Oceans of Wealth

Visit beaches, mountains, enormous trees, ancient temples and cities, and jungles teeming with wildlife. Hop on a local bus, gaze at the ocean from the 3^rd class train window or hire your very own tuk tuk and driver to take you anywhere in the country. It’s that simple in Sri Lanka. You can see so much of the country by taking 1-4 hour trips from location to location.

Colombo

We bought first class tickets for the breathtaking mountainous train ride from Ella to Kandy at the Colombo train station. We planned the direction of our trip (heading south first instead of NE) based on the availability of those tickets. They were booked out for weeks. We could have ridden that train 3^rd class any time, but we thought it was worth the wait to have fancy seats for the scenic ride.

 

 

Hikkaduwa (2 nights)

We rode the 3^rd class train along the coast to get here. Nice beach. Tons of fish, even in shallow water near the shore. Good snorkeling, but with some big waves.

 

Galle (“Gahr-lay” or “Gahl”) (2 nights)

Took a local bus along the coast to get here. Walked around the old fort for a day. Stopped in some art shops. Drank nice coffee. Ate 10 vegetarian curries and rice.

Mirissa (2 nights)

Took a private tuk tuk so we could stop and see fishermen sitting on posts in the sea in Welligama. Visited a turtle hatchery on the way as well. Mirissa is surfer and partier paradise. We arrived in the afternoon and compared whale watching tour prices. It didn’t look like there was any difference in a majority of the ships. Went whale watching early the next morning and saw 6 whales. Only one ship that went out that day saw dolphins. (See our North Sumatra itinerary if you want to see dolphins. We saw hundreds there!)

Tangalle “Tahn-Gahl” (3 nights)

Took a local bus here. Loved this beach. Lots of rooms with balconies just across the street from the ocean. Went to the sea turtle reserve at night and saw 6’ long turtles covering the eggs they had just laid in the sand and returning to the sea.

 

 

Udawalla (1 night)

Arrived by tuk tuk in the afternoon because we got a killer deal with a driver heading home. Stayed at a simple place in the jungle that had very good elephant safari rates. 6am the next day we saw tons of elephants, bee eaters (birds), eagles, crocodiles, peacocks, and beautiful landscapes. We left right after the safari.

 

Ella (2 nights)

Rode a local bus to this lovely town in the hills. Climbed Little Adam’s Peak in the morning and got great views of the tea plantations. There are tourists, and the food options were diverse.

 

Haputule (2 nights)

Took a 3^rd class train without advance tickets. Not many tourists. It was fun to walk around the local produce market, and there were a heck of a lot of tea plants. Took the most crowded bus ever from town to the base of the 2 km walk to Lipton’s Seat. Heard we would have gotten much better views from the tea baron’s plantation viewpoint if we had gone in the morning. Had the saltiest khottu (homemade noodles) yet and could barely eat it. Even though we didn’t find good food, I am glad we stopped there to see normal life in a Tamil town.

 

Kandy (2 nights)

Rode first class on the train and had the most relaxing ride with stunning views. Arrived in Kandy in the afternoon and really enjoyed this small city is on a lake. Woke up for 5:30am puja at the Sacred Tooth Relic Temple and stayed there for hours, exploring the World Buddhism Museum and enjoying the peace. Should have worn white clothes or at least a lighter colored shirt. Apparently the offering window to the relic is only open for 20 minutes during puja, and that’s why I was getting pushed and shoved like I often do at holy Hindu sites in India. Had Thai food and Chinese food at a mall and it was amazing. We hadn’t been eating enough green vegetables. And we discovered cheap vegan soft-serve ice cream from the soy restaurant in front of the YMCA.

Haberana (“Hah-bear-nah”) (2 nights)

Took a local bus to this town at the junction. Maybe it would have made more sense to stay in Sigiriya, but we stayed here because it is in between Sigiriya and Pollanuara. Small town. Not so interesting.

 

Polannurwa (“Poh-lahn-nah-roo-wah”) (day trip)

Great place to see. Took a 1 hour bus ride there around 7am. Should have used maps.me to see how close we were to the museum/ticket office because we got off the bus too soon. Had string hoppers and dal for breakfast near the ticket office and then bought tickets. Did a quick walk through the museum to make our game plan. There are 20+ sites to see in the complex. Rented bikes just outside, and went all the way to the farthest monuments while the sun was kind. Gal-Harlvera was beautiful, and there were less tourists there early in the morning. Worked our way back toward the entrance drinking tons of water and stopping to rest often in the shade. Should have brought socks to protect our feet from the hot ground because walking around the sacred monuments barefoot in the afternoon was painful.

