Relaxing Vacation in the Trang Islands

Diane and I left Nepal sick with terrible colds. We stayed two nights in Bangkok after leaving Nepal and went to a clinic and got some prescriptions to help us get better. We left our suitcases with our hiking gear and bulky warm clothing in Bangkok and flew to visit the Trang Island group with our swimsuits, tee shirts, and shorts. South of the more famous and touristy Phuket, these are smaller and much quieter islands. We visited Koh Mook, Koh Kradan, Koh Ngai, and Koh Lanta. This was the perfect itinerary to relax and get over our health problems.

It may seem odd, but it really felt like a vacation from our travels. We swam, snorkeled, and explored the islands a bit. We had a lot of down time to rest and read books. It was a great way to end our 2025 international travels.

Koh Mook

Our first stop was Koh Mook. It is closest to Trang airport and a logical first stop. Our small duffel bags (acquired in Kathmandu) were perfect for the long-tail boats and small tuk-tuk transports. We really enjoyed Sunset Beach on this island.

Koh Kradan

This island has a handful of small resorts and is very quiet. There are no roads, just the beach to walk between restaurants and swimming spots; at high tide there was very little beach. We enjoyed the snorkeling (quickly learned that white damselfish are very territorial and bite), but most of the time we relaxed and read books.

Koh Ngai

A long-tail boat dropped us off at Koh Ngai. These boats are fun because you usually have to get off in knee deep water near the shore. (We were thankful we only had small duffle bags.) Koh Ngai is a bit bigger and we could take long walks along a beautiful, sandy beach. In the bottom pictures you can see the massive lizard at our resort and great hornbills, a very odd looking bird.

Koh Lanta

Two years ago we stayed on the south end of Koh Lanta. This time we stayed on the north end. We went scuba diving with Nice Dive to Koh Bida; a group of rock outcroppings teaming with sea life. We saw sea horses, very rare dragon sea moths, colorful fish in dense schools, blue spotted rays, a variety of eels, and highly venomous (but shy) banded sea snakes. Diane had her birthday on Koh Lanta and our resort surprised her with a cake for breakfast! We also celebrated by going to our favorite restaurant, Why Not Bar, and had a wonderful grilled fish dinner (middle pictures) and enjoyed their fire show.

Back to the US for the Holidays

Thailand was the end of this 5+ month international trip. From here we flew back to Bangkok (to pick up our suitcases and get dental check ups) and through LA (to visit Sarah and Sam) and onto Denver. When we arrived at Denver Airport we had circumnavigated the planet! Our end destination was Boulder for holiday gatherings with family.

We are already planning our next adventures in 2026 and looking forward to more exploring and fun!