"When we think about Southern of Thailand. Everyone say Phuket, Krabi or Khaolak. But actually there are 14 provinces in the Southern of Thailand. They are Krabi, Chumporn, Trang, Nakhonsrithammarat,Narathiwas,Pattani,Phang Nga, Phatthalung, Phuket, Yala, Ranong, Songkhla, Satun and Surathani"

My friend Kratae booked join group travel to 4 provinces which is Songkhla, Satun, Trang and Phatthalung. And she invites me to join with her this time.

There are lots of people travel to the North of Thailand because the weather is good in November. But I think program of this tour sound great. Then I decided to join with her.

She shared me the brief program for trip but I do not pay attention much because I decided to go because I love the sea and happy every time to go.

We were ready at airport at 5am because our flight is 7.10am. There were some delayed so we reached to Hat Yai around 11.00am.

SATUN

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After everyone got luggage then we heading to the pier to get long tail boat visit

one of the highlight of Satun province “Had San Lang Mangkorn Tan Yong Po” (The Sand Dune”. On the way the served breakfast with signature food of Hat Yai.

Before we arrive to the pier.

Guide announced to change to long pants to be short and slipper as we have to stop on the sand dune.

I love and enjoy sea tour with long tail boat and I prefer long tail boat more than speed boat.

This is a marvelous place in the mid of Andaman Sea where a 3 kilometer long trip of sand dune emerged over the sea during the low tides mixed with millions of mollusk shells.

It is a land form connecting the mainland and an islet as it a beautiful moving dragon playing seawater.

That is the reason why they call this place as the “Had Mangkorn” or “Dragon Beach” Everyone get of from the long tail boat and take lots of photos on the sand dune.

After got lots of shots the the boat took us to the small island call “Koh Kwang”. A small island with without beach but the highlight is the rock on this island is more than 1 million years old (guide said).

And on the top of the mountain ( not high mountain) we can see very good view of 2 big islands.

After we came out from the view point and before we get back to the boat. Guide serve us roti+black coffee which is the traditional drink of Satun (I like it so much)

It is lunch time. The boat took us back to the mainland and the guide lead us to the restaurant by the sea to have lunch.

It is amazing lunch with plenty of seafood.

I love their prawn, fresh and so sweet and when we eat with spice seafood, the taste is so amazing.

There are lots of menu on table. And each menu are with big size and good taste.

We all so full. And it time to leave to another stop.

They took us the Satun down town where there are some nice graffiti on the wall.

We all enjoy taking photos with lots of 3D painting.

I like this one very much.

While I was enjoying take photos of these arts. My 2 friends also enjoy shopping there.

After spent some time on the street art then the guide took us to the hotel for check in.

The hotel name is “SEE SEA RESORT” located next to the beach.

The room is nice. This is the first time I stay on the ground floor.

But I feel good because I will sleep on the same level of the sea.

It was long day today so everyone go back to the room after dinner at hotel.

SATUN-TRANG

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06.00am the wake-up call ringing. Today we will see wonderful run rise and visit “Khao To Ngai Fault Plane”

We reached to the beginning of the bridge and we all expected to see sunrise.

Unfortunately, there are some shower raining there so we cannot see the sun rising.

Anyway, we keep walking along the bridge and enjoy panoramic sea view.

Until we reach to the place we are coming for.

A fault plane is on the south of a small isolated Khoa To Ngai mountain about 7 kilometers from La-ng district. It can be seen on a cliff at the seafront accessible by a walking bridge from the national park office. This fault plane site is an important geological structure of the Satun Geopark.

Personally, I do not have knowledge about stone or geo park so I do not understand much when guide explain. But good to listen.

After guide explained all details about the rocks here. There we continue walking to the end of the bridge to get on the bus and go back to hotel.

On the way to hotel, guide suggest us to drop by at the local food shop to get and try local food which local people eating everyday.

It is funny that when we are on trip and if someone start buying something then the rest will start finding something to buy. And we are those kind of people.

