Day 12 - Sunset Snorkelling

Woke up with a slight hangover. Not Chang beers fault this time. It was the 5 big bottles of Singha at the Smile Bar. Well, we couldn’t leave the fun of playing connect four behind. No problems as today’s activity was a planned "Sunset Snorkel" tour that didn’t start until 4pm. The idea is that all the dive boats leave all the best areas for the day and we get the area to ourselves. Plus the added bonus of snorkelling in the pitch black. Don’t know how that is going to work.

We went to the dive shop on the main beach road to book the trip. Unfortunately we were told that they had to cancel as the scuba diving party went out late and wouldn’t be back in time. The guy was really nice and phoned Railay Divers for us as they did a similar tour. Our luck was in, they are heading out this afternoon at 3pm. Monica asked how we were going to get back from Railay as it would be late and we didn’t want a repeat performance of yesterday with the boatmen. No problems, they will drop us off at Ao Nang.

So another Long-Tail boat to Railay and time to visit the Flame Tree before setting off on our tour. As a little exertion was required, Monica opted for the young green coconut shake. I went for the Mango and Orange shake. Both were absolutely delicious. Feeling refreshed we headed for the dive shop to pay for the trip. Monica was a little worried about arrangements for getting back to Ao Nang. She asked the lady at the dive shop who confirmed that there would be no problems.


Back at the Flame Tree.

The only problem we seemed to have was the weather. It started to cloud over, similar to how the storm started yesterday. Our group of two Long-Tail boats set-off to the first dive point. On arrival at the first island it started to rain heavily. The tour organisation seemed to go awry as nobody seemed to know what to do. One of the attractions of the tour was the supposed tutoring on how to snorkel the professional way. We were handed flippers and the facemasks and that was that. One of the guides said that we would have to wait for the rain to subside, so Monica headed for shelter. Some of the guests didn’t like that and headed for the water. The guide then thought sod it and went in after them. By the time Monica had got back to the beach the group had made it out to the rocks.

The so-called tranquillity we were promised only seemed to apply to other divers. The sea where the group went was full of speed boats and Long-Tail boats zipping to and fro. We decided to stay near the beach and practice using the flippers. It’s not as easy as it looks. I couldn’t walk in the damn things. We soon found out that the easy way was to put them on when you were in the sea, and then it was still a challenge to swim with them.


Rain clears the beach.

The others soon returned to the beach and we headed back to the boats. Monica and I were ready for mutiny as were a couple of others. It would be no fun in the rain, especially the proposed BBQ on a deserted island in the pitch black. We decided against the mutiny as it was actually lovely and warm in the sea and the weather looked like it was going to improve. We sailed off to the next dive point.



Flippers take some getting used to.

The next dive point was off one of the huge rocks that jut out of the sea. The boats put down anchor and we had to jump off. Excellent fun. As advertised, the water was great for snorkelling and plenty of fish were visible. Maybe not as good as Phi Phi but given the weather the visibility was excellent.


Wonderful views under water.

The next dive point was outside a cave in one of the small islands off the mainland. The best site yet for diving. The water quality, the number of fish and the beauty of the coral was stunning. Swimming into the cave with all the fish was incredible. Some of the more expert snorkelers in the group where having a whale of a time. They dived deep down to the seabed and swam through caves and exited the other side. How the bloody hell do they dive without water going down the tube? Time flew by and soon we headed towards the island where we were to dine in high spirits.


Monica relaxs on the Long-Tail Boat.

Day 11 - Beach day at Railay

A relaxing day at the beach in Railay. No trips, no early morning wake up call, just pure and simple relaxation. The morning started off well. A lovely coconut and nutella pancake for 30 baht and then a coffee at Starbucks. Then I made the first mistake of the day. Why did I bother checking my phone? An urgent text from Mama. "Tsunami Alert! Stay away from the beach today!!!". After yesterday’s poignant reminder of the power of nature I had to be assured that everything was OK. 30 minutes of trawling the Internet to find that the news was 2 days old and the alert was lifted. Anyway, the earthquake that triggered the alert was thousands of miles away. Thanks mum! We’ve missed a good hour’s sun.


Breakfast being made.

The sun was shining and all was forgotten as we boarded the Long-Tail boat to Railay. No Kayaks today. Towel down, sun cream on, err damn we forgot the bloody sun cream! Mum’s fault. A quick trip to the store and problem sorted. Now for some serious sun bathing and chill out time.




Cooling off in the Sea.

