From Ubud to Gili Air

To get to from Ubud to Gili Air you can buy a ticket almost at each travel agency around Ubud. However, the prices vary a lot and unfortunately we bought ours at Praety Home stay to save some stress for 450k IDR (ca. 30€) however we talked with others who paid only 300k IDR because they checked out several travel agencies. You have also the possibility to take a slow ferry for 100k IDR or 150k IDR, however, they take a lot of time around 8h and are apparently a bit unsafe.
First you are brought to the harbor from where you take the ferry which first drives to Gili Trawangan then to Gili Air and afterwards to Gili Meno.

Activities in Ubud, Bali

The activities on Bali and/or around Ubud are more or less endless. Depending on what your interests are you can find the most delicious restaurants, amazing scenery or action-packed trips.
First of all, you need a motor bike to be mobile and explore the island independently. Most roads are in good condition so that driving should not pose any problems. However, pay attention that wearing a helmet and having an international driving license with you at all times is compulsory, otherwise you can get a fine. Furthermore, although Bali is quiet safe I recommend to put your valuables like a camera either in a bag or in the helmet compartment during the ride.
You have already several activities in Ubud, which shouldn't be missed:

Monkey Forest 
As the name implies Monkey Forest consists of a huge area where you can find hundreds of monkeys just strolling and sitting around, which aren't afraid of human contact. However, be aware that the monkeys will try to steal all kind of food or water you are carrying around. Furthermore, you can feed the monkeys with either the roots which are lying around or the food you can purchase at the entrance.
Being that close to the monkeys and being able to observe is really a lot of fun.

Rice Field Walk 
The Rice Field Walk in Ubud is magnificent in its scenery. It is a little bit outside of bit aroudn 20min walk or 10min drive. Just drive to the west and turn to the right (north) after the Tourist Office into a small alley, then follow it to the end over a hill and you will arrive at a viewpoint from where you can choose between a short (30min) or a long walk (1h) through the rice fields. Furthermore, you can visit the Sari Organic farm to get a refreshment on the way.

Payung rafting
The next activity in which we participated was the Payung rafting for 300IDR (ca. 20€). You have several different providers of the rafting and depending on the price you start on different spots along the river. However, I suggest to book the one around 300k IDR. Although, the rafting itself is not the special or exciting the scenery is just gorgeous. The guides try to make the best out of the river and you make several stops where you can relax and enjoy the landscape even more. In the end you have the possibility to have a shower to wash of the smell of the river and an all you can eat lunch which is quiet good. 

Kintamani volcano tour 
The Kentanami volcano tour was the last tour we started from Ubud. We booked it again at our Praety Home stay for 150k IDR (ca. 10€) and it includes 7 stops/ temples (entrance fees not included). The usual entrance fees are around 15k IDR except for the temple in Kintanami which costs 35k IDR. Usually, a Sarong will be given to you at each temple, however, if you can bring your own with you.
The first stop is the Goa Gajah temple (Elephant Cave temple). Where you can visit a deep cave with a beautiful stone carved entrance.

Afterwards, we visited the Gunung Kawi (Rocky Temple). There you can visit huge royal tombs which are carved into a stone wall, which are really astonishing to look at.

The third stop was Tampaksiring (The Holy Spring Temple) which was one of the highlights of that trip. The temple is quiet big with a hot spring and two other different pools allowing visitors to "cleanse themselves" from their sins. So if you would like to do that bring some spare clothes, change rooms are provided. 

Additionally, we visited Temen a Coffee Garden & Spice Garden, where you are shown how various spices grow. Furthermore, you can taste the famous Luwak Coffee and other tastes like ginger etc. 

Afterwards, we drove to Penelokan to view the Mount Batur. This is basically a stop at the viewpoint at the Mount Batur with additionally the possibility to have some (all you can eat) lunch at the restaurant next to it. Lunch costs aound 180k IDR so a bit expensive, however it is quiet tasty and worth it if you are hungry.

