When I got back to the FCC last night, my Barbie tuk tuk driver was still hanging about outside looking for a fare. So I decide to book his tuk tuk rather than a taxi for my airport journey. All was arranged, but I noticed an older driver having a stern word with him afterwards. I thought no more of it until 7 am this morning when the driver was waiting for me without his Barbie machine. He told me apologetically that his own tuk tuk had “broken down” last night, so his “friend” would drive me instead. But said “friend” was the older guy who appeared to be having a bit of a go at him last night. I wasn’t convinced, but too early to argue the toss and needing to get to the airport I agreed, but felt that the older guy had “pinched” my custom. So I was pleased when after about 5 minutes, we got a flat tyre. We were near a puncture repair stall (they are everywhere so I assume it happens frequently), and it cost him $3 for the repair – the whole fare was only $6, so I guess he made a loss on the trip. It serves him right – Karma in action! On to Koh Samui with Bangkok Air. A great airline, with lounges, and every flight you get food – the first flight of today from Phnom Penh to Bangkok was 55mins, and they served a delicious hot pork dish with wine, the lot! The second flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui was only 40 mins, but they still managed a lovely salad but unfortunately no wine! But as a brand, they are a bit confusing. The first flight was a Bangkok Airways flight, code shared with Siem Reap Air, and the plane was liveried “eidelweiss” – it looked like it could have been Austrian or Swiss, the pilots sounded like it and the lifejacket instructions on the back of the seats looked Germanic but wasn’t German if you know what I mean! The cabin crew were wearing Bangkok Airways uniforms, but Julie Andrews singing the rest of “The Sound of Music” wasn’t amongst them. Very odd. And then the flight to here was a Bangkok Airways, no codeshare, but in a Siem Reap Air plane. All very confusing. But arrived here on time to a great little airport – a series of huts, beautifully landscaped. The journey from the plane to the terminal is in little colourful roadtrains – great fun and very different from the huge new airport in Bangkok I had just left. Arrived at the hotel – the Lamai Wanta on Lamai beach. It seems a great find – simple, clean minimalist rooms in a few acres of grounds, with free wifi across the whole hotel. The beachfront area isn’t huge but it has a lovely infinity edge pool. The restaurant looks (and tastes, I ate there tonight) very stylish, and would not be out of place in a city design hotel. All for £22 a night – thanks Tripadvisor, I wouldn’t have found it otherwise.
