Author Archives: Janet

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About Janet

I'm a 41 year old mother of triplet girls, who are the centre of my universe. I'm an active, busy person: I commute, work full time, regularly run & am learning the piano. Life has been good. I've recently been devastated by my husband's diagnosis of an astrocytoma glioma - an invasive brain tumour that there is no cure for. This blog is Fergus's story, told from my viewpoint.

Paradise Found

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East coast of Ko Tarutao, close to the former prison site
The blue is like nothing else on earth
Sunset on Ko Tarutao
Evie: Completely happy in the white sand
Jemima enjoying sunset on Ko Tarutao
The journey by longtail to Crocodile Cave, Ko Tarutao
Beaches that go on forever
Me and Fergus: Happy to be back in Ko Tarutao

Wow.

How is Ko Tarutao not more popular?

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a massive part of me that definitely doesn’t want it to become more popular. What makes it so amazing, in fact, is that it is not very popular. It is remote, beautiful, and wild, and I absolutely love it.

So returning after thirteen years, you might think there’d be a bit of bad feeling about the changes? Not at all. The moment the boat turned the corner around the cliffs, the huge, white beach stretched in front of us and I was instantly transported back in time. The beach has not changed. Not one bit. And long may it remain like this. A National Park it should be protected from development like this.

Our stay in Tarutao was not as smooth as perhaps I would have liked. In fact, on our first night we were bitten to death by bedbugs (I had over 70 bites, our family total was over 300); as a result we ended up moving out of our rather nice looking bungalow into tents (where there were no bedbugs, but also no refund for us); then I had to return to the mainland for follow up treatment for an ear infection; just as we were getting into the swing of things Tettie had a bike crash (see Me and My Lucky Landings); it was only really during the last few days of our 10 day stay that we managed to have some proper ‘island chill out time’!

Despite all this, Ko Tarutao has always been, and remains, a very special place for me. I can’t quite put my finger on why. It’s somewhere in the shade of blue that deepens towards the horizon, the contrast with the white of the sand, and the complete lack of any buildings of any kind on the coastline. The eagles and other birds of prey soaring overhead, the wild boar, the monitor lizards and the call of the crickets, plus of course, our trusty hammock, all just seem to combine into some kind of island perfection that I find irresistible.

We left today. But I already know I’ll be back.

Me and My Lucky Landings

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The spirit shrine where Scarlett came off her bike

The spirit shrine where Scarlett came off her bike

By Scarlett

My lucky landings have served me well over the whole of travelling.

At KC’s at Chitwan National Park a piece of bamboo treehouse fell at me. It was the tallest one and was about six metres. Luckily, instead of landing on my head, it landed very close – on my shoulder. So when we went trekking again, I didn’t have to carry my own rucksack.

The second time was, just as my shoulder healed, when I had my big fall in Nepal. I fell five metres and instead of breaking both my legs I only broke one! And I didn’t have to carry my rucksack. Again.

The third time was a week after I had an x-ray saying I could run and jump again. I had a bike crash. I was going downhill on a rented bicycle and my brakes weren’t working. I kept going faster and faster and couldn’t stop. I was very, very, very, very, very scared. Daddy was urging me on. My sisters were going slower because their brakes were working so there was just me and Daddy there. I managed to get round about five or six corners before it happened…

A corner came up and hit me. Or more like it hit me all along the side of my bike. I went flying. My bike came after me. I think I landed before it.

What happened next was a mystery. One minute I was on the ground, the next minute I was in Daddy’s arms. Well, things like that do happen when you bump your head.

The rest of the family arrived a few minutes later. But that time, Daddy’s t-shirt was a little bit bloody. Mummy asked me whether or not I was alright. I said, “yes”.

It was lucky because instead of landing in the undergrowth and wild places where snakes could live, or the big drop further up, I landed just in front of a spirit house on the softest bit of earth I could have landed on.

