Phuket dot net

So you want to get away from Bangkok? And you want to party while you’re at it? Where to go then? Pha-ngan? So cliché. Samui? So overcrowded. Phuket? Forget it. If you’re looking for beautiful beaches, unforgettable sunsets, great food, and the hippest parties in Thailand, Koh Lanta is the place to be.

The island is in Krabi province and it can be reached either by taking a bus or by flying to Krabi airport. As soon as you arrive you’ll feel a world away from the smog and the hustle of the big city. The area is peaceful but full of positive energy. The beaches are clean, the roads are flat, and the sea is clear and glistening.

There are a number of places to stay on Koh Lanta, ranging from typical beach bungalows on the shore, to more luxurious resorts that offer spas and fine dining. One of the hippest spots is the Sri Lanta Resort. Here you’ll find 49 individual rooms that have been designed with your comfort in mind. Each room complements the location effectively by utilizing the natural elements of the island, rather than combating them. The rooms are all located on a hillside, just a stone’s throw away from the beach.

The Sri Lanta Resort has an outdoor swimming pool, a spa, and a delightful restaurant serving a selection of delectable Thai and international dishes. Lounge around all day, make use of the free WiFi internet access, and enjoy the view of the sea stretching off into the horizon. But don’t get too comfortable, because once the sun comes down the fun is only just beginning.

A short walk from the resort is Ibark, a nightclub with a difference. The large, open-air venue is set on two floors and is a far cry away from the standard island clubbing experience. This is where Thailand’s hottest DJs and international acts want to come and play for packed-out crowds every week. The music policy leans towards funky beats with splatterings of techno, electro and breaks thrown into the mix.

The venue offers a great space to chill as the night begins, with sofas and chairs spread across the large area. Once the drinks start flowing and the beats start pumping, the place erupts into an all-out party with people dancing without a care in the world until the early hours of the morning.

The crowd is a good mix of foreigners and Thais who have all come together to enjoy the best clubbing spot on the island. The atmosphere is unique in that everybody is really receptive towards the DJ and the sort of music he plays. The energy is similar to Club Astra in Bangkok, but the overall vibe is far more relaxed and refined because everyone is in such a serene place with clean air, clear skies, and gorgeous weather. Beach bums, trendsetters, island folk, and party animals all come together to revel in Ibark’s glory.

Being outside, the party takes place under the stars and the moonlight, making it romantic and idyllic. As the night wears on and legs begin to tire, you can kick back in one of the sofas with a drink and laze around till you’ve got the energy to head home.

The night I was at Ibark was one of the coolest events I’ve seen in Thailand. It was great to see the best elements of an island party merged with the vibrancy of clubbing in the city with a great crowd of people and some top-notch tunes. The upstairs area is huge and is perfect if it all gets a bit too much downstairs. There are also fire-dancers and live percussion at the club, and I don’t think I’ve seen many parties in Thailand where everybody looked so happy.

If you want to find out more about Ibark then head to the official website, www.ibarkkrabi.com, and to learn more about the Sri Lanta Resort, visit www.srilanta.com. This combination of resort and club, set on the near-perfect island of Koh Lanta, makes for an inexpensive, whirlwind of a holiday with the right balance of tranquility, fun and excitement. Ibark is open to the party-faithful every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It’s also one of the best places to catch the sun setting on the island. Although Ibark is currently open, it is due for an official grand launch party in November. Keep your eyes on the website for details.

Filed under : Thailand escapes

0 Comment »

“James Bond always bets on black.”

“What the hell does James Bond know?”

“Well, he’s James Bond. What doesn’t he know?”

Cock fighting at JJ market, a spot of buffalo fighting on Samui, or an all-night dominoes session with the old ladies around Victory Monument – gambling in Thailand certainly has its own cultural identity. With gambling being illegal in Land of Smiles, you won’t find any casinos around here. The lottery might be good for a quick flutter, but most expats (myself included) struggle to figure out how the whole system works. Where would James Bond go? Watching chickens being ripped to shreds or seeing enraged buffalos charge each other down like two horned Yokozunas lacks that suave edge. No, if you want to go gambling you need to get out of Thailand. Forget Vegas; it’s so passé. Macau? It’s had it’s day. The real amusement is to be had in that border town that has seen so many confused foreigners pass through; the most fun you can have on a weekend away from Bangkok is in Poipet.

And that’s where we were – three energetic foreigners; wide-eyed and curious; anxious and confident – ready to earn ourselves early retirement. The casino business in Cambodia is said to be worth in excess of $150 million. More than 1,000 Thais cross the border into Poipet every day, so there must be something worth seeing. Indeed, the one kilometer Golden Mile is home to almost a dozen casinos, each with its own neon lights piercing the view as closely cropped lawns instill feelings of calm, and golf carts screech from A to B. It’s difficult to imagine that all around are people living in desperate states of poverty.

