THAILAND SINGAPORE DAY 9: On The Andaman Sea

It’s a relaxed breakfast at the open air resort restaurant by the pond.  At 9 our driver meets us out front, a very kind middle aged gentleman, who apologizes for lack of English language skills.  We apologize back… we’re at his home, it’s up to us to learn the local language.  He drives us to the park at Noppharat Beach, the far other end of Ao Nang.  We get there just in time for a flash downpour.  The rain only lasts a few minutes, and we have some fun mugging in the back of the tuk-tuk while we wait. 

We always try to do a day on the water during our trips, and I’m always fascinated by the evolution of the purpose built boats each place has to offer.  Fancy speedboats were plentiful and affordable to charter, but that didn’t feel like the spirit of this place.  Today we’re getting more intimate with the longtail boats we sampled yesterday.  As soon as the rain clears up, our driver introduces us to our captain for the day, who we think is named Fang.  Fang walks us the few hundred meters to his waiting longtail boat on the bay side of the beach where dozens of longtail boats and speedboats await their daily charters.  Fang speaks exactly zero English (again, not a requirement for us) so we spark up Translate again and he lays out our 4 hour private trip for today. 

Fang is a very different type of captain than the two we had yesterday.  He loads us and our gear without rush, then pulls out of the tight birth with no drama or bumping.  Once we clear the inlet, he speeds along carefully, avoiding  the waves and providing a very pleasant ride.  I can tell right away he’s a pro and Mandy relaxes accordingly to enjoy the trip.

Our first stop is the tiny, protected cove on the back side of Hog Island.  We go through the narrow pass that opens into a little circle of bright emerald water surrounded by tall limestone cliff walls.  Fang navigates deftly avoiding the other longtails by mere inches.

Next stop is the beach at Hog Island, where we’re dropped off at the end a long floating dock.  We drop our bags on the pure white sand, grab our masks and set to snorkeling in the warm, warm sea.  It’s a very, very relaxing hour.

Next stop is Pak Ka Island, home to better snorkeling (or so we’re told through hand gestures, arm waving and Translate.)  Unfortunately the cove is coated in a film of gooey plankton, a naturally occurring phenomenon that’s very nutritious for the sea life, but not necessarily what I want to be peeling off me for the next few hours.  We pass on the dive and move on.

Last stop of the trip is Phak Bia Island.  Landed on the very rocky beach, we once again thank the gods of cheap Amazon water shoes for saving our feet.  (Pro tip: always, always bring water shoes on vacation!  You will never regret having them along)  We hop out and find the small sand beach.  Just 10 meters off the shoreline is this island’s most photogenic feature, a tall mushroom of a rock made of rough, craggy limestone.  We understand from seeing icebergs in Iceland what’s happening here.  Over time, maybe centuries, maybe longer, the rising tides have eroded the base of this rock until it has the silhouette of a weeping willow tree.  The base is live coral, sea live attaching itself during the higher tides.  Eventually, maybe centuries, maybe longer, the erosion will win and the top heavy rock will tumble and the process will restart.  Back to the boat, Fang hand drags the heavy sloop closer to shore by repeatedly throwing the anchor and pulling on the rope.  Once he’s close enough, we board and are off.  Our picture perfect day is now being threatened by gathering clouds and it’s easy to spot the rain line on the open sea.  We watch other boats get swallowed into the deluge, but Fang’s navigation skills keep us (mostly) dry.

Our driver delivers us safely back at the hotel, where we have fallen into a nice rhythm of pool, nap, shower.  Dinner tonight is off the beaten path at Zara and again, we’re the only non-natives here.  The owner / waiter is an affable guy who is quick with a joke and makes us feel right at home while he talks us through his grandmother’s Thai/Chinese recipes.  Service and food, both top of game.  Highly recommend.

We drive back to Ao Nang Beach and check out the night market briefly, but this one is kinda more-of-the-same so we don’t stay long.  We head back, but not before stopping for our nightly massage.  And yes, we know exactly how spoiled it sounds to use the term “nightly massage”.