‘Same Same’ of Koh Phangan resonates with laughter, good food, wine and fantastic hospitality! Kærlighed Same Same! Elsie Gabriel

‘Same Same’ of Koh Phangan resonates with laughter, good food, wine and fantastic hospitality!

Life is a party at Same Same! Kærlighed Same Same!

Spending time with gorgeous Scandinavians Heidi and Christina on a remote island of Koh Phangan in Thailand not only showed me what life is all about, not just sheer fun in the sun but baby-Hard work!!

Only hard work pays off! And by God these two girls are hard working and innovative restaurateurs who can show holiday makers how to live it up. Young Entrepreneurs who can show you how to run your business alright. Fun, relaxation ,gourmet delights, music and good rounds of Pool games, plenty of laughter and dancing to the beats all day long is what their restaurant ‘Same Same ‘offered me. I was impressed.

Heidi and Christina both came to Thailand about nine to ten years ago and simply stayed on to own and run SAME SAME successfully. They both left home to start this business in a new far east place which they now call home. It was challenging they say but passion and drive is what has brought them so far, on top of the charts on the hotels list on Koh Phangan for sure.

This action packed place is a landmark of sorts in Koh Phangan. They offer Steaks, Swedish Meatballs, Danish Food, Stone oven baked Pizzas, Homemade Lasagne and the best hangover Burgers in town Mexican food and off course the best Thai dishes. If there is a special dish you miss from your home country they will do their best to make it for you.

I simply submerged myself into a huge ‘stone over baked pizza’ which compared to none I have ever eaten in California or London or France……The bar is very lively and the staff always helpful, courteous and vibrant.

The girls laid out the most extravagant dinner buffet while we were there and of course had a ‘pool’ match competition countdown to dinner.

 Big warm up parties on Full Moon nights with buffet, live music and dancing on the tables, is what you will get. My very first experience of the Full Moon parties on the different beaches and it was great. The Full Moon Buffet is their legendary offering.

 It is a perfect place to start the night, specially if you are going beach hopping. These girls have my salute. It simply pays off to work hard and honestly, towards making people enjoy good food and music.

Heidi and Christina have my vote and friendship for life! Cheers girls! I miss Same same!Lessons learned from you guys makes traveling all the more worth it.

We will return soon. Of course my little son and hubby enjoyed those rounds of pool games, made fabulous memories out of each and every night which displayed a theme night. Way to go girls. Kærlighed Same Same!

Celebrate World Environment day every day.How to plant a Tree.

Celebrate World Environment day every day.

Elsie Gabriel.

Planting a ‘Tree’ is more an art than a science. Passion for greenery is all you need to get down and dirty. To feel for ‘Mata Dharti’ or Mother Earth is the best way to connect with planet earth. To feel the ‘mitti’ , ‘matti’ or mud/soil in your hands is the only way you can reason why we need to sustain planet earth and keep growing more trees. The earth is healing and the earth brings you down to earth, a humbling experience that no amount of money in the world can buy!

You do not have to be a green professional to learn the art of planting trees. However, you could increase your knowledge in planting trees by participating in a tree plantation drive. Every year June 5^th celebrated as World Environment day, which heralds the onset of tree plantation events all across the world. In India it is a special season as it heralds the monsoon season which is the best time to plant trees.

It is your call to help contribute to the eco system or the new age ‘go green’ phenomenon. Of course many people plant trees every day, farmers, gardeners and green enthusiasts but it is up to us to teach the new generation children and young adults to cultivate a keen interest in planting a sapling or tree and nurturing it to great heights.

First choose a site. Measure your land. Keep distance between each tree or shrub or sapling according to the tree type. Check, is it a going to a vegetable patch, rose bush garden or a huge mangoe tree or a gigantic banyan tree? You will be able to gauge how deep and big the roots will grow into the soil. Accordingly space out the plantations and create the pits to imbed your plant into.

You should always avoid using of underground utilities when planting your trees. Do not plant trees too close to pipe networks or hard rock structures. Ensure the land is soft and has good clay and is healthy and fertile.

Firstly, it is optimal if you choose a tree which is grown to nursery standards for it to be planted, so that you could envision the circumference that the tree would need when its branches grow full size.

Dig up the soil about the size of ‘Width and Height’ one feet by one feet if you are going to pant a tree. If you have vegetable seeds or flowers plants space them an inch or two apart. If it a hedge you are looking at, keep them closely knit.  Supplement the soil with manure and fertile soil. Mix the two ingredients well.Clean the soil in the pit of any plastic materials or weeds. Place seeds about two inches or so under the ground and use the instructions on the seed packets or plant sapling carefully. You can also take the advice of a experienced gardener.