 

 Sigiriya (day trip)

Crazy expensive (2 tickets to this site was equal to 2 typical days of food and lodging for us), very impressive, and hard to describe. We took a bus to the Sigiriya junction and could have waited for the bus that goes close to the ruins. We just took a tuk tuk instead.

 

Trincomalee (3 nights)

Upaveli beach is quiet and nice with cloudier water than we saw in the city of Trincomale. The Hindu temple next to the bus station is not to be missed. Very psychedelic and fascinating. There’s also a nice standing Buddha on a hill in the fort that is still used as a military base. Walked back to Upaveli from Trinco on the beach in the evening. It was great to see local families enjoying themselves on the beach in between the fishing boats, and men were fishing from the shore. The packs of growling and barking dogs made the long walk stressful, but we picked up sticks and walked close to the water and were fine. Locals also helped to scare the dogs away. I had a lot of practice being calm and fierce around stray dog packs in Thailand, so I may be more confident with this than others.

 

Anuradhapura (3 nights)

There was something magical about this town. Arrived on the full moon and went right to the 2000 year old Bodhi tree and enormous dagoba (stupa) where thousands of people were praying. It was the highlight of the trip for me. Toured the ruins the next day on bicycle, and just felt so at home the third day we stayed. Mailed a large Buddha statue from the local post office. Everyone was so helpful and sweet. The local restaurants were great and it was the perfect way to end our trip. We took the train to Colombo

 

Negombo (1 afternoon)

Found good tequila in Asia! Milagro! So happy. Took the local train to this beach near the airport for dinner before our flight. There were tons of bars and restaurants with beach views. Nice place to spend a couple hours or maybe even a night.

 

If you want to go to Sri Lanka, go. It is nothing like India. (Don’t get me wrong. I do love India, but…) It’s a totally different experience, complete with widespread kindness, actual pedestrian crossings and natural beauty. Not to be missed.

 

The Northwestern most island in Indonesia is not on the tourist path like Java, Bali and Lombok. Sumatra a bit more conservative and quiet. It can be easier to find bitterness, but North Sumatra makes up it that with delicious food (it’s very easy to find vegetarian food) and ridiculous natural treasures.

Medan (1 day is plenty and even optional)

Antares Hotel – Masjid Raya – Hookah bars on the adjacent street

Hired a taxi for four to Lake Toba at 100k per person. The drivers yelled at women out if the van window, added two more people even though we were told only one person may be added, switched us to a van that had to be physically pushed to start, continued smoking in the van when we asked them to stop, stopped for more than 1 hour for lunch and then stopped again. Not an awesome ride. Usually takes 4 hours. Took us six. Seemed like a big deal at the time, but we got there safely.

 

Lake Toba (3 days)

Tuk-Tuk – Relaxing – One-day tour

Island on the island. Lake on a lake. The last ferry was at 7pm. Buy your ticket on the boat, not from anyone outside. We went to Tuk-Tuk, a small nub on the island on Lake Toba. We met two sweet young Batak brothers named Hamlet and Pablo on the ferry and was dropped off right at their guesthouse Laster Jony’s.

Lake Toba is very quiet. We swam in the calm, warm lake. Slept in a 100-year-old traditional Batak house. We arranged a car at our guesthouse and took a one-day tour with a cultural dance show and small museum.

The dance was performed barefoot in the dust in front of a beautiful traditional house where a three-piece band played gongs, drums and a reed instrument. A buffalo was tied to a dead tree in the center, grain was tossed and small birds came to eat it as the dancers delivered prayers for courtship, the sky, and spirit possession of people and puppets. Then we took a dip in truly hot volcanic hot springs, saw a small island on a small lake on the island on Lake Toba on top of a volcano on the island of Sumatra. Visited the execution place for cannibalistic occasions, and drove around the entire island.

 

Berastagi (1 night and early morning)

People do sunrise hikes up a volcano here.

Sipiso Piso Waterfall (1-2 hours)

Walked down and up. Very thin and tall and pretty.

 

Bukit Lawang (3-4 days)

Had to drop my mother off at the airport so we went here by bus from Medan. There is probably more direct transport from Lake Toba and other places other than Medan.

Stayed in a cheap place on the river, booked a 2-day trek and left the next morning. Should have asked around to compare trek prices before booking (of course). Started in the rubber and palm oil trees and walked right into the jungle. Oman and Kakao were great guides. Adi the chef made delicious food at the jungle camp.

