How amazing that this week’s One Word Challenge is Island. I have just returned from an Island holiday and here are some pictures taken in Thailand.
Taken from the air
On James Bond Island with James Bond 2 in the background.
One of the many little islands en route to James Bond Island
We received so many suggestions from people who had been to Asia before that it became quite confusing. So after doing a bit of research we decided upon 18 days that should include Singapore and three Thai islands. As we’d only given ourselves two weeks to plan we decided to hand over the organisation to a travel agent. Harvey Travel in Bredasdorp had organised flights for us before so we went with them.
Riaan organised a superb package through Thompson Tours and for our first trip to Thailand it worked very well. There is just one thing I would change next time – and that would be to have less time on Phuket. Phuket is fine if you want to party, see shows and shop. We didn’t. Our focus was on sunshine, boats and island life. However, Phuket is the perfect starting place to visit other islands and to do adventure trips. There is a lot on offer.
So we spent two nights in Singapore, seven nights on Phuket Island, two nights on Phi Phi, three nights on Koh Samui Island and one night in Bangkok.
Our Thompson’s package included everything from flights to transfers to accommodation. We stayed in comfortable 3 star hotels on a bed and breakfast basis. There was one complimentary tour of Phuket Island included. Diethelm handled our transfers and on each island they gave us a list of trips we could do which they would arrange. Sometimes we used them and sometimes we went with other options. There are travel agents on every street corner!
The exchange rate for South Africans is 2.5 baht to the Rand. Eating in restaurants in Thailand is cheaper than eating in South African restaurants but if you really want to do things cheaply you can always buy your meals from the street vendors. We did not want to risk tummy upsets but I am positive that we would have been fine. The food looked delicious.
Our long haul flights were with Emirates and they were excellent.
We also used Bangkok Airline to fly from Phuket to Koh Samui and Koh Samui to Bangkok and we found them very good too. They provide you with free coffee and snacks in their waiting lounge.
Singapore – Copthorne Kings Hotel:
Very comfortable room. Provided all necessary toiletries including toothbrushes and toothpaste!
Foyer of Copthorne Kings Hotel Singapore
Breakfast was lovely. Main restaurant had a buffet of all kinds of delicious food for dinner but we gave it a miss as super expensive @ $60 per person. No way I can do justice to all that food! But there is a less expensive A La Carte restaurant which was not nearly as popular but served excellent food.
Phuket – Sunset Beach Resort
Our room was on the fourth floor but had no view. As we were out most of the time this did not bother us. It was comfortable, had plenty of space for packing and we were supplied with toiletries.
Pool at Sunset Resort, Phuket
Phuket Sunset
Phi Phi – Bay View Hotel
Lovely room. NB You may not put toilet paper down the loo – it has to be disposed of in the bin.
The only problem was that we were far from reception and the restaurant. The walk was also quite steep in places. This could be a disadvantage to older people or those who are not physically fit. The Earl coped but it was a challenge.
Bay View Hotel Phi Phi – Right on the beach
Our room
The rooms were set among the palm trees
Koh Samui – Ibis Bophut Samui.
Lovely room, with a view, right next to the pool and a hop and a skip from the beach.
It had hanging space in the cupboard but no drawers. However, as we were travelling light this did not really bother us.
Relaxing on the beach
Also no shampoo provided – only soap in dispensers.
All the hotels provided generous (American) breakfasts of average quality. The breakfast at Sunset Resort in Phuket was the best. Although they say it is an American breakfast there are a lot of Asian and continental options too.
Bangkok – Cha-Da Hotel
It was on the fourth floor and very comfortable. We were able to walk to a nearby mall and did not use any taxis besides the one from the hotel to get to a River Tour.
View of Bangkok from roof of Cha-Da Hotel
Having pre-arranged transfers takes all the stress out of travel – especially when you reach a certain age. The Earl had no intention of hailing taxis, hiring scooters or getting into tuk tuks!
All of the above, however, are perfect ways of getting around.
