Trang Weekend - Around Town

Okay, this is the third and final post about my Trang weekend which was already weeks ago. Aside from the cave and food trips we had, we also visited a few places such as:

1. Waterfall (near one)

I forgot the name of the waterfall because we did not get to see it. This was taken from the waters near the waterfall. I was already injured at this time because minutes before this photo was taken, I slipped on the rocks. I can still manage to smile though. I had a few bruises and my left ankle was swollen thereafter. I guess injuries are inherent risks when you go out for an adventure.

2. Laem Yongstar 

Near this pier is a group of seafood restaurants overlooking the serene sea. The photo below is taken after our meal. I had to hold on to my hair because of the strong winds.

3. About an hour's drive from where we ate is a placed called Kantang Hot Spring.

The waters looked green because of the algae on it. The temperature of 60 degrees celsius helps release stress and tension. I saw some people either dipping their foot on the waters or taking a bath. One rule of the place is not to boil eggs on the hot spring. That's how hot it is!

4. Trang Night Market

I would not want to miss any night market in a place I'm visiting. These places showcase the areas varied food and specialties.

It is much like the Weekend Night Market of Phuket but relatively smaller. Varieties of food, cellphone accessories, stuff toys, shoes and sandals, souvenirs and clothing are here. We only spent a few minutes here as we have to hurry out since it began to rain.

Thank you for your time. Till my next travel! :)

Trang Weekend - Food Tripping

I love food however I am not quite adept in writing about food. Nevertheless, I want to try doing so because during my Trang weekend, our host has done his best effort to bring us to places with delicious food. So here goes:

Arriving Trang at around 10 pm, Joyce and I were starving. We were brought to a restaurant/bar named The Boxx. The place had a band that played English and Thai songs. I did not see any foreigners here. Come to think of it, during my stay in Trang, I did not see any foreigners at all. It was a cool place to hang out with friends much like the bars back in Cebu.

I forgot the name of what we ordered. All I know is that I was surprised with the food presentation. These were mussels placed individually on glasses. The sauce was very tasty and a little bit spicy.

The next morning, we were treated to another place which showcased a lot of Dimsum food. According to Wikipedia, Trang is known for a unique breakfast cuisine found nowhere else in Thailand. This may have been what they call as Trang breakfast.

I was stuffed for the day. I filled myself with shrimp wrapped in something like a siomai wrapper. The sauce was heavenly.

I forgot to ask the names of these dishes as I was busy tasting them. This does not look very enticing but as they say, don't judge a book by its cover (don't judge food without tasting it!). Here I was wrong to judge the food with its appearance. This is delicious crab meat shaped to a ball.

Our complete meal.

We also had seafood over load. These dishes are fish with mixed fruits (my first time to taste this) and shrimp in tamarind sauce (my all time favorite).

And of course, we also had desserts.

I'd like to believe I gained a few milligrams (not kilograms!) during my trip. Who wouldn't with all the tasty dishes served? As I am writing this blog and thinking of nice words to describe the food, my tummy also grumbles and my mouth waters just reminiscing them. Looking forward to my next travel and food tripping! 

Trang Weekend - Le Khao Kob Cave

I was invited by a good friend, Joyce, to go with her to Trang last week. Trang is one of the southern provinces of Thailand and is approximately 3-4 hours away from Phuket by car. We left at around 6pm and since it was already dark, she had to drive safely. We arrived at around 10 pm.

We stayed in Trang Grand Mansion which was a comfortable and very basic lodging house. I forgot to take a photo of our room, since we were so tired and sleepy.

On our first morning, we drove to a sub district of Trang which is called Huai Yot. It was about an hour drive from where we stayed. Seeing the entrance, I thought its just another boring cave that we have to walk through. I was definitely in for a surprise.

Our host paid for our trip and so I was not able to know how much the fee was. According to internet sources, it is 200THB per boat trip. We boarded a small boat with the driver in the front and the guide at the back. It took almost 10 minutes before we arrived at the entrance of the cave.

our host (in blue), me and the guide at my back

sailing towards the cave's entrance

According to sources, Tham Le Khao Kob is a tourist attraction of the area concealed under a huge single limestone mountain surrounded by a stream that also runs through it. Upon entrance to this cave, we were asked to lie down.

the entrance to the cave

We had to get off the boat at different parts of the cave to explore the area. The guide only spoke Thai and so my friend had to translate for me. We had to alternately walk or ride and lie down to reach different parts of the cave.

(upon entrering the cave)

There were different grottos inside. The developers/ care takers of this cave had colored lights installed in the area, this explains the different lightings. They did a good job in making sure that the place is clean and safe for the tourists to walk through.

A million of stalactites and stalagmites can be seen. Sadly some of them have been somewhat torn off. Maybe by previous visitors?

The stones at the sides of my head resembles those of an elephant's foot. It is said that if one wishes to have good health, they must pass in between this pair.

What is ultimately amazing with this cave is the way to the exit. Our guide asked us to lie flat for the full 350 meters. I was surprised of how the boat was just fit enough to pass thru the stone formation. The passage way for the boat was becoming narrower, our guide cannot even paddle and so used his strength and pushed from the stones above. It was very dark that we were entirely dependent on the flashlight the guide had.

It was a long journey to the exit. I even had to turn my head a few times because the stone was literally millimeters away from my face! I was praying hard that no earthquake would occur otherwise I don't know if I will see light again. From what I read online, passing through the hole is an auspicious activity as if going through the backbone of a dragon. The guide even pointed to a stone shaped like that of a human (or dragon's) heart that he mentioned would bring good luck with business if touched. My happiness was brimming when we reached the outside world again.

Definitely the boat-cave ride of my life! If I had known what I would be going thru beforehand, I must have chickened out. But then it was overall an exciting and nerve-wrecking unexpected memorable experience I'd recommend.