Saw several orangutans. The most memorable was Mena. She had been in a zoo for some time. Now she lives in the jungle and she bites people. And she’s big. We saw her two times. Oman hurried us past her both times, lit a cigarette and fed her oranges until they were gone so that she would not follow us. We saw 4 more kinds of monkeys up close. Many leeches as well.

 

Jungle Tip: Wear sneakers, tall socks and shorts so you can see the leaches crawl up your legs and pull them off before they bite. I wore pants, so they climbed up my pants and bit my stomach under my shirt without me knowing until I was covered in blood.

Bring a hammock or lightweight sleeping pad or sleeping bag. The ground we slept on was rock hard. Jonah’s butt hurt. We paid 10 Euro extra to ride a raft back to our guesthouse at the end of the trek. It was incredible. Our small backpacks were double bagged in plastic and tied shut with rubber strips. They tied big rubber inner tubes together with rope webs in the center and put yoga mats on them. We rode a raft with four tubes with two people in a tube. Our trekking guides rode on the front and back with bamboo poles pushing us away from the rocks. Some parts of the ride were like white water rapids. Relax, let your clothes dry and spend a night in Bukit Lawang after your trek if you can. We left the afternoon we returned from our trek with heavy nasty wet clothes and shoes, but that gave us more time for the ocean.

 

Pulao Weh (5 days)

We booked this trip in Bukit Lawang with a travel agent for 300k a person. It included transport to the Bukit Lawang bus station, a minibus to Binjai and a deluxe night bus to Banda Aceh. It was so nice. The seats reclined very far and we had fuzzy Hello Kitty pillows and blankets. I should have worn a sleep mask because we stopped at many mosques during the night and the bus lights were turned on. We arrived with plenty of time to catch a ride to the harbor, have breakfast and ride the 10am fast ferry to Pulao Weh.

We took a taxi from the Sabang ferry to Ibioh. Jonah sat at a restaurant and drank a fruit shake with our packs while I hiked up and down crazy stairs on the ocean to find a bungalow. I’m happy I kept walking past Erick’s and Mama Mia’s because their rooms were not nice. I was shown bungalows with floorboards just about to break. They were on stilts 20 feet above the water. Mosquito nets with tons of holes and 1 foot drop offs to the bathroom. One full sized mattress actually had a deep crease in the middle like it had been folded in half and sat on by an elephant.

Our bungalow at Olala was heavenly with a furnished porch above the ocean and it was only $4 more than the scary ones. We could see big blue fish swimming around coral from our balcony above the water.

We jumped in a boat with some other travelers to go on a full day snorkel tour. If you want a life vest, rent one to bring on the boat. There were none on our boat. And there was no roof, so we were happy to have hats and sarongs that together covered all of our skin.

We rode the small boat out for about an hour not knowing why. And then we started seeing dolphins. Then there were packs of them jumping. Then we were surrounded by hundreds of dolphins on all sides. One by one we slipped into the water with snorkel gear on and held the rope on the side of the moving boat. Sketchy, but Jonah heard and saw hundreds of dolphins under the water while being dragged by the boat, trying to take a video and trying not to lose his shorts.

Then we pulled up to a place that stunk of sulfur. It was an underwater volcano. Some of us dove down to see the bubbles rising from the earth below the sea.

There was a series of large white butterflies following each other across the ocean, far from the land.

We went to an abandoned island with a starving black cat and snorkeled. The shells there were incredible. So much coral and so many kinds of fish were very close. We saw sharks kept in nets in the ocean. We had a late lunch at the Sea Garden. I slept in a hammock while others drank Aceh coffee. Then we snorkeled around rocks where sea turtles and sharks are often seen, got back in the boat and watched the sunset with dolphins jumping in the distance.

 

Banda Aceh (1 day)

We stayed within walking distance from the main museums and mosque in the city. The Aceh State Museum is kind of interesting. A lot of the exhibit explanations are not in English, so I used my camera and google translate to understand the signs for certain things. There are apparently more than 10 languages spoken in Aceh alone. There is also a very beautiful and famous mosque in the city that we were very subtly told we could not go in, even though we were dressed similarly to the people entering the mosque. Oh well.

This is the area most devastated by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. It was also revitalized afterwards by aid money. There is a strange Tsunami Museum in the city. I have never seen anything like it. It is free and it is worth a visit if you have the time.

