Тайский Рай Thai Paradise

We got together on vacation in an emergency: either we fly now, or we don’t have a vacation at all until the end of the year. A ticket was bought at Chip Trip two weeks before departure, the tour operator Troika is a subsidiary of Teztour. It turned out that there were almost no tickets left in the free sale of tickets. There were only Aeroflot tickets with an overpayment of $ 200 each (still did not understand why). There were also no direct flights, they flew to Bangkok, from there on a connecting flight to Phuket. The hotel was chosen Tropical Garden, 3 *, breakfasts. In total, the cost of the voucher itself turned out to be 54.000 rubles per person at the then dollar exchange rate of 24 rubles.
Shock from Sheremetyevo.
We flew through Sheremetyevo. Disappointed with this airport. We arrived 2 hours before departure. We stood in line for an hour and a half to check in our luggage, then we saw crowds of people at the passport control windows. Worked, as introduced, 4 out of 15 windows. Moreover, both passengers of flights that were supposed to take off half an hour ago, and those who would take off only in 1.5-2 hours could stand in the queue, and often the latter stood in front of the first. The people were nervous. To a reasonable question to Sheremetyevo employees, why only 4 windows are working, they received the answer: "There is no one to work. " Finally, we went to the hall for baggage inspection. There the picture is even worse. Only two entrances work, and one of them was given to the Korean delegation. How law-abiding citizens stood in the "Russian" line. Having reached the middle, we heard over the loudspeaker that the boarding for the flight to Bangkok had already been completed. They began to move ahead of the queue. But who will miss . . you know. As a result, the Korean delegation was so kind to us that they skipped the line. Next - what kind of shoe covers are there . . what are you talking about, they have long been gone . . barefoot, at the risk of catching a foot fungus, we ran under a metal detector. They began to put on their shoes, as they heard screams: “There is someone else to Bangkok, I’m sending a bus. Where are the other 6 people? As a result, the bus left without two unfortunates, who, like us recently, fought for human rights under the roof of ShereMatEgo. Finally got on the plane. They waited for some more time until we were allowed to take off, began to leave for the runway, as the aunt in the next row became ill (of course, after all those circles of hell that we all had to endure). The flight was delayed again, the aunt was loaded into an ambulance, then her luggage was removed.....

In the end, after another half an hour, we finally took off. Hallelujah! I was very pleased with the crew: friendly and helpful people.
Bangkok airport.
The airport in Bangkok immediately struck me with its scale. But everywhere there are signs and treadmills that speed up the movement. In general, it was not possible to get lost. I was also very pleased with the attitude of the staff: very friendly, helpful, everyone smiles. We did not have time to get off the ladder - as it is already possible to pick up luggage. At least send our “comrades” from Sheremetyevo there for an internship.
At the airport in Bangkok we were met by Thai guides Teztur. Russian is spoken with a stretch. They pasted pieces of paper with the inscriptions "Teztur" in order to subsequently identify us from the crowd. The guides persuaded us to change half the amount right at the airport, which was a rash decision, because. in the evening, after checking the exchange rates in the airport exchange offices in Bangkok and Phuket, we realized that we had lost about 1.500 baht with an exchange amount of 1.500 dollars, i. e. 1 baht loss per dollar. The exchange rate of the baht to the ruble is approximately 0.75 rubles per 1 baht, so count it. The guides also persuaded us to buy SIM cards from them for 50 baht. They said that after activation, 15 baht will be in the account. In the end, she didn't have any money. The guide smiled sweetly and said that he was confused, 15 baht will appear on the account only if you buy a SIM card for 100 baht))
We finally checked in for a domestic flight to Phuket. Our luggage was carefully placed in special baskets so that it would not get dirty or wrinkled, and only then was it allowed to go along the loading belt. We liked Thai Airways very much. The entire journey was broadcast on-line the movement of our aircraft on a map projected on the screen. Interesting.

