Final Destination Ko Phan Nga Thailand or known to us Paradise Island

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12th May 2009

After a toasted sandwich breakfast we completed our packing and caught a taxi to the airport. As we walked into the airport we were greeted by a travel agent tout who informed us that we might need to pre book our transport to the port and then a boat to the island. Going against our practise of doing all our transportation booking ourselves we decided to follow the agent to the travel desk and pay to get everything sorted for us. At the desk we purchased two tickets for a private taxi arrive to be taken taken directly to the port to catch our 4:30pm ferry to Ko Phan Nga. The travel desk seemed very efficient and helpful and we boarded the plane thinking everything was in place for a easy journey to our final destination.

Once again we’d been scammed! On arrival Surat Thani airport I went to the company desk to find out where I could find our driver. The girl at the desk directed me to a guy who took our tickets and directed us to a double-decker coach. I pointed out that we were supposed to be met by a taxi; of course nobody knew anything about this. I went back to the desk and asked the assistant to call the airport office in Bangkok to find out what was going on. Eventually I spoke to the woman who had sold me the tickets (at twice the price as we found out later) and surprise, surprise she now couldn’t speak English although she had been fluent just hours before. I just gave up, I should have known better by now.

On the coach we met up with a couple of brothers from Liverpool, Phil and Martin who were just starting their journey, also sat with us were a couple of girls from Canada, they were also heading toward Ko Phan Nga island. We told them about some of our experiences while on the road and tried to offer a few tips. Phil and Martin seemed really cool guys and they asked if they could tag along with us when we arrived at the island, of course we agreed.

The coach stopped at a town called Donsak where we were told that we had to catch another coach to take us to the ferry. Phil frantically searched for a shop to buy a few beers which he shared out between us. I manage to get a little sleep on the coach to the ferry so the time passed quickly.

We arrived at the port and boarded a huge car ferry. We spent the two plus hour trip watching the massive red sun set over the islands, drinking a few cans purchased from the on board shop and getting to know our new scouser friends

When we arrived at Thong Sala pier on the island of Ko Phan Nga, Pili got talking to a woman called Lorna who happened to be staying at the Sanctuary which is where we were all heading. We suggested that we share a taxi to spread the cost. We all piled into a Sawngthaew (a small, colourful pick up truck with a couple of rows of seats in the back). The journey across the island was quite mountainous but after half an hour we were dropped off near the resort of Hat Rin, we then caught a night water taxi to the beach where the Sanctuary was located. As we smoothly sailed into the night around the island huge storm clouds were building and occasionally the sky was lit up with flashes of lightening making for a spectacular finale journey.

When we arrived the Sanctuary bar was still open and the light from the large TV screen illuminated the beach with a soft glow. We booked into the most basic and cheapest rooms available. This place is based around people coming to meditate and learn yoga, as you can imagine it was all very chilled out. We were lead to our accommodation by one of the bar staff, up the hill, through the jungle and past all the other cabins. All around us the frogs and insects were greeting us with a jungle chorus, I couldn't wait to investigate the surrounding flora and fauna.

Our rooms were basic box rooms with a mattress on the floor and a musty smelling mosquito net, no fan and a very dim light. The rooms were precariously perched on stilts twenty feet above the jungle floor, access was via a flight of very steep, wooden stairs. We were just pleased to have arrived and we agreed we could asses the area better in the morning. First we needed to eat and get a cold beer!

We made our way back down to the bar and tried to order food, unfortunately the kitchen had shut at 10:30pm it was now 10:40pm! We thought these chilled hippies would have a least made a sandwich for tired travellers after a long day on the road. Oh well a cold beer would have be sustenance until the morning.

We sat at the front of the bar overlooking the beach and immediately Phil and Martin were attacked by large black angry ants, and then to add insult to injury the bar closed! We had to laugh, even without food and beer we were still in paradise.