We’d walked around the villages, we’d mingled with the locals, we’d played Winning Eleven with the children – now it was time to gamble. We rocked up to Star Vegas and were immediately stopped by a security guard. I should have worn a shirt, I thought to myself. The guard had a cold, serious look on his face. He regarded us with expectation before saying: “You want ladies? I can get you ladies. You win money, you come see me I get you ladies.” We politely declined his offer, which was neither the first nor the last we would receive, and made our way to the casino.

Each of us was dressed casually. There was nothing Bond-esque about this trio, and as we walked to the slot machines there seemed to be an air of surprise resulting from our appearance. Although the slot machines promised so much, we quickly became bored. We were regularly supplied with free glasses of beer, and so with our guards down we sat at a roulette table. This would be the beginning of the end, so to speak. Roulette is a simple game. You bet on numbers, black or red, odds or evens, or sets. At first the bets were cautious, but as can happen with any gambler, once one of us would start to feel comfortable, the bets would suddenly become erratic on the verge of chaotic. The fact that there is free beer only acted as a catalyst for this. One friend lost 1,000 baht, the other was down 500, and I broke even for this table. We sensed that we weren’t getting anywhere and so we left.

With fuel in our engines and hunger in our minds, we raced to Holiday Palace. Another 1,000 baht’s worth of chips were cashed and we found the baccarat table with the lowest minimum bet and sat down. The croupier turned out to be so alarmingly dull that almost any enjoyment was sapped from the gaming experience. His robotic movements and monotone voice were greatly exaggerated by the sincere lack of facial expressions he seemed to know. I began to fall asleep and ordered two whiskey cokes. The croupier was replaced by a pretty young girl, my attention wondered, the whiskey was gone, and before I had a chance to think I’d lost 1,000 baht. Oh the pain! Baccarat is even simpler than roulette. You bet on whether the player or the dealer will get closest to ‘nine’ with the cards dealt (or you can bet on a tie). Aces are ‘one’ and picture cards are ‘ten’. A total in double figures uses only the second digit. There are a couple more rules but that’s the main thrust of the game, and as a result, its simplicity is where the danger lies. It was time for more whiskey. My two compatriots were having something of a lucky streak. Jack, our American representative, began betting incessantly on ties and, against all odds, he kept winning. His tall, lean figure seemed to bemuse the croupier. Todd, the Australian contingent, was playing safe and slowly racking up a small stack of winnings. The play continued for a short while until we felt restless.

Moving on and stumbling out into the stifling nighttime heat, we made a stopover at Golden Crown and were treated to a lengthy demonstration of online gambling. Something about the place just didn’t feel right, so we trusted our newfound gamblers’ instincts and relocated ourselves to Grand Diamond. Deciding once more on a baccarat table with a low minimum bet (50 baht), we sat down and were soon swarmed by other eager gamblers keen to join a new table. A quick nod to the man on my left and the cards were cut. The games started to follow similar patterns. We were drunk, and as a result we began losing our deft touches. A few misplaced chips while betting were greeted with scowls from the croupier. She regarded us with contempt. She could see we were amateurs. No matter how serious we tried to make our faces look; or how much we watched the other gamblers with suspicion; or how aggressively we snarled out of the sides of our mouths – she knew. We didn’t belong, and so we took our leave and were gone.

A little down on our money, a decision was made to return to Star Vegas where the people had been deemed the most friendly. It was time go all out at the roulette table. What had begun smoothly was descending into comical farce. We were being plied with drinks and had attracted a small group of staff and onlookers, as well as several other gamblers. Jack started throwing his chips across the table, and out of nowhere he found himself with more than 3,000 baht in profit. An unbelievable run of luck had left our American friend firmly in the money. But it couldn’t last. We took to applauding everything and even cheered from time to time. I found myself 1,000 baht up; Todd was also doing well for himself. A lesser group of gamblers might have walked away at this stage, but not us. We covered the table in chips, betting on anything and everything. After so much good luck we were due a string of catastrophes… and they came. Firstly, Jack lost all common sense (and all of his money) and was forced to cash another 1,000 baht into chips. “Put it all on black!” And so we did… losing everything. “Screw James Bond!”

Even though we’d all lost money, this gambling session had been a riot. We’d been at it for more than five hours and the time had flown by. For the cost of what we’d lost, we could probably have bought ourselves a night out at Club Culture or Bed Supperclub. It’s surprising that more foreigners don’t use Poipet as an excuse for a weekend away – it’s great fun.

To get there, you can take a bus from Rama IV Road by Lumphini Park. The bus costs 200 baht and will take you to the border. When you get to the border, ignore everyone that talks to you and get your stamp to leave Thailand. Head over to Cambodian immigration and buy your visa (1,000 baht or $20 and a 100 baht bribe). This will only take a few minutes and then you’re free. We stayed at the Orkiday Angkor Hotel, which was next to the main roundabout as you enter Poipet. The rooms were 400, 500, or 600 baht depending on whether you were on the first, second, or third floor respectively. You can pay with Thai baht everywhere, so don’t worry about changing your money.