We landed successfully. We were immediately met by Teztour employees in a minibus. Three of us were traveling with a girl named Dana, a Russian representative of Teztur, who, as it turned out, was flying across the seat from us. Dana gave a brief excursion on where and what to eat, where to go, how to behave, where to get a massage, and so on, for which many thanks to her.
The island turned out to be much larger than we imagined. It took about 30 minutes to get to the hotel. The sun shone through the window. I wanted to quickly drop things and run to the sea.
Hotel.
Finally we arrived at the hotel. It is located on a small hill. The reception asked for a room with a sea view, but this one was offered to us with an additional charge of 800 baht per day. I had to say goodbye to this idea. Our room was in the third building, ie. first you had to climb the stairs to the second building, then take the elevator to the 3rd floor, then again up the stairs to the next building, then take the elevator to the second floor and voila, our room. The number of steps was sometimes tiring, especially at the end of the holiday, but on the other hand, they allowed us not to swim completely fat.
Our room exceeded expectations. From the balcony you could still see a piece of the sea and the garden on site. The room itself is very clean, everything you need is at hand. Towels were changed upon request. Always brought water, tea, coffee. Cleaned up early, sometimes while we were having breakfast. Never had any complaints about the staff. Left for tea for 20-40 baht. It was for what. In general, the hotel could have received 4 stars, if not for the stairs : )
There is a small road next to the hotel, you need to be careful on it, because. motorcyclists sometimes rush along it, not really observing the rules. They move to the right. Looking around, do not forget about it.
Tailoring.

Across the street is a clothing store. There is generally something sewn on every corner. Moreover, under the labels of Armani, Cerutti and other eminent couturiers. As we were later told, this business was founded by Indians who buy couturier suits, rip them apart, cut patterns and sew analogues for tourists for a penny. Oksana (Teztour guide) complained that the uniforms for the employees were sewn all different, and one of our compatriots was terribly pleased with both the quality of tailoring and the price on the way back at the airport (he sewed two trousers, two shirts, two jackets, 2 ties and a cashmere a coat for 500 dollars. ) In general, it’s not necessary once in a while. If I knew in advance where to sew, I would definitely take a chance.
The store has a guy Chris on duty 14 hours a day. He calls all Russian men Sergey, and the girls - Masha and says around the clock: "Good morning. " Apparently, not only we tried to teach him to distinguish morning from evening, and it ended with the fact that at the end of our stay in wonderful Phuket, Chris began to repeat like a parrot: "Good morning, Sergey... what a morning - an evening. " It sounded even more fun.
First impression of the sea.
On the first day, leaving things in the room, we still hoped to see the sea before sunset. But since, out of inexperience, they agreed to go to Chris's shop, where, in order to maintain small talk, he began to show us terrible shots after the tsunami (and this was on the first day), and then gently transferred our attention to catalogs with costumes. We stayed there no more than 10 minutes, but it was already getting dark. It should be noted that it gets dark very quickly in Phuket. From the hotel to the sea 3 minutes walk. Somehow managed to get rid of the obsessive Chris, and finally reach the sea. Such beauty opened up to our eyes that we could not even believe in the reality of what was happening. The sky was painted with a wide variety of colors, huge, but gentle and warm waves were thrown ashore every now and then, on which surfers rode. On the shore, the lights of all kinds of cafes have already lit up . . such a beauty. Then we realized that it was not in vain that we flew so far! Undress and start swimming. True, it was not possible to go very deep, because. the waves were too big and strong, limited themselves to floundering aground.
About "eat".

