Sea Lions on the California Coast

 The baby sea lions at the beach in Southern California were a sight to see.

They are all nestled in together near the Hearst Castle, along the Pacific Ocean.

There were babies, mothers and fathers.

Most of them were just looking for a tan.

Some of them must have weighed over 2,000 pounds.

They slept together, like two people on a blanket on the beach.

Here is a family of three sea lions.

Mommy, daddy and newborn baby!

The sea-lions dotted the landscape, and if you drove by fat, you may just think they were all just big boulders, as they are not regularly moving.

Just a quick selfie to say good bye to my new friends!

Bungalows on Kho Bulon, Prices, types, and locations, from a traveler, not a hotelier.

 Ploy and I just returned from a trip to Kho Bulon, in Satoon Provence, Thailand.

I must say that it is a difficult place to get to, wherever you are traveling from in Thailand.

After you arrive in Pak Bara, you can get a ferry for 400Bhat each way.

That is when your vacation begins.

The scenery is spectacular, and the boat trip is only about 45 minutes.

There are beautiful mountains sticking straight up out of the water.  The ocean in blue and deep green.

The earlier you arrive to Kho Bulone, the better it will be to locate a room.

We arrived on the second ferry, since we flew down from Chiang Mai where we live, earlier that same morning. Almost all of the rooms were full.

Some people resorted to sleeping in tents.

Ploy and I were lucky enough to find a room for 600 Bhat at Pang Ka Noi. That is about $20.  We did well for the first night.    On the second day, I walked to every resort on the island looking for an empty room at 9:30 AM. That is just after the ferry leaves.

 Here are two nice bungalows at Kho Bulon Resort, but they are going for 2,500 Bhat per night.
                     That is about $85.

The room on the right was for rent for the same price.  Very close to the beach.

 Here is a Thai Longtail boat.  They are very loud, so we opted for a room further in the jungle, and away from the noisy boats being fired up for hours every morning.

These are two Pied Horn-bills. They are the most beautiful birds I have every seen in the wild. They visited our bungalow in the jungle almost every evening.   I learned to recognize their screech, and I would watch them from my bungalow's balcony.

A Vacation in Quiet Bang Saphan Thailand, on the Beach

      This was my first trip to Ban Saphan in southern Thailand. It was very quiet, and casual.

The location was recommended by a friend, and I went in order to get away from the busy City Life of Chiang Mai.

Some 4-5 hours south of Bangkok, Ban Saphan is tucked away along the seemingly busy coast of Thailand, on the bay side.

If you are looking for long beach walks, without sight of others, then this is your place.

There are some dead fish along the way, but the beach is clean, long, the sand is white, and
the water is warm. Maybe too warm, if you like it refreshing. 
 I like my ocean water bath tub warm, and that is just how it is at Ban Saphan.

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There are some small islands very close by, and it is worth going to see them.

Bring your food, ice box and sunscreen.

These locations are next to deserted, and rooms are going for about $10 per night.

The islands, the shoals, the perfect water, and the coral, make it an especially good place to swim, sunbathe, and stroll along the quiet beaches.

Here is Ploy, posing in front of a small rocky island.

The real Kho Lipe, Thailand, 2012, in the Andaman Sea.

    The arrival to Kho Lipe is somewhat difficult, I won't lie. It's a long way from Bangkok, and everywhere else.  But once you get there, you won't want to leave.

    I have heard that Lipe is the third most popular beach island destination is the world, next to the Seychelles, and the Maldives. I believe this to be true.  
   
     Lately, with the political unrest in the Maldives,  Kho Lipe must be the second best international island beach destination in the world. 

Sea Cucumber in a tidal pool.

In my opinion, Lipe is number #1, for your budget, comfort, and quality of life.


Lipe is still natural, beautiful, and still relatively unspoiled. You better get there now, while it still boasts its original charm and tranquility.
Its Tidal pools are spectacular, clean and excellent to make close up inspections of the Marine life.

0n A boat trip my second day on Lipe, with a old friend.

I arrived as you will, late in the afternoon, tired, sweaty and hungry.    

The next day,  my first day on Lipe, I took on a boat trip to see the ocean and the island from off shore.

Bungalows in Thailand. Pictures of what you will find, and hope to expect. (3-30$ per Night)

Bungalows in Thailand, A Picture Blog Story of What you can expect to stay in for between $3-30 Dollars per night!

This is an excellent quality two story Bungalow.

    I am making this post, to show you the full range and spectrum of Bungalows that you can expect to see, and stay in, while traveling through South East Asia.
 
    From the best, to the worst. All varieties are available, depending on what your needs are, either, creature comfort wise, or financially.

    You can expect to finding quality Bungalows for between $3-30 dollars per night, depending on the location you are visiting, and the quality of the room.

     Please remember, the longer you stay, and the harder you are willing to bargain, the better your per-night price will be.

I realize that pictures will show the bungalows far better than words. So here they are, and you can decide what you are looking for.





Here is a row of typical Thai style moderately priced Bungalows.
Bungalows like this are only about $10 dollars a night!

Here is the Porch of my Bungalow. Small, quaint, but Happy.