our experience a pleasure. Tee was filled with knowledge about the local fauna and history and spoke excellent English, and Lex was filled with excitement as he showed off this part of Thailand and practiced his improving English.
By spending the extra money for this special trip we separated off from the main tourist groups. We got to explore most of the hongs by ourselves in tranquility - no noise except the song of the hornbills flying near the cliffs.
At sunset we were on our private island beach (just the three of us and our two guides) with tents, a delicious hot meal, and a toasty fire. The sky was clear and Tee called this our, "million star hotel." Better than any resort!
The bay was bioluminescent, and the plankton glowed much brighter than I had experience in Fajardo bay in Puerto Rico. The glowing moonlight swim was one of the best travel moments I've ever enjoyed. It rained pretty hard during the night, but we stayed dry and comfy in our tents.
In the morning we were surprised to see that some monkeys were trying to join us for breakfast on the beach.
Great trip! If you think a night in a tent on your own private beach miles from civilization can be fun, this is not to be missed.
November might be the perfect time to visit...low chance of rain, not too hot, and the jungle is a lush green.
Practical issues:
All the food, snacks, soda and water you want is provided. Don't worry about that.
They have waterproof bags for your fragile items.
Bring some beer, and some to share.
Things to pack:
Headlamps for lighting up the caves you explore
A wide brim hat
Sunscreen
Wear swimwear, but bring a dry change of clothes for camp
Some easy on-off shoes that can get wet but allow you to walk on rocks
A towel
Mosquito repellent
A camera
Bring some cash to tip your guides - you'll be impressed for how hard they work to keep you happy
We are proud to announce that we have reached 500 EXCELLENT REVIEWS ON TripAdvisor!
This review marks our 500th excellent review and reflects on a mini-expedition (2D/1N)
See you on the water,
Ling Yai (Thai for 'Big Monkey') AKA John Caveman Gray
