Of our first three destinations so far, I think Jeff would agree with me when I say Koh Samui has been the favorite. In fact, two days ago we contemplated extending one more day but knowing it would probably cost us the Laos leg of the trip (Vietnam seems to be losing favor), we decided against it. As we boarded the plane to Chiang Mai this morning, it also occurred to both of us that we were ready for a change of scenery.

While in Samui we did manage to tackle just about everything on our “to do” list. Zip lining through the tree tops in the hills was one of my favorite moments but our trip yesterday to Angthong National Park made for my favorite full-day excursion. Angthong National Park is an archipelago of 42 islands located about 90 minutes west of Samui via ferry. The morning at the park consisted of kayaking as well as a leisurely climb up to a green lagoon nestled in the hills of one of the larger islands. Following lunch, Jeff and I embarked upon a much more strenuous hike to the top of Ko Wua Talap which provided a near panoramic view of all 42 islands. As Murphy’s Law would have it, my camera battery died just as I reached the end of the 500 meter hike (seemingly straight up) but thankfully Jeff still had some juice in his camera. We made our way back down to the beach and had another 30 minutes or so to relax before heading home.

While we still need to work out the details of most of the remainder of the trip, we do know we will be spending the next three days in Northern Thailand in a town called Chiang Mai. One day will most likely consist of touring the temples in and around town while a second will hopefully allow us to embark on a day-long trek that we saw advertised in the lobby of our hotel. An ox-cart ride is followed by hiking, swimming, white-water rafting and elephant riding. Should be a great way to see the countryside.

Jeff continues to crank out blog posts with regularity and much more detail so don’t forget to check out his site when you get a chance… http://travel.jeffnyveen.com/