Mummy found my shoe eventually. And even though she doesn’t believe in spirits she did a little pray to them to say thank you. Daddy found me a little plastic superhero with moving arms on the floor and I called him Squiddo the Superhero. I think both of them working together saved me from breaking anything.

Trip Advisor Review of Phu Khao Lak Guesthouse, Khao Lak

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Janet’s Trip Advisor Review of Phu Khao Lak Guesthouse, Khao Lak. Five stars!

When we arrived here I started frantically checking the email reservation to make sure I’d not missed a zero, surely we hadn’t paid enough money for somewhere this nice?

The pool is fairly small but lovely, with an infinity edge and some water features. The garden is huge, I mean seriously huge, if you have children they will love being able to roam around in the open space.

And as for the bungalows, we had a 600B room with hot water, I was expecting it to be a bit rough and ready but it’s just lovely. Daily cleaning, soft white towels, outdoor seating area, new mattresses, clean & newly tiled bathroom. It’s perfect.

The staff cannot do enough for you, and the restaurant is packed every night because the food is so delicious.

As other have said the Wi Fi is the only improvement that is needed, but for the price you pay it is amazing value for money and I definitely intend to come back here.

See Janet’s other reviews.

Trip Advisor review of Woodland Lodge, Koh Jum

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Janet’s Trip Advisor review of Woodland Lodge, Koh Jum. Five stars!

We absolutely loved our stay here and would have extended it if we could. The family bungalow was spacious, with bookshelves to unpack onto and a large bathroom (one of the few places where you can have a shower without getting the toilet wet!). It had a double bed and a single bed. As we have 3 children, 2 of them slept on out travel mats on the floor and the owners provided an umbrella-like mosquito net for them.

The verandah was very big, we had space for our Iarge hammock, plus there were deckchairs and a table provided, so for once we could all sit down at the same time. It felt as though the owners had really thought about what you want or need and tried to provide it. We felt very comfortable.

The food was outstanding, such great cooking, there was no need to go anywhere else. However, there are other resorts and restaurants in walking distance if you fancy a change. The prices were also reasonable, including beer and wine, so you didn’t feel too guilty about having a few sundowners! And the sunset is so pretty here, it’s a mini-event on the beach each evening, with lots of comfy seats, buckets of ice and cold, white wine. Lovely!

Ko Jum and this resort seem to attract a slightly older crowd, and things are very low key, which suited us just fine, it’s not a party island, but lots of chance to socialise.

There’s a big grassy area that our kids turned into a quidditch pitch (we’re in a Harry Potter phase) and Ray, co-owner, brought out some footballs for them to use, which really kept them entertained.

The beach has lovely sand, and the area outside and just to the left of the resort is good for swimming in all tides, not too rocky unlike much of the rest of the island. However, the water is not clear and hopeless for snorkelling. I prefer a good swim anyway!

There are a few bits of old exercise equipment at the resort, a bit rustyp but useable, if you feel like working off some of the great food. I also went running a few times and could easily reach the village and the port, I would come back with little chocolate treats for the kids, there are plenty of little shops there. It’s too far to walk though.

You can also get a motorbike for 350B per day, delivered to the bungalow. We enjoyed exploring, but concluded we were staying at the best bit anyway!

The owners are so friendly and helpful. We paid a lot less to leave the island than we did to arrive by travelling back to Krabi with Ray, he even gave us a lift all the way to the bus station, which we really appreciated. He also told us lots of interesting local facts on the way.

After we left, we realised we’d left behind some clothes, and they have very kindly arranged for us to pick them up from a guest house in Krabi. Thank you so much!

All in all, it turned out to be one of our favourite places on the Andaman coast, I think we’ll be back.

See Janet’s other reviews.