The last temple was located at Kintamani and is called Ulundanu Batur temple. At this temple don't purchase any Sarongs no matter what how strong the sellers press you. Furthermore, you should be able to rent a Sarong for free in case you didn't bring your own. The temple itself has a nice architecture however it is not as interesting as the previous ones.

The last stop was the Rice terrace in Tegallalang where you had to pay 5k entrance fee. Although, there are a lot of tourists it is quiet beautiful to look upon. If you have the possibility to drive there on your own you will have the opportunity to walk in the rice fields and not just look at them from the viewpoint.

Overall this trip was a really amazing and worth the costs although it should be possible to drive the route by moped and saving the 150k IDR.

Praety Home stay - Ubud, Bali

As always, we didn't want to spend that much money, and Ubud provides various option regarding accommodations. We concentrated our research on Tripadvisor.com and decided to go with Praety Home Stay, which was the right choice in every aspect. Located in the Jalan Sukma it is a little bit outside of the center of Ubud with all its restaurants and bars. Nonetheless, everything is easily reachable on foot (ca 15min) or by motorbike. 
We booked our room through Agoda.com and paid 200k IDR (ca. 13€) per night. Praety (the owner) is a lovely host and provides the best breakfast we ever had during our travels. Each day you can choose from 8 or so dishes which are prepared and brought to your room when it suits you. 

Our room was located at the first floor and was huge with its own  terrace where you could relax undisturbed whenever you wanted. The room had two beds one double and single bed with one fan, mosquito net and closet. The bathroom had a bathtub but because we only had cold water (like cold cold) it wasn't usable. Wi-Fi was also available everywhere with a really fast and reliable connection.

One negative aspect was the every morning at 6.30am the rooster began to make some noise but since it was already mentioned on Tripadvisor.com we expected it so although it was annoying it is part of the experience. 

Furthermore, it it possible to book trips and a moped through Praety. We booked a moped for 50k IDR per day (ca. 3€) and were surprised by the good condition it was in.
If you want to book your transit to your next destination you should first scan through the local Travel agencies. To save some stress and time we decided to book ours to Gili Air for 450k IDR at Praety but apparently you can get the same trip for 300k IDR on the street. 

Overall, we had an amazing stay at Praety Home stay and despite the roosters we would definitely be back, due to the location, the comfortable accommodation and the loveliness of Praety and her family.

Terrace

Ground room

Double bed

Single bed

Bathroom

Terrace

Garden

Impressions Bali - Indonesia

Impressions Malang & Bromo volcano Tour - Indonesia

From Malang to Ubud, Bali

The cheapest option for us to go from Malang to Ubud was by bus. The bus company we used is called Gunung Harta and is located at the Patimu street 45 in Malang.
Our bus left at 4.30 pm and we paid 175k IDR (ca. 11€). First the bus drives to Ubung near Denpasar (you don't have to leave the bus for the ferry)from where you have to take the Bemo to get to Ubud. Like always don't get fooled by the ridiculous prices suggested by the taxi drivers etc. We paid 50k IDR (ca. 4€) to get to Ubud.

The bus itself was spacious and comfortable with enough leg room to stretch yourself and take a nap. Water, a blanket and some snacks were provided as well, however, the dinner stop is not worth mentioning so you should brink some food for the trip.

Activities in Malang

Malang is mostly used as a junction for trips to the Bromo volcano (as for us) and is even smaller than Solo.

However, it has some activities which are worth checking out. First you should visit the bird market which offers a variety of birds and other animals, but if you can't look at animals in small cages this isn't anything for you. Afterwards you can visit the shopping mall or the Moshe which is also quiet beautiful.

