I dropped Katie a line the second I knew we would be traveling in Thailand. She invited us to come down and spend as much time with them as we could. They had room at the resort as well as a guestroom in their home and we were welcome to stay with them. So, from Pai we made arrangements to pass through Bangkok, submit our application for an extended Indonesian tourist visa, and then head further south to Hua Hin. (Actually, it's technically in Pranburi but most people haven't heard of that little area so Hua Hin is easier to find.)
Jason & Katie at The Aleenta Resort.As it turned out, it was the perfect way to end our time in Thailand. It's nice to meet new people but nothing beats a good hang with your old friends. Katie and Jason were amazing hosts and took wonderful care of us. Katie came and picked us up at the bus stop when we arrived and we got a chance to see her show off her Thai driving skills. Driving in Thailand is not for the faint of heart and she was a real pro. When we got to the resort, they pulled out all the stops. We were greeted at the front desk with welcome drinks, flowers, and a cool cloths to wipe our faces. The staff at Aleenta are amazing and really made us feel special. We were shown to our room and when we walked in the door we were blown away! Music was already playing on the sweet Bose stereo system which came with its own iPod loaded with chill music. Our room was beautiful with a private outdoor shower and very zen-like decor. The bed was huge with great pillows and cozy sheets. This was not what we've been used to after staying in one bungalow and guesthouse after another where hot water was a treat. Just outside, steps from our bed, was our own private plunge pool and beyond that a grassy lawn that lead down to a beautiful beach. We also had a private deck on our roof that made for watching great sunsets. We were in heaven and couldn't believe that we were staying somewhere so incredible.
The view from our room at Aleenta.We showered off and met back up with Jason and Katie for a drink at the hotel's bar. Man it was great to see them. Jason and I used to hook up at the April boat show in Jack London Square every year and then I finally got a chance to come and visit the Bitter End Yacht Club about 6 years ago. I was there with a big flotilla of people and Jason styled us out, creating regattas and dinner events, etc. for us. It was nice to see Jason in charge of this incredible resort. He's pretty much the man there and that means that he's also really busy. He would take time out of his busy schedule to hang with us at meals and to show us around but that place really relies on him and the success of the resort is due to his diligence and hard work.
Lunch with a view.The resort sits on a beautiful stretch of white sand beach that reaches for miles in either direction. The water temperature was so warm that it felt like a heated pool. Also, the sandy bottom and lack of surf made it really inviting and easy to wade out into the beautiful sea. Back at the resort there is a great pool on the second floor that is perfect for having a swim with a view and you could often see kite surfers ripping by the resort. The food at Aleenta was fabulous and once again we were eating like royalty.
The beach in front of The Aleenta Resort - Hua Hin.Katie was more flexible with her time and was able to hang with me and Maggie and show us some of the sights. One day, we drove south to a beach where we hopped on one of the Thai Longtail boats (one out of two, dad). It took us out and around the corner to another beach where we started our hike to a giant cave in the hillside. This cave was awesome, even more-so because deep inside of the cavernous depths where stalactites and stalagmites meet and where nothing should live, there exists a beautiful temple. Long ago, a sinkhole formed and allowed light to shine through a big hole in the top of the cave. Trees and life began to emerge from the depths of the cavern and right there in the middle of this beautiful sight sits a small temple of great importance to the local Thais. This was one of the few places we visited in Thailand where we were the only "falang" (white foreigners) and it felt wonderful to be there. The whole walk up the steps to the cave we were greeted by the people coming out with great big smiles and "Sawatdee Kah!" (Hello).
Beautiful cave with a small temple inside.Katie also took time to give me my first kite-surfing lesson. I'm totally hooked and can't wait to get back on a board. The conditions right in front of the resort were perfect with the warm water and the wind blowing onshore so if you mess up, you'll not be blown out to see. Katie can rip it up out there and she did some great demos of how to catch air and rip at really high speeds. It was impressive to see her tear it up. I on the other hand, could fly the kite okay but when it came to standing up, was falling flat on my face. I've got a lot to learn but it's fun to have a new hobby.
Katie about to rip it up in her sweet OCSC visor!Maggie and I spent our mornings running down the beach, past the limestone caves and a beautiful temple, to a sweet little fishing village. The Thai people paint their boats in dramatically beautiful colors and a specific family's colors are passed down through generations. It was a real treat to the eyes to see these pretty boats floating out in the green waters just offshore. One our run we would also pass an endless assortment of stray dogs, especially around the temples where the monks feed them. The dogs all seem to be basically cared for and they don't have that mean, third-world-dog, attitude or that sad totally-starved look. Nevertheless, these dogs are far from a picture of health, and Katie has made it her mission to provide care, neutering/spaying and food to many of the local pack.
Fishing boats down the street from Aleenta.We ended up staying a few days at the resort and a few with Jason and Katie in their home. They have a great place and two adorable puppies of their own. They've become surrogate parents for many of the local pups and cats who are in need of care. We loved their place and were grateful for them putting us up and being so welcoming.
When it was time to go we were sad to have to leave Hua Hin. As I said, it was a great way to end our time in Thailand and really great to spend it with friends. But, we were off and Katie took us back to get our bus so we could head back to Bangkok and on to Bali.
Saying goodbye to Katie and jumping on the bus to Bangkok.If you know anyone who is heading to Thailand and wants to treat themselves to a real luxury experience, they should definitely check out Aleenta. There are only 21 rooms and they'll not be disappointed as all of the rooms are ocean front and amazing.
Check out their site: http://www.aleenta.com/pranburi/index.html
So, next stop...Bali!
More soon...
Love,
Max & Maggie
1 comment:
isn't thailand great! just reading your post made me miss it dearly. the food, the beaches, the friendly people, the stray dogs, the cheap massages, the weird temple caves. what an enchanted land!
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