A traveller's reflection: Koh Samui Wet Trip: 05 Hatyai

My Travel Journal

"There isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road and through it all there'd always be tomorrow's episode" - Elton John

I started traveling around the world since early 80s when I had the opportunity to combine business trips with vacations. Then later when my rezeki is in abundance, there were numerous other trips along the way for vacations, most of the time with hubby and the kids when the timing is right. I have also started to compile the journal and photo-pages covering almost more than 45 years of world wide travel. Some destinations I visited just once, others many times. Many of those places are the obvious famous places people would like to visit but some, the casual traveler doesn't even think to try. I have placed links to my travel at the side bar of my personal page, My Life Reflections, and will be updating them from time to time.

My wish is to continue my travel and complete circumnavigate the globe, insyaAllah…

Thursday 28 September 2023

Koh Samui Wet Trip: 05 Hatyai

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing...” - Albert Einstein

(Koh Samui beautiful beach)

Day 05: Thursday, 28 September 2023

Route: Koh Samui - Donsak - Hat Yai

Distance: 314 km

Hotel: China Garden Hotel, Hatyai

We had buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant.

(A heavy breakfast before a long-haul journey)

(Ready to check-out)

Checked out and drove towards Raja Ferry Terminal taking another route different from the way we came. Our tickets were already pre-booked for the 11.00 am ferry. We arrived early just in time to board the ferry. The ferry was punctual on the dot.

(Taking another route to the pier)

(Arrived at the pier just in time)

(Waiting area and the restaurant)

(Time for embarkation)

(The ferry was quite empty)

Arrived at Donsak terminal almost at 1.00 pm. We drove to Restoran Ameena Halal Food in Donsak for lunch. It was a very hot humid afternoon. We were sweating profusely while having our meal.

(Ready for disembarkation)

(Driving out of Donsak Raja Ferry Terminal)

(A good lunch at Ameena Halal Food)

Drove towards Nakhon Si Thammarat to look for a mosque to perform our solat as we may reach Hatyai late in the evening. Stopped for prayers at Masjid Nurul Syuhud, a small mosque along the Nakhon Si Thammarat bypass road.

(The mosque signage hidden behind the bushes)

(An airy small mosque)

We made a few stops for refuelling and comfort breaks along the way before we reached Hatyai around 7.30 pm. It was a long Maulidur Rasul weekend break and most popular hotels were fully booked. We managed to book online the China Garden Hotel for a night. We were lucky we booked earlier as there were busloads of Malaysian tourists staying here too.

(A short distance to Lee Gardens Night Market)

After we checked in, we took a tuk-tuk to Asean Night Market. Initially we planned to have dinner at the food court but there was a large crowd of tourists at the night market. Even the food court was extremely overcrowded. There were long queue at the food stalls and there were no sitting place available. Bought a few t-shirts and took a tuk-tuk back to Lee Gardens Night Market.

(A brief visit to the night bazaar)

Malaysian crowds were everywhere. Even leisure walking was made difficult. I am not an enochlophobia but crowds give me anxiety. To avoid the crowd we decided to look for dinner elsewhere. We were lucky that Restoran Maliam, located very near our hotel was still opened. We had light dinner of roti telur and roti pisang.