Koh Lipe

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The first thing that I noticed as our ferry arrived at Koh Lipe was the clarity of the water. Even though we were anchored off shore awaiting a long tail boat to pick us up, we could see every rock and fish that was below the surface. At each of the three beaches on this island, the water is so clear that you can actually make out the individual grains of sand beneath your feet. Added to this, every day the weather was idyllic for such a location - warm, clear skies and a gentle breeze.

We spent our days at beautiful Koh Lipe either swimming, reading on the beach, dozing on the beach or eating beautiful food. We stayed the first two nights at Sunlight Beach, which was always calm in the afternoon with shade provided from the palm trees. On our second day we decided to walk the length of this beach and check out the various places of accommodation along the way. When we arrived at the Mountain Resort, I was nearly knocked off my feet from shock when a voice asked, "So, what happened to China?" It was Jens, one of the Swedes who was in our berth for the sleeper train to Hanoi! We had a quick chat and agreed to meet up for dinner that night. We went to the beachside restaurant (it is actually on the beach) at Forra Dive and I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and time together. I hope to meet up with them again one day, maybe even in Stockholm? The squid that I had for dinner was without a doubt the best squid I have ever eaten, as it was so tender and full of flavour. Mmm, I'm nearly salivating just thinking about it now...

For our next two nights we decided to move to the middle of the island to a place called 'Pooh's' (after eating at a restaurant on Koh Lanta called 'Mr Wee's', we couldn't help but laugh at the link here). This accommodation offered us a mosquito net over the bed, which was a much needed item that our last place didn't have. Although the atmosphere was good, it was above our budget and during the heat of the day the stench from the village was ever-present. Therefore, for our last 3 nights we moved into a tent on Pattaya Beach for only 200 Baht (about $7 AUD) per night. The sand at Pattaya Beach really must be walked upon to be able to fully comprehend how soft it is. The texture was like walking on flour. We thoroughly enjoyed our days on this beach, enjoying a 'Lipe Sunset' cocktail on our last night there, just as the sun was setting over the horizon from our vantage point on the beach out the front of the 'Reggae Bar'. By this point of our stay on the island, I was so relaxed and felt a calmness throught me which told me I was definitely prepared to tackle the next phase of our journey - China.

There was a restaurant in the middle of the island called 'Banana Tree' which would show a movie each night, which you could watch as long as you ate there. This was a perfect scenario for us, which became even better when we ordered a banana fritter each upon our first visit. What we assumed would simply be a single banana could not have been further from the truth. What we received were eight small bananas with chocolate dipping sauce...a delectable delight! I must admit that I felt rather gluttonous and ill by the end of the movie, but it was well worth it.

Koh Lipe was a terrific place to unwind and recharge our batteries (so to speak). The hectic pace of South East Asia was not evident here and with only the occasional motorbike to contend with, the absence of traffic noise was bliss. I am looking forward now to flying into Xiamen to begin our first ever adventure into China.

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