Satun, Thailand: Clean, Pure, Pristine Nature

While the Satun province remains largely forgotten about when it comes to Thailand, it is a diamond in the rough. This little province on the southwest border of Thailand is the jumping off point for those traveling to many of the nearby islands and to Malaysia. There are many things that make Satun unique, and it is well worth a stop along your travels.

(Hat Sai Yao sunsets)

The first stop you need to make in Mueang Satun (Satun City), is @On’s. On owns a restaurant, bar, offers accommodation, help with transportation, rents motorbikes and cars, and has a plethora of knowledge to share about Satun and the surrounding area! (I actually rented my apartment and motorbike from On while teaching in Satun for 5 months!) Also, if you are looking to make some Thai friends, On’s is the place to do it because the staff is wonderful and are so kind and helpful. For foreigners travelling through, or staying for a while, @On’s is an invaluable resources and a very welcoming place to hang out.

https://www.facebook.com/onssatun/

(@On's, the most comfortable place in Satun)

@On’s has it all, but if you’re looking for something different, there are many other places to eat, sleep, and be merry. There are a few hotels and guesthouses for those just travelling through, and more permanent living places for those looking to stay for a while.  Finding food to eat should not be a problem, and I swear there is a new restaurant opening every week!

This months favorites are Tonruk and Low Pressure Area.  Tonruk is a cute little café that offers meals, coffee, desserts (including the most amazing sweet mango ice cream ever) and has aircon, so who wouldn’t like it?! Low Pressure Area is a coffee shop across the street from Big C and has Starbucks worthy drinks for a fourth of the price. LPA is owned by a Thai writer and his wife. They also have books in Thai and English to buy and checkout! Coffee is quite the thing here and is my personal favorite sweet treat, so trying to narrow down all of the options is quite difficult!

https://www.facebook.com/tonrakicecream/?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/LowPressureAreaSatun/

(Tonruk's roti and ice cream combo of deliciousness)

For those who enjoy hanging around the city, there are many places you need to visit during your stay! The Kunden Mansion or Satun National Museum is the first. I stopped at this lovely little museum my first week in Satun and thoroughly enjoyed myself. For the cheap admission price of 50 Baht, you get a personalized tour of the mansion and get a small taste of the culture of Satun. The museum is gorgeous and was originally built for the king in case he was to ever visit Satun. It has since served as governor’s mansions, a formal meeting place and even Thai HQ during WWII. You even get to play a game with the staff that is called Macau and is essentially the same as the marble game Mancala.

(Kunden Mansion: Satun National Museum)

There are also some nice parks you can explore, take a drive around the monkey mountain and hang out in the shade of the caves, and be sure to take a walk around the river. There are also many markets and festivals all throughout the year in addition to the weekly food markets happening in the city. My favorite is the Saturday Night Market down by the clock tower. There are all sorts of vendors and it is a great place to hang around if you have some time. The markets all range in size and are pretty diverse in the types of products they offer.

(The river walkway is fairly new and worth it!)

If you are more adventurous and like a romp in nature every now and then, well, you are in a good place! These little adventures were always my favorites, and are some of my best memories of Satun. But no matter where you go, make sure to bring bug spray and sunscreen cause you’ll need it! Oh and be sure to keep some Band-Aids handy (because you never know when you’ll fall and scrape up you arm).

First off, let’s talk about the “beaches”. They are far from the main city and barley pass. The water around Satun is murky and kinda gross because it’s mostly mangroves, and the beaches are rocky and the sand is coarse. Also, because the majority of the people in Satun are Muslim, you will feel aca-akward hanging out in your bikini. So I suggest finding the little hidden beaches around the main areas. Here you can sun bathe till your heart’s content. And great little seafood restaurants are all along the beach strip. Be sure to make an effort to go to Pak Bara Pier because there’s lots of food places, nice secluded beach areas, a pretty boardwalk in the national park around the mangrove cliffs, and your #1 (and only) place to get a ferry to the nearby islands.

