22 - 26 November
A slightly sketchy early morning motorbike taxi ride, followed by a bus to Laem Ngop, a ferry to Koh Chang island, and a songthaew (shared taxi) got me to Kai Bae, where I'd organised to stay at Buzza's Bungalows. The owners, Dwk (Thai) and Julie (Welsh), were very friendly and ran their own little outfit, complete with Dwk's excellent curries and Julie's good conversation.
I spent the evening just enjoying being on holiday - a swim down at the beach (where some baby elephants were bathing with their mahouts) and then a quiet dinner with a couple of beers in the bar at Buzza's.
The next morning I got talking to a Finnish girl (Suvi) and a German girl (Lena) who were travelling together and also staying at Buzza's. Asking what there was to do on the island, Julie suggested a kayak out into the bay, so I decided to head out and Lena came along too. Heading out onto the water was quite cooling and refreshing compared to the humid heat, and it was very enjoyable paddling around a couple of small islands.
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| Out on the water off Kai Bae |
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| Exploring the cliffs on one of the islands |
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| Sunset from the beach |
Lena and Suvi were both very relaxed characters - although I suppose it's hard not to be when you're at a Thai beach resort! - and I ended up spending the next week with them, mostly at Kai Bae. The next day we hired scooters to head around to the far side of the island, taking in icecream, some good views, a waterfall we couldn't find, and a small harbour. It was kind of fun aimlessly exploring the island...
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| I don't think I really suit a scooter |
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| On a pier in Ao Salek Phet |
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| Ao Salek Phet |
A wander after dinner along the beach produced this view:
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| Kai Bae beach by night |
The next day we decided to head to another beach on the island, Bang Bao, again with the scooters, but just as we went over a hill the rain hit, and the inexperienced scooter operator (read: me) had a little spill on the slippery surface. Thankfully I was going very slowly and carefully and came away with just a few scratches on the bike and a graze on my knee.
I think it was worth it though - this was the afternoon's treats:
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| Fresh pineapple juice |
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Lunchtime the tastiest Penang curry I've ever had, on the beach, with a fresh coconut
(please explain why I ever left??) |
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| Sunset at Bang Bao |
Just as we were preparing to leave Bang Bao, the inevitable tropical storm hit. We managed to get back to Kai Bae in a break in the rain, but it settled in for good the next day:
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| A day inside as the tropical storm took charge |
Then it was off to Cambodia. I was due to meet my sister Claire and my parents within a few days, and decided to spend several nights in Sihanoukville, Cambodia's beach resort, along the way. Suvi and Lena were ready to move on and decided to come too - I was quite glad to have someone I knew as I tried to cross the infamous Thai/Cambodian border...
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| Lena and Suvi in the bar at Buzza's as we contemplated the border crossing the next day |