Everyone bought some food, dessert, coffee etc from this shop just to bring back to eat at hotel (actually, hotel provide breakfast)

We reached back to hotel and go to restaurant for breakfast. I found good menu for me. Noodle and I eat with the fried chicken which I bought the shop. Nothing else need.

We checked out from hotel and moving to next stop.

They took us to visit the museum “SATUN GEOPARK MUESUEM”. The information cenre of geological sites conversation is an important and useful project of Satun province but for people who interesting in geography but I’m not that kind of people. Luckily that they spent only around 20 minutes at this museum.

We continue to Trang and first place that we will go is restaurant for lunch.

They serve Southern food style with some seafood. And the highlight is this menu.

And the spice seafood sauce is so nice.

There are some items of Thai central food also served.

We enjoy lunch and we finished all menu.

It was raining after we finished lunch and this will effect to our program to visit the local community “Na Muen Sri”

The guide announced that we can chose to skip that place and go to hotel directly or we still want to go. We all voted to go.

When we reached to that community. There is a local guide came up to our bus and start introduce and explain the details about her community.

The bus took us deep into the community and we saw rice field, local shops, restaurant etc.,

I just thinking that this place is very good for cycling. But this trip is not cycling tour so may be we try next time.

Finally the bus stop in front of the big house and the guide invites us to get in to the house and see how people here doing fabric and make the pants, shirt, skirt etc.,

For me the details of the fabric is not interesting much but the junior local guide there is so cute.

They are small boys and girls waiting for us to explain about the tradition and unique fabric style.

The fabric here can make nice dress like the one she wearing.

After enjoy listen the history about fabric here. Then we move to another house where they sell souvenir, cloths, bags which made by their own fabric.

I got one nice pants.

And after that the guide took us to check in at hotel. The hotel name “Thammarin Thana Hotel”. I saw there are some Tuk Tuk car stand by in front of the hotel.

I immediately have idea and plan for night tour after dinner at hotel with group.

After dinner me and another 2 friends hire a tuk tuk to take us around city and visit popular night markets as two of friends never came to this province before.

We stop at first place call “Railway night market”. There are many shops selling cloths, accessories, drink, snack and food.

I tried some item the vegetable rice cake.

And then mushroom barbeque.

Then we walked back to tuk tuk and continue to another market.

We reached 2nd market called “Centre Point Market” located next to the police station.

This market similar with the first market but the food selling here are difference. Seem that people in this province love eating.

I got squid barbeque while another friend got passion fruit+orange smoothie. We enjoy walking around the market but did not eat anything else.

We walk back to tuk tuk and continue to 3rd market.

Unlucky, it start raining.

And when we reach to the market there was heavy rain. So, we spent only around 20 minutes and then go back to tuk tuk again and decided to go back to hotel because it still raining.

We reached back to hotel and say good night.

TRANG-PHATTHALUNG

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Wake up call at 6am today. I know that today we will leave Trang around 8.00am. So, I want to go out again to see local market here. And again I go around by tuk tuk.

He is my driver today. His name is Mr.Kham and he is 79 years old but still strong and driving very good.

He took me to the local market.

And I walked in to the market while driver was waiting on the main road.

And I got some snack from the market.

After that tuk tuk took me to street art of Trang.

I asked him to suggest good local restaurant where local people go for breakfast.

A small restaurant name "Jeeb Khao".

This is noodle and dimsum restaurant.

After that I walked back to hotel and reached hotel around 7.45am. still have time for using toilet and prepare to leave with the group. I had already checked out before I left to the market so I was not on hurry.

Group left hotel on time and heading to the last province for this trip "Phatthalung"

On the way we stopped at the small temple name is "Wat Lum Ka"

This temple was built in 1956. As a Thai way, we always visit at least one temple to get blessing from the monk.

And next stop is restaurant for lunch. The restaurant name “ View Yor”. As this area is fisherman area but fisherman do not go out to the sea but they use some tools to get fishes from the sea.

The restaurant located next to the sea with stunning sea view.

