Really enjoying the beach... Today we braved the sea again on a longtail boat. It was supposed to be an organised trip but unlike the one we did at Ao Nang (more of that in a second), this time we had just one driver who spoke part English, part Thai and part sign; and an over-crowded boat. The people were pretty cool but the boat didn't take the route we'd been promised so we spent half the day trying to decipher where we actually were.
Anyway, it was all beautiful and we think we saw Maya Bay, the beach where they shot the film of the same name ('The Beach'). In fact, we staged a mutiny on the boat when the driver suggested that he wasn't actually going to let us get off the boat and forced him to go to shore (on the condition that we wouldn't get him in trouble and would pay the extra 20 baht fee to the rangers because Maya Bay is protected as a National Park). Cue: A good photo op and many happy punters pleased to feel dry land once again.
Another highlight was the snorkelling at Monkey Bay where I managed to keep the sea water out of my mouth, and concentrate of snapping pics of a few fish. Jody was on board giving me 'pirahna scares' by chucking bits of biscuits near me in the water so that right by my shoulder, there was a full-on feeding frenzy as a million and one fish scrambled for one bit of rusk! We also visited a place called Shark Point, but didn't see any sharks.
Ao Nang (Ao pronounced 'Ow' as in 'Ow, I've hurt myself'), our first beach destination which we left on Monday November 29, was a good intro to sandy shores but not the white sand/clear waters we're now spoilt with on Ko Phi Phi. Ao Nang is more of a package holiday destination. Our guesthouse there, Nong Eed House, was reasonably dire but when your budget is under 5 pounds a night, nowhere is great shakes. At least it was pretty secure and our washing came back nice and clean. But the staff were horrible, and it was right next to a bar which blared out Tom Jones, Guns'n'Roses and Bob Marley until 2am. Jody and I were literally shouting at each other across the room. Not good for an early night.
The four islands trip by longtail boat from Ao Nang was just amazing. The staff were professional and clearly explained each stop to us. We got to see the tiny islands with white sand beaches and sand banks. All the islands in this region are made up of beach, jungle and these huge limestone cliffs that fall into the sea (where there's no beach). Really never seen anything like it.
Think we've decided now to stick it here (not that it's all hard work) until Monday. All this swimming and sunbathing really takes it out of you so we need to conserve some energy for next week. Finally, I've decided not to take a diving course this time. Just not enough time to devote four days to, and not enough enthusiasm/passion on my part. Just getting the snorkel on is complicated enough for me. Is this a big mistake? PADI people, please comment...
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