Mobile Internet Settings for South East Asia
Monks with Camera phones, Luang Prabang, LaosThroughout South East Asia, we've been purchasing local SIM cards to use in our iPhones. Obviously using data roaming on our UK mobile contract is out of the question due to the prohibitive cost. If you've got an unlocked phone, using Pay-As-You-Go Mobile Internet is one of the cheapest and easiest ways of getting online.
Another great reason to use it is security. Some of the internet cafes you’ll use have got the dodgiest computers imaginable, full of viruses, key-loggers and who-knows-what-else. Every time you type your email, banking or Facebook login details into one of these PCs you’re opening yourself up to attack.
We’ve found that purchasing and activating SIM cards very easy to do. International airports will always have excellent choice for buying a SIM as will border towns. Unfortunately language barriers and the relative newness of 3G in some countries means that getting all the details you need to get online can sometimes be difficult.
For that reason, we’ve compiled a list of all the mobile service providers we’ve used and (nearly) all the details you need to connect, in that hope that other people may find them useful.
Christmas in Chiang Dao
After spending a very relaxing week of chilling out in the sun in Koh Lanta, we packed our bags and flew back to Bangkok for our journey up to Chiang Mai, where we would be meeting our friends Richie and Anne for Christmas.
Once in Bangkok, we headed from Suvarnabhumi International, across town to Hualamphong train station by bus in some of the worst traffic we seen yet. Luckily we had allowed loads of time for the journey, so we didn’t miss our train.
The Bangkok-Chiang Mai Sleeper Train
Onboard the Chiang Mai sleeper coach
The overnight sleeper train was clean and modern and a real pleasure. We arrived in Chiang Mai in the morning after a comfortable overnight journey.
Chiang Mai was our first chance on our trip to restock on supplies and we spent most of our first day in Chiang Mai in big, modern shopping mall replenishing supplies and buying some Christmas presents.
I also got a haircut. The hairdresser looked like a very camp Thai boy-band pop-star and, through his hairdressing, tried his best to make me look like one too. “Your face too big, I fix with nice fringe.” he told me. Whenever I suggested a change to his “masterpiece” he shrieked in indignation and eventually I gave up and accepted I would look a bit silly until it grew out a bit.
On Christmas Day we headed up to Chiang Dao, about 70 km north of Chiang Mai where we stayed at the fabulous Chiang Dao Nest and were joined by Hinch and Moi, some friends of Richie & Anne. Chiang Dao Nest is owned and run by a British-Thai couple, Stuart and Wicha, who’ve moved back to Thailand after living in the UK.
At the Nest, we had an amazing Christmas Dinner including the works: good wine, turkey, stuffing, fantastic roast potatoes, even sprouts (skipped, of course)!. Not what you would expect this deep in jungles of South East Asia! After dinner, local dancers entertained the crowds with traditional Thai dance, and after that everyone settled around bonfires for marshmallows and gallons of red wine until the early hours of the morning.
Christmas Dinner at Chiang Dao Nest
Traditional Thai Dancers
Traditional Thai Dancers
Chiang Dao is located at the foot of the 2186 m Doi Chaing Dao Mountain, and it’s possible to do a two-day trek up to the peak. Being Christmas, we decided to take it easy instead, visiting the Chiang Dao cave, and the stunning Wat Tham Pha Plong. In the cave, we hired a guide who told us “I speak English”. Unfortunately, that sentence was the limit of his English skills. Anne became our translator while all the (rather imaginative) formations where pointed our to us, including the Dead Elephant, Elephants Lungs, Widows Tits and Angels Wings.
After three fantastic days, we headed back to Chaing Mai to prepare for our trip to Laos with Richie and Anne.
Roasting Marshmallows
Christmas Fireworks
Around the Fire after Christmas
Roasting Chestnuts
Frogs outside Chiang Dao Cave
Chiang Dao Cave
The Elephants Lungs
Shrine inside Chiang Dao Cave
Chiang Dao Cave
Chiang Dao Cave
Wat Tham Pha Plong
Wat Tham Pha Plong
Wat Tham Pha Plong
Wat Tham Pha Plong
Wat Tham Pha Plong
Wat Tham Pha Plong
Krabi Night Market
Photoset on Flickr / Slideshow
Krabi Town is the provincial capital of Krabi province in southern Thailand and has a good modern airport served by numerous domestic flights and some international flights too. If you’re planning on flying to Koh Lanta, you’ll most likely pass through here.
The guidebooks are quite unkind about Krabi, but we appreciated it’s laid back attitude, even though we were only staying for a short while. The night market was a great place to pick up a cheap but very tasty dinner and I got to take a few photos before and after.
Making pancakes in Krabi night market.
Grumpy Chef; Tasty Pastry
Supper
Night Market, Krabi, Thailand
Watermelons
At the market, Krabi, Thailand
Night market
Relax Bay, Koh Lanta
Photoset on Flickr / Slideshow
After Nepal and India, we decided to take a bit of a break from travelling and do a bit of chilling! Koh Lanta is an island south of Phuket on the Andaman coast of Thailand and it’s where I proposed to Kate two years ago when we were last in Thailand. It’s a perfect place to just chill out on a beautiful tropical beach, work on your tan and read a good book, and that’s exactly what we did for about 10 days, except for a spot of snorkelling at Koh Rok and scuba diving at Koh Bida.
Laterns at the Restuarant at Relax Bay
Suppertime!
Playing the fool at the bar at Relax Bay
Koh Rok, a beautiful island south of Koh Lanta where I proposed to Kate
Chilling on a speed-boat
Fire jugglers practicing at sunset on Koh Lanta
Sawadee Krup!
It doesn’t look very dark or stormy in this shot, but actually there was a fairly large thunderstorm underway off the coast. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to capture any of the lighting bolts, but this long exposure just about captured some of the sheet lightning lighting up the sky.
The glowing lights behind the horizon are fishing boats which use large lights to attract fish at night.
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