Aonang and transfer to Koh Phangan

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Wednesday 21 February 2018

Our last full day in Aonang. Weather hot and sunny.

An easy day today. We left the room at 10.45 am and headed up the coast.

We watched the world go by at the port area for a while. We have been very patiently waiting and watching for someone to fall in the water as they get in or out of a boat, but sadly it hasn't happened.

So, after being disappointed again, we walked along the beach and headed to one of the posh bars for a drink. A small Chang and a pineapple juice.

Then back along the front to Anchor Blue for a drink and some lunch. Thai food today. All very nice.

Then returned to the room for 2.15 pm. Pat packed and I gave moral support. After which Pat went for a well deserved massage.

At 7 pm we left the room and went straight to Signature restaurant. One of the nicer looking places, that we had not managed to visit yet. Pat had a burger and I had chicken satay sticks and some things like wontons. Lovely food and I had a peppermint green lemonade Italian soda, which was very well presented.

Then our final night walk up to the coast. Busy as ever. A stroll back and returned at 9.15 pm. A few more things now packed.

Aonang was full on. I have never seen so many different nationalities in one location. Chinese probably being the largest. The resort is not tawdry but it is tacky. There are no girlies bars that we saw. Lots of massage parlours - for massages. Souvenir shops galore and loads of restaurants. It can be described as family friendly

Thursday 22 February 2018

Minibuses, coaches and fast ferries today as we move from Aonang to Koh Phangan.

We woke and started to move just before 9 am. Showered and packed the last items.

Then suitcases to reception, we were due to be picked up at 11 am from the hotel, so the plan was to get some breakfast to set us up for the day, as we were uncertain when we might get food.

We checked out, which took but a moment and went over to Cafe 8.98.

Pat ordered eggs benedict with salmon and I had Spanish style omelette with peppers. Plus coffees and water.

We still had plenty of time, so got takeaway drinks at Starbucks and killed some more time.

Then across the road to the hotel to wait. We saw the lady at Me Mee to say goodbye and the minibus arrived at 11.05 am. First one's on the bus and off we went. Several other pickups and arrived at Lompraya bus station in Krabi at 11.50 am. All disembarked.

Checked in for the next stage and boarded our coach from Krabi to Surat Thani. Left at 1244 pm.

The coaches are the big two level one's. We headed upstairs to get the view. The coach steadily ploughed along the road and we arrived at the Lompraya Port area in Surat Thani at about 3.30 pm.

A melee of people were at the port and the fast ferry goes to Koh Tao, then Koh Samui, and finally Koh Phangan. The main thing to point out that not only is it lots of people, but everybody has luggage! They load the boat in last port first, in order for the luggage to be removed easier at each arrival.

To be fair the Port staff know what they are doing, even if the passengers don't! What happens is that the Koh Samui people are trying to be at the front of the queue along with everybody else and they just end up getting in the way when the different ports are called, because they are going to be the last to board. Like most things they sort themselves out.

Once on board we encountered some rude Russians, nothing new there then and managed to find a seat. It was quite busy and not may seats were spare.

We arrived at the two ports before us and the passengers and their luggage disembarked. Some passengers did join, but not as many as left.

On arrival at Koh Phangan, we disembarked with our luggage and found a taxi straight away, who gave the price we were told to expect.

We arrived at our accommodation the L'Alcove and as we got out of the taxi, someone came out of the restaurant across the road which is the same outfit and showed us to our villa.

We dumped stuff and Pat had a quick shower, when my turn came the power went off. So we went to the restaurant any way to get drinks and possibly food.

They cook mainly on gas so cooking wasn't a problem, the candles were lit and we had our torches.

Pat had duck breast and I had Thai vegetable spring rolls. All excellent.

Back to the room and then the power kicked in and I had a shower then to bed.

Friday 23 February 2018

A slow start to the day. Our accommodation is all hammocks and futons in style, so very mellow and also very French.

We took a very slow start to the day and eventually went to reception about 11.30 am to find all the in's and out's. Nadege the young French lady manager was very helpful and we sorted out a few of our queries successfully and she told us the things she needed to. We are in our room for three nights, then being “upgraded” as work is being done on it and we will move to another.

Following that we took a stroll heading North to see what was about.

We already sort of knew, but everything is much more strung out here, so we decided not to keep walking after walking a fair way as it was not achieving much. We had walked by a quite big 7eleven and on the way back, bought supplies and a snack lunch.

Back to the room with our goodies about 1.30 pm. We ate our lunch and chilled for a while, then took a walk at 3 pm to explore South for a short way, then to walk out on the sand bank we had seen.

It was only knee high and then got shallow again as we walked on to the sand bank.

At the beach is a handy beach bar called Freeway and we stopped to rehydrate. Then ambled back to the room.

At 7.30 pm we left the room, it was raining just a little. We headed across the road to Fish Pacific for our dinner. It threw it down once we got there. They have an extensive menu and the food was alright. As it was raining a little when we were leaving, our moonlit walk down the beach was cancelled and we just went back to the room.

Saturday 24 February, 2018.

A feeling of rain in the air and in fact it did several times during the day.

A slow start as we were off to Thong Sala, the main town on the island, south of us. We left at 11 am and started walking in the general direction. There is taxi mafia on the island, so no buses, but the Taxi bus thing costs 150 baht per person (£3.20) to town.

Not long and a taxi came along which we flagged down and off we went. The other passenger was a German girl covered in plasters because of a motorbike accident.

Town is only 10 / 15 minutes and we were dropped in the centre. We wandered around. We came across the Lomprayah Fast Ferry drop off and pick up place. Which is not at the Port. So we had a drink in a cafe opposite to watch what was happening. The coaches took people away and it quietened down, so we went over to try and book our next journey, from Koh Phangan to Bangkok.

As always Pat had done prior research, but the Ferry office couldn't book what we wanted so came away to think of possible alternatives.

The actual Port area was not far we went and we watched a fast ferry and two car ferries come in. Talked to an Austraian guy on the quayside for a while.

Our ambling continued and lunch time arrived. Pat spotted a place called Soho, full of Europeans and thumpy music, the menu looked ok.

Pat ordered a chicken burger and I ordered chicken & mushroom pie with mash potatoes and gravy. Sometimes the food you get is nothing like what you imagined when you order. But this was spot on and excellent.

We headed around to the Port Area again and came across a ship out of water. No information was at the site, but it turned out to be LST713. An ex American Landing Ship Tank craft that was built in the second world war and saw service at Iwo Jima. Managed to survive several attempts to scrap it and now a museum piece.

The rain interfered a little as we wandered and at 3.15 pm we found a taxi to take us home.

After stopping the taxi we noticed that Mr Hinkong, the travel office next door was open. Nobody was in but we went in and the guy from the restaurant came over. Looks like he is Mr Hinkong.

He seemed to be able to book what we wanted and we paid and will collect train tickets tomorrow. Back in the room at 4 pm.

After a quiet afternoon we left the room at 7.30 pm and went over the road to Fish Pacific, Mr Hinkong's place and had our dinner.

Then a stroll along the beach which we had tried to do last night and back to the room at 9 pm.

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