Sorry for being slack with our blogging. Day to day life consumes us more than the words to describe it.
After leaving Malaysia, we arrived in Hat Yai in southern Thailand—our first stop before heading to Ko Lipe on the west coast, Krabi town further north, then Khao Sok National Park.
Ko Lipe
Eli here.
Staying at Cathay Hostel in Hat Yai, we woke early for our minivan to Pak Bara pier and the speed boat to Ko Lipe. Clean and cheap, the Hostel was central to the local night market and street stalls selling cheap t-shirts. It also sold packaged tickets to Ko Lipe—the nearby island that was our first destination.
With over 800 horse power, the speedboat was quick and packed full of tourists and supplies for the island. Toilet paper and cashew nuts sat peacefully under our seat as the boat bumped along for the 1.5 hour trip.
Our first stop was Ko Tarutao—a tranquil island managed by park rangers and less frequented by tourists. Several passengers alighted. In hindsight, we should have alighted too.
Next, we stopped at a small uninhabited island that offered crystal clear waters and a rock arch. Still unsure why we stopped as it was not part of our itinerary, no tourists stayed and no supplies were left. Even more intriguing, another speedboat arrived as we left with ubiquitous tourists eager for a photo.
Finally the boat arrived at Ko Lipe. Well not Ko Lipe exactly, but a pontoon nearby. In apparent conflict with good competition policy, the locals run a cartel that requires all tourists to buy longboat transfers between pontoons where the boats dock and the island. With no other options, we were forced to oblige.
Surrounded by sandy beaches, clear coral reefs, and palm trees, Ko Lipe is over-developed yet nice. Unlike Ko Tarutao, Ko Lipe is not subject to the strict development regulations of the Tarutao National Marine Park. As a result, the island is thick with bungalows and restaurants, minimarts and dive shops, European tourists and clothing stalls. Rubbish lines the interior and roads are not complete.
But all that development doesn’t mean the island is not nice; far from it. If you stick to the coast, take in the sunrises and sunsets, swim, and eat at your leisure, your time on Ko Lipe is just fine. So that’s what we did for the four nights we stayed. Our only adventure was Claire’s run in with a sea urchin—which embedded several barbs into her foot.
After all that inactivity, it was time to head north to Krabi town: a boat back to Pak Bara; a minibus to Hat Yai; and a five hour government air-conditioned bus to Krabi town. Cheap transport, but time-consuming.
Krabi town and around
Expecting to stay only one night, we ended up staying four. Such is the ease of life in Krabi town that we had no desire to find another stop before heading to Khao Sok National Park.
Cheap and cheerful, Krabi town offers great value guesthouses, night markets selling food, art and clothes, tours, and more locals than tourists. We stayed at No. 7 guesthouse, which was tidy, homely, and run by a nice Muslim lady—our best accommodation so far.
During the day we explored the town and its surrounds: kayaking around some of Krabi province’s limestone cliffs and mangrove forests one day, taking local songtheaws (pickup truck buses) to and from Ao Nang beach another. During the night we ate authentic Thai food and fruits at the markets. Including pad thai, all the curries you can imagine, Thai pancakes, fried noodles, and rice done a hundred different ways.
Because most tourists pass through—rather than stay in—Krabi town on their way to coastal areas such as Ao Nang and Reilay Beach, tourist prices are low and touts less common. Backpackers like us love the place. One night we even meet another like-minded kiwi couple who were heading south as we were heading north. And, as is so often the case with New Zealanders, we had mutual friends.
After our four nights we took a 2.5 hour minibus to Khao Sok National Park.
Khao Sok National Park
Claire here.
Khao Sok National Park was another one of the places I had wanted to visit since before we left Australia. The idea of accommodation floating on a lake seemed like something not to be missed.
So we arrived from Krabi and choose one of the many accommodation options near the entrance to the park. We spent the evening trying to figure out if there was some way of getting to the floating lake bungalows without joining one of the many tours on offer—which all sounded pretty much the same and all came with a fairly high price tag. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that getting to the floating bungalows independently would come with a higher price tag as we would have to charter a long boat just for us and pay the whole price. So a tour it was.
But first we spent the next day exploring the jungle on foot. Cascading waterfalls and trails criss-crossed with tree roots. Tall bamboo plants from over seven different species and constant reminders that animals were near but never quite in view; including the morning call of gibbons, birds fluttering past, and signs warning of contact with wild elephants. The jungle held our interest.
The walking was easy but made more interesting by the need to check for and remove leeches every so often. We swam a couple of times in the slightly muddied waters and ate takeaway rice for lunch near a small gorge. But we were somewhat bemused at the number of travellers who hired guides for seemingly fairly short walks on pretty well-labelled and mapped trails; the guides looked uniformly bored and the hikers not that enthusiastic either.
The next morning we were off early with our guide Lek, three Germans and two Aussies for our tour of the lake and night in the floating bungalows. To get to the bungalows there is a fairly long drive to the dam (about an hour) and a long tail boat ride past some impressive limestone cliffs until the boat comes around a corner and there, floating on the water, is a row of floating bamboo bungalows.
After a swim in the surprising warm water of the lake and a fantastic lunch, it was time for the part of the tour I was least looking forward to: exploring one of the caves in the area. Being the compulsive ‘Googler’ for information that I am, I had of course come across the articles about the tourists who died in a flash flood in the very same cave we were about to enter. Reassured that this took place in the wet season and it was now the dry season and the many signs along the trail warning not to enter if it even looked like raining, I decided to be brave.
Apart from the short part with neck high water, making our way through the cave was actually relatively easy. Even so, I was exhausted by the end simply because of how much adrenalin I used up during the experience.
Back at the bungalows we—well I—calmed down from the caving, swam some more and enjoyed a very yummy dinner of massaman curry, fried whole fish, and noodles. A night safari on a long boat followed, which searched the edge of the lake for animals. But despite Lek’s tireless efforts, we only saw a hornbill and a number of owls.
After a restful sleep and an early morning swim, we set off on a pre-breakfast morning safari. This time we saw a lizard, long-tailed macaques, some wild pigs, and several different birds. After the safari there was time for breakfast and more swimming before heading off for a hike up to a view point for a stunning view over the lake.
After returning from our tour, we spent one more night in Khao Sok before catching a bus to Surat Thani the next day. Our plan was to meet Eli’s brother Rama and his girlfriend Leah.
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Now that Rama and Leah are about to join us, our next update will tell tales of adventures with them.
Much love,
XXX
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