Bromo 
The trips to the Bromo are the main attraction in Malang and can be booked at various locations. The price range is between 550k IDR and 650k IDR and takes around 12h. We booked our tour for 550k IDR at the Solo tourist office, which had the cheapest price.
The trip started with the pick up at 1am and a several hours drive to the viewpoint for the sunrise. From the parking area you have still to walk a short distance until you reach the point. On our way up we saw a lot of small snack bars which provide tea, coffee and Noodle soup for the hundreds of tourists who are visiting the spot at the same time. During that walk we already noticed that almost all visitors were wearing hats, gloves and anoraks. We knew that it might get cold but not that cold. During the sunrise we could see our breath and despite my four layers of T-Shirts I was seriously freezing and standing in a crowd of hundred other tourists didn't help. But in the end the view was astonishing and we could enjoy this unforgettable moment to fullest.
The next stop was the Bromo crater itself. We arrived at the bottom of the volcano and afterwards had to walk for ca. 10min to the stairs which lead to the top. The climb has its difficulties due to the ash and the stink of the horses which carry the lazy tourists to the stairs. In the end we didn't use the stairs after all because they was a huge queue to get up. Instead, we climbed next to it which wasn't that easy and our shoes were completely ruined. But it took us only a fraction of the time compared to climbing the stairs. From the top it was possible to look into the crater and have an incredible view over the valley around the volcano.

Afterwards we made a quick stop at the sand sea which is located in the valley to make some quick pictures in the vastness of the sand and afterwards continued to the savanna which has a completely different landscape compared the valley and the immediate surroundings, although it is more or less located just around the corner of the volcano.

The last stop of our trip consisted of a visit at a huge waterfall, which was located along the way back to our hotel. At the waterfall it is necessary to pay another entrance fee of ca. 30k IDR. Afterwards, you have to walk a small path for around 15min until you reach the actual waterfall which is quiet beautiful and huuge, the biggest one we ever saw. 

Overall, the trip was amazing and although quiet exhausting because we really were on the move from 1 am.

Splendid Inn - Malang, Indonesia

Because we planned to stay in Malang for only 2 nights we were concentrating to find something cheap. Because Splendid Inn was recommended in our travel guide and on Tripadvisor.com we decided to just go with it for 13€ through Agoda.com.
Splendid Inn is perfectly located at the main round-about and is central to everything.
The room as the bathroom where big and clean, but unfortunately we had twin beds so we had to push together which in the end was a bit uncomfortable. However, we were happy to have air con and hot water, but if you wanted wanted to take shower it was necessary to tell the reception to switch on the heater, which was a bit annoying.
The staff was really polite and attentive and even suggested to replace our breakfast with sandwich packages due to our Bromo trip, which was a really nice gesture.

Wi-Fi was also provided but only worked in the reception area.
Overall it was a great accommodation for Malang due to its location and its price.

Two Single beds

Bed pushed together

Closet & TV

 

Bathtub

Toilet

From Solo to Malang

The next stop on our itinerary was Malang. The are several ways to get to Malang and we considered bus or train. Since the trip is quiet long we decided to travel during the night with the hope to get some sleep. Because the trains were quite expensive around 200k IDR we decided to use the bus. The buses leave from the Gilingan bus station in the north at 11am, 3pm, 9pm, 10pm for 90k IDR (ca. 6€) and take 8h to get to Malang.
The bus had A/C, a toilet and is more or less comfortable. Unfortunately, we were seated way in the back because everything else was already booked and our bus driver was apparently a former Formel 1 driver.

The trip was an adventure in itself: staying in your seat was a challenge and if you went to the toilet you risked yoour life. So the bus driver was racing all the way and we actually managed to arrive earlier than expected.  Our stop was at the Arjosari terminal, which is a bit outside the city so we still had to get to our hotel. As always we didn't listen to the taxi drivers waiting at the terminal but just walked along the main road and got a Bemo (small blue local buses) for 3k IDR per person (plus 3k for luggage) instead the several hundreds proposed by the waiting drivers.

Impressions Solo - Indonesia

Activities in Solo - Indonesia

Compared to Jogja Solo is tiny and doesn't offer that many activities. Walking around the city you will discover a shopping mall with a huge food court at the top level.
Furthermore, you have a night market (which is really nothing special). Nonetheless, the restaurants are cheap and you will be able to try the delicious dessert called "Srapi" which is sold on the street. It is some kind of a pancake with sweet rice and either jackfruit, banana or chocolate as a topping (costs 1500 IDR). Two other activities for which Solo is worth a visit are:

Danar Hari Batik Museum
Founded by Danar Hari the Batik brand stands for high quality and can be found throughout Indonesia. The museum shows a private collection of Danar Hari of various Batik pieces and explains the history and the production process of Batik. The entrance fee is 25k IDR including a guide who will explain everything. Fortunately, for us we had an amazing guide who was able to answer all our questions and took his time to show us even the factory. So if you find yourself in Solo this is one of the must see.

