Jan 26-Feb2 – Andeman Islands -Thailand – Stage 1
Stage 1: Koh Lipe, Koh _________?!, Koh Ngai
On to Thailand…
To go between the islands, you typically go by speed boat, or ferry, or long-tail boat. This next leg of the journey was to be by speedboat. Once again the dangers of travel arose. The day before we were to travel to Koh Lipe, a speed boat had sunk just off the coast of Koh Lipe. That obviously was a concern – we decided to go with a different company. You will see from the pictures what kind of boat we took. However, it was a very windy and wavy day – white caps out on the ocean. The driver was pushing the boat pretty fast compared to what we thought he should in these conditions, but then again, he does do this every day. Natalie and kids were riding in the deep bow area, though the front was bouncing pretty heavily, but were keeping dry. I, however, was in the back getting drenched. I think I got more wet traveling in the boat than if I were snorkeling! When the boat bounced back down from the wave, it sprayed the whole end of the boat. Everyone sitting in the back looked like drowned rats. It didn’t feel real safe. The biggest fear would be to get broadside of a wave – and all in the boat had heard of what happened the day before. At one time, the driver put on a helmet that had a large visor. When he did that, we all were wondering what we were getting into. It basically helped him see better with all the spray coming in. Anyways, when we finally saw land, the mood changed for the better. Most were very thankful when their feet hit terra firma again.
Natalie’s writing now…
We’re just about finished visiting the southern Thai islands, and they are just as beautiful as I remember them, although much busier. What was once a backpacker “secret” (think the movie, “The Beach”) has now, for the most part, become Europe’s Hawaii. People come every year for their 2 week holiday and full-on resorts can be found in most places. Nevertheless, we were on the hunt for our secret piece of paradise. Our first try was Koh Lipe, which we reached by speedboat from Langkawi. We thought we’d hit pay dirt (or pay sand) when we pulled ashore onto the whitest, softest sand we’d ever seen. After another short long tail boat ride to the other side of the island, we settled into two rustic bungalows just set back from turquoise water. We sat on our little front porch and heaved contented sighs; it was that feeling you get after a long day of skiing, when you first sink into a hot tub – Aaaaaaaaah…We soon discovered that paradise was no longer a secret. The long tail boats passed in front of our huts night and day. At particular times, (e.g. when the speedboats delivered a new batch of people to the island), it sounded like a long tail regatta, with the prize being given to the one with the loudest motor! After a few days, we’d had enough. We waited an extra day for everyone to get over their first bout of the Thailand trots, and happily left for an island we’d heard about from a Danish family.
Another 2 hour speed boat ride allowed some time for Tim to finally have some “alone” time as he sat in the bow listening to oldies on the iPod – Cat Stevens, America, Petra, Enya, etc. with the wind flying through his hair, watching the sea and islands fly by, and Annika lying in his lap reading. We finally found our “secret piece of paradise.” (So we’re NOT posting the name on the blog, unless you ask!) This is a very small island that you can walk across in half an hour. There are 2 resorts on the beach and a couple inland in the hills. By “resort,” I mean a collection of simple, spotless bungalows set back from the beach on a grass, pine and palm-covered field and a open air restaurant right on the beach. The bungalow had a double bed and a bunk bed, so we slept pretty cozy. There was no electricity between 9 am and 6 pm, but you could run your fan at night. Even though the bathroom was the simple joint toilet-shower combo, it was clean and smelled good! The beach is again white sand and fringed by a so-so reef. There’s not much to “do” here, but its quiet – no long tail boats and loud music – and beautiful. The perfect spot to catch up after pretty continual travelling. It also worked out as a place to rest as both girls got some bug and had 102 degree temps for a couple of days. Kids did quite a bit of homework and got into some good books; I tackled Anna Karenina, and Tim got caught up on putting pictures on the computer. We also had a bit of a science lesson when we stumbled across a small rubber plantation on one of our walks around the island. Saw how the sap is collected and heated, and then run through a press prior to shipment for further processing. All this in the middle of a small sea-gypsy village!
It was hard to pull up stakes and leave this island, but the kids were starting to get a bit antsy after so many days of lolling around and homework. We hadn’t gotten any more diving in, so we headed to Koh Ngai for diving. I didn’t enjoy it at all – probably because it wasn’t as pretty, and it was busier and with a weird vibe. Tim and Josh dove, but visibility was bad and it was a forgettable dive. Everybody (except Tim!) had a pretty serious bout of homesickness about now. Left after 2 days and went to back to the mainland and Krabi to deal with our visa problems.
