This trip came about during the recent Songkran festival. I had to work and couldn't go home. I saw my friends posting pictures of them taking their families on trips, and I felt envious. I had to work a long shift, which was mentally draining. Seeing other people go on trips made me want to go on one too, but what could I do? I had to fulfill my responsibilities. But don't let it get to me when it's my turn to travel. I'll be gone for 2 days. I checked the schedule and got 2 consecutive days off after Songkran. What am I waiting for? Let's find tickets to Phuket. Once I got the tickets, the next step was to book a tour to Surin Island, which is an island I've never been to. There were many tour operators, including Love Andaman, Sea Star, and Wow Andaman. I chose Love Andaman because of my limited time and busy schedule. I wanted something convenient and didn't want to contact multiple parties. I wanted to get it all done in one place. They had packages that included accommodation and diving trips.

The shuttle service is included, and I've used Love Andaman's services regularly, so you can trust them.

Let's start with the first story.

Airplane ticket

Air Asia 1215 baht/person for the first flight.

I booked my return flight after 8pm because I was afraid I wouldn't make it back from my diving trip in time.

2-Day, 1-Night Scuba Diving Trip with Accommodation and Transportation Included

Love Andaman + Mazi design hotel 3300 baht per person

Others

The cost of eating at the restaurant on Monday is 260 baht per person.

Motorcycle rental fee is 125 baht per person.

The cost of a van from the airport to the hotel is 150 baht per person.

Including the trip, 5050 baht per person.

Okay, now that we have a rough idea of the costs involved, let's get into the details. I'll start from the moment I left the airport.

We traveled on April 18, 2016 by AirAsia. It was another lucky thing that we got to travel after Songkran because during this time, plane tickets were not expensive. We arrived at Phuket Airport at around 8.30 am. At first, we were going to take a taxi to the hotel. The price was very expensive. A one-way trip to Patong cost 800 baht. It's a good thing that we come here often. Why would we pay that much? We took a van instead, which cost 150 baht per person. We saved a lot of money. It took us to the front of the hotel. We bought tickets at the exit. There were a lot of tourists, so it was convenient and safe. It took about 1.30 hours to travel from the airport to the hotel. There was a lot of traffic in Phuket. If you are going to the airport or anywhere else, make sure to leave plenty of time.

I arrived at the hotel around 10 am. I couldn't check in yet, so I left my bags at the hotel and went to find a motorbike to rent. I got one for 250 baht a day. After I got my trusty motorbike, I didn't know where to go because it was so hot. So I stopped by to visit my friend and nephew. I stayed at my friend's house until 1 pm. Then the hotel called to let me know that my room was ready. I hurried back to the hotel to take a shower and rest. In the evening, my friend will pick me up to eat at Wan Chan restaurant and take me to the Chillva market.

Chillva Market

I made an appointment with a friend at 5:30 p.m. and arrived at Chillva Market around 6:00 p.m. Chillva Market has several zones, but the most prominent is the container zone, which mainly sells food and drinks. Today, there weren't many shops, probably because we went on a weekday, and there weren't many people. We walked around for about 10 minutes, and that was it. If you want to come here, I recommend coming on Saturday or Sunday. My friend said there will be many more shops and a flea market. Let's just say we came to visit a new place. It's not serious. We walked around and took pictures comfortably. The weather wasn't too hot either.

Monday's shop

After chatting for a while, our stomachs started to growl. Our initial plan was to go to Moo Dong's restaurant, but we felt sorry for our nephew, so we decided to find something to eat nearby. This time, we were determined to eat at Wan Chan restaurant.

Especially, I want to know what it tastes like. I've been to Phuket many times and haven't had the chance to come here yet. This time I have to try it. Let's see what I ordered.

This crab curry with betel leaves is the highlight of the menu. Anyone who comes here and doesn't order it is making a mistake. It's delicious and has a lot of crab meat.

The shrimp paste is not to my liking. It's not spicy enough.

Stir-fried morning glory with shrimp paste and egg. My wife loves this dish, and I approve!

Crispy rice with sesame seeds. I didn't get to try this dish, but my friend who was with me said it was delicious. The sauce was white, which was unusual as I've only ever seen it yellow.

Crab fried rice with generous amount of crab meat, worth the price. The taste is good.

Mazi Design Hotel

After finishing our meal, we headed back to the hotel to rest and pack our bags for our trip to Surin Island the next day. We had to check out early in the morning and leave our bags at the Love Andaman pier. Initially, I thought I wouldn't review the hotel, wanting to just relax and enjoy my vacation. But I couldn't help myself; if I find something good, I have to share it.

The full name is Ma Si Design Hotel by Kalima. It is conveniently located in Patong and offers a full range of amenities.

Both the fitness center, swimming pool, and restaurant are great. Even though the swimming pool doesn't have a view or surrounding atmosphere, it has a waterfall curtain that adds a playful element, making it look extraordinary and inviting.

