It's Raining... Ladyboys!

Our first Thai beach destination was the mainland beach of Rai Leh, outside of Krabi, which is only accessible by longtail boat. Longtail boats are long (surprise!) wooden boats seating about ten people, similar to an oversized canoe, with a propellor on the end of a three metre long driveshaft (hence the name "longtail").

We spent two days on Rai Leh, which is surrounded by soaring limestone cliffs covered with rock climbers. 90% of the places to stay were expensive resorts, contrary to what our guide book says, which means it's one of the many beaches quickly changing from a budget backpacking destination to a flashpacking mecca. We left early hoping to find a more budget-friendly place.

Three boat rides and a minibus ride later we arrived on the island of Koh Lanta. Since it's the island's low season we were able to find a great bungalow 50 metres from the beach for 1/4 of the regular price. Just down the road was a restaurant serving cheap, fresh home-cooked Thai meals where we quickly became regulars. One day we rented a scooter and explored the 32-kilometre long island (which just added to Craig's desire for a motorcycle back home), stopping to pet a baby elephant that barely came up to Andrea's waist. The rest of our week there we spent relaxing on the beach or in the shade of our hut, reading like mad.

Now we're on Koh Samui, one of Thailand's most famous islands. After hearing numerous people say it's very built up and touristy we weren't sure how we'd like it and if it would be in our budget. Luckily we've found a bungalow by the beach that is a wonderful deal ($10 CAD/night). We're on Lamai Beach, where the busy strip comes alive after sundown with street markets, street food, ladyboys (of course!), and old white men with their young Thai girlfriends (which always freaks Andrea out). It all makes for great eating and people watching, so we figure we'll stay here a few more days.

It's getting into the rainy season here, which means occasional showers. On Koh Lanta it rained almost every afternoon for about an hour. The rain cools the air and the sun always returns. At night there are pretty cool lightning storms over the sea rivalling the intensity of a Pink Floyd laser show.

We are often surprised at how few travellers we meet who are as "budget" as us. Since most people only come here for a few weeks to a few months, and so many are European, they are on a bigger daily budget than we are. We try to spend no more than $10 CAD (300 baht) on our accomodation (which usually means a fan room with our own bathroom but no air conditioning, TV, or fridge), but at some places (like Rai Leh) that's close to impossible. We've started getting breakfast at 7/11 (which are as ubiquitous as Tim Hortons in Canada and are usually found every 100 metres down the road - literally), since yogurt-and-cereal is half the price of restaurant breakfasts. When going on the internet or booking a bus trip, we hunt around for the absolute cheapest price. And we always try to get out of the tourist bubble to find the restaurants where locals are eating authentic Thai food, which is cheaper and much better tasting than the Westernized versions of the same dishes they sell for double (or triple!) the price near all the resorts. All these efforts mean we're able to eat like royalty while still coming in well under our budget of $50 CAD per day.