Thailand

 In the summer I went to Thailand for four weeks with my girlfriend. These are some of the photos I took. I took over 1500 photos and these don't show everything by any means. These are just a few of my favourites. We went from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in the North, then to the islands Ko Tao, Ko Phangan and Ko Samui off the Gulf Coast and then to Krabi on the Andaman Coast.

Statues on Wat Arun

The Grand Palace

Tuk Tuk!

Siam Square

 We got to Bangkok in July, which is around the start of the rainy season. It was pouring down, which created all these strong colours and reflections all over the road. We spent a few days in Bangkok looking at temples and markets, and took a day trip to Kanchanaburi where we saw the bridge over the River Kwai.

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

Umbrella Factory

Stairs in Chiang Mai

Chedi at Wat Chiang Man

Riding an elephant at Mae Sa

Chiang Mai is a very different city to Bangkok. It is more relaxed and surrounded by mountains. In the city there are loads of temples which we walked to the day we got there from a 12 hour sleeper train journey. There are also hundreds of arts and crafts there. We went to the Saturday Walking Street which is basically a market set up every Saturday, full of weird and cool objects to buy. We spent one afternoon outside the city looking at a Celadon pottery, umbrella factory, silk shop and Thai jewelers. It hardly rained the whole time we were there too, so we got quite lucky.

Perfect place for a urinal

Entrance to the beach at Ko Tao

Longtail at Ko Tao

Deserted beach at Ko Tao

Ko Samui

 After Chiang Mai we went to the Gulf Coast, to go to some islands. When we arrived in Chumphon we had been travelling for almost 36 hours and then had to wake up the next day at 5:30am to catch a ferry. It was worth it though. We expected Ko Tao to be nice, but when we pulled up at the resort we couldn't believe it. There were only two resorts on the beach, which was white, and almost deserted. We spent the next couple of days snorkelling. My girlfriend spotted a shark, but I missed it, and spent hours trying to find one.

After Ko Tao we hopped on another ferry to Ko Phangan and after a few days there relaxing on the beach we hopped on another to Ko Samui. When we were in Ko Samui we walked up Lamai beach on our first evening, and then made the mistake of doing it again the next day in the heat. We spent one day there at a waterfall which had a cool plunge pool, which was relaxing after walking through the heat.

Ao Nang beach

James Bond Island

Panyee Floating Village

Panyee Floating Village

Chicken in pandan leaves

 Our final stop was Krabi, on the Andaman Coast. Though it rained a lot of the time we were there we had a lot of fun and did lots of boat trips to see various islands such as James Bond Island, the Phi Phi Islands and Panyee Floating Village. We stayed at Ao Nang, which was full of restaurants, markets and shops. I tried a dish called chicken in pandan leaves which was served with a sesame dip. I ordered it every night we were there.

Going to Thailand was one of the best experiences of my life. I have already decided that I am going back one day because while I was there I learned about so many more places I want to go and so many more things I want to see.