Ko Phayam: Day 10 to 19

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From Bangkok, I headed to Ko Phayam.

As I have been to Thailand before, my goal for this trip has been to explore the less explored places and Ko Phayam fit the bill well.

After a flight to Ranong and a short speedboat ride to the island, I arrived at this idyllic island.

Close to the Myanmar border, Ko Phayam is an island of about 17 Square KM and a population of about 600+. And tourist population in season ranges from 100-200.

My first impression upon arriving at the place of stay was everyone seems to know each other, even the tourists. And the reason was simple, tourists end up staying long here.

I had initially planned 4 nights of stay including couple of days where I had to do some work calls. But one look at the Long Beach (Aow Yai) and I knew I will spend more time here.

I ended up spending 8 nights on the island, building a simple routine of walking the beach, swimming, eating healthy and watching sunsets (the island has a party every night, but for me the nature was the best party).

While the waters here (Andaman Sea) had some baby jellyfish (they hardly sting but you can feel them), the waves are very calm and almost feels like a pool.

The bird life around the island is superb, you will easily see Hornbills, Peacocks and other species around.

My hostel was also super social with ping pong, chess and people just hanging out.

When you stay slightly longer at a place and slow down, you observe people, understand what they are going through, make friends. It's a good change of pace when one travels long.

The best part of Ko Phayam were the sunsets. Each day was different and each day was magical.

I think I have found a little beach getaway from India which remains non-touristy and if it remains like this, I may come back here sometime just to relax.

In the meantime, the journey continues.

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Photos

Long Beach (Aow Yai)
Long Beach (Aow Yai) at Ko Phayam

These trees at the beach protect the island
Trees protecting the island from any natural disasters

Sunset at Ko Phayam
Sunsets, nature at its best

Sunset at Ko Phayam
The photographer in me was happy

Sunset at Ko Phayam
Play of lights

Comments

[Emory Campbell]

Absolutely loving your journey through Ko Phayam! Your vivid descriptions and the adventures you're embarking on are truly captivating. It's amazing to see how much one can explore and experience in just a few days in such a beautiful place. Your storytelling has genuinely inspired me to consider adding Ko Phayam to my travel bucket list. On a different note, have you ever thought about exploring cultural heritage sites in the US? Specifically, Gullah Heritage on Hilton Head Island, S.C., offers a unique insight into African-American history and culture. It could be an intriguing contrast to your current adventures. What are your thoughts on this?

[WonderYears]

Gullah Heritage
Hey thanks for your comment and adding Ko Phayam to your travel plans. I hadn't explored Gullah Heritage, looks interesting. Will learn more about it and some day explore it.