There are a lot of cafes on the coast. It is better to choose those where there are more people. Sea food is usually laid out in front of the entrance. But keep in mind that the prices there are indicated for 100 grams. And usually it's not cheap. It is much more convenient to order a dish with the same shrimp, it will be cheaper and the shrimp will already be cleaned, and with a side dish, rather than ordering just half a kilo of fried shrimp.
Budget and delicious food in Kata Mama, it is right from the southern edge of Kata Beach. Perhaps someone will be embarrassed by shabby plastic chairs and tables, but compared to the goodies, budget and speed of service, this is sheer nonsense.
There is a rasta cafe near Kata Mama. There in the evening it is very cheerful and lively. People come there to drink to reggae music, and hang out with large and not very companies.
Between Kata Mama and the rastaman bar there is a ladder upstairs. The Bella Vista restaurant is located there. Positions itself as a candlelit dinner overlooking the sea. Restaurant at a high level, very romantic (candles, trills of cicadas, the sound of the sea, the rustle of leaves), delicious. Waiters anticipate your every desire. 10 times they come up with questions: “Is everything all right? ”, “Do you need something else? ”, “Did you like it? ”. The hostess of the restaurant (she comes from Switzerland) also comes up to testify her respect and joy because you visited her restaurant. By the way, it was she who invited us there, coming up on the beach with a leaflet. This dinner was the most memorable for me. A great place for romantic confessions, or the last dinner before departure. Tips are included in the bill. But I must say that the prices there are also restaurant prices, compared to other cafes : )
About the weather.

The beginning of October is considered off-season. The first few days were really cloudy, sometimes it rained, for a maximum of half an hour. The rain is warm, like a shower, and when the air, sea and water from the sky are all 30 degrees, it is perceived completely differently than in Moscow. But swimming was unrealistic, even when he passed, because. the waves are gigantic, you go waist-deep into the water - the sea is addictive, it can be difficult to get out. There are red flags on the shore - you can not swim. The sign with the inscription "death current" also did not inspire optimism. Thais are watching on the shore, explaining that it is life-threatening. In general, on the third day, I nevertheless began to feel sad that I would not see the sea from the picture in the advertising booklet, besides, the guides unanimously said that there was practically no calm in the off-season and all as one recommended to go to Pee-pee. But more about pee later. However, on the fourth day, when we woke up, we saw through the window a clear sky, the sun and... bathing people!!!
Once in clear weather 500 meters from the beach we saw a cloud and a real tornado!! ! All the locals jumped out of their cafes and, like us, looked at him with curiosity and apprehension. After 10-15 minutes, he disappeared into the air.
About entertainment at sea.
We took masks, flippers and ran to the beach. Although the sea was not mirror-smooth, it was already possible to swim. We got the surf! This is a cool thing! Just don't repeat my mistake, put on a T-shirt and long shorts before you are going to learn to surf - I wiped my knees and stomach in the blood. surf in places, like sandpaper.
Also riding a scooter! Half an hour costs 1500 baht (about 1200 rubles) by the standards of Sochi and the Crimea - a penny. Feelings are overwhelming. We arrived at a deserted island. Rushed through the waves.
They ride on a parachute. But a little expensive. . one round 1300 baht. What struck me was that a Rastafarian Thai flies on the lines behind you, without insurance!! ! Like a monkey hanging on his feet, pulling them periodically to ensure a soft landing.
It is better to dive near the pebbles. There are many colorful fish there. There are also lionfish and a snake (striped black and white) - it is better not to swim up to them. There are moray eels and hedgehogs and stars, a striped fish from the cartoon "Nemo" lives in anemones. The fish are curious, swam after us in flocks. Lots of crabs. It is better to watch all this in sunny weather, then the scales of the fish shimmer. If it is calm, then the water is clean and clear. True, human garbage occasionally comes across at the bottom.
The ebb and flow are affected. Sometimes water splashes in the immediate vicinity of the fence of nearby hotels, and sometimes it is still 100-150 meters away. Moreover, she can overcome this distance in just half a day!