(Hat Sai Yao and Pak Bara Beaches)

The islands are also worth a visit. The most popular and well known in Koh Lipe, a cresent shaped island far off the mainland. Its got a nice chill vibe, but is expensive. Its also been put on the tourist’s radar and becoming a more popular place to visit. Be sure to book accommodation earlier rather than later because the price will go up and they could run out of places to stay during the high season! If you want to get away from the crowds, I would suggest visiting Koh Tarutao. This is a larger island and hour ferry off the mainland and is a national park. This island was formerly used as a prison until the inmates became pirates and looted all along the Andaman coast. There is so much history and some amazing places to see, like a stunning pier, a neat cave, huge beaches, and trickling waterfalls. There is something for everyone (unless your looking for a shopping spree). Book a room in advance because there are not many places to stay and the do fill up quickly! If there’s no rooms and you don’t mind having things stolen by monkeys, there are tents available for rent and you can post up right on the beach. Island vacations are always nice and there are many to choose from in the south!

http://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/Tarutao-National-Park--1143

A must see in Satun is the Dragon’s Spine. This is an expanse of land that is only accessible during low tide. As the water comes in, the land disappears. This is a short longtail ride from various piers along the Satun coast. It is helpful if you have a friend who speaks Thai to communicate what you want to do because this is not a well-know tourist destination and not many people actually know how to get there. Be sure to call ahead and make sure someone is available to take you and your friends because that’s the polite thing to do. There are also little island that are connected to the land bridge that are worth a jaunt.

(The Dragon's Spine)

If you like dark, damp places and are not too claustrophobic, head to the northern part of the province and visit some caves! But bring your own flashlight for safe measure! Phu Pha Phet Cave is the world’s THIRD LARGEST cave and you wont read about it in any guidebook. If you’re feeling confident and are with friends, skip getting a tour guide because it is so much more fun to get lost on your own! This cave has so many different caverns and areas to explore, that you could easily spend a whole day wandering through its vast chambers. The highlight of the cave is a natural skylight leading out to the limestone mountains where you can explore further in the daylight. But it’s a steep assent and the rope to climb with is not the best. In the same area as Phu Pha Phet is the Jed Chot Cave. This cave is very unique because you can rent a kayak and row through the cave with a guide who helps to navigate through the rocks and shallows. There are some very neat rock formations and skylights all around and the cave is home to thousands of bats! This is very enjoyable because you are on the water and its fun to hop out and swim around, as much of the river is fairly deep. If you are looking for a kayaking adventure, then this is the one for you.

(Caves caves caves)

Now for those days where you just need to get some relief from the heat, but can’t get to an island or are sick of the rocky beaches, hit up some waterfalls! Up by Phu Pha Phet and Jed Chot caves is the Wong Sai Thong waterfall. This waterfall is so beautiful because it is tiered and the water is cold and a clear blue! This is a popular spot for kids to slide down the soft rock and do flips from the highest tier. Namtok Wong Sai Thong is the most stunning waterfall I have yet to see in Thailand and is worth the stop! Head out to the Thale Ban National Park to experience some other waterfalls that litter the grounds. Ya Roi is a fan favorite, and if you are willing to hike up off the trail for 5 minutes, you’ll discover a secret pool where the waterfall comes right down. It is a lovely place to escape the heat of the day and spend an hour relaxing in the cool water.

http://thailand.sawadee.com/satun/caves-waterfalls.html

(Namtok Wong Sai Thong)

General info about the city:

There are three roads you NEED to be familiar with because they make getting around so much easier. The back road, where @On’s is located and goes behind the clock tower. The fitness center and some pretty decent restaurants are on this road. The main road is next in line and will take you anywhere and is a direct shot to the highways. You can find everything along this road. And finally, the bypass road is the next road over. The bus station is located on this road and if you need a break from the traffic on the main road, this is it!  There are a few supermarkets to choose from- Big C, Tesco Lotus, and Makro are the most convenient. Big C is right outside the main part of the city and Makro is another 5 minutes drive. Tesco is farther out and takes between 20-30 minutes to get there. There is public transportation, but it is not the best. There are orange tuk tuks that can take you anywhere and then there are the orange songtaews that go along the main road all day. They are not very reliable and take a long time, so if you’re on a schedule, you’re better off taking a tuk tuk or motorcycle taxi. There is one bus station in the city and various others around the province. One main stop for vans is in La Ngu and here you can make transfers to other provinces and get to Pak Bara. There is no train station and the closest airport is in Hat Yai.

