January | 2014 | Jo Blogs

Having said a sad farewell to our fellow volunteers and lovely colleagues in Cambodia, and successfully navigated the ‘Bangkok shutdown’ protests, we arrived in Krabi. From here, we began 2 weeks travelling down the Andaman coast, renowned for its azure waters and some of the world’s best beaches. After Cambodia, I was excited to return to a slightly more developed country and, more importantly, the home of mango sticky rice desserts. Our first stop was Ao Nang, a small mainland town that is, in itself, nothing spectacular. With its main road lined with uninspiring tourist restaurants and shops, it more closely resembles the expat-inhabited Costa del Sol than the exotic paradise of Thailand. However, Ao Nang is an excellent base for exploring nearby Railay Bay, where giant cliffs surround little bays and towering limestone karsts rise out of crystal clear waters.

Ben on Ao Nang beach

Railay bay

From Ao Nang, we caught the ferry to our first island destination: Ko Phi Phi. Since featuring in the film The Beach, Phi Phi has witnessed a rush of visitors and a consequent acceleration of development, paused only by the tragic devastation of the 2004 Tsunami. Arriving on the island, we were stuck by the beauty of its gently curving bays and could immediately see why it is so popular. We were lucky enough to have a room at the front of our hotel, whose proclivity to the noisy nearby bars was more than mitigated by its spectacular views over the beach. From Phi Phi Don, we took a snorkelling trip to its small sister island Phi Phi Leh (set for The Beach), during which we had the opportunity to swim with sea turtles and to learn how waves can crash over a long-tail boat if caught in high winds! In the evenings, we experienced the alcohol buckets, beach bars and nightly fire shows for which Phi Phi is renowned, but this alcohol-fuelled entertainment only demonstrated how the trappings of the tourist industry have made this island a victim of its own beauty.

Ao Lo Dalam Bay, Ko Phi Phi

View from our Phi Phi guesthouse

The tree-lined streets of Phi Phi

Viewpoint in Phi Phi – quite a climb in the heat!

Ben and our snorkelling guide relax at the end of the trip.

One of Phi Phi’s nightly fire shows

Enjoying the nightlife on Phi Phi

Our next stop was Ko Lanta, a narrow island just south of Ko Phi Phi, whose long coastline is dotted with a series of simple towns. Despite being less than impressed with our hotel, we enjoyed four wonderfully relaxing days here. Our routine of sunbathing, swimming and eating in beach-side bars was punctuated only by the excitement of discovering a surprisingly authentic French restaurant, which served such a good museli, yogurt and fruit combo – we counted 16 different fruits – that Ben declared ‘breakfast will never be the same again’. Just in case we weren’t relaxed enough, we also had an oil massage (neither of us was brave enough to try the contortions of a true Thai massage) in a shack overlooking the sea, for the princely sum of £6.

Klong Nin beach, near our Ko Lanta hotel

Best breakfast ever!

Ben on Klong Nin beach

Our favourite lunch and dinner spot on Ko Lanta

Sunset on Ko Lanta

A five hour ferry journey (which, in Thailand, means seven hours) took us to our final destination, Ko Lipe, from where I am writing this blog. Here, we are staying in a rustic bamboo bungalow on the beach, complete with a bucket flush toilet and a variety of insects, including a cockroaches, an ant colony and even a large frog! It’s simple nature is part of its charm, however, and who am I to complain when I am seconds walk from the most spectacular beach I have ever seen? Indeed, neither Phi Phi nor Lanta hold a candle to little Lipe, whose powdery white sand is the consistency of icing sugar and waters are the most brilliant turquoise. Compared to Phi Phi, Lipe is (for now) relatively unspoilt, with local life and tourist amenities happily coinciding. We will miss this peaceful place when, tomorrow, we cross the border by boat to the Malaysian archipelago of Langkawi.