Trip to temple
Another must see in Solo is the trip to the two temples nearby with an additional visit of the tea plantation to watch the sunset. The trip can book at the tourist office for 200k IDR (ca. 13€) per person, entrance fees not included (twice 10k per person) . The trip starts at 12am and although the temples are smaller than the usual ones their location and design stands out. They don't look like the usual Indonesien temples and are located at an height of 900m (Sukhu temple) and 1500m (Candi Cetho) , so the way and the views take your breath away. Especially the view at the tea plantation is just stunning and is already completely worth the trip.

Tune Hotel Solo - Solo, Indonesia

After the positive experience of the Tune Hotel in Jakarta we decided to give the Tune chain another try. For 10€ per night we just couldn't resist and booked a room through Agoda.com at Solo.
The Hotel itself is situated more or less in the center of Solo. Not far away from the tourist office and the Danar Hari Batik Museum. Furthermore, you can find a supermarket in same building just around the corner.
As always the room was clean, with A/C, a TV and a good Wifi connection. The bed was big and the shower working properly.

From Yogyakarta to Solo

Our next stop after Yogyakarta was Solo. Fortunately Solo is only an 1.5h train ride away from Jogja and the tickets only cost 10k (ca. 70cent). They can be bought without the passport at the usual ticket counter at the train station.

The ride was comfortable and if you are able try to reserve some seats on the right hand side then you will have an amazing view throughout the ride.

Impressions Yogyakarta - Indonesia

Activities in Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta offers many interesting activities.
First of all there are several beautiful temple located around Jogja (local name), as well as the area of the sultans palace called Kraton.

One of those temples is the Taman Sari also called Water palace. As the name implies this spot is a palace with several beautiful pools, which were used to refresh the inhabitants in the past, but not any more. Nonetheless, the charm of this palace is still present and due to the turquoise color of the water is very beautiful to look upon.
The palace is open from 8.30 until 4pm, and before entering it is necessary to pay an entrance fee of 7500 IDR (ca 50cent)which is totally worth it.

Ramayana - Ballett

One of the activities not to be missed is the Ramayana Ballett which is performed in front of the Prambanan temple and gives a stunning view. The. ballet itself has its lengths but is very nice to look upon and view an famous Indonesien story.
The presentation is usually around 2hours and happens on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7.30. From November until April at the indoor stage and from Mai until October open air.
Ticket prices start at 75k IDR and go until ca 400k IDR for VIP. Additionally it is necessary to buy the permission to take pictures for 5k IDR. Furthermore, a summary of of the story is provided in various languages, which is necessary, because without it you will be clueless.

Sunrise, Borobudur  & Prambanan Temple 

One trip we participated in is called something like Sunrise trip (costs 160k IDR per person ca. 11€)but the entrance fee is not included. This trip consists of three main stops. First you are picked up at 1am and you drive several hours to a viewpoint where you can watch a stunning sunrise (entrance 60k IDR, ca. 4€). Afterwards, you are visiting the Borobudur  (entrance fee 190k IDR- ca. 13€, students 95k IDR - ca.6€) and the Parabanan temple (entrance fee 170k IDR - ca. 12€, student 85k IDR - ca. 6€).
We didn't expect that the entrance fees will be that hogh but nonetheless it is totally worth it.

The Borobudur is generally a huge stupa with three levels which symbolize the being on earth. The first level Khamadhatu means the usual every day life on earth, the second level Rupadhatu means our spiritual life and the last level called Arupadhatu is Nirvana so the complete disengagement of the world.
If you want to learn something about the history and the various stories/ scenes of Buddhas life, which are carved into the Borobudur, it is advisable to get a guide for 50k IDR per person.