(Traversing the backroads of the city)

Satun is quiet and has a relaxed and slow vibe about it. Not a lot happens and there are months that can be boring if you are staying for a long period of time. But all in all, if you want to experience another culture, you are in a very unique place to do so. You get a taste of Malay culture and the Muslim and Buddhist traditions. Westerners are a bit of a novelty here and you will be stared at, shouted “HELLO” too and asked to pose for hundreds of photos with complete strangers. Sometimes it can get annoying but for the most part it is kinda funny. When in Satun, be respectful and take everything with a grain of salt. If your head and your heart are not in the right place, you may not enjoy your time in Satun. But if you are willing to make it work and take a chance, you’ll discover all the little things that make Satun a wonderful little community.

(Playing "Where's Waldo" with the many temples)

I stepped on a Sea Urchin

So this past week was marvelous because... drum roll please... MY FAMILY CAME TO THAILAND!

(Traditional longtail on Bamboo Island)

When the Blacks unite, there's no telling what kind of shenanigans we will get in to and by golly we did lots of cool things and had a ton of fun!

I met them at the airport after what seemed like the longest plane de-boarding process I've ever experienced and took them to our amazing hotel. We stayed at the Surin Beach Double Tree resort and it was a perfect location to magnify relaxation and soak up some rays! We spent a lot of time at the pool and the beach and they went home with nice tans and I came home with a pound of sand in my bag.

(Best pool by far!)

We went on two day tours. The first was to Phangna Bay where we went sea kayaking, visited a floating village, and visited the infamous James Bond Island where "The Man With the Golden Gun" Bond movie was filmed. It was a super touristic day, but it was nice to see another part of Thailand. The second tour, and my favorite, was the Phi Phi Islands. We went to both of the islands and stopped to snorkel and swim at various locations. The coral was stunning and the water was so blue and so clear! I loved going to the islands and thought Phi Phi was beautiful! We also stopped at Maya Bay, where "The Beach" movie with Leo DiCaprio was filmed and it didn't quite look the same, but it was very neat to see. The sand was so soft and felt like the Moon Sand stuff you always see infomercials about! Both the norther and southern islands off of Phuket are neat to see and it was well worth going on the tours!

(Super tourists ready for adventure!)

Of course we stopped by Patong so they could get the nightlife experience, and we rented motorbikes to get around on our own schedule!

We went to the Tonsai and Bang Prae Waterfalls and stopped at the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project to see the gibbons and the great work the project is doing to rehabilitate and reintroduce these monkeys back into the wild. This day was a "Josh day" since he thinks nature is pretty neat! ;)

My dad, brother and I also went and did some zip lining one day. We went to the interior of the island with a company called Flying Hanuman and went on a thrilling course! There were 28 platforms, 15 zip lines (one of which could've counted as 4 it was so long!), 2 abseils or repelling areas, lots of stair and sky bridges and enough adrenaline inducing activities to keep me going for weeks! Overall, this was a very enjoyable experience and was by far one of the highlights of the trip!

(What amazing snorkeling!)

On the last day, I took Momma for a spa day as an early birthday present! We went to the Oasis Secret Garden Spa and were pampered for FOUR hours! It was so nice (and a bit awkward) and we emerged like fresh butterflies from our cocoons of sweat and sunburns! We got a traditional Thai Oil massage, a Coffee body scrub, Lavender body wrap (which was literally being wrapped in a giant plastic bag and was slightly claustrophobic), a Thai facial and a stint in a steam room and cold bath! It was so nice to be pampered and it was such a fun experience to share with my amazing Mom!