We swam on the nearby Kata Noi beach. It's cleaner there. But it was not possible to dive, there were big waves. For 12 days at sea, it was stormy for only 3 days. The rest of the time there was sunny weather and calm. I don’t know, maybe we were just lucky, or maybe it’s always like this in the off-season.
About massage.
We drove with the goal of properly "massage". Therefore, we went for a massage almost every day and in different places. Massage is really cheap. 300 baht (225 rubles) - an hour of Thai massage. Manicure / pedicure is only 100 baht, but I didn’t dare, who knows how they disinfect tools, maybe lemon juice?
The quality of massage and service is different everywhere. I liked the least in the salons across the road from the hotel, this is most likely due to the fact that a fairly large flow of people passes there a day, and therefore the massage therapists get more tired, and sometimes save on consumables. Here, for example, it is important for me that the sheet is changed after each client and given disposable pajamas. Thai massage involves direct contact of your body with the feet of the massage therapist, you can consider me anyone, but I personally feel uncomfortable if the massage therapist touches certain areas of my naked body with his bare heels. I’m not sure that he washed them after the previous client, and indeed... And after one of the massages in such a “nearby” salon, veins appeared on my leg and have not gone away so far! So if you have some predisposition to varicose veins - do not go anywhere.
But where to go? Firstly, we found a very nice place, if you walk from the Tropical Garden Hotel down the street towards the center - after 5 minutes you will reach a left turn, there will be currency exchangers on both sides, you will immediately see a fountain with elephants, so you need to go straight without turning anywhere, there will begin a slight rise, restaurants, shops, go not far to the 7 eleven store, it will be on the left side in 5 minutes, immediately after it on the left side there will be a small two-story massage parlor, unfortunately we did not recognize the name: ).

Do not be lazy, go there at least once (after all, it's only 10 minutes to go) and you will feel the difference. We came across this salon quite by accident on the second day when we were hiding from the rain. We were met by hospitable hostesses, seated on a sofa, put our feet in basins, washed each finger with soap, while we drank delicious tea, wiped our feet and put on slippers. Then we were taken upstairs, the atmosphere was soothing, music, bamboo mats. Gave disposable cotton pajamas for Thai massage and disposable panties and cap if you are going to do oil massage. The masseuses themselves are very experienced and attentive. They always ask how hard to massage you. After the massage, you feel stretched and as if grown by a couple of cm. You go downstairs, drink tea again, chat with the masseurs, pay (the same 300 baht for an hour of Thai massage) and leave. We really liked it.
Secondly, we decided to try a salon massage, namely the Body & Mind salon. It is located at the northern end of Karon Beach, next to the Ocean Resort. By the way, we found another Body & Mind with the same sign on the other end of Karon, but it was closed all the time. Be sure to pre-register somewhere in the day (and this is in the off-season). We chose a program that includes a milk bath, tea, Thai massage, foot massage, tea and fruit. Total about three hours. This, friends, is a real relaxation! At least once go for comparison. It cost 5500 baht for two.
About renting scooters.
Guides strongly do not recommend renting vehicles. First, they are not insured. Secondly, the second paragraph of the lease agreement states that in the event of damage to the vehicle, you undertake to reimburse any (!!! ) amount of expenses indicated to you by the owner of the vehicle. Thirdly, if you, God forbid, are injured, you do not fall under the insured event, because. it is believed that you intentionally put your life in danger (what insanity) !! ! Fourthly, in addition to the fact that there is not familiar to us, right-hand traffic, no one follows the rules and in the event of an accident, the Thai will always help out the Thai, and the rich farang (white man) will be guilty. But we took the risk, and everything worked out. In addition to renting a scooter (200-300 baht per day), you also need to buy gasoline from the owner at 50 baht per liter (half the price at a gas station). Before you buy gasoline, take a look at the fuel tank full indicator, the tank may be full, because. the previous tenant filled it up, and the owner simply wants to sell you another 200 baht of gasoline. You must have a helmet and a license, otherwise you may be fined 300 baht, if caught of course.
Diving.