Our transfer company was Diethelm and they were fantastic. The drivers do not speak very much English but they know exactly where they’re going and are very attentive to your needs. A representative met us with a board bearing our names and we were always presented with a bottle of mineral water and a refresher towel each.
At each island they gave us a list of tours we could do and would organise them for us. The tours are not very expensive but don’t expect a running commentary from your driver. His job is to get you to each stopping place and he gives you a certain amount of time to explore and then it’s on to the next stop. The Diethelm representative organises the boat trips for you and their drivers just collect you from the hotel and take you to the meeting place.
More about each island and the tours we did in later blogs.
I’ve been away on holiday and have not taken part in any challenges nor have I blogged for three weeks. To get back into it I’m doing the Stream of consciousness Saturday challenge today.
The prompt is – begin your post with WHEN
When Hubby said, “It’s cold. Let’s get away from the cold Cape Winter and go somewhere warm.” I thought – yes a game park up north would be nice. But that’s not what he had in mind. “Let’s go to a tropical island,” he suggested. “How about Thailand?” I replied and that’s how we got to be in Asia for almost three weeks.
When we arrived in Singapore I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. The streets were so pretty with tropical plants and flowers flourishing everywhere.
Singapore is an island, a city and a country. It has a population of 5 million. There’s virtually no crime, everybody’s employed and the country functions extremely well. When we arrived at our hotel we asked the concierge what we should do the following day and he gave us excellent advice – Take in a mall, go on an afternoon trip and don’t miss the Light show at the Bay of Gardens. This was confirmed by our daughter’s friend who lives in the city.
When we woke up the next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then at 10 we took the hotel free shuttle to Paragon Mall and browsed around the amazing shops. We did not buy a thing but the feast for the eyes was incredible. I could have broken the bank at Jimmy Choos. One gorgeous dress I spotted at Prada was $250. I don’t think so!
We returned to the hotel and then went on a booked tour of the city. A bus collected us at the hotel and dropped as the Bay of Gardens where we met up with the other participants of this tour. Our guide was a young Chinese girl who was well informed and held our interest with her excellent commentary. The trip was $34 each and worth every cent. Our first stop was Little India.
We browsed around for half an hour and bought a pair of harem pants for me and a shirt for Earl. Next we were taken to see the Merlion at Marina Bay – We were given some free roaming time and then it was back on the bus.
From there we went to Chinatown, saw a temple and mosque and then wondered around.
Next stop was The Botanical Gardens – where we spent 45 minutes in the orchid garden. It was fantabulous.
After this we were collected by our various hotel busses and it was 6 o’clock by the time we were back.
After a short rest we got a taxi to Bay of Gardens. We were hugely impressed by what we saw there and at quarter to 8 took in the light show. It was spectacular. I was actually moved to tears by its beauty and the amazing music that accompanied it.
Singapore is celebrating it’s 52nd birthday on 9 August and there were songs about their country.
After the show we went to Dine at Supertree and had yam filled spring rolls and crispy duck – delicious. When we were in Singapore we were truly blown away.
Nancy ask us to post Off Centre photographs this week. Here is my contribution.
Novel scarecrows taking a break in the sun
White-fronted plover on the shoreline in Struisbaai
A Kelp Gull wondering if he should go in for a dip
Here is my contribution to this week’s Fun Photo Challenge from Cee
The Earl having post operative exercise time in the hall of an Italian Hospital
Typical hallway in a cathedral in Salerno, Italy
A hallway of one of the ruins of Pompeii Italy
Most entrance halls had pools such as this one – Pompeii Italy
Here are my answers to Cee’s Share Your World 31 July 2017
If you had to have your vision corrected would you rather: glasses or contacts? Or what do you use if you need to have your vision corrected?
