Preparations but not too much

  Thailand: Islands - February 2009

Are you the type to plan everything before a departure, or to improvise as and when the trip? I am rather in the second category. In a week, I will be in Thailand. I did not stall or book much, except the essential: air tickets, room in Bangkok to avoid the galley when I arrived in the evening, cruise-diving in the Similan.

The rest ... we'll see! ????

Search information on the internet

My only preparations these days have been browsing the web, looking for fresh news and impressions of travelers, on various places that interest me: Koh Yao Noi in the bay of Phang Nga, the beaches a little away from the tourist flow in the south of Phuket (Ao Sane, Nai Harn, Ya Nui, but shh!) And a whole string of islands along the Andaman coast, as far as the Malaysian border (Koh Jum, Koh Muk, Koh Libong, Koh Bulon, Koh Lipe).

I will not be staying in Krabi or Koh Phi Phi or Koh Lanta, where I have been hanging my flip flops a few times. I do not know yet if I will go very far to the south. My initial project was to target Koh Lipe ... But I may change my mind along the way.

For island-to-island connections in the Andaman Sea (ferries and speedboats), I found several interesting sites. It gives you an idea of existing routes and fares:
»Andaman Island Hopping
»Tiger Line Travel
»Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club
Koh Lipe Thailand
»Koh Yao Travel

Diving gear

My most serious preparations were to invest, finally, in a thicker dive suit (there were specials on the 5mm to RenSports!). It will replace my advantage 3mm (left on the picture), although the water is hot right now in Thailand (it must easily oscillate between 27-30 ° C).

So I should not go out blue and chattering like this summer in Bali, on the side of Nusa Lembongan.

I also put some money in a new dive computer: the Pucks de Mares. A simple computer, one of the cheapest on the market, but doing very well his job, according to the opinions unearthed on the web. In any case, this model is more than enough for the "leisure" diver that I am.

The Puck is more complete than my old Aladin Pro (Uwatec), since it can handle the air AND the nitrox (well yes ... I had it that well, since there is the free nitrox on the boat that I I chose for the Similan cruise). It gives the temperature and you can change the battery yourself, which is not the case of the Aladdin.

UPDATE → In 2015, I changed dive suit again and in October 2016, I unfortunately "left" at the bottom of the Red Sea, my faithful little Puck, who was still working very well ... So I changed again computer! To see all the elements of my diving equipment, visit the page Equipment.

Travel Guides

I took advantage of these "preparations" to gather all the travel guides on Thailand that I have kept over the years. I found seven, and I do not count the two chapters of the last Lonely Planet, downloaded from Pick & Mix Chapters.

I see that in 2004 I was still embarking hitchhiker…

And that's when I realized that I did not even have a map of Thailand ... a shame. Zou! Direction Ariane, the travel bookstoreto find one. The card is on the wall and makes me travel already!

Finally, final and very serious preparations: I redid swimsuits. Essential ! ! ! I admit: I gave myself three at once. As I am always in the water, I like to change.

Now I think I'm all set! 😀

In short, the pleasure of projecting myself into the coming journey is, in my eyes, more important than planning a roadmap ... If you read English, go take a look at How to plan a trip without making any plans, on Vagabondish. I find myself well in this article.

????

  Thailand: Islands - February 2009