Island Hopping - Andaman Sea
After an amazing time in Thailand's north, I took a plane and flew down south to work on my tan ;)
My destination was Phuket, mainly because it is a good starting point for traveling around the Andaman sea and I just stayed in Phuket Town for one night. I realized that the city itself is very different from cities in the north, you immediately realize the Chinese and Muslim influences when walking through the streets. However, since I only stayed for less than 24 hours, I can't judge if Phuket is nice or not.
My next stop was pretty close to paradise though. I took a longtailboat towards Koh Yao Noi, an island about 1,5 hours from Phuket. My travelguide stated that the island has experienced a steep increase in tourism and that it isn't a quite hideaway anymore- well what can I say- I met only 2 other tourists on the island :D
The beach was great for long walks during low tide.
The place was totally calm, I couldn't even find a partner for a round of seashell-chess!
I loved the place, and can definitely recommend staying at the Koh Yao Seaview Bungalows. The family which owns the place, is so extremely nice, they always gave me free fruit and drove me to the pier or the supermarket free of charge.
After Koh Yao Noi, I left to Ao Nang because I wanted to see the famous Phi Phi Islands. I booked a tour which first lead me to Bamboo Island.
White, soft sand and incredible turquoise water paired with about 500 tourists :D It was nice anyways!
Next stop was the infamous Maya Bay (Leonardo Di Caprio's "the beach")
The bay itself is truly beautiful but you can't really enjoy the scenery due to all the boats and tourists who stop there. It is sad that this island is part of a national park but no one really cares about preserving the nature and limit tourism.
We stopped at a reef to do some snorkeling before heading back home. It was a very nice day but it also made me think about tourism and the way it can damage a whole area.
After Ao Nang it was time for another island and it was hard to pick one of the many islands in the andaman sea. I opted for Koh Lanta ( once again my tourist guide predicted that it would be full of tourists) and I found absolute peace and relaxation. The place was completely deserted and I had a huge beach all to myself.
It might not have been the cleanest beach or the softest sand but I loved it nevertheless! After one day of chilling, I booked a snorkeling tour to Koh Ngai and this was even closer to paradise- no words needed!
However every dream-day must come to an end. If you are in Koh Lanta, I can recommend the Baan Rim Lay. It is owned by a Thai family and they rent out 3 bungalows right next to the beach at decent prices. Don't be scared off by their "reception" - it is a lovely place!
After my time at Kho Lanta came to an end, it was time to change the cost and explore the gulf of Thailand!
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