Move with the Times

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“There are place I remember,
All my life, though some have changed,
Some forever, not for better,
Some have gone, and some remain”
The Beatles, ‘In My Life’

It’s a strange thing to be revisiting places where Fergus and I travelled 13 years ago.  This time, instead of it being my first trip out of Europe, I came from 3 months in Nepal.  As a result, rather than finding Thailand a dangerous, thrilling and alien land, I find it has a comforting, European, ‘second home’ feel to it.

And Thailand really has moved up in the world.   The evidence is everywhere. Sleek, air-conditioned bungalows have replaced almost all of the bamboo huts we stayed in last time around.  Where there were ramshackle beach bars, there are smart resorts with swimming pools.  Where there were longtail ferries, there are speedboats.  Where there were squatty pottys, there are flushing western style toilets.  You can buy good quality western food, cheese and wine are available everywhere, the mobile phone signal, the wifi and the transport connections are better than the UK, and all in all it feels a whole lot safer, more modern and a lot less remote than it used to.

You can still find the old Thai style places, but you have to look harder.  And I wonder how much longer they will last.  Thailand is on the move and has no sentimentality when it comes to growing their economy and extracting dollars from tourists.

Our last island was Ko Mook, stood out for us as a favorite from our last backpacking trip.  However, the coconut plantation we strolled though hand in hand all those years ago has been sold to a huge resort.  Much of it has been cut down to accommodate the swimming pool, and the rest has upmarket bungalows built in rows through the trees.  You can’t expect places to stay the same, and bringing our own tourist dollars here is obviously accelerating the rate of change.  But it did make us feel a bit sad.

So it is with some trepidation that we approach what we have always dreamed will be the highlight of our time in Thailand.  Our absolute favorite no 1 place was a tiny island in the deep south called Ko Turatao.  As part of a National Park, it is protected from development, although this hasn’t stopped some of its neighbours (also under National Park protection) from developing at a pace.  However, from what we can gather, there is still only 1 restaurant on the island, and all the accommodation (mostly tents) is owned by the National Park.  You can now get to it much faster in a speedboat (it used to take almost a full day on a boat) and there’s a mobile phone signal, which will make it seem a lot less remote.  But apart from that, it sounds as though it hasn’t changed a bit.

And I can’t wait to see it again.

The House of Bamboo

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“No 54,
The House with the bamboo door,
Bamboo Roof and bamboo walls,
They’ve even got a bamboo floor,
At the house of bamboo!”
Andy Williams, ‘House of Bamboo’

For the next 5 days, we’re moving in to the House of Bamboo.  It really is entirely made of bamboo, and the kids adore it.  It certainly has a lot of character, and the location is absolutely stunning: on Ko Kraden’s honeymoon brochure, picture-postcard perfect beachfront.

However, having now removed (or rather, squealed at Fergus to remove) 3 frogs (1 dead, 2 alive), 3 cockroaches (both alive) and a number of unidentified flying insects, I am starting to realise that Thailand has turned me from backpacker to flashpacker.

It’s only a couple of months ago that we were roughing it in the Himalayas with hardly a complaint, but I now find myself craving the comforts of daily bungalow cleaning, fluffly white towels and walls that don’t allow the wildlife in.

I think I better get used to it though, we have just a few weeks of luxury in the most developed nations in SE Asia before we fly to the Philipines, and then to Indonesia, where I rather suspect I may find myself craving the comforts of the House of Bamboo.

Our little semi in suburbia will feel like a mansion when we get back!

Lord of the Rings Meets the Andaman Coast

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I’m ridiculously proud of my three daughters for reading the whole of the Hobbit (all completed age 7) and all of the first Lord of the Rings novel.  Jemima finished at age 7, before we left for the trip, Scarlett finished in Nepal and Evie fairly recently in Thailand.  (Actually, I can’t help but mention that Jemima has also now finished the Two Towers, how good is that?).

The story has really captured their imaginations.  “Do Gandalf’s voice, Daddy,” and, “Be Galadriel, Mummy,” are daily requests.   The storylines dominate their play, with the sound of Orcs attacking or Legolas firing a bow and arrow being the general background noise.

