Tuesday 19th January
Today we are heading to Koh Lipe. We’ve only met one person so far that is heading there, and no one who has been. Martin was in the dorm here with us before he went Koh Lipe.
Our pick up was at 10.30am, well due then and arrived at about 10.45am (not bad!) already on board were a couple of Brits, two French, and two Germans. We threw our bags on the roof and waved goodbye to the lovely folks who had looked after us the past few days. We had to make one more stop before heading to the pier, we collected two older Swedish couples from a super fancy resort. They weren’t very impressed trying to get their suitcases on the roof, and instead waited for the hotel concierge to do it. They then had to squeeze into seats which fit around 2 people and a single butt cheek. The rear boot was left open for them to have a little more leg room which they found just all to exciting, and started a photo shoot. Once at the pier we grabbed an iced coffee and a pain au chocolat for the journey.
We then had to go through various ticket booths changing, exchanging, claiming and collecting various tickets and vouchers for our journeys and baggage, and finally we were allowed to sit still for two minutes to eat. We were then bundled on to the speed boat, and true to its booking confirmation, it was a speed boat. Ben and I claimed two of the hard formed plastic seats, I used my life jacket as a bit of padding to try and make it a little more comfortable. Our luggage followed. We were set. The boat was full, but each person had a seat which was rather nice (and novel for SEAsia). I forgot to mention how exceptional our pastries and coffees were! Recommended for anyone down at the pier!
As our new journey began, our headphones plugged in and we kicked back. We hadn’t been travelling that long (perhaps an hour) when we were stopping. In what appeared to be the middle of the ocean! Up next to us pulled a long tail boat. It did cross my mind that he could have been a pirate or bandit, but most likely was collecting a passenger and taking them to a neighbouring island. Exactly that.
We then continued about 40 minutes further before stopping again. This time we were at a beach and slowed down on the approach. The water was crystal. It was beautiful. I wanted to get in. The boat turned around and reversed towards the beach, a couple of long tail boats were kissing the shore. After the passengers dismounted we were off again. Next stop…..Koh Lipe. We arrived just after 3pm. Not that its needed, but #nofilter has never felt so satisfying! It was too beautiful for words.
The water here at Pattaya Beach was very shallow (low tide) so the boat was having to navigate the reef and marine life below. Quite a challenge with such a large boat! It was so gorgeous, Ben and I were both delighted that we had made the journey to come down here. Once at the beach we all disembarked and waiting on the white flour like dust that was trying to be sand for the boat guys to unload our bags and walk it to shore. People are just as impatient in this situation in this most beautiful place on earth as they are in grey London gatwick knowing they have to go back to work tomorrow. It was the mad baggage belt at an airport scenario. The Swede’s topped this list. They were desperate to load their long tail up and leave. I guess they were staying in one of the big resorts on the other side of the island.
Once we had our bags we headed to our hostel. A+ was new, only open for three months and whilst we didn’t have a reservation I’d seen a promotion of their Facebook page which suggested they had space, so we headed there. The island wasn’t cheap, but was no more than the rest of the west coast island. Don’t be fooled into thinking Thailand is cheap anymore folks. Especially not in the desirable months. The hostel was really nice. A capsule concept with both single and double capsules, communal bathroom and a little common room downstairs with TV and plenty of DVD’s.
We quickly dumped our stuff and bolted back to the beautiful powder beach that we had arrived on. We laid out our virtually new beach mats and soaked up the last of the afternoon sun. Ben didn’t waste any time in jumping into the sea. And once he tag teamed me, I was allowed in too. It was so warm, like bath water. And apparently very clear, I didn’t try it though. I wasn’t feeling so much of a pro today. I’ve never seen water so incredible. Fishes swam around my feet and crabs burrowed into the sand. Everything was just wonderful right about now!
We stayed on the beach whilst the sun set and then strolled back through the town stopping for a sweet treat before we managed to squeeze in a little snooze back at the hostel.
This evening we decided to walk the whole of walking street. It had really come alive! We headed right when we reached the cross roads (beach is left) and ended up walking all the way to the other side of the islands beaches. The street was lined with restaurants, bars and trinket and tour shops, all competing for the tourists wallets! One restaurant in particular caught my eye….the were selling huge fish kebabs but that was to be put on the back burner til tomorrow as Ben had his eye on another place which he had read about called Pooh’s. As in, Winnie The. Pooh’s was one of the oldest, most original places on the island which still used and excelled in delivering the original vintage recipes. Their board outside advertised live music on tonight too which sealed the deal. They were particularly famous for a type of curry that they did, so I of course had that, and Ben ordered another staple – Green curry, and as ever we shared spring rolls. Mine was absolutely delicious, so much flavour in that one bowl of orange delight! Like, galangal, chilli, garlic….all the standard items you’d find in a Thai curry, just blended slightly differently and doused in coconut milk. It was the best curry I’d had in a while! 
During dinner Ben asked what time the band were playing, only to be told that they were playing to,or row. Darn it. That would have made us come tomorrow instead and have the fish skewers tonight! Never mind. There were a few spots of rain during dinner, and luckily that’s all that they were as we were outside and uncovered!
After dinner we took a walk down the other end of walking street where by now the street was really busy and plenty more shops had opened up selling crafts, clothes and other local fashions. There was a man playing piano in one restaurant so we stopped outside to listen for a few minutes before continuing down to the beach itself. Along the beach various restaurants had expanded out onto the sand tossing cushions and low tables out for whoever wished to fall there. The obligatory fire show man was out twiddling his hot sticks, though not particularly well. There wasn’t much of an atmosphere down at the beach, despite being 10.30pm so we headed back up into the town where a bar had opened around sunset o clock on the crossroads by our hostel. It was called Maya. It was a very bohemian place, with floor cushions, bean bags, hammocks, no shoes and lights that were encapsulated in twig cages. The light was gorgeous….the kind that would be nice to have at home in the garden!
The bar tender was a little bit doolally but harmless nonetheless, he sand a song that had the lyrics ‘It’s the chicken that we fry fry fry, it’s the chicken that we are frying deep’. Perhaps he was just a little excitable! We opted to sit at the bar on stool which were tall tree trunks topped with bath mats! A unique use for them! The bar tender told us how he was in Koh Lipe working for the season and couldn’t wait to get home to his wife in Bangkok, bless him! We stayed for a couple of drinks and called it a night.
Wednesday 20th January
Eurgh! Snore off!! We have a room mate like no other, comes in drunk obviously lies on his back and snores. Snores like no other. Leaves his curtain open and is half hanging out of his pod anyway and snores. And bizarrely comes home with pockets full of coral – highly illegal! Once snore-a-Saurus Rex got up & went out, we managed to catch a little sleep.
Around 11.30am we headed out to a beach on the opposite side of the island to where we had landed, everything is walkable and didn’t take us long. The water was