The Prambanan consists of eight small temples and is the most important temple of the Hindus in Java. The biggest temple is dedicated to Shiva, the god of destruction, and each other temple serves another god. Walking around those ruins and to imagine the dedication and man power to build those temples is just amazing.

Pan Family Hotel - Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Due to different circumstances we didn't manage to book our preferred accommodation for Yogyakarta and had had therefore to choose Pan Family Hotel , which still had a lot of positive reviews on Tripadvisor.com. Nonetheless, I had second thoughts of it could live up to my expectations. This was of course completely unnecessary.

We booked Pan Family Hotel through Agoda.com and paid 14€ per night for a huge room with two big beds (didn't have a double bed free) which we pushed together, A/C, a TV, hot and cold water (bathtub) and a balcony. The The room was huge and clean with a great view on the garden.

Pan Family Guesthouse  itself is located a bit outside south of Yogyakarta city centre at the Jalan Taman Siswa which is quiet a busy road. Nonetheless, due to the big garden and its location of being in a small alley it is very quiet and relaxing,  as well as the staff who were very polite and eager to help in every regard.

The breakfast, which was included consisted of toast jam, tea, and coffee and additionally a warm meal like fried rice or noodles (very delicious) and fruits.

The only negative remark (despite the location) concerns the wifi reception in the room which is very slow or non existant, however stepping on the front terrace solves the problem so in the end it is not a big issue because the Wifi overall is fast.

To sum up Pan Family Hotel was a great accommodation for a cheap price.

TV

Entrance

Two Single beds

Bathroom

Bathroom

Wird bald folgen.

From Bandung to Yogyakarta

Going to Yogyakarta you have several possibilities we took the most convenient one, which was the train.
There are two trains departing in the morning at 7am (200k IDR for the first class ca. 13€) and 8am (205k IDR for). We used the one at 8am because we didn't want to wake up too early. The trip takes around 7hours so we arrived at 3pm.
However, pay attention if you want to travel on the weekend because most locals are using the trains. So you will have to expect a long waiting period. We waited for ca 1hour on Sunday but since most train stations in Indonesia have apparently Wifi you can use the time to plan your trip or just enjoy the luxury of free internet.

Tip: Buy the tickets on the day before your departure and try the Roti at the Roti Boy, it's delicious!

Wird bald folgen.

Activities in Bandung / Aktivitäten in Bandung

Bandung doesn't offer that many interesting activities or things to see. It is considered or famous mostly for its many Outlet stores / factory outlets where it is possible to buy all kinds of clothes for a small percentage of the usual price. Furthermore, you can start a trip to visit the Tangkuban Prahu, a volcano crater. But for us, due to our short stay, we didn't manage to do the tour.
Instead we just walked around the city and enjoyed the shopping malls and small restaurants.  So if you are planning to go to Bandung two days should be enough.

Wird bald folgen.

Cihampelas 2 Hotel - Bandung, Indonesia

Arriving in Bandung we thought it will be an ease to find a nice cheap room because there were several good ones mentioned in our travel guide.
Well, the result was that we saw overall 3 or 4 hotels all of them either too expensive or in a bad state. So in the end we had to find a restaurant with wifi and book the first cheap and average hotel online.
In that case it wasn't that bad.

Cihampelas 2 Hotel is located at the Cihampelas road in the north of Bandung. This road is quiet busy with various shopping (outlet stores) restaurant and a big shopping mall.
However, it is a bit outside the "city center" so be aware that you going to walk for around 40min to get to train station etc. Because we booked the hotel through Agoda.com we paid overall 30.64€ for 2 nights.
The room was of good size with an A/C, double bed, hot and cold water, TV and a more or less functioning Wifi reception ( which was better at the lobby) and breakfast included.
The breakfast consisted of toast, jam, coffee, tea and some fried rice and noodles, so overall OK for the price.

To sum up Cihampelas 2 Hotel was nothing special but for us the cheapest and most convenient option.