The chances of paying off your mortgage early are slim to none, but Poipet is definitely worth a visit for more time than it takes to eat a dodgy lunch and have your passport stamped. Spend a bit of time exploring the villages and local areas to give your trip a culturally rewarding edge and a stark reminder of real life in Poipet.

Filed under : Thailand escapes

0 Comment »

I was searching for the ultimate retreat from Bangkok life. Don’t get me wrong, I love the City of Angels as much as anyone, but sometimes the desire to escape the condensed congestion becomes overwhelming. It was a long weekend (three days) and I wanted to hit the beach, but the options seemed pretty limited: Koh Samet is cute but nothing special, Hua Hin is quiet and rather dull, Pattaya is, well, Pattaya, and anywhere else, such as Phuket, is just too far. Koh Chang seemed to be the only feasible alternative. It had been a while since I’d been there, but I just had to get out of Bangkok (we all know that feeling, right?).

The journey to Koh Chang is long (about nine hours in all, from bus to boat to taxi). I’ve never stayed at the White Sand resort because something about it really puts me off. It’s heavily developed and full of go-go bars and unsightly buildings. At the moment it is even worse than I had remembered. Driving through revealed an unbelievable number of construction sites. The place looked a mess. Koh Chang is beginning to turn into Koh Samui. It seems that the island’s close proximity to Bangkok has led to this makeover. It’s sad to see so much destruction, but a little past White Sand is Lonely Beach. If you go to Koh Chang this is the place to stay.

Accommodation is basic but cheap. A bungalow will set you back in the region of 200-300 baht, a little more if you want your own bathroom. Treehouse Bungalows and Ice Beach Bungalows are both more than adequate, but everything tends to fill up quickly. I traveled in a group of four and we were only able to get somewhere to stay because we had asked someone on the island to make reservations before we arrived. There were a lot of backpack-clad groups walking around disillusioned, and some people were forced to sleep in the tents that some of the bungalow owners set up just in case.

The beach is easy to reach from all the accommodation. As soon as you set foot on the sand you know you’ve found somewhere peaceful. There are no deckchairs or parasols, no multitude of locals hassling you (just a few friendly island folk) and no banana boats or jet skis. The water is warm and clear, the beach clean and serene. We headed straight for the water as the sun was setting and got a direct view as it disappeared into the horizon, signaling that the evening was beginning.

What’s great about Koh Chang is the people: Everyone is there to relax. There’s none of the consumer nightmare of Koh Samui, none of the tension of Pha-ngan, and none of the madness of Pattaya. It’s a fairly young, open minded crowd that frequent Koh Chang, but there are also a number of families and older travelers. The island has a very communal feel to it. The people are, for the most part, friendly and open-minded.

For some reason, there are vast numbers of Swedish people on Koh Chang. I couldn’t figure out why this was the case, but I don’t think I’d ever seen so many blonde bombshells strolling around the area.

The food is great. If you get a chance, head to the restaurant at the Paradise resort. They serve satisfying meals set in a divine ambiance, hammocks included. The Treehouse is a regular fixture for most people. It’s set near the beach and has been more or less completely hippie-fied. People sit around on the wood-paneled flooring, listening to music, drinking a beer, smoking a joint, and just mellowing-out to the charms of the island. The food is excellent too, and at night it becomes party central.

The restaurants on the beach serve adequate food, with seafood generally being the best option. Everything is cheap, which makes Lonely Beach such a good place to stay. Come nightfall and the beach becomes a hive of activity, with fire shows, several bars playing music, and buckets scattered haphazardly along the seafront. Sangsom is a horrible drink, but when in Rome…

Come 2 a.m. and most people feel compelled to take their clothes off and go swimming. It’s like island tradition or something. Fresh young bodies gallop into the sea, swim around for a bit, and then return to their buckets, shivering and wet.

Other than the obvious, there isn’t a whole lot to do on the island. Hiring a motorbike is an option, but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you are a very good driver. The roads are perilously steep and winding. People fall off a lot, and some of these people die. It pays to have some vigilance on the roads. There are a few waterfalls around, but none of them are really that spectacular.

I stayed with my friends on Koh Chang for two nights. The only real expense was the drinking which will set you back 2-300 baht every time you order a bucket. I met an old friend on the island who had been there for close to four weeks. He had grown a tom Hanks Castaway beard and confessed to not having worn a shirt since he arrived. I think I would struggle to stay on Koh Chang for so long, but for a few days it makes for a pleasing interlude for life in the big city.

Is it the perfect retreat from Bangkok? It comes pretty close. It certainly beats a weekend of sitting in traffic and hanging out at the mall.

Filed under : Thailand escapes

0 Comment »