I had excellent vision until my early 40s and then strange things seemed to happen. A child at school would show me her work and I would get irritated because she put it right in front of my face and I would pull back in order to read it. They all started this and I realised it wasn’t them it was me. I was becoming long sighted! So I bought a pair of those glasses you get from pharmacies and used them for reading only. But after a few years I realised that I needed a proper eye test. “My eyes are fine,” I told the optometrist ” I just need reading glasses.” But she showed me that I actually needed ‘varifocals’ because I could not see properly at all! My ego was deflated but once I got the varifocals it changed my life! I did not have to take my specs on and off and I could see properly all the time. I loved my specs. I have no desire to wear contact lenses. Spectacles rock!
Difficult question – I will have to say – BOTH. When I was a kid I adored cats but my mother wasn’t so keen on them – however, she allowed me to have a cat until I developed an allergy to them – my eyes streamed and my nose ran. We always had dogs and I loved my dogs. Later in life I had both and I tended not to react to my own cats. My favourite dog ever was a black cross spaniel type dog that was my constant companion and went running with me every day. I just had to mention the word ‘takkies’ (sneakers) and the would bark and wag her tail in excitement. When she became old I had to stop her running with me but still her tail would wag and she looked so sad when I refused to let her come with me. It was so sad to have to let her go when her kidneys failed.
We had one more dog after that and then settled for cats. The cats, Shadow and Mia, are still with my daughter and she has adopted another but now that we’re retired and travel often, we don’t keep pets. We just keep dog biscuits for the ones who visit.
Mia and Shadow
If you were to buy a new house/apartment what is the top three items on your wish list?
This not going to happen ever again. I lived in my last home for 30 years. Our current home was our holiday house and we’re getting it into shape to suit our final years. I’ve written posts about this from time to time. Right now we’re working on the garden. But to answer the question – Kitchen with accessible cupboards for my old age – drawers come to mind! Plenty of cupboard space. Pretty garden.
What inspired you this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
Willie inspired me this week. He has some great ideas about what we should do with our garden. He’d already helped with some of it but more needs to be done! We had a long chat, looked at some pictures on the internet and planned what we would do in a ‘dead’ part of the back garden as well as what we do in the front. Today we went shopping for paving, pots and stone and also had a truck load of soil delivered. Soon the landscaping and further designing of the garden will begin!
Our Garden before we started the revamp
Part of the front garden where Willie designed and planted our rockery.
The other half of the back garden where the Milkwood has been tamed.
Here is my contribution to this week’s Odd Ball Challenge from Cee
We have a quaint little town in the Overberg called Napier. Sometimes we stop at the coffee shop which offers delicious food and is decorated with odd bits and pieces. It’s a real feast for the eyes and provides lovely photo opportunities for the photographer.
Just too cute
Great Welcome Sign
Gorgeous girl presiding over the tables
Moody or what?
This week’s Stream of Consciousness prompt is Limb
This immediately brings to mind the idiom “to go out on a limb” which means being in a dangerous or unrecommended position when making a decision to do something. I have often found myself out on a limb. While on that limb I have not felt I shouldnt be there at all. It’s only when the situation is over and I look at it with 20/20 hindsight that I doubt my sanity and say to myself, “What the hell were you thinking! What sane person would do what you’ve just done?” For example when Hubby announced that Number 1 daughter was having a hard time in her marriage I said – bring her on home – along with 2 tiny babies aged 18 months and 4 months respectively. Crazy – it was an insane time – the kids were hyperactive, Mom in no position to cope, I was working full time in a demanding teaching post – at the peak of my career and loving it and now I had to return to working Mom/Gran status. Yet I told everyone how great it was to have the privilege of helping our daughter raise her kids. I hardly noticed the exhaustion, the stress and the drama of fighting an extremely tricky custody case in court. When said case was won, I retreated from the limb and felt an incredible lightness and only then realised what we’d been through. But that was not the end – we continued to help raise the boys until they were 17 and 18 years old. When they were 4 and 5 I gave up my job and only took relief positions until they were 12 and 13. Why hadn’t I stopped earlier? – the pressure was off and I had time to devote to helping them through primary school – both were ADHD and dyslexic. During that time we went out on other limbs for other reasons and for other people and only faced the consequences afterwards. Sometimes we fell off and were hurt but we always picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off and went straight out onto another limb. This happened when making decisions about our lives, helping out friends or complete strangers and never did we hesitate to think – what will happen if this doesn’t work out?