The steep path back to our rooms that had previously been illuminated was now pitch black, the lights were obviously turned off when the bar closed. Genius Pili had a head torch in her bag so I volunteered to lead the way. The bugs and the frogs all sounded much bigger and definitely closer much to my amusement, Pili and I were used to this, Phil and Martin were most definitely not and squealed at every sound, Pili and I were in fits of laughter, these two brother were very funny and we realised that this last two weeks were going to be a lot of fun together. After stumbling around in the dark for what seemed like ages (we got horribly lost) we found our rooms. The humidity was very high and smothering so we sat on the balcony for an hour talking before going to bed.

I slept very little because of the heat and also the chorus of the jungle which I lay marvelling at once again. I realised that this was all coming to an end to quickly, our time was nearly done. I decided to get the most out of it and at first light I got up and with my camera in hand and decided to explore a little and try and find some new beasties. The jungle was all around the site and it was very impressive the way the Sanctuary had been built into the forest on the side of the hill. Down at the beach I watched a early morning fisherman come into shore and just took in the views of the cliffs and the clean sea stretching out to the horizon, only interrupted by a few small islands. I found a new species of bird, the Dollarbird, I was alerted to its presence by the aqua marine blue wing flashes that caught my eye when it flew across my path and up into the palm trees. This bird is about the size of a European Jay and behaves very similar, very intelligent always with an eye open for a opportunity. I was also constantly followed and squawked at by the local Myna birds, I’ll really miss these inquisitive birds that have always been close at hand during our time on the road. I stumbled across a Common Garden Lizard or also known as a Variable Lizard (because of its variable colouring). This gorgeous reptile was clinging to a palm trunk and just sat and watched me as I edged nearer and nearer to get a close up photo.

At 8:00am I bumped into Martin at the bar waiting for the breakfast to start at 8:30am, poor guy was starving. I went back up the hill and showered and caught a couple of hours sleep.

When I woke everybody was up and Pili wanted breakfast. We decided to take a walk over the head land to see what was about. Within ten minutes we stumbled across another bar called the Bamboo Hut which was ran by a loud American guy. The views from the balcony looked over the main beach so Pili and I took breakfast there. Phil and Martin carried on down to the beach for their first dip into the warm sea.
Breakfast was amazing and as we were finishing up a rare Blue Crowned Hanging Parrot flew onto the balcony and proceeded to attack a drinks can that one of the other diners had ordered. This is a very rare bird and one of the two species of hanging parrot in the World. I was elated, now I’ve photographed both species during my travels. (I later found out that the bird belonged to the ‘Big Blue’ bar down at the main beach, I would become firm friends with this feathered beauty).

After breakfast we joined Phil and Martin at the beach below. I decided to see if I could find us any cheaper and better rooms near the main beach as it was much nicer than the beach where we had stayed. The sand was soft like soap powder and the sea was warm, shallow and had no rocks; From the sea looking back at the beach the surrounding hills were covered in lush green jungle (I spent hours sat in the warm water with my friends just watching the jungle canopy and listening to the birds) it was also the place to catch a water taxi if we needed to go anywhere.

The ‘Big Blue’ bar that was right on the beach, it seemed to be the place to be. I quickly secured us all a deal from the manageress of the ‘Big Blue’ for two bungalows (400bhat per night, we paid 700bhat at the Sanctuary) we immediately went back to check out of the Sanctuary. Thankfully we caught a boat around the headland and moved into our new rooms, the walk with our bags just seemed to much bother and the humidity and heat would have written us off. We had no hills to climb in the dark, a fan and bathroom and we were just a few hundred feet from the sea, PEEEEEEERFECT!

We spent our first full day on the beach or in the beautiful sea and making friends. Everybody was very cool; especially Phil and Martin, they were text book Scousers and I’ve never met a Liverpudlian I didn’t like, I think they have the funny gene.

Late in the afternoon Pili and Martin joined in with a game of beach volley ball, Phil an I decided we’d be better off as observers plus we had some serious sunbathing to take care of and you have to be serious about these things!

Later in the afternoon I went for a little siesta and Pili was joined by the two girls who had recommended the island to us whom we met in Bangkok.

In the evening we ate at the ‘Big Blue’, we all had an amazing Thai Green Curry and then chilled out to watch a movie on the big screen. I think we’ve found our perfect paradise which we had hoped for to while away our last days away from home, we love Ko Phan Nga.

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