Diving in Phuket is not bad, there are beautiful landscape diving, shipwrecks, caves, etc. When visiting Phuket for the first time, they usually take you to Racha-Yai, where there are very beautiful landscapes, corals, rocks and, of course, fauna. It is better to buy in dive clubs directly, they are scattered everywhere among shops and restaurants. You can also buy from tour operators or guides, but they are more expensive and they will take you to the same dive center, why do you need an intermediary? A trip to Racha-Yai cost me 2900 baht (for certified, otherwise - 4500 with a small introductory rate) + 700 baht equipment rental, because. I only had a mask and snorkel with me. This price includes a transfer to/from the port, a boat to the place, about an hour each way, lunch on the way, and 2 bottles filled at 200 bar, that is, 2 full dives.
Fauna.
The Tropical Garden Hotel is immersed in tropical greenery, sometimes (from 6-8 in the morning) you can see a black squirrel on the palm trees, which takes out some berries from the core of the palm tree and eats them! After breakfast, she very funny climbs up the rock, which delimits the territory of the hotel from the jungle. After the rain, on the steps of the stairs there are long black centipedes with a round head and horns, which I am not a fan of insects, but these representatives inspired me sympathy. The restaurant is open, if you leave your food unattended for at least 2 minutes, a Thai rook immediately arrives and brazenly steals food from your plate! They can even be hand-fed, they are not afraid. If a rook has pecked from your plate, it will be replaced for you, because. they are believed to be carriers of diseases. Geckos on the island at every turn, as funny as in cartoons, there are huge ones, and there are very small ones. We saw snakes three times: the first - a small tree snake right on the beach, the second - when riding on elephants a large, black-and-yellow snake, the third - an underwater, poisonous black-and-white snake. There are a lot of cats and dogs on the island, and almost all of them are wearing collars, i. e. belong to someone. I read earlier in one of the reviews that all animals in Phuket are cute and harmless. But this is not entirely true, cats know their worth, and if they consider that you are not worthy of stroking them, they can crack their paws, and dogs can bite! So it's not worth it to climb with "hugs" to everyone.
Show.

Went to the Simon Show (transvestite show). The show is colorful, a lot of scenery, beautiful costumes, transvestites are really indistinguishable from women, though occasionally they don’t fall under the plywood and dance out of sync. But this is nonsense. After the show, you can take a photo with them, but it will cost you 200 baht per person. In fact, the places are divided into VIP and Standard. And the price is almost the same. VIP - with numbered seats in the stalls, Standard - a balcony with accommodation wherever you want. We got tickets to the balcony, although the tour operator promised VIP, but we sat at the very front of the balcony, so everything was great to see.
We also visited the Go Go show. We were dragged to some strange place, there are 5 tables in one row, a stage is a meter away, there are pillars on it, around which Thai women shift from foot to foot. It's not that it doesn't even remotely look like a striptease, we have 5th graders dancing like that at a school disco. We especially remember one girl, she was so indifferent to what was happening in the hall that during her “incendiary” dance she could look at her watch, yawn, and even pick her nose))) All this action takes place while the hall is filling up. After the hall is more or less full, a nasty beep sounds, a red light flashes, the front door is curtained with a red curtain and the hostess of the establishment goes outside to stand on the lookout (apparently they are being chased). And… the action begins. A completely asexual Thai girl comes out, lifts her skirt and starts pulling out some things . . shoot darts, honk the horn, hatch tennis balls and in the end fish appear from there! Golden . . live. And turtles. We had enough, we left. And acquaintances told us that a parrot was also born there. Spectacle for an amateur.
About a taxi. You can bargain with taxi drivers, but if they stand in a bunch, then it's useless. If he stands alone, then he can throw off 50 - 100 baht. From Kata to Karon it costs 200 baht, from Karon to Patong, another 200. It takes about 30 minutes to drive. It’s better to get a company of like-minded people, it will be cheaper.
About excursions.

