Koh Chang

Thailand is just brimming with small island paradises, but somehow I ended up on Koh Chang (elephant island) and it couldn't have been better. We stayed on Lonely Beach, a backpacker's haven full of palm trees, white sand, and parties. Every night one bar in the area throws "the party" so everyone staying in Lonely Beach ends up in the same place and you never go to the same bar two nights in a row. The best part is if you meet people at the beach or out one night you don't have to exchange any information because you know you'll always run into your new friends at night! We made loads of friends due to this arrangement and there was always something fun to do. Staying in just wasn't really an option, unless sitting in a dark bungalow is your kind of thing. It wasn't ours, plus there was always free barbecue to be had. Pineapple and tofu kabobs? Yes please! The parties were always fun, but nothing could beat our favorite local hangout... drinking bottles of sam song outside the mini mart. There were a lot of good times there and I think we successfully passed the tradition on to new travelers.

During the day there is jungle trekking, snorkeling, boat trips, waterfalls, and of course the beach. It was brutally hot during the day so we preferred sleeping in, eating breakfast in hammocks by the water, laying on the beach, playing frisbee, having a nap, going to dinner, then getting ready for the night. I did manage to get in some snorkeling, a boat trip, and a nice long open ocean swim. But really, it's an island and on a budget trip in between class and a new job, there is really little motivation to do anything other than chill. By the end of ten days I was about fifty shades darker, infinitely more relaxed, and in possession of a new perspective on life: what it can be and the work that must be done to make it that way.