End of a Travel Era

One of the questions sure to be asked while traveling, "What is your favorite place?" is impossible to answer. Every place has it's own unique character and special memory. These past few weeks Mal and I have bounced around from island to island in the south of Thailand. While not every place has been our favorite, we have managed to make the most of each moment.

After I met up with Mal and our Aussie travel friend, Alicia, we headed for Ko Lanta where I was looking forward to some fun in the sun after the big city, Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately, we arrived to a completely deserted island. We knew it was rainy season, when many of the shops and restaurants would be closed, but we weren't expecting to see the whole island shut down! One of the perks, however, was cheap accommodation, where we scored an awesome bungalow right on the beach. Making the most of our own private island, we spent our days hitching rides for meals, chating with the locals, lounging by the beach, and really just enjoying doing nothing.

However, you can only enjoy nothing for a little while, so we moved to Ao Nang where there was a little more action. Ao Nang was basically a Thai version of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront - not exactly a backpacker's dream. But, once again, we managed to make our own special memories. We took a boat to one of the most beautiful dive sights in Thailand off the island of Ko Phi Phi where, The Beach, was filmed. Gigantic limestone cliffs and clear turquoise waters set the stage for the neon corals and fish below. Finally, I braved the curvy roads and crazy Thai drivers while driving a scooter for the first time. We enjoyed one of the best Thai luxuries, massages, right on the beach. And, some much needed shopping was in order since friends and family tend to get a bit testy if you don't bring them back anything from paradise. Just FYI, I have agonized repeatedly over what to get everyone back home:)

Just a quick longtail boat away, we traveled to the next cove off the coast, Railey. Railey is known around the world as one of the best places for rock-climbing, which of course Mal and I were anxious to try. After a few not so awesome locations, we were stoked to stumble upon one of our favorite places on this trip. We had the best tea in the world - served by a shirtless Rasta man at an outdoor coffee shop. I climbed 30 meters, almost ONE HUNDRED FEET...the sea surrounding me and the monkeys climbing next me. The hottest bartender/singer/DJ/fire-twirler entertained us every night at our favorite bar. And we met some of the coolest locals and travelers around. All-in-all, it was hard to leave. Railey is the one place I would travel back to Thailand to see.

Sadly, my journey with Mal is complete. Tomorrow my mom and I fly to Indonesia, and Mal is off to Vietnam. It is hard to say goodbye, even though I will see her again back home in a few weeks:) While my long vacation is not over (3 more weeks in Indo!), it will not be the same without my best friend. It has truly been a journey of a lifetime.