Later, the bro and I got tattoos! We got the hah taew sak yant and were subsequently blessed with good luck and fortune and told some rules to live by (like not spitting in the toilet!). We went to @Ink Tattoo Design and tattooed by Mit, a renowned tattoo artist in Phuket with multiple shops. Lucky Lucky!

(Surin Beach looks pretty good on my parents!)

As always, when the Black get together, we ate lots of food, bickered a bit, and had a super time with each other! After not seeing my family for 5 months, it was great to be surrounded by something familiar and to soak up enough love to get me through my last month of solo travel here in Thailand.

I have one more week here in Satun, and then I am off on my own adventure! I will be going to Koh Tao, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, and various other places here and there. Sadly because my school semester went soooooooo long and because I am ready to get home, I will not have the time, nor the money to go to other places in Southeast Asia, but that's ok with me. I will sufficiently have worked my way through Thailand and couldn't have asked for a better way to fully experience a country like this.

Now, it's just time to burn some daylight and finish out the final days of school and then I'll be back to post about my final adventures! Until next time my friends!

(Be sure to stop by Facebook to check out my other photos from this adventure!)

Let's go fly a kite!

Hey hey hey people. So the first week of March was quite exciting! Satun was a hive of activity and things to do, and after MONTHS of being dormant, it was refreshing to see the city come alive, if only for a short while.

March has turned out the be the "Market Month" with all sorts of interesting events going on!

Let's start with the Red Cross Market. So this market took up half of the main road (I might be slightly exaggerating, but still it was huge!). It took up like four blocks with vendors of all sorts! There were clothes, toys, towels, food, games, and tons of entertainment! It was a carnival complete with a ferris wheel and carousel. And no shortage of Thai carnies. Heckling you to come "play this game", "win a prize", "give it a shot"... but of course it was all in Thai so I don't really know what they were saying. I played a balloon dart game and failed miserably. I can't aim too well and threw the dart too hard and it ended up going over the booth and getting lost. What can I say?! I'm a winner.  Despite this embarrassing event, I had a good time! I went a total of three times and gorged myself on chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry smoothies, ice cream, and other goodies we found! I also invested in a selfie stick and a unicorn shirt. So I think I did alright!

Next, our school hosted the Gong Kong Academic Fair to celebrate the school's birthday. There was nothing academic about it but it was still pretty cool! Some of the kids were in charge of booths and were selling items or had their parents come in to sell stuff. There was also an antique vendors which the boys flocked too because there were knives and tools and stuff. There was no shortage of food, and idk if it was because I'm a teacher or just that everyone was super nice, but I got tons of free food! Everyone has smiles on their faces and I got out of teaching classes on Friday so no complaints here!

(Gong Kong Academic Fair at Puripornchai Suksa School)

Finally, Satun has the unique opportunity of hosting the annual International Kite Festival and this year was the 36th celebration! And because March is super windy in Satun and there is a massive open field, why not have this event in a super random part of Thailand?!  There were hundreds of kites. Some were the size of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons and most had the be weighed down with giant sandbags or were tied to tractors! It was really cool to see all of the interesting kites and to see where people had come from for this event! There were people from the states even who had come to fly some kites! So seeing some westerners again was  kinda nice!

The competition part was also very neat! I wasn't able to get any video but it was very interesting to witness people making streamlined kites dance around the sky in time with music and with bigger groups, to see the choreography. A typical "team" consisted of 4 people who used both hands to control their kites. They made the kites dip and sway, turn in circles, and do loop-de-loops. Some were small, some were big, and some had tails that went on forever, but all of them were fascinating!
I didn't really know what to expect from a kite festival, but it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had yet! I even bought a small butterfly kite to keep as a momento!

(You're never too old for a kite!)

Overall, it was a great week to be in Satun! This week will be a bit quieter and as the city returns to its normal sleepy self, I will be busy getting my room packed up becasue I'm dropping off my suitcase with my parent when they come to visit and I meet up with them in Phuket in less than a week! I can't wait to see them and after such a long time, I am thrilled to have some family around! So stay tuned for the next post detailing all the shenanigans the Black's will get into in the coming weeks!