After reading the reviews - I really wanted to go to Krabi and Lanta. But in the "off season" excursions to Lanta are not made: firstly, there are few who wish, and secondly, Similans are closed to tourists until November. It made me sad. We chose a trip to Krabi. Initially, we were only interested in excursions for 2 days. Therefore, we immediately refused the services of Teztur. They called Vova (Ilves Tour) and Egor (Exotic Voyage). Egor did not have a two-day trip to Krabi, but he undertook to organize a two-day trip to Phi Phi for us. Vova (Ilves Tur) the next morning sent a guide Igor to us, who described all the delights of the excursion to us and two of our compatriots from our hotel. We agreed to it in absentia, only the unpredictability of the weather was embarrassing. In the end, everything turned out more than wonderful.
We visited a rubber factory that sells products made from the sap of hyvea trees. This juice, solidifying, turns into natural rubber, and some time ago they learned how to make foamed rubber, which is used in orthopedic mattresses and pillows. I think it should be a very good thing, but the money was spared. A pillow costs 3.500 baht, a mattress - about 18.000 baht. In Moscow, such things are of course more expensive, and as they say - you will not find 100% rubber in Moscow. In general, if you want to improve your sleep, you can grab money in advance for these products, plus lay down on extra weight on the plane. People carry pillows and mattresses usually in hand luggage; in a vacuum deflated state, they take up little space.
Krabi.
The trip to Krabi was amazing. Firstly, we had a good guide - Sasha. He told a lot of interesting things. Didn't let us get bored for a minute. Thanks to him!
Secondly, we have a great company. Sergey and Irina from Moscow, Artem and Natalia from Khabarovsk and Andrey from Kyiv. Hi to all of you huge! We spent two unforgettable days! We traveled along the cave river to the "Elephant's Stomach". Small bats are found there, catfish, crabs and shrimps are found in the river, and giant crickets and spiders occasionally come across on the walls of the cave. They scared me at first, but then I just tried not to think about them. The adventure itself was reminiscent of an Indiana Jones movie.

We also went to the ancient cave temple. We have never seen so many monkeys! But it’s better not to get close to them, because. they are not quite adequate animals, moreover, when there is a whole flock of them. Natasha decided to feed the monkeys, bought a bag of corn and bananas. As a result, she did not even have time to open it, as they surrounded her, began to snatch the package from her hands! Monkeys are carriers of many diseases (from rabies to AIDS). The guide told a story about how a girl on a previous excursion decided to take a picture of a baby monkey, as a result she was bitten in one and the other frog by the baby's father and mother, after which she had to undergo a course of vaccinations. We didn't want to have so much fun for the rest of the holiday, so we didn't get too close. If you decide to feed them, then it is better to choose some secluded place, so that there are 1-2 monkeys at most, if the leader does not see, then it is not so dangerous. Otherwise, a whole flock and a red-backed male will come running, and you will find yourself in the very center of events, not the fact that you will like it.
Lunches and dinners on excursions are very hearty and delicious!! ! Not to mention the dining areas. I won't describe it, see for yourself and try.
Elephant riding!! ! Elephants are very good. The walk lasts about 40 minutes, but this is more than enough. Let them try themselves in the shoes of a driver! I read here that the hair on the elephant's head is spiky and it may be an allergy - I was in shorts, nothing terrible happened. It pricks, of course, but not fatally)). If the elephant was stubborn, and controlled by us, did not want to go further - the mahout took dried elephant poop, which are lying on the ground in abundance, and threw it at the elephant - it worked flawlessly !! ! ))) They drive along the river, the places are beautiful, although for some reason there is barbed wire on the right side. They also drove under a tree on which a large snake, black with yellow stripes, was sitting. The mahout periodically got off the elephant and took pictures of us. The photos turned out great! They gave him tea. You can buy a basket of bananas for 40 baht and feed the elephant.
They also took us to the waterfall. Very nice!
I also liked the hotel where we stopped to spend the night, the bungalow-type room, very clean, although ants were seen in the bathroom, but in Thailand they are everywhere, even in Bangkok on the 12th floor, so this is nonsense, but better not leave food on the tables . The hotel area is very well maintained, the hotel is buried in flowers and other tropical vegetation. They say that even hummingbirds fly there, but we did not see it. Maybe you'll have more luck. The pool does not work at night, as in other hotels, but if it is quiet, then you can. Swimming at night is especially romantic)) Stars, cicadas... mmm.
In the morning it turned out that there are also mountains nearby!