We enjoy eating Thai Southern food style.

Spicy mushroom soup.

Wog fried lotus with black pepper.

Spicy seafood salad with lotus.

Spicy shrimp salad with fresh vegetable.

I love eating vegetable then I really enjoy this meal. Some menu is so spice but I still can eat while of friend can eat only fried fish and pork.

After meal then they serve Thai dessert.. I’m not dessert lover but this one is except.

After lunch then guide took us along the road to visit the longest bridge in Thailand. The bridge which connect 2 provinces.

All area under the bridge is water.

There are lots of birds. Unfortunately, I’m not bird watcher so I do not know those birds.

Besides of bird there is another one highlight here “Water buffalo”.

The buffalo living in this area eating grass under the water. We are enjoy seeing the water buffalo and bird.

Most of all enjoy eating (again) the local snack with sugar cane juice.

After enjoy the view and buffalo. Then guide took us the local market name “Na Po Kae”. This place built to show and set up to be farmer learning center.

They selling local food, snack, drink and souvenir.

But as the market quite small so me and my friend finished walking around the market in 10 minutes.

Then the guide took us to another local market (opening only Sat-Sun) name “Lard Tai Nhod” meaning is the marking under the sugar palm tree.

We walked around the market.

And I really enjoy trying the food, snack, drink, dessert which I never try before.

There are so many thing to eat and I tried many shops.

Finally, time to leave market to hotel.

We arrived to hotel, check in and then all separated to their room.

There are not many choices of restaurant near hotel. Then we decided to have dinner in side hotel.

Today we slept around 10.00pm. One of friend got sick as she was wet during raining yesterday.

PHATTHALUNG

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04.00am is the time that I woke up as we will leave hotel at 5am to see the sunrise over the sea at “Talae Noi”.

05.00am, ever one ready at lobby and we left hotel around 5.15am and reach to the pier around 6.15am.

We spent around 10 minutes enjoy taking photos of first light.

I got many shots from the pier.

I like the color of the sky this morning. I like this color so much, indigo blue.

And when the bridge is foreground while the indigo blue sky is the back ground. It so beautiful like painting.

And then all group get on the boat with 6-7 persons per boat.

The guide announce that the boat tour will take around 1 hour around the lake to see birds, water buffalo and red lotus.

Our boat is number 4. We were enjoying the scenic view of the huge lake.

The boat driver stop from time to time and let us get good shots of birds.

There are lots of birds.

Besides of the birds there are fishermen doing fishing by long tail boat.

There are some birds which do not care about us even we get close to them but they still enjoy finding fish for their food.

One of the reason I want to come to this place is “Water buffalo”.

Thai people know well that buffalo normally love to lay down in the mud but the buffalo here enjoy swimming in the lake, diving to eat water grass, walking around the lake.

I can say that the number of buffalo that we saw today is not less than 100 buffalo.

Unfortunately, they keep moving away when the boat get close to them.

So I got only one shot.

The boat still riding on the clear water and passing some area with lots of red lotus. But this red lotus in the lake can not compare with the one in Udonthani Province. That lake are full with red lotus while this one are mix between lotus, water crest and other water grass. The highlight of this lake is not the red lotus but water buffalo and birds.

The weather today is so good, we can take a deep breath. One hour finished very fast and the boat took us back to the pier. And then the bus take us back to hotel for breakfast.

I did not have breakfast at hotel because I have another trip continuing from this trip. So, I say good bye to my 2 friends and many new friends I met during the trip.

96 hours in the South of Thailand this time is so nice. I visit some places which I never been and re-visit some places which I came before but even I came before still I like to see the difference after times go by.

I like “Talae noi” the most for this trip because I like water and when sitting on the boat in the huge lake I fell so relax and comfortable.

I shared many photos to my friends and I will convince them to come this area then I can re-visit again.

For me there are no matter how many times you visit same place as long as you like that place.

And besides of new places you explore you might get new friend as well. And this is one of many reasons I love traveling.