The only thing that could tempt us aware from the beach was the lure of our favourite bar, The Flame Tree. That, and the fact that it was nearing 5pm and I was as red as a tomato. Nothing a cool beer wouldn’t cure and a bit of Thai food. We had positioned ourselves in a nice spot on the terrace with a perfect view of the beach, ready to take in another sunset. Our plans quickly changed as we noticed the locals give a few nervous glances at the sky and the next minute the rain started to bounce off the tables.


The Flame Tree at night.

We had our meal inside the bar and the rain started to ease off. The sunset was just as beautiful as before, even with the darkened clouds and the threat of a storm. As the darkness crept up we decided to see if we could get the last boat at 6pm. We arrived to find a German couple waiting for the boat. They had already been waiting 30 minutes. So much for the 6pm boat. There were several boats anchored with the captains chatting amongst themselves. "Wait for 2 more people". Apparently an Italian couple were also waiting and the captain would not leave until there were 8 paying passengers.


Grub up!

Another 15 minutes passed with no sign of any more passengers arriving. The distant rumble of thunder could be heard and the skies lit up with lightning. The captain approached me and said, "we go now for 800 Baht.". I countered with an offer of 250 Baht per couple. Easier maths you see. The captain looked at me, looked up at the sky and grinned "800 Baht or wait". Monica was chatting to the Italian couple and they agreed to split the costs. Our only stumbling block was the Germans. "We were here before 6pm so we pay only 160 Baht!". The storm of the century was just around the corner and they were arguing over a couple of quid. We sat and waited for another 10 minutes before the captain repeated is offer. By now it was pitch black and we were all miserable. In the end the Germans relented and agreed to pay more. Monica’s offer of the Italians and us paying 270 Baht and the Germans paying 260 Baht sealed the deal.

The threat of the storm never materialised and we managed to get back to Ao Nang trouble free. A quick shower and change at the hotel and we headed out for something to eat and a visit to the bar area. We ended the night at the "Smile" bar. They like to keep you entertained there. Free pool, free Internet and most importantly, free connect four! What more could you want from a night out?


Free Pool at the Smile bar.

Day 10 - Burger!

Our journey back from Ko Hong was not as pleasant as going due to the weather. However, the mood on board was brighter as the earlier tension between Big and Monica had vanished. The weather improved as we approached the beach at Ao Nang. We said our goodbyes and all was forgotten about the snorkel gear.

To celebrate we ended up at the Restaurant on the beach road that had the "Happy Hour" on. We relaxed with our beers and watched the world go by. It was our intention to have a couple of beers before heading back to the hotel and getting ready for dinner. However, Monica had a sudden urge for a burger. The urge grew and ended up being a relentless attack on me to cave in and buy her a bloody burger while I enjoyed my beer.

It started with a "A quite fancy a burger". Then "Wow! those burgers look good", followed by a more pressing "I Want a burger". The burger fetish grew pace and every sentence uttered by Monica either started with, ended with or somewhere in between there was a "Burrgerr". The white flag was raised after her finale sentence "I WANT A BURRGERR , BURRGERR, BURRRRGEERRR". Bloody show rolling her R’s just because I can’t! Hope you don’t choke on it.


I want a Burger!

Day 10 - Kayaking aroung Ko Hong

After lunch it was time to explore the coastline of the Island by Kayak. Much to Monica’s dismay, the monitor for the trip would be our guide. She needn’t worry too much, or should I say he needn’t worry, as relations mellowed and as most of the Thai people we had encountered on our travels, he turned out to be a really nice guy.


Kayak trip around Ko Hong.

Our guide’s name was "Big" and he had a peculiar way of paddling his boat. Rather than sit down in the Kayak, he preferred to kneel and sit on the heels of his feet. Way too uncomfortable for me. Was he expecting to make a dive for it at some point in the trip? Another two couples joined us as we made our way towards the lagoon.


Inside the lagoon.

The lagoon was rather peaceful considering its stunning beauty. There was only one other boat in the lagoon. A private chartered Long-Tail boat was cruising around. The peace and tranquillity we found made Hong Island my favourite destination point so far. It may be just behind Phi Phi Islands in the beauty stakes but the lack of hordes of tourists easily made up for it. If only we found the other islands as quiet as this place. We explored the mangrove forest inside the lagoon and then made our way to the entrance to continue our tour.


Exploring the mangrove forest.