The next day we were taken to a beautiful beach! We rode on a long-tailed boat, which adorn all advertising booklets. The places are very beautiful. Mountains, caves, emerald-colored water, but, unfortunately, it is useless to dive, you can’t see anything further than a meter. However, a flounder was found literally near the shore!
There is also a cave in which male dignity is worshipped. There are many, many different types, for every taste, color, size. It's funny.
There is a very beautiful cove nearby. There you can walk on the water and take pictures.
Then we were taken to Blue Lake. If you go along a long road through the thicket, you feel that you are right in the jungle, although occasionally you come across human debris. Some special type of cicadas chirps around, the feeling is that I got to the sawmill! I can’t even believe that such a sound is made by a living being.
Some ancient bacterium lives in the lake, which dyed the water blue. The only thing is, we were not lucky, because. we got on a weekend when the lake is teeming with locals. It’s a pity that the battery in the camera has run out, because the spectacle, it must be said, is surreal. Imagine that Muslims bathe in this lake with whole families right in their clothes. Men stand on dry land, vigilant. In addition to Muslims - just Thai children, some also in clothes. We, to be honest, felt somehow not quite comfortable: they looked at us as if they were aliens, because girls, and even foreigners, in bathing suits are probably not quite a familiar sight for them. Also, for me personally, it was not very pleasant to swim in the lake, where someone with whole families comes to wash, because. does not have such an opportunity at home (yes, I have such a fad, I am afraid of any tropical and human infection, and I will not swim in every pool, but here it is). But, fortunately, the water in the lake is flowing, so no one got infected from anyone)). They say the lake looks different on weekdays. The water is so clear that you can see the bottom of the entire lake from the shore.
There were also a lot of people at the thermal springs, but the water there changes very quickly, it was not scary even for me)

The road back was not very tired, because. watched movies. The minibus is very comfortable. Everyone liked it very much! Real adventure! Thanks a lot to Sasha, Igor and Vova!!!
Phi Phi.
About Pi Pi, I especially want to share my impressions. Because for us, Pi Pi has become an island of disappointments.
After reading the reviews that there are more tourists on Pi Pi than fish, we decided to be smarter than everyone))) and go there for two days to dive enough without strangers. As a result, Egor (Exotic Voyage) undertook to organize this trip for us. Organized everything great. Thanks to him! In terms of money, two days on Pi Pi we met the same amount as if we took a half-day excursion for two. The price included a transfer to the port and back, a large steamer was waiting for us at the port, on which they fed us cakes and fruits, gave us cola and water, went to the Phi Phi hotel and the next day in reverse order. There were no tours, but we didn't need to. If there were any questions, they could be solved in English.
The hotel was called Phi Phi Villa. Bungalow type room cost 2500 baht per day. The territory is beautiful, well-groomed. The pool is dirty - but we did not plan to swim there. The room itself is clean at first glance, but if you look closely, the decorative pillows have never been washed, probably never, a canopy hangs over the bed. We took it off right away. There is a floor lamp on the bedside table next to it - there are traces of brown adhesive tape on it. There was no hot water in the shower. But after a reminder, it was fixed. At night, the water is generally turned off, the islands after all.