Tags: Travel
tahoejohnson
I am glad to see that your site share valued information that can help to many readers.스포츠토토
I have to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this blog.
바카라사이트
I’m hoping to check out the same high-grade blog posts by you later on as well.토토픽프로
do you need a prescription for cialis in canada mixing viagra and cialis canadian drug stores cialis https://ciallsed.com/
подъемник мачтовый
[url=https://podyemniki-machtovyye-teleskopicheskiye.ru]https://www.podyemniki-machtovyye-teleskopicheskiye.ru/[/url]
viagra 100mg where can you buy over the counter viagra viagra 50 mg generic https://viagrjin.com/
sildenafil pharmacy australia how to get viagra sildenafil 20mg generic cost https://zenviagrok.com/
First of all, thank you for your post. keonhacai Your posts are neatly organized with the information I want, so there are plenty of resources to reference. I bookmark this site and will find your posts frequently in the future. Thanks again ^^
cialis from canadian pharmacy north west pharmacy canada verified online pharmacy https://mgpharmmg.com/
el mejor remedio natural para la disfuncion erectil [url=https://comprarcialis5mg.org/it/]cialis generico[/url] disfuncion erectil [url=https://comprarcialis5mg.org/it/cialis-5mg-prezzo/]cialis 5 mg prezzo[/url]
стол с подъемным механизмом купить
[url=https://gidravlicheskiye-podyemnyye-stoly.ru]https://gidravlicheskiye-podyemnyye-stoly.ru[/url]
Usa Private Proxy
I found a great…
us government resume writing service blog content writing services write my paper one day https://paperabbrs.com/
where does a thesis statement go informative essay thesis what is the thesis of an essay https://thesismetre.com/
cause and effect thesis statement what is the thesis statement of the report atlantis rediscovered buy thesis https://thesismelon.com/
writing a thesis proposal thesis timeline closed thesis https://thesisabbess.com/
My web site – kann man reduslim in der apotheke kaufen
what’s a thesis thesis cover page a thesis statement example https://thesisabcd.com/
Qualіty cоnten is the key to invite the users to go to
see thе website, that’s what this web page is proviԁing.
Here is my ԝebb page: HD Rezka
online pharmacy usa
http://canadianpharmacyguru.com/
[url=http://canadianpharmacyguru.com/]online pharmacy canada[/url]
best professional resume writing services help with writing papers customize writing
As I am looking at your writing, casino online I regret being unable to do outdoor activities due to Corona 19, and I miss my old daily life. If you also miss the daily life of those days, would you please visit my site once? My site is a site where I post about photos and daily life when I was free.
sat essay examples unlimited essay works how long is a short essay
apply texas essay prompts 2021 analysis essay examples cyber bullying essay
writing an argumentative essay we the students essay contest how to end a college essay
how to cite sources in an essay how to write a rhetorical analysis essay argument essay outline
essay rewriter do my essay read my essay
best price for sildenafil cost of 100mg viagra 75 mg sildenafil
cialis patient assistance where can i buy cialis online 100mg cialis tadalafil
medications canada
https://safecanadianpharm.com/
[url=https://safecanadianpharm.com/]overseas online pharmacy[/url]
where to order viagra online in canada buy viagra over the counter usa viegra
buy sildenafil 100mg cheap generic viagra online uk how to buy viagra tablets in india
buy viagra online rx where to get viagra for women cheap viagra 25mg
viagra generic canada sildenafil 25 mg buy buy generic viagra online without prescription
cheap viagra online canada order viagra online australia viagra 50 mg
canadian pharmacies
how long does it take for cialis to peak? cialis walgreens cialis viagra
cialis efectos secundarios order cialis online no prescription reviews cialis 200mg
tadalafil 5mg cialis prices nz cialis paypal payment
list of reputable canadian pharmacies
https://allcanadianpharm.com/
[url=https://allcanadianpharm.com/]legitimate canadian pharmacy online[/url]
canadianpharmacynoprescription.net
https://allcanadianpharm.com/
[url=https://allcanadianpharm.com/]canadian mail order pharmacies[/url]
buy canadian drugs best online canadian pharmacy
https://24hr-pharmacy.top/# best canadian online pharmacies
ed medication online cheap erectile dysfunction pills online
canadian pharmacies
too much tadalafil how long do cialis side effects last order cialis online nb canada
canadian drug store online
most reliable online pharmacy
https://canadianfirstpharmacies.com/
[url=https://canadianfirstpharmacies.com/]canada pharmaceuticals online[/url]
As an essay writer blog post has lots of information . All content you describe is in your post very helpful for us. Thanks for sharing the valuable information. I appreciate your efforts.