Bikes, Buses, Boats, Beaches and Beer, on a Budget - Noddy's (mis)Adventures in Asia

PHANG NGA TOWN

Through the Travelfish website I have organized a room and it is only about a 5 minute walk from the bus terminal when we arrive. If you are unfamiliar with Travelfish, it is by far one of the best, most comprehensive sites if you plan to travel in Asia, my number 1 choice when planning new trips.

You can’t actually book with them, but they have phone numbers and a ton of information and reviews, especially for smaller places that you won’t find on Agoda. The boss is a great guy, they rent scooters, have a travel ‘agent’ in the lobby and the room is very large at a great price with all the usual requirements – AC, fridge and wifi, I highly recommend the place.

We organized a scooter through the guest house, Muang Thong, and did the usual, took it for a hoon and explored the area. Phang Nga Town is seriously underrated as a tourist destination and was another of my favourite places. Yes it lacks western restaurants, nightlife and many other things that a lot of tourists seem to need nowadays, but that was the attraction to me. It was a sleepy little town surrounded by the most wondrous scenery, everywhere we rode was just beautiful, and the lack of tourists just added to it all. I’m sometimes torn between telling everybody about places like this or keeping them secret.

There were plenty of day trippers coming down from Khao Lak or from Phuket to do the tours of Phang Nga Bay, but nobody seemed to stay, aside from a few true backpackers. A proper place to really get away from it all and get a taste of Thailand, it also boasts some of the best scooter riding and exploring anywhere.

We once again found great waterfalls, secluded jungle tracks and winding hillside roads through rubber plantations that left me wondering if I would ever find my way home again. Once again having a native Thai speaker was a godsend, but by now I was confident enough with my own Thai that I wouldn’t hesitate to go anywhere and be comfortable with my language skills.

Another fantastic town to explore, Phang Nga offered amazing scenery everywhere you looked and some even better riding to be had, there were numerous waterfalls and winding mountain tracks through jungle and along rivers to explore. We managed to find a Korean Bbq place and went there a few times for dinner, proper restaurants seemed all but extinct here, though the local market food was a fine substitute. I really could see myself spending long periods here, the place just had such a great relaxed atmosphere, and I didn’t miss the exciting nightlife at all.

Phang Nga Town