After watching advertising booklets about the fabulous island of Phi Phi, about the cleanest blue lagoons teeming with colorful fish, can you imagine our disappointment when we saw the beach so filthy that even Sochi can sleep peacefully. Imagine that there are mountains of garbage at the water's edge, and, as you can see, they have been lying for a long time . . There may be garbage bags and slippers and coconuts and cigarettes and other human waste. And in all this, people are selflessly splashing (although in fairness it should be noted that there were not many of them), either resigned, or having not seen anything better !!!
And this is a paradise island? ! Phuket on its background is just a fairy tale! But we did not despair, and still hoped to see the fish. They began to ask tourists with fins, of which there were not many, where is it better to “snorkel” here? They shook their heads, and with a phrase from Yeralash they assured us that “there are no fish here! ”. For fish you have to sail on a boat for extra money!! ! To be honest, I even experienced some relief, because. there was no desire to climb into such mud after the beaches of Kata and Kata Noi.
We rented the same long-tailed boat, for the benefit of touts, agitating to visit the nearby islands and completely surrender to snorkeling there, there is enough on the beach. We bargained, renting a boat for 3 hours cost us 1200 baht. They promised to take me to three lagoons. In addition to the helmsman - a Thai uncle, part-time, apparently a fisherman, three of his sons, teenagers, went with us. He took us through three lagoons. Luckily there were fish. There were even corals. True, not many and not as colorful as one might imagine. Under water you can hear the fish eating coral. If you take a piece of coral in your hand, you can feed it to the fish. They are not afraid at all. There are huts in the rocks along the sea and some people live in them!
The last lagoon is breathtakingly beautiful! Around the rocks and small caves-bungalows. You can swim in them. But the water is cloudy and there are no fish. But we got great pleasure from contemplating the nature around and from swimming among such beauty almost together. On the way back, we sat on the bow of the boat, which was a strategic mistake, because. as soon as we swam out to the open sea, waves twice the size of our boat almost turned us over. On the bow, we felt like on a rollercoaster ride)) We got our dose of adrenaline when the waves beat against the side of the boat, flooded things and people (my bag got wet through), the real elements raged around - but the children smiled just as cheerfully)) the moment when we were really scared - for a couple of minutes, dad-sailor entrusted the helm of the boat to the youngest)) And then our engine stalled and almost ran out of gas))) With a gas tank, no one really bothers there. It looks like this: there is a plastic canister in the middle of the boat, there is a hole in it, a hose is inserted into the hole, gasoline flows through it into the engine)) sometimes the canister falls, gasoline spills, dad-sailor contemplates all this with a cigarette in his mouth))) I really liked it this family are real men! You look at them, they smile, no matter what happens, and immediately somehow calmer in my soul! They quickly fixed everything and got to the island. We even decided to give them a little more money than agreed. Such a big and friendly family, but the kids are wearing clothes that grow out or from someone else's shoulder.

In general, we would have seen everything the same if we had taken a half-day excursion, plus there would have been no disappointment from the dirty island of Pi Pi Don. But it wouldn't be such an interesting adventure! So I don’t even regret it, well, you decide for yourself.
Aside from the beach, the island itself doesn't offer anything interesting, except perhaps for the fact that it's an island. A lot of construction, and, accordingly, construction debris and dust. Lots of souvenir shops and restaurants. Tellingly, in the evening souvenirs are 30-40% more expensive than during the day, and some are more expensive than in Phuket (although there were some that we have not seen anywhere else). Eating is the same as in Phuket.
To our surprise, all the shops closed at ten in the evening! Whether we were so lucky, and it was some kind of special day, whether it's always like that there. We found something to entertain ourselves with: these days a fire festival was held on the island. We went to a rasta cafe, ordered a cocktail and enjoyed the show. But what do people do there when the festival ends (and it seemed to have been going on for only three days)?
In the morning, we decided to make sure for ourselves that there were no fish in the water. Now, we can safely assure you: they really are not there (we dived in different places for a long time, except for a colorless breed of fish, crustaceans and 2 parrot fish, we did not find anyone).
At the travel agency, when choosing a ticket, I even thought about Pi Pi, what a blessing it is that we were not seduced by the beautiful photos in the advertising booklet.
Bangkok.

The flight to Bangkok was great. Bangkok shocked with a complete lack of architectural style, lack of urns, soot, and much more than that. In general, this is a city of nightmares, there are such dreams when you walk through some terrible black city, into the unknown. I even immediately wanted to go to Moscow! Our hotel was located in the center, next to the Bayoke Sky Hotel, famous for its observation deck and as much as 84 floors. To get to our hotel, it was necessary to go along a narrow street, on both sides of which there were shopping arcades, they sell anything, but everything is of some low quality. On the same street they sell food from carts, they eat right there, they immediately drain the slop and it flows down the grooves along the edges of the road, they sell fried beetles and so on.
There is no trace of Thai friendly smiles here. Everyone walks with such faces that even Muscovites can envy them))
Guide Teztura Natasha, said that there would be no free sightseeing tour, and she suddenly became paid for 1650 baht. We did not have an agreement with us, besides, we have a subsidiary company "Teztura" - "Troika".
The room turned out to be a double room. The view from the window contrasted so much with our favorite view from the Tropical Garden Hotel that we drew the curtains and never opened them again. Balcony from the start