We enjoyed seeing plenty of wildlife that inhabits the Island’s coastline and sea. Plenty of fish were visible just beneath the surface. A large cast of crabs lay claim to one of the rocks where a nearby Heron was on the prowl for its dinner. Bill then pointed up towards a cave high in the cliff face. "Bird Nest". Apparently, many brave locals attempt to climb down the cliff face to enter this cave in an attempt to collect the birds’ nests. They are used to make the Chinese delicacy "Bird Nest Soup" and are very expensive. Big told us that it sells for 100,000 baht per Kilo. That’s £2000! The bird nests are not made in the conventional way it seems. Big tried to explain to us that the birds make their nests from their own saliva, but maybe things got lost in translation.


Bringing up the rear.

Further along the coast and another, lower cave is seen in the cliffs. This one has a bamboo scaffold type structure at the entrance. Big explained that this cave was more easily accessible and is a favourite target for locals to raid the birds’ nests. That is why there are always two guards employed to stay in the cave, twenty-four hours a day. Sure enough, we paddled by and saw the rather lonely looking occupants. We managed to get a smile and a wave out of them. The only inhabitants of the island after all the tourist boats head home.


Bird Nest Cave.

We had almost circumnavigated the island and had completed the last section of rocking when the skies turned ominously dark and threatening. Big picked up the pace and we took that as a hint to get to shore rapidly. The winds picked up and the normally pleasant and calm Andaman Sea began to get a little rough. No sooner had we landed on the beach the heavens opened and the rain poured down. Even this grey and wet ending couldn’t spoil the fantastic day we had had exploring Ko Hong.

Day 10 - Ko Hong

Another excursion today sees us going to the Hong Islands. These make up part of the Than Bokkharni National Park and are famed for its emerald green waters, scenic hidden lagoons and fine sandy beaches. Part of the excursion includes the rental of a Kayak to explore Hong Island and various stopping points to snorkel.

We were picked up in a mini Sawgthaow and taken to Hat Noppharat beach about four kilometres away from Ao Nang. On arrival it looked like a film crew were setting up a scene on the beach. There were a few elephants around and other extras. Maybe a new film set in Thailand? Or is it another Thailand promotional video shoot?

Out journey to the Ko Hong area was by a traditional Long-Tail boat. The islands were about an hour away giving us plenty of time to enjoy the views of the coastline, including the sight of one of the Royal Residences sitting high on the cliffs in the middle of a forest.


Long-Tail Boat from Hat Noppharat.

Our first stop was at a small island with two cove beaches. The view from the main cove where we landed was stunning. The sea looked inviting and we were eager to go snorkelling. Again, the experience of the Phi Phi Islands has probably raised expectations too high, as the quality of the water wasn’t great for snorkelling. We headed out towards a large rock in the bay to see if it was any better there. It wasn’t so we gave up and headed back to the beach.


Beautiful cove.

Back on the beach and I noticed a problem. I had somehow managed to lose the breathing tube that was attached to the facemask. I went back to look for it near the rock but the water was too murky near the bottom to see anything. We told the crew on our return to the boat and they weren’t happy. They were upset because the snorkel gear wasn’t theirs and they had had to rent it. The main guide was keen to know where I had lost it and for a minute I thought the tour would be postponed until he had dived in and found the tube. Monica was having known of it and ripped into him. The highlight being "if you didn’t take us to shit places for snorkelling we wouldn’t have lost it!". That had the rest of the boat in stitches. Monica’s dulcet Italian tones must have struck a chord with our guide as he quickly let the matter rest, probably fearing that he would be sleeping with the fishes if he continued.

The second stop was Ko Phak Bia. This island joins to another smaller island by a thin stretch of sandy beach that is revealed at low tide. We arrived just as the tide was going out. Another snorkel stop and I was a bit fearful about asking for another mask. Monica showed no such fear and demanded a new snorkel for me from the petrified guide. Again, the water looked lovely from the beach but not so great when you are snorkelling.


Preparing for a snorkel at Ko Phak Bia.

The next stop was Ko Hong and we were in luck. Apparently the tides around the Island are not very predictable and our guide claimed that even at high tide it was not always possible to enter the lagoon. Today it was possible so we sailed between the limestone cliffs that made the entrance. The lagoon was lined with mangrove trees and the guide said we could explore them later by Kayak. Now it was time to land on the main beach and have lunch.


Entrance to the lagoon from the inside.