Another point that I liked was the lobby. Although it is not a large hotel, the lobby here is beautifully designed and magnificent. It is even more beautiful than some 5-star hotels.

The lobby is decorated with paintings on the walls, making it a great spot for taking photos. Plus, it's conveniently located near the market, so you can grab a bite to eat whenever you get hungry.

The room is decorated in black and white tones, which is cool and stylish. The bed and furniture are still new and very clean, probably because this place has not been open for long.

And most importantly, it's hard to find a hotel in the low thousands that offers so many pillows. If you're looking for a convenient place to stay,

Looks good with breakfast and affordable price. I recommend this as another option. Value for money.

The 5 am alarm clock went off. I didn't want to get out of bed, it was so comfortable. But I had to get ready to shower, change clothes, and pack my bags for our diving trip.

Yesterday, the van called to schedule a pick-up time of 6:10 AM. After getting myself and my belongings ready, I left my room at 6:00 AM sharp. I figured the van would be late, as usual.

I was about to have breakfast. But when I checked out and walked out, a van was parked right in front of the hotel. I couldn't try the breakfast. The taste should be good, because in the evening this place is open as a restaurant.

Surin Islands

After getting on the van to find a seat, I immediately took a nap to conserve energy. The journey from Patong to Thap Lamu's Love Andaman Pier took about 2 hours. When we arrived at the pier, it was a weekday but there were a lot of people. After checking in and leaving our bags, we went to find something to eat. It was very crowded, so I didn't take any pictures. If I go again next time, I'll take some pictures to show you. While we were eating, my wife pointed out that the staff were wearing new black Love Collection items. She said, "White gets dirty easily. Black is better for diving so it won't get stained. White is for wearing at the hotel pool." It was an argument I couldn't win. All I could think was, "Do I have to buy her another diving suit now?" After she got what she wanted, she changed and we went to sit and listen to the guide explain about Surin Island. The guide was hilarious. I only remember some things, but I just laughed the whole time. And since it was my first time on Surin Island, I have to admit that I don't remember the details very well.

We arrived at Surin Island around 10:30 am and visited the Moken village first. We spent 30 minutes there. All the villagers on the island have the same surname, "Glaratarle". The island has a school and a medical facility. Before boarding the boat, children sold souvenirs, which are their main source of income.

After that, we went snorkeling at the first point, which took less than 5 minutes to travel to and 30 minutes to snorkel. It was a very fast time. The coral reefs were wide and amazing. We didn't even worry about getting sunburned while snorkeling.

The guide's voice called for us to board the boat, preparing to go for lunch on Surin Island. The lunch menu consisted of stir-fried mixed vegetables, massaman curry, and fried chicken wings. The food was prepared by the park staff, and I must say that the chefs at Similan Island cook better. The taste was bland, as if catering to Western palates. A dash of fish sauce with chili would have been perfect. The fruits were watermelon and pineapple, which I forgot to take pictures of.

After lunch, I had a full hour to explore the island and swim. This was a very happy time for me. I was able to take my time and enjoy the sunshine, the breeze, and the sea. I took some photos and saw the smiles of my wife and the people around me. It was a feeling of happiness that I can't describe. Let's just say that I'm glad I came. I could talk about it all day, but it wouldn't do it justice. You have to see the pictures I took. They'll show you how beautiful it was. Nature is already beautiful, and if you just arrange the composition well, the photos will be beautiful too. Even my crappy photos turned out great, haha. Okay, let's go see the pictures. I've talked enough.

Around half past one, the guide called us to board the boat to go diving at the second spot. In the afternoon, we will dive at two spots. The first spot has a lot of coral and the size of the coral is much wider than the first spot. In the afternoon, the water is very clear and the waves are calm. We had a lot of fun diving. There were many clownfish and small fish swimming around the coral. The last dive spot was my favorite spot of the day. I only remember the area in front of Banana Island, which was the last island we dived at. There were more schools of fish than the second spot. We had a lot of fun diving. The guide's voice called us to get on the boat. Why does time pass so quickly when we're having fun? I didn't want to go up, but what can I do? We have to live in the real world and accept it.

We arrived at the pier around 5 pm, washed up, changed clothes, and prepared to return to Bangkok. We arrived at the airport around 7 pm and had time to check in and eat dinner comfortably because our flight was after 9 pm. I highly recommend booking a flight after 9 pm if you don't want to waste a vacation day and risk missing your flight. It's the best way to save time. We arrived in Bangkok a little after 11 pm and were able to go back to sleep and recharge. We can easily go to work tomorrow. We only went for two days, but we have enough photos to post on social media and show our friends for the next two weeks. People will think we went on vacation for a week, haha. Thank you to everyone who came to read and see the photos. Whether it's finished or not, I would like to thank you very much.