Hostel in the Thailand...

My new room doesn't have AC, a lot of space, bountiful shelving, or even sealed walls. It's a bamboo hut on a beach and it is my favorite so far. I arrived on Ko Chang and made my way for the most populated beach "White sands beach." I had planned to stay at a place called Bo's Bungalows but the tide was in and I would not be able to walk to it for 2 more hours. Rather than wait, I decided to check out where I had planned to stay the next night, Tree House Hotel.

For those of you who have been to the Hostel in the Forest, this place is about as close as I would expect Thailand to get. Although the rooms aren't actually tree houses, more like bamboo huts on stilts, it is amazing. The atmosphere is decidely bohemian, with a wonderful deck, complete with thatch roof and hammocks, overlooking the bay. The restaurant attached to the place, although expensive, is excellent and I have met some really great travelers. All this for a whopping 80 baht ($2.40)!

The deck/restaurant

And, of course, this is on a beautiful tropical island, the center of which is a nationally protected tropical rainforest. Today, I made a trip to Nam Tok Klong Plu. Although it didn't take me through much tropical forest... I did get to spend about 3+ hours swimming in an amazing pool underneath the falls... and pay 400 baht for the privelage. 400 baht was definately a bit pricey. Thais only pay 20 and although I understand paying more, 400 is quite stiff for a 20 minute walk to 1 waterfall with no other attractions. The same price could get you an overnight stay at a national forest in the US!



Regardless, the swim was amazing, and the first truly good swim I've had since I got here, which made it well worth almost any price.

And I thought I made a poor choice forgetting my hiking boots in Bangkok...