It is necessary that you blend in the soil properly before planting of the tree. You have to set the root ball aligning it with the ground level, and may use some water for enabling the soil to settle down. Open and remove from polybag. Hold the root ball firmly not letting the soil around it to disperse as yet. Place the plant into the pit gently. If it reaches one-third the height of the pit and then enter the remaining area with good soil and cover the root parts well.
You must refrain from packing down the soil too hard and tight, which if done could suffocate the whole settings of planting a tree. After this is properly done, only then can you ensure that the tree will not fall down and that it can easily stand the wind and rain.

Create an outer ring around the rim of the pit, this will help keep the water in. And also create an inner rim inside close to the plant roots.Water the new plant well but do not flood the root area.

Supervise the trees and nurture it like your off springs.

Use organic fertilizers as much as you can. Seasonally check for any insects or fungus on the leaves. 

Take time to smell the flowers, see the butterflies and insects which visit your trees.Harvest your crops with gratitude and enjoy your tree.

Keep an eye on your trees. They will keep an eye on you for life.

Explore the Caves Khao Khanap Nam,Krabi, Thailand. Elsie Gabriel

Explore the Caves Khao Khanap Nam,Krabi, Thailand.
Kayak Trip to Khao Khanap Nam,Krabi,Thailand.

Elsie Gabriel

Drifting in the beautiful lagoon, exploring the spectacular rivers, inlets and limestone caves on your own personal kayak, is how one can best enjoy Krabi, in Thailand. As one of the first settlements in southern Thailand, Krabi offers numerous cave destinations which are rich in archeological treasures, artifacts and cave drawings.

Thailand is not all about the sunshine, massages, night life, beach swims and food, it is deeply embedded in history to say the least, and do not forget to unearth that aspect of it.

Krabi is a southern province on Thailand's Andaman seaboard with perhaps the country's oldest history of continued settlement. Krabi has many cliffs and caves where ancient colour paintings, stone tools, beads, pottery and skeletal remains have been found. The mountainous geography, broken by highlands and plains on the mainland, and 130 big and small islands in the Andaman Sea make Krabi a perfect place for recreation.

We were privileged to stay at the Maritime Park and Spa Resort which features over 25 acres of tropical gardens, and is located approximately two miles from Krabi Town, and ten miles from Krabi International Airport. The hotel has a jungle pathway which leads out into the natural river waters and exotic mangroves leading to the spiritual caves.

As you emerge out into clearer waters, you are over whelmed by natures bounty.

The tail boat takes us lowly to the mystic Khao Khanap Nam caves surrounded by a couple of raged hills. Stretching  out of the natural waters is the Khao Khanap Nam rocky structures, where there are several magnificent caves with impressive clusters of stalactites and stalagmites. A number are said to be the home of spirits and are steeped in local forklore, containing images and items of spiritual worship. One climbs a staircase to see caves with endless stalactites and stalagmites. It is quite dark inside with little rays of light seeping in.Finally, make your way through the cave's numerous grottoes until you arrive at a viewpoint overlooking the mangrove forest and sprawling ocean. It's quite a sight to behold. Almost ethereal. Step into the cave's cavernous mouth to marvel at the ancient paintings and pictoglyphs found inside. Wander through the numerous stalagmites and beneath the beautiful stalactites to study the paintings and understand a piece of Thailand’s rich cultural past.

Of course my lessons in Spiritual ecology came reeling in, rushing in to help me to reawaken my self with the mystery of the existence of the ‘Earth’. I almost froze soaking in the awakening. There is nothing greater than Gods creation, nothing compares to this. When I headed down from the stairs I saw numerous skulls and skeletons all elaborately laid out on the sandy beaches below. The guide explained how ‘ancestors’ were worshipped and honored and then the skulls explained their ornamental value, sacred and surrounded by flowers and twigs. Deep.

 The only other way tourists can get there is by boat from the Chao Fah Bridge in Krabi. The two iconic magnificent hills, roughly 100 meters high, flank the Krabi River running between them to form a picturesque post card. Kilometers of pristine Mangrove forest, home to an astonishing variety of birds are spotted which have drawn birdwatchers from all over the world. While cruising in a longtail boat or a sea canoe, keep your eyes open for species such as Gurney’s Pittas, Brown-winged Kingfishers, Flame backs, Pacific Reef Eagles and Dollarbirds.

It takes 15 minutes to reach Khao Khanap Nam’s twin peaks by ‘long tail boat’ from Chao Fa Pier.A boat can be rented at 300 baht per trip to visit Khao Khanap Nam, mangrove forests and Koh Klang fishery village.

You will enter the small canals of the mangrove forest and see different types of mangrove trees as well as local wildlife, including monkeys, birds, and fish.

Thailand only has a few areas that have been recognized as wetlands of the world and the mangrove forest of Krabi Province, stretching from the city to Koh Si Boya, is ranked in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. The protected area also covers 12 square kilometers of up to 2-kilometer wide tidal mudflats.
So far the best wetlands that I have visited around the world!