rice is the new bread

Chaweng Noi beach after a heavy monsoon downpour. Look closely and you can see the end of the rainbow dipping into the Thai sea.

Monday, the 9th of July, 2018

Thailand is quickly becoming one of my most well-known travel destinations I have been to so far. In late summer of 2017 Jelte & I took a roadtrip through Central Thailand, driving all the way from Kanchanaburi in the country’s west to Phanom Rung in the East. We even packed in a day to discover Bangkok, but „only“ visited Malaysias Langkawi for some island relaxation.

This time I flew in over Phuket to see more of the country’s South. Some would say that this is the much more prominent face of Thailand, one with palm tree fringed beaches with crystal clear water and soft warm sand. I have first gotten to know another facet, characterized by ancient temples, rich culture, and incredible friendly people and I was (and still am) excited to discover more. So far I was greeted with the same unconditional friendlyness, ate equally delicious food (though with much more seafood), and even saw a temple with a mummified monk, confirming my earlier impressions. Though the focus won’t be as much on ancient culture and religious sites as before, I’m sure this country will hold just as many strikingly beautiful and exciting surprises as our last trip. The beaches are breathtaking indeed, and the soft waves instill a deep sense of calm and relaxation. However, it is monsoon season at the moment, so the sun is not shining as strongly and uninterruptedly, saving me from the worst of sunburns. The picture above was taken just after such a heavy monsoon rain shower, with thick drops and quite a bit of wind. Though the waves kept low, at some parts of Koh Samui they were pretty strong, making it hard to swim in the water. On this particular day and beach though, I could easily enjoy the downpour from within the ocean, watching the raindrops hit the sea surface and enjoying the sound of the rain.