Martensville Messenger September 15, 2016 | Page 10

Page 10 - SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 - MaRTEnSvillE MESSEngER Where in the World? Choosing Your Perfect Thai Island! Submitted by Dean Johnston Travellers are famously fickle, an enthusiastically opinionated group who can spend hours discussing the relative merits and faults of each and every place they’ve ever visited. Which is why it is so remarkable when you find somewhere that nearly everyone raves about. The islands of Thailand are one of those rare places that attracts almost unanimous praise, and not just because they look good as a screensaver. Besides their idyllic beauty and pleasantly tropical climate, the sheer number and variety of different islands catering to all sorts of travellers make them a can’t-miss destination. For every age, budget, trip length, choice of activity and tolerance for thumping dance music there is an island that offers visitors the perfect mix. Other than snowboarders, maybe. In addition to an unsurpassed variety, the Thai islands might have more reasonable “world’s best” claims than anywhere else on the planet. Best beaches? There are definitely some contenders: Railey Beach, Koh Phi Phi Don, Koh Samui, Phuket. Best food: pad thai, lad na, fried snake. Best value: beachfront cabanas starting at around $10. Friendliest people: Pimchanok in Thong Sala. Best place to buy a purple sarong with turtles on it: Koh Chang. Over the years Thailand has become our Southeast Asian hub, the place to which we continually return to relax, regroup and recharge. Over the course of about six different visits we have journeyed to seven different islands, plus three separate mainland beach towns which could easily be mistaken for islands if you happen to never venture further than three blocks from the ocean, an accomplishment we found surprisingly easy. The following are just a few of them: Koh Lipe: Small enough to walk around the entire thing in half an hour, just one little village, no real roads, but enough civilization to provide internet and a choice of restaurants without being over-run by mega-resorts or 7-11s. Throw in some pretty impressive snorkelling right off the beach and we had ourselves a little chunk of heaven. Of course, that was several years ago now and things may be different these days. Koh Pha-Ngan: The original home of Had Rin’s infamous Full Moon Parties, where (mostly) young backpackers spend the entire night raving on the beach under the influence of various forms of mind-altering substances. Frolicking nude in the surf is optional, but strongly encouraged. However, it is still easy to find peace and tranquility on one of the many more remote beaches. Koh Siboya: Extremely quiet, Siboya’s lack of classically beautiful white sand beaches may be its long-term saving grace. This is the place to go for great sunsets, intense relaxation, long beach walks and some really, really large monitor lizards. Phuket: I haven’t actually been there but they have a Hyatt Regency hotel, which should give you some idea what to expect. Koh Lanta: A very nice mix for the mid-range traveller. Affordable but comfortable, not overcrowded but still offering plenty of things to see and do and no shortage of restaurant and bar options. Koh Tao: This is where you go to scuba dive, learn to scuba dive, talk about scuba diving and, most importantly, purchase t-shirts that show the world just how into scuba diving you are. Descriptions of the other 700 or so islands will have to wait for another day, and maybe a few hundred more visits. The point, however, is just how incredibly diverse and enjoyable the Thai islands are, as well as how simple it is to find one that checks all the boxes on any holiday wish list. Whether you are looking fo r beachfront luxury, rustic and secluded huts, all-night dance parties, world-class scuba diving, or maybe just a warm place to nurse your daily hangover, Thailand has got you covered. And probably drunk. Five Things 1. Just a tip: don’t be afraid to back out of a professional shave if the woman has to canvas the street to find a used razor. 2. The humidity in Thailand will do wonderful things for the volume of your perm and chest hair alike. 3. Thailand is riddled with places that will do your laundry for less than the cost of some decent bed bug cream. 4. Thai food is possibly the best in the world. Definitely the best in the world for thrifty people who loathe onions and consider fried noodles the height of exotic cuisine. 5. Cheap t-shirts with beer logos or offensive slogans are the number two export of Thailand, just behind unexpected pregnancies. Dean Johnston is the author of Random Acts of Travel: Featuring Trepidation, Hammocks and Spitting and Behind the Albergue Door: Inspiration Agony Adventure on the Camino de Santiago. He has nothing against sweating if done for the right reasons, such as reading about his current travels in Romania at http://routinelynomadic.com. ABOVE: The beautiful beaches of Koh Lipe. ABOVE: Sunset beer, perhaps. YOU SAW IT YOU WANT IT Email Rachelle rcamsell@ martensvillemessenger.ca to get YOUR AD HERE