Ko Hong is an uninhabited island with no cooking facilities. The lunch was a picnic style buffet served in a shaded area inside the protected park. We would be joined today with a couple of menacing looking monitor lizards, which looked suspiciously like komodo dragons to me. We were encouraged to feed them with the remains of our chicken legs. Monica took up the challenge and threw a chicken bone to one of the lizards. It gulped it down whole and wanted more. We made sure to keep a safe distance as it might take a fancy to our legs.


Feeding time.

Reminders of the 2004 Tsunami are all around you at Ko Hong. A memorial plaque is in the centre of the recreation area. A number of tourists and locals lost their lives whilst visiting the island on a day trip. The authorities decided to leave the wrecked remains of the fishing boats that were swept as far as 300 metres away from the beach and into the forest behind. A permanent reminder of the devastating power of nature.


Wreckage from the Tsunami.

Day 9 - The Promised Land!

The previous night was a quiet affair after again failing to find any of the bars. Tonight would be a shopping night, Monica was keen to find a Buddha image to take home and was after a dress. Should be a fun-packed evening.

We had reached the middle of the beach road when a Buddha caught Monica’s eye down one of the small alleyways. We went to investigate. It was a beautifully crafted Buddha image, carved from teak. But what caught my eye was a neon flashing sign at the end of the alleyway. We walked up to the end and discovered all the bars that the guidebook had mentioned. In search of Buddha and we find the Promised Land, surely a sign from above. We would have purchased the Buddha on that reason alone but it wasn’t practical. It was way too heavy and bulky to fit in our luggage. So we continued with our shopping, buoyed by our find and promising to return later.

Monica managed to buy a dress but no Buddha as we gave up on shopping and headed to "Rialto’s" for a Pizza. They advertised a "Genuine Italian Chef" but he looked a little local to me. Monica greeted the manager and asked if she could speak with the chef, all in Italian the little minx. The look on the guy’s face was priceless. Apparently the Italian chef had the night off.

After dinner we were on the way to the bar area before Monica diverted me into a shop for one last look. Inside and failing to negotiate a price for a reasonably sized Buddha we were making our way to the door when the heavens opened and it poured down. It was bouncing off the streets so we decided it might be a good idea to re-open negotiations. 10 minutes later with no deal and no sign of the rains subsiding, we decided to make a run for it.

We ran down the beach road and ended up near the Encore café. But the bar area was before this surely? We hadn’t spotted the alleyway. We must have passed it in our hurry to get out of the rain. So back we went up the street, this time a little slower to avoid the same mistake and because the rain was easing off. Second time around and we still couldn’t find the alleyway. Is this the curse of the scorned Buddha? I knew we should have bought the bloody thing. A third pass with all kinds of promises to purchase a Buddha before leaving town and we were rewarded with the sight of the alleyway.

Now it was a small matter of choosing the bar. The local ladies were keen to tempt you into their establishments in their usual singing tones. I didn’t want to muck about so it was a quick "This or that one", leaving Monica with the casting vote. "That ones got my bloody new dress as a tablecloth!" she shrieked and we soon settled down for a beer in the "this" one.


Thank Buddha we found the bars.

Day 9 - Panyi Island and the Monkeys

Our lunch stop for the day was at Panyi Island. This is a small fishing village that is built in the sea. Its an odd sight seeing a Karst rock jutting out of the sea with hundreds of houses on stilts attached to it. The Islands population is dominated by Muslim Thai’s, as is much of the region. The Mosque visible in the centre of the town adds to the bizarreness of the scene.


Panyi Village.


Mosque seen in background.

Our lunch was another Thai buffet style affair. The Thai Green curry diluted for our Farang tongues. It was still spicy enough for me. After lunch we were invited to explore the town at our leisure. The first problem was finding the place. The exit of the restaurant was harder to find than one in a Las Vegas casino. No signs anywhere. The exit was a strange doorway that looked like it was a door to a private house.

Immediately on finding the door we wished we hadn’t. We were accosted by a Kathoey armed with a monkey. Its (Don’t know if I should use "he" or "she"?) accomplice was one step behind with another monkey. Before Monica could utter a word they had placed the monkeys on her shoulder. "Baby Monkey feed him" the Kathoey demanded as it/he/she thrust a baby’s milk bottle in her hand. The poor monkey,complete with disposable nappy, looked as bemused as Monica. They encouraged me to take photos before I was there next victim. Then came the demand for money, 200 Baht. You must be joking. I handed over twenty baht. "Two Monkey 200 Baht!". It seemed rude to tell a Kathoey to piss off so I held back and offered a polite "No" with a "hell will freeze over first before I give you a baht more" look. They took the hint and stormed off in search for their next victim.