Bathroom

From Jakarta to Bandung / Von Jakarta nach Bandung

To get from Jakarta to Bandung it is necessary to get to the Gambir train station. Because we didn't want to walk we took a taxi for 25k IDR (ca. 1,70€),pay attention that sometimes you have to pay additional 3k IDR parking fee. You can purchase a ticket at the yellow ticket counter (first class 90k IDR, second class 65k IDR). We got the second class and it was fine. The seats are more or less comfortable and the train has air con. It took us ca 3.5h to get to Bandung (train left at 1.15pm arrived at 4.30pm).

Tune Hotel Pasar Baru - Jakarta, Indonesia

Because we only wanted to stay in Jakarta overnight we decided to try out the Tune Hotel Pasar Baru for 19€ per night (we booked through Agoda.com). The Tune Hotels are a hotel chain throughout Indonesia. Their strategy is to provide cheap rooms but with the necessity to purchase all kinds of add ons: you want a towel you have to pay extra, air con = extra, wifi = extra. However, through Agoda.com that is not necessary and everything is included for quiet a cheap price.

Our room was a bit small, but clean, with hot water, A/C, a comfortable (big) bed and a great Wifi reception. So no complaints at all.

Double bed

Shower

Bathroom

Jakarta, Indonesia

So we finally arrived in Indonesia. At some point it is similar to Thailand and at some point completely different.

First difference, is of course: language. Fortunately, the use the latin alphabet so you can read what is written, unfortunately you won't understand anything and very often not find any kind of translation 

So start learning some basic words like numbers and useful phrases.
Second, you have the curreny: Indonesian rupiahs (IDR) ca. 15.000 IDR (fifteen thousand, I will
shorten it like this: 15k - k= Kilo = thousand)  are 1€. Yes exactly thousand so be prepared to walk
around with millions in your pocket ;). But pay attention if you want to withdraw cash from your bank account, there exist three different kinds of ATM. The ones which give out only 20k, 50k or 100k bills and nothing else. Additionally, the maximum amount you can withdraw are 3million ca. 200€ and each time you withdraw you have to pay a fee.

Well, arriving in Jakarta at 11pm with almost no idea how anything works in Indonesia is quiet interesting. So first we had to get to our hotel with the only possibility being a taxi. The cues were huge because there exist several taxi companies each with a different price / purpose. Each taxi has a color and each color has a meaning. The important thing to know is to try to use the Blue Bird Group (blue color) and that the taxi meter is used. Otherwise you should get from the airport into the city for 120.000 until 150.000 Indonesian Rupiahs.

From Phuket town to Phuket Airport / Von Phuket town zum Flughafen

To get to the Phuket airport you can take the airport bus from he main bus station. The most necessary information you will find by following this link.

However, a ticket can be purchased on the bus for 50baht (ca. 1.25€) so don't get fooled by resellers.

Activities in Phuket / Aktivitäten in Phuket

Apart going to the hospital, Phuket town offers various activities. Phuket itself has several nice beaches either to party (Patong) or relax (Naiharn).
Furthermore, Phuket town is very cheap and offers various markets and restaurants to buy food, accessories and anything your heart desires. Additionally, you have several shopping malls and the possibility to book trips to other islands like e.g. Koh Phi Phi. If you walk around the city center you will notice that Phuket town has its own charm and doesn't look like the usual Thai city. So just relax and explore the city by yourself, just then you will find some small special restaurants and places away from the mainstream.

Ds Corner and Guesthouse - Phuket town, Thailand

Due to the positive reviews on Tripadvisor.com and its cheap rate we decided to stay at Ds Corner and Guesthouse located at the Talang Road 132. This is one of the main roads in Phuket town providing a lot of shopping opportunities as well as good restaurants.
Because we booked through Agoda.com we paid 18.94€ for two nights do ca. 9,50€ per night.

The first impression of the room was great it was huge, clean, with a big bed, two fans, hot water and an average Wi-Fi reception. However, at the beginning of our first night we had a more thorough look: result were bed bugs and a leaking ceiling in the bathroom. So at 11pm our first priority was to get rid of the bed bugs, which took overall half an hour. After that we could sleep in peace and the following days were fine.