Gran with her boys in 2000 -Jay 3, Josh 2
Gran and her boys in 2015 Jay 18 Josh 17
Then one day we chopped down the tree, left the family home and retired to to our holiday home 230km away. Omiword – the hindsight – I read diaries I kept and exclaim to my husband – Why the hell did we do that! Were we quite mad! At a time in our lives when we should have been winding down and indulging our own needs we started over with a fresh new family and continued to live life at full speed ahead. And we don’t regret a minute of it. We survived and so did our kids and friends. But now! Now we’re doing our own thing. Now we’ve found a new tree with different limbs to go out on. Now the limbs are half as dangerous and purely for our own fun. We will continue to go out on them until they break with the weight of us and we simply can’t any more.
The theme for the Weekly Photo Challenge is Satisfaction.
What a lovely prompt this week. There are so many photos I could choose as I really find many things in my life satisfying. I’ve chosen a few that I think reflect the meaning of the word.
My grandson – satisfied with his catch at Sani Valley Lodge, KZN
Surrounded by my last class of Grade Ones at the last day of school in my last year of teaching. Most satisfied that it was a good career.
My Hubby – Content with his four grandchildren
Satisfied with the retired lifestyle – caravanning at Ebb and Flow – Garden Route National Park Western Cape
Here is my contribution to this week’s Odd Ball Challenge from Cee
This Wooly-necked stork, spread his wings and turned his back on us. Perhaps he was camera shy
This is my table and I’m not giving it up for anybody!
Here is my contribution to this week’s Black and White Challenge from Cee
Boat Club Registration Number for taking part in competitions
I’ve been knocking and knocking but nobody answers
A Stop along Route 62 – Western Cape
Yes – every fisherman agrees!
I am joining Trent’s Weekly Smile challenge this week.
I had a lot to smile about this week.
My first smile is something I’ve been smiling about for a few weeks actually so I’m including it in this post. My handsome husband is now a Cover Boy! He appeared both on the cover and on a centrefold of Ski-boat Magazine. One of his friends quipped that it’s sold more copies than Play Boy this month!
My Cover Boy holding his magazine in our local store
Earl and Willie on Kiora
I smiled this week when I was invited to join a group of ladies at my friend Sarah’s for tea. Back in Cape Town it would be unusual to find the majority of the company speaking Afrikaans but here the English speaker is in the minority. I chatted away in my second language and smiled when I was complimented for doing so. They were ALL prepared to swap to English for my sake! Dankie dames vir julle vriendelikheid. Ek het die oggend so baie geniet.
The next thing that made me smile was a visit from my darling daughter. Since she was very little she’s been a whiz at doing jigsaw puzzles. After breakfast on Saturday she decided that she’d buy a big one to do over the weekend. She mentioned this to our host at the coffee shop and he disappeared only to reappear with one he had stowed away – “If you don’t finish it, I’ll come over and do it next week,” he said. The picture was most appropriate – I keep telling my daughter to kiss the frog to find her prince but she refuses to do it!
Getting started on the 1000 pieces!
Almost done – Willie will have to come over to finish it because I am useless at puzzles.
I smiled again when some Cape Francolin visited my garden. They were not shy of us at all and seemed to say thank you for the seed we put out.
When guests come calling you have to feed them
Relaxed enough to show their affection in front of us!
And finally I smiled when The Earl suggested we go away to warmer climes for a couple of weeks. “Where to?” I asked thinking a northern game reserve would be nice. But we’re heading that way in November and he had other plans. “How about a tropical island? The Maldives, Seychelles, Malaysia or Thailand?” We decided on Thailand and we leave next Saturday – I have a very big smile on my face!
Very much looking forward to something like this!
Diary of an Adventurous Retiree 