Today started early at 4:30am. Having only had a few hours of sleep, we stumbled downstairs & caught a cab to Suvanabumi airport. After we checked in, we found a sweet departure lounge for Bangkok Airways flights. It had snacks, a free Internet cafe, sofas, and (most importantly) Thai iced tea! I had about 3 cups of Thai iced tea in the 25 minutes that we waited for our boarding announcement. The flight to Koh Samui was one hour south, so by the time we ascended to cruising altitude we began to descend. Bangkok Airways also served breakfast on the flight, which was a welcome surprise. If I was traveling on a US airline, I might have received a small bag of pretzels and a cup of water during the flight.
When we arrived in Koh Samui, I knew that the airport receives a lot of visitors. We had to buy a ticket for the bus & ferry at the airport. Depending on where you were going, you received a sticker that went onto your shirt - I felt like a cow. We were be branded and ushered along to our next destination. One positive aspect was that the travel was smooth & carefree; I didn't have to worry about navigating our way to the dock & figure out the boat schedules.
We arrived to Koh Pha Ngan 1.5 hours later. We grabbed a tuk tuk to our hotel; the Royal Orchid Resort. It's located on the northwest side of the island; see the Travelfish map for our location. We were located in B2, on the mainland across from Ko Ma island. (http://www.travelfish.org/map_detail/thailand/southern_thailand/surat_thani/ko_pha_ngan/41)The name sounds much better than it actually was, but it was decent enough for $8/night. We were staying in a bungalow that had a porch, two plastic chairs and a hammock. The view of the ocean from our porch was incredible.
After we threw our bags in the room, we went out to the porch. I found myself lying in the hammock 4 hours later with my book on the handrail. After the all-afternoon nap, I had worked up an appetite so I went to go find some food. I don't remember doing anything else - the effects of the island had already began to affect my sense of time & place.
When we arrived in Koh Samui, I knew that the airport receives a lot of visitors. We had to buy a ticket for the bus & ferry at the airport. Depending on where you were going, you received a sticker that went onto your shirt - I felt like a cow. We were be branded and ushered along to our next destination. One positive aspect was that the travel was smooth & carefree; I didn't have to worry about navigating our way to the dock & figure out the boat schedules.
We arrived to Koh Pha Ngan 1.5 hours later. We grabbed a tuk tuk to our hotel; the Royal Orchid Resort. It's located on the northwest side of the island; see the Travelfish map for our location. We were located in B2, on the mainland across from Ko Ma island. (http://www.travelfish.org/map_detail/thailand/southern_thailand/surat_thani/ko_pha_ngan/41)The name sounds much better than it actually was, but it was decent enough for $8/night. We were staying in a bungalow that had a porch, two plastic chairs and a hammock. The view of the ocean from our porch was incredible.
After we threw our bags in the room, we went out to the porch. I found myself lying in the hammock 4 hours later with my book on the handrail. After the all-afternoon nap, I had worked up an appetite so I went to go find some food. I don't remember doing anything else - the effects of the island had already began to affect my sense of time & place.
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