Impressions Koh Yao Noi - Thailand

Bangkok Hospital Phuket

Being the lucky person as I am I noticed that my back started to hurt which got really bad on the second day. After close examination I first thought it might be a parasite again because it was something under the skin and was longish, however we decided to go to the Bangkok Hospital Phuket since it was the best around.
Located at the north a bit outside of Phuket town it took us 30min by foot to get there. After the
registration and a quick look from a nurse it was clear that I had an abscess which had to be cut out. So after some more waiting I was lying on a table with 2 injections for the local anesthesia. After
another 20min (overall ca. 3h) everything was over and we were able to leave the hospital.

The price for this interesting excursion was 225.11€ (9151baht, ca. 5500baht for the treatment and the rest for medicine etc.)

From Koh Yao Noi to Phuket (town) / von Koh Yao Noi nach Phuket

To get from Koh Yao Noi to Phuket you first need to get a taxi to the Monah pier which should cost you around 100baht (ca. 2.50€).
From there on you take the ferry (longtail boat) to the Bangrong pier which will cost you 120baht (ca.3€). The boats leave on an hourly basis, and it takes 1h to arrive.
From the Bangrong pier you can take the bus to Phuket town for 40baht (ca.1€),so don't pay any attention to the taxi drivers who try to convince to get you there for 700baht (ca. 17.50€).

Activities on Koh Yao Noi - Aktivitäten auf Koh Yao Noi

As Koh Yao Noi is not that big the activities are again limited. First of all you have to rent out a moped(300baht automatic, 200baht manual) to move around, that's for sure.
Then you have several beaches located at the East Coast which you should experience as well two in the north. The beaches can be beautiful if the weather fits and the water was clear and the beaches clean. Nonetheless, most spots are really rocky so you can easily cut yourself. Pay attention that the roads to the north have a really bad condition sort of a dirt road, so be careful when driving around.

Furthermore, you have " the town " where you will find some fresh vegetables, fruits and some supermarkets. During our time most restaurants were closed but nonetheless we found a really great  one, with dishes for 40baht. Other activities can consist of snorkeling or canoeing to the various islands however it wasn't possible for us.

Namtok Bungalows - Koh Yao Noi, Thailand

During our research about Koh Yao Noi we noticed that most or almost all accommodations were above our budget. Furthermore, without having a moped upon arrival and not wanting to pay several 100 baht For a taxi we decided to check out a resort in the proximity of the pier: Namtok Bungalows.

By looking on the reviews on Tripadvisor.com and the homepage Namtok Bungalows made a good impression. But sometimes you should not tryst what the Internet says. On our arrival nobody was present at the resort except a backpacker who fortunately explained the situation of the resort and gave us the wifi password. Basically most of the time nobody was at the resort, and the bungalows in a bad condition however they were the cheapest ones he saw on the island. After two hours we were sick of waiting and decided to call the owner and she arrived 10min later. (as a side note we were there during low season perhaps it's better in high season.

Sometimes you are lucky we cheap accommodation sometimes. This time it was the worst thing we could've chosen. Having already stayed in Bamboo bungalows we are used to share the space with some insects and what not. But having rat shit everywhere as well as cockroaches, huge spider webs and spiders is the limit.

The room had a normal size bed with a moskito net, which doesn't help with the falling rat shit from the roof, a fan, a cold shower with a toilet and a small terrace with a hammock. The rate was 550baht but we reduced it to 450baht because we stayed for three nights.

Despite the fact that this was the worst accommodation ever there are also positive things:

• First the Wifi is fast and you might be lucky to have a reception in your bungalow.
• Second, the chill area with the hammocks is great. 
• Third, Namtok is a 10min walk away from the pier so you don't need a taxi to get to it and you can easily rent mopeds at the pier.

So overall if you don't mind living on rat shit and sharing your space with huge disgusting insects and want to save some cash this is it.

Double bed

Toilet

Shower

Rat shit

Some more rat shit