On to the Andaman Sea

I am glad I had a taste of the beach – I love the beach. I could have spent a month on the beach! A beach isn’t just a beach that could be anywhere – different beaches really do have different characters. That’s what travel is all about! So, as I stare at the surf of the Atlantic from the South Fork of Long Island (which ranks right up there with great beaches of the world, if you ask me), I can reminisce about my last morning on Ko Samui, where I went for a walk along the beach and then for a swim, and then I spent more time in the hammock until it was time to go. It was hard to leave – I really liked the feel of it and of the Free House. It would have been nice to get around a little more, maybe circumnavigate the whole island – but it didn’t even occur to me to think about renting a car or other motorized vehicle. I may have foregone Peace Corps budget travel, but was still adhering to that Peace Corps rule! Then again, had I stayed longer, I might have just spent more time staying where I was!

Good thing I was going to another beach! And good thing I was flying rather than spending another travel day crossing the peninsula – Thailand looks skinny but I know it would have taken a while. As a bonus, I was able to spend some time at Bangkok Air’s Ko Samui boutique airport. It had some nice shops; I still hadn’t done a lot of shopping. If I’d have known, I might have left for the airport earlier!



It was a short flight to Krabi – I am glad I decided to get a taste of both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. I then took a shuttle bus to the Krabi bus station, where I bought a ticket for the overnight bus for Thursday night – that had been part of the original plan and there really wasn’t a reason to change it. Then I took a taxi to the pier, where I waited for a while for a longtail boat to Railay (there’s no schedule – they just leave when there are enough people) – not an island but a part of Krabi that is accessible only by boat, and one that Lonely Planet gave high marks to and Rough Guide said had the nicest beaches in the area. While I waited, I made a friend.




Again, off-the-beaten-track, though well-known for climbing. Still, not a lot of development – a few hotels and restaurants and shops, but quiet. It was a short walk across the neck from East Railay, where the boat dropped me off, to West Railay, where the nicer beaches and hotels are. And the beach was stunning – a quiet cove framed by tall limestone outcrops. I stayed in a resort that I’m sure the books would say is popular with families – that is, it was populated with families! Ko Samui had that island vibe, but Railay had it beat in the scenery department – I took pictures with my cell phone and sent them to family and friends back home. Breathtaking. I took a walk along the soft sandy beach, went in the calm, clear water, watched the setting sun, had dinner by the water, did a quick internet check (the more off-the-beaten-track you get, the more expensive it is – I let everything that could wait until I got back to Bangkok wait!) and then had a Thai massage.