But I think my favorite way their new geek-chicness has manifested itself is through the sand sculptures they went off to create, completely unaided, yesterday.

Ferg’s role playing friends, you would be so proud.

The Shire

The Shire

Welcome to Rivendell

Welcome to Rivendell

 

This is Rivendell 1, before the tide came in

This is Rivendell 1, before the tide came in

And this is Rivendell 2, after the tide came in

And this is Rivendell 2, after the tide came in

 

Complete with Elven archer defending Rivendell

Complete with Elven archer defending Rivendell

A Night Time Encounter

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I still had my eyes half closed as I stumbled back to bed from night time toilet trip, torch in one hand. I’d reached the mosquito net and was about to start searching for the opening when a thought finally forced it’s way past the haze of sleepiness fogging my brain. Something had been moving in the bathroom as I’d turned and closed the door.

Moving? Nothing should be moving, should it?

I tried to dismiss it as a fragment of dream. It was pitch dark on the island now the day’s electricity was done. I was half asleep. It was probably some combination of flashing torchlight, blurry vision and squinting creating an optical illusion.

No. It was definitely a snake.

Snake! Instantly, I was awake. I turned back to the door and, re-opening it slowly, scanned the wall with my torch.

I froze.

Yup. There it was. A thin, green snake squeezing itself out from a gap at the edge of the tiles around the wash basin, tongue flicking the air. Its body curved out about 30cm from the wall, like it was being charmed horizontally. Like, I thought dimly, the toy snakes made of plastic links that writhe slowly when you hold them by the tail. Except I could see this snake’s muscles contort as it pushed more of its body into the room.

Then it saw me.

It froze.

We gazed at one another for a while, our noses a mere metre apart, unsure of how to address the sudden appearance of this stranger into our night time wanderings. I cocked my head to the side. So, too, did the snake.

I shrugged and stepped back. My thoughts had strayed momentarily to the two sleeping kids in the bed behind me but apart from initiating some kind of midnight snake fight, there didn’t seem much to be done. In the bathroom, the snake seemed to reach a similar conclusion. Reversing its contortions, it started shrinking back into the wall.

I closed the door, covered the gap underneath with a heavy bag, and, getting back into bed with a yawn, made sure the mosquito net was tucked in very, very tight.

Hot & Getting Hotter

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Our estate agent contacted us today.  There’s been some damage to the fence in the recent stormy weather in Leeds.  Apparently, the giant trampoline blew over in the violent wind and has knocked a panel out.

We’re not talking about a small 1-person trampoline.  We’re talking about a triplet-capacity monstrosity; I’m amazed that the wind could be strong enough to move it an inch.  Our tenants have taken the netting down which they think will stop it happening again.  I hope so, and I’m very glad no one was hurt.

It’s impossible to imagine English weather for us right now.  In stark contrast to our friends and family back home, each day that passes turns the temperature dial up a notch.  Not only are we approaching the hottest part of the year in SE Asia; every time we move we inch further and further towards the equator.

It’s entirely our own doing, we deliberately factored the ‘eternal summer’ into our itinerary, carefully planning how we could avoid much of the monsoon and move from country to country, making the best of the changing Summer seasons as we go.  If we’re lucky, we won’t drop much below 30 degrees most days now until we fly home next August.

The kids have adapted amazingly well to the climate.  They very rarely complain, probably because we’re staying close to the sea, so there is always a means of escape.  Although I must say, I’m sure I’ve had baths that have been colder than the sea here.

And I’m enjoying it a lot too.  I remember now how I loved it last time we went backpacking.  At first, the heat is oppressive, but once you get through that stage you just enjoy the warmth right through to your bones; and the ‘smell’ of the heat.  It’s an intensity that you just don’t get in Europe, an experience to be savored and appreciated.

But not if you go running any time after 8 in the morning.