Monica with baby monkey.

The rest of the village was a similar depressing experience. You could not stand still for two seconds without a street vendor haranguing you for money. Is this the norm for Muslim Thai’s? Or is it the fact that they live on a remote island and see every tourist only as a walking wallet that needs draining of every baht? Whatever, it is an unwelcome change to the typical Thai welcome you receive elsewhere. We headed back to the safety of the Restaurant passing by the unlucky German couple who had just been nabbed by the Kathoey gang.

Back on the boat and we headed back to the main pier. Our next stop would be a visit to the Monkey caves on the mainland. When we arrived Bill warned us not to leave any valuables on display or bags open as we walked amongst the monkeys. They have been known to thieve things that attract them. I was more concerned about any Kathoe gangs and vendors hanging around.

The caves had plenty of monkeys roaming around outside that kept the tourists amused. Inside the cave was a temple, Wat Tham Suwankhuha, or the Heaven Grotto Temple. It features a large reclining Buddha along with other equally impressive statues on display, the best being a golden statue of a Monk up a steep stairway near the reclining Buddha. The back of the caves you can see various spirit flags, the royal seals of many Thai Kings including Rama V, and several hundred bats clinging to the cavern roof.

The reclining Buddha.

Beautiful Monk statue looks so real.

After our visit to the temple it was a short ride up the road to the Raman Forest Park. This is where we could enjoy a refreshing dip in one of the many pools created by the falls along the river. It would have been refreshing too if the weather was nice. Sadly, the rains came pretty much as soon as the van parked up. Not to be deterred we still went for a dip. After a quick change it was time to head back to Ao Nang in a strange mixture of rain and shine.

Enjoying a shower in the rain.

Day 9 - James Bond Island

Today’s trip takes us to the Phang Nga Marine National Park where the Island Ko Phing Kan is located, the famous "James Bond" Island. This island was the base for Scaramanga's (Christopher Lee) lair in the film "The Man with the Golden Gun". Its stunning karst rocks that tower up from the sea make it a favourite snapshot for post cards.

The trip started with a mini bus ride from our hotel. The journey time to the pier was about an hour and a half. To our relief the other passengers were not a bunch of kids. They were a mixed bunch of German and French couples, a Polish family and a classic "Nana" couple, a middle-aged Italian man and his young Thai companion. On the way we picked up our guide for the day, Bill. This was our first encounter with a "Kathoey", the third gender in Thailand. The famous "Lady Boys".

We arrived at the pier to board our Long-Tail boat for the day. This was a much larger vessel than the ones that ply their trade in Ao Nang. Still, it was hardly luxurious as we were sat on the familiar wooden planks. Our captain took us along the river to the open sea passing dense mangrove forests with several channels joining the main waterway. The view was completed with the now familiar karst cliff landscape, which never fails to impress.

Long-Tail boat from Ao Phang Nga.

Our first stop was Ko Phing Kan, James Bond Island. Our initial impression was similar to that of Phi Phi. It was packed with tourists and our Long-Tail boat had to wait before docking at the pier. Things got worse immediately on stepping ashore. The walkway from the pier to the mainland was flanked by souvenir stalls. The vendors were immediately in your face tempting you with all manor of tourist gifts. Their manner was a lot more aggressive than the typical street vendor in Ao Nang. So much for the friendly Thai image.

Monica not impressed with the welcome.

We finally got passed the hawkers with our wallets in tact and headed for the far side of the Island. Here you see the bay made famous by the "Man with the Golden Gun" film, the solitary karst rock tower just offshore. We queued up with the throngs of other tourists to take our snaps. You immediately felt jealous of Scaramanga who had this entire island to himself. What a paradise! We went in search of the arch villain’s headquarters but alas couldn’t find it.

Burkett. Dean Burkett 007 Licence to Kill!

Favourite Bond girl.

We headed back towards the pier as Bill was calling everyone back. However, we made a quick detour into the caves nearby. There is a small cavern that Monica wanted to explore. The only problem was that the cave was too small to allow two people to pass so it took us a while to exit. By that time everyone was on the boat and the captain had had to move aside to let another boat in. We had to clamber over the docked boat to reach ours. Monica almost lost her footing and fell overboard.

Our next stop was a ferry that was being used by the Kayak tour company as a port. Here we accompanied a guide who would paddle us around part of the Marine National Park and through the Mangrove forests. Our disappointment about not being able to paddle ourselves soon vanished, as the sights were breathtaking. Our guide gently paddled us through the forest and into a number of hidden lagoons, most of which required you to lie down to avoid the roof of the small entrance caves. Our guide kept pointing things out and saying "Beautiful Beautiful". He wasn’t wrong.