There is also a large boat perched on a housetop where 45 people survived after the waves came, and a huge cargo ship stranded inland. I was most interested in seeing the Rahmatullah Lampuuk Mosque a little ride outside of the city. Everything around the mosque was devastated by the waves, and the mosque stood strong. It is a symbol of hope. I was honored to see it in person.

Near that mosque there is a lovely beach where people play at sunset. Your driver can take you there after the mosque.

 

Would I recommend it? 

Northern Sumatra was definitely unique and interesting, but for some reason I didn’t feel very welcome in a lot of places. I am glad I went, and I will definitely go back to see more of the islands of Indonesia on future trips. I feel complete with my experience in North Sumatra.

Want to feel rich? We’ve found it takes way less than you think. Focus on real estate, travel, and health. It’s not about flashy cars. It’s about creating experiences.

I served in the Peace Corps in Thailand when I was 22. Right after three months of training, I snuck away to the Eastern island of Koh Chang. I was in love. More than thirteen years of life and world travel later, the beaches in Thailand are still the best I have ever found. Hopefully this little list of my favorite islands in Thailand will help you figure out where you would like to have your own adventures.

 

What makes a beach great (IMHO):

Swimming in calm, warm, clear water with beautiful views

Laying in the sun and the shade in peace

Eating at family-run restaurants on or near the beach

Getting massages on the beach for under $20

Sleeping in beach bungalows for less than $30 a night

Drinking and dancing in creatively decorated beach bars with good music and fire shows

Meeting laid back travelers on longer vacations

 

#1 Koh Lipe

pronounced “Goh Lee-pay”

South near Malaysia

Been there 4 times. Love it

Way down south, this is one of my very favorite islands in the world. The water is calm, warm, and as clear as glass. You can take a quick boat trip to snorkel in forests of coral and fish. In 2017 there was actually traffic, which is unfortunate. There used to be only occasional motorbikes on the island and a lot less people. It seems to be growing quite a bit. You can walk from one side in less than an hour. It’s built up, but still very sweet. I’ve been to Langkawi close by in Malaysia a couple times, and the water there cannot compare the to aquamarine hue of the water on Koh Lipe.

 

#2 Koh Lanta

“Goh Lahn–tah”

South

Been there 2 times. Can’t wait to go back.

This island is a great mix of party, 20-60 something year old westerners and families, regular Thai life, and nice beaches. Parts of the island feel more like mainland Thailand than an island, and I like that. You can rent a motorbike for less than $10 a day and explore it on your own. There were very few Thai tourists there in 2017, but hopefully there will be more in the future. We stayed at Khlong Khong, which is rocky and hard to swim in at low tide, but Long Beach, Khlong Dao and Khlong Nin looked like they were more swimmable. They were also more expensive.

 

#3 Au Ton Sai, Railey Beach

“Ow Dtawn Sai, Rye Lay Bea(ch)”

South in Krabi

Been there 1 time. Love it.

Well known for rock climbing, this stunning beach on the mainland is only accessible by boat. Ton Sai is not the best swimming beach, but you can walk to the famous Railey Beach on a slightly difficult rock path through the jungle, or by walking through the water at low tide, or by boat. But Ton Sai is not your average tourist spot. The friendly tourists here want to climb everything they see, play and get stronger. “Welcome Home” is painted on many of the bars back in the jungle, and there’s a definite Rainbow Gathering / Burning Man vibe.

 

#4 Koh Chang

“Goh Chahng”

East

Been there 6+ times

Beautiful island with a big national park and lots of fun places to stay. Lonely Beach has become a bit noisy and wild compared to when it first got its name. I’ve always loved going there.

 

#5 Koh Mak

“Goh Mah(k)”

East near Koh Chang

Been there 1 time.

This is the quietest island I’ve ever stayed on. People wake up late, go to bed early, and lay quietly on the beach with only the sound of the waves. It’s really lovely and natural. In some spots beautiful trees shade the beach right up to the ocean water. The sand feels like fine brown sugar and the dirt paths are earthy red. The family-run restaurants off the beach were amazing, especially the Issan food. However, if I went there alone I would be bored. Even as a couple, the pace was a bit slow for us. We stayed in a simple bungalow with a fan and attached bath at Monkey Island. They have a fantastic common area with solid wifi and a little monkey pool. The local rockstar Mickey hangs out grooming fuzzy cats and driving an airbrushed VW microbus convertible. We did not explore the island, but we saw a lot of happy couples and families riding motorcycles from other beaches.

