Describing her impressions of their time in Thailand (01-2224 Dammarell v. Iran)

In our fourth and final country, Thailand, we finally found the tropical paradise, unblemished by rain, that we had been searching for. On the island of Koh Lanta, the beaches go on for miles, literally. Since there is so much sand and so few people, many beaches are deserted in the off season. By day, we had Ao Klong Jark, or Waterfall Bay, all to ourselves (left), and our view of Klong Nin Beach, from Diamond Cliff restaurant, was completely person-free (right).

Even the beach at the island's key attraction, Mu Koh Lanta National Park, was bare for a while (top left). We took a dip in its water and some shelter in its shade after a sweaty hike to the defunct lighthouse (top right). The lighthouse wasn't much to look at, but the view back toward Krabi Town on the mainland was worth carefully picking footholds on the precarious path (bottom).

As if Koh Lanta isn't beautiful enough, the "thing to do" while staying there is take a 4 Islands Tour, which takes you to other, mostly smaller, islands farther out in the Andaman Sea. Even though there were plenty of snorkeling boats at Koh Chueak, they didn't scare away the sharks and eels (left); in fact, the former scared the bejesus out of an elementary-school girl on our trip, and the latter did the same for a 38-year-old woman from Ohio. Koh Ngai was a much more relaxing place, where we ate lunch and I waded out to snorkel again at the drop-off of the reef (right). I saw some more eels, but they weren't as scary on a full stomach, for some reason.

Before lunch, we snorkelled at another reef rock, Koh Ma, but our fellow tourists were obviously ready for a respite, so it was a short stop. But I think everyone wanted to linger longer at Emerald Cave, or Morakot Cave, on Koh Mook (top left). The water was so clear and the cliffs so steep that it looked like a movie set (top right); actually, it is a place where pirates hid out from their pursuers because in high tide, the cave is undetectable. Morakot can be accessed only during certain times of day by swimming through small channels with strong currents, thus the need for life jackets (bottom).

As much fun as we had during the day, the beaches were even more blissful by night. Our first night we were treated to a spectacular sunset as we strolled the beach outside our bungalow on Kantiang Bay (left). From there, we hiked to the viewpoint at Noon restaurant to see the sun fully sink beneath the sea. The view there was so nice, our last night we watched the sunset from Bamboo Bay, around the corner from Kantiang and down the hill from Noon (right).

As if the heavens were rewarding us for our perseverance, we also saw a wonderful sunset from Diamond Cliff restaurant (left), which only got better as we rode back to our bungalow on our rented motorbike. The colors were so stunning that, although we preferred not to be on the road at night, we had to stop for just a few more photos (right).

After Koh Lanta, it was hard to appreciate the bustle of Bangkok, especially the tourist hustle on Khao San Road, where vendors pitch everything from scorpions spiked on sticks to designer suits sewn on demand (left). So we escaped to the riverfront, including the less frenzied and pressurized Soi Rambuttri and Phra Sumen Fort (right). 

Our hotel provided us with nice views of the river, including its old-fashioned teak houses and the much more modern Rama VIII bridge (left). The bridge provided an excellent landmark for our ferry stop. In fact, many landmarks, such as Wat Rakhangkhositraram Woramahawihan, are viewable from the ferries, especially the Chao Phraya Express, the blue-flagged route with stops geared toward tourists (right).

Other attractions were best seen on foot. We wound through the avenues and alleys of Chinatown, dodging scooters to see all the market stalls (left). At the end of Chinatown's main drag, Charoenkrung Road, lies the neighborhood's colorful gate and Wat Traimit, home of the Golden Buddha, the largest solid-gold statue in the world (right).

On the Metro from Chinatown to Sukhumvit, we transported ourselves from the Far East to Great Britain. In this district, home to many international residents, we dropped in for pints at The Black Swan, with a draft selection straight out of Sheffield (left), and The Londoner Brew Pub, a microbrewery with a less than spectacular bitter on tap (right).

Our last stop in Bangkok before boarding the plane back to Pakistan was one connected to the ol' U.S. of A. The Jim Thompson House pays respect to a former CIA agent who contributed to the tourism and silk industries in Thailand (left). On the property, craftsmen demonstrate the art of silk making, starting with the delicate pulling of thread from boiling cocoons (right). 

With one train ride to the airport, we shed our protective shell of travel and entered the "real world." Possibly, I didn't fully emerge, as within 48 hours, I was already planning a return to Southeast Asia for our next R&R.