Deep in the Mangrove Forest.

Inside one of the lagoons.

Obviously on the look out for a tip, our guide thought he was David Bailey as he kept askinf for our camera to take photos of us. In one part of the mangrove forest he took us in a little deeper than the others. He had spotted a jellyfish and wanted us to see it. Great, we see plenty of them buggers in Nerja thank you very much. We then passed a local entrepreneur who had set up a drinks stall in his boat, inside the mangrove forest. He must pay the guides a commission as the entire group went close by and stopped long enough for the man to show you his full range of goods. The tour took around 45 minutes and was well worth doing. Back on the boat and Bill asked, "How was the trip". "Fantastic" was the answer from everyone.

Relaxing inside a cave.

Day 8 - Railay Kayaking

Today we had no planned activities so we decided to head back to Railay beach and do a bit of Kayaking. The distance to Railay is shorter than from Krabbi town. It only takes 15 minutes and costs 80 Baht. You buy a ticket from the office at the end of the beach road. The ever-helpful Pok advised us to only purchase a ticket one way. Those that buy a return ticket have to wait for the same boatman to bring them back which could mean waiting for well over an hour.

We arrived at Railay and decided on having a drink before hiring the kayak. Our favourite bar, The Flame Tree, was showing live pictures of a state funeral taking place. We soon found out that this was for the Kings Sister, who had died at the beginning of the year. Everything that we had seen earlier in Bangkok suddenly became clear. The crowds at the Grand Palace. The avenues gearing up for a fiesta were probably gearing up for a wake.


View of Hat Phra Nang


Rocking.

We hired the Kayaks for 2-hours including snorkelling gear with the possibility of taking an extra hour if we wanted. It was a red-hot day and we didn’t know how long we would last in the afternoon heat. We took the double kayak to the sea and launched before the beach became crowed with Long-tail boats from Ao Nang. We headed towards Hat Phra Nang, first exploring the cliffs that separate it from Rai ley West. This is a great place for rocking, which is made easier by the tranquil waters.


The engine room!


Navigating an over-hang.

After exploring the islands off Hat Phra Nang we headed over towards the Princess cave to see if we could find a place to moor the kayak and go for a snorkel. We found the perfect place in a secret cove. The waters in here looked crystal clear and seemed promising for our snorkelling. Alas, outside the cove the waters were a bit murkier and not as good as around the Phi Phi Islands.


Happy and Bird Nest Islands.


Good parking spot.


Monica snorkelling.

We soon gave up the snorkelling and headed off towards Ao Nang. On the way we spotted a secluded beach where the only other occupants were fellow Kayakers. We stopped off to see if the snorkelling here was any better. A slight improvement but still not close to Phi Phi. Back on the beach and we thought it would be a good idea to explore the forest just off the beach. Within the space of 5 minutes you had left an idyllic beach scene and entered a tropical forest that made you feel a million miles away from the coast. Surreal. It was a bit spooky and we weren’t sure what kind of creatures were lurking around so we didn’t explore too deep.


On the secluded beach.

Our two hours easily became three and we were in danger of needing a fourth hour. We paddled back to Rai Ley West and bit quicker. The promise of a cool beer at the Flame Tree was enough to motivate us to get back on time.


Flame Tree in sight paddle faster!

Day 8 - Railay sunset

After our exertions in the Kayak it was only fair that we had a few beers in our favourite bar. It has fabulous views of the beach and the surrounding karst cliffs. It is also a west-facing beach making it a perfect place to watch the sun go down.

Local playing Frisbee.

Clouds changing the colours of the sunset.

The beach changes character as the sun starts to go down. The last of the die-hard sun worshippers pack up and head for home or the bar. The more active locals and holidaymakers replace them. They set-up football pitches with smaller than 5-aside nets. The volleyball net is pitched. A few other locals enjoy showing off their moves with the Frisbee. The different shades and colours in the sky attract a number of couples who enjoy the last minutes of sunlight by walking down the beach.

Sunset at Railay.

Beautiful colours reflecting off the sea.

It was a beautiful sight and well worth the risk of not catching the last boat home. The last boat is supposed to be at 6pm. However, other boats operate after this time for an extra 20 baht per person. We headed to the shore at around 6-30pm and had a short wait before sailing back to Ao Nang in the dark.

Sailing back to Ao Nang.