 

#6 Koh Tao

“Goh Dtao”

South near Koh Phangan

Many of the tourists go here to dive or get their scuba certification. This keeps the party scene more low key and makes the sunsets victorious. It’s beautiful.

 

#7 Koh Phangan

“Goh Pah-ngahn”

South on the Eastern side of the peninsula

Been there 4 times.

Foreigners like to call this Full Moon Party island “Koh Pan Yayng”. Not sure what that’s about. Anyway, there are some amazing beaches and bungalows away from Had Rin, where the famous Full Moon festivities rage. The great thing about the rocking 10,000 person dance party is that the businesses on the island can pay their bills each full moon, there are a lot of fire shows, and the night sky is often stunning. The not-so-great part is that the sea water gets polluted, the bathrooms get trashed and some poor souls have to clean them, and buckets of red bull, Sang Som (whisky/rum) and coke can make your teeth start to vibrate like the giant speakers at each beach bar. This island has a reputation that outlasts the full moon and draws people who want to go wild. Many stick to Had Rin, though. We enjoyed staying at Mai Ben Rai Bungalow on a much quieter beach on the island and we took a pickup truck taxi (“sawng tao”) to the party. The night ferry from Surattani is a lot of fun as well.

 

#8 Koh Samet

“Goh Sahme(t)”

East

Been there 2 times

Cute island that Thai tourists like to go to as well. I went with a bus of 30 Thai elementary school teachers and had the time of my life, so I went back again. I definitely enjoyed my short stays there.

 

#9 Koh Phayam

“Goh Pai Ahm”

South, half way between Bangkok and Phuket

Been there 1 time

With many quiet places, a lot of people love this island. It is full of expats who can do easy border runs to Burma to renew their visas. I was disappointed with the jelly fish filled beach where we stayed, but I’m sure there are nice beaches. The whole scene of expats drinking every day at the same bar made me a little sad, but they are a community. I know several people who escape every New York winter and find a long-term place to stay on Koh Phayam.

 

#10 Phuket

“Poo-Keht”

Been there 2 times. Would go again for Jay Fest in October

I’m not into islands where I can’t wake up in a bungalow and see the ocean within a few steps. We’ve never found backpacker bungalows on this island, but the On On Hotel is an strange and interesting place to stay in Phuket Town. The best part of Phuket for me is the 10 day Vegetarian “Gin Jay” Festival each October, featuring feats of devotion and masochism and amazing vegan food in the street.

 

Islands Other People Like

 

Koh Samui

“Goh Sah-moo-ee”

Been there 1 time. Enough.

Again, not my favorite island. I stayed in a resort there in Peace Corps because my friend who was visiting had some money to spend. We had a great time, but I prefer quirky beach bungalows with hammocks, mosquito nets and backpackers.

 

 

Koh Phi Phi “Goh Pee Pee”

South on the Western side of the peninsula

Been there 1 time. That was enough

Breathtakingly beautiful and full of amateurs. Frat party anyone? I left after one night, but I know a lot of people enjoy this island. I don’t want to ever go back.

 

Koh Kood

East near Koh Chang. Haven’t been there

We shared a ferry with people going to this island, and I was shocked by the piles of rolling suitcases on board. Resorts galore! We heard that taxi rides can cost as much as a night’s stay in a bungalow. There is an amazing golden Buddha on a hill above the ferry pier that I found very welcoming. Other than that I’m not interested in going there. A nice Thai woman I sat next to on the pickup truck to the pier told me about her life there. It is peaceful and she never knows what day it is because she works all the time at an international resort chain. She seemed happy. She told me people take private jets to the island. Wowsers.

 

Tip: You can download the tide charts for islands online, which are quite useful if this changes the swimming conditions, etc. The tides change constantly.

I realize it’s a big beautiful world, and people like beaches for different reasons. And I’ll keep looking around the world for beaches I like better than the ones in Thailand so that I don’t have to travel for 2 days to get there. But I’ve already looked in Costa Rica, Mexico, Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, and the US. And I still always want to go back to Thailand for exotic, relaxing and delicious beach vacations.

The food on beaches and everywhere I have been in Thailand is phenomenal. Many people working on the beaches are as sweet as mangoes. The beaches are maintained, and you can stay on the beach in a private bungalow for super cheap. You can easily explore many islands with rental bikes, scooters, or by foot. That means you can have a long vacation and really get a feel for the place. You need to be aware and protect yourself, but you don’t need to be paranoid about thieves and con artists. Thai culture values fun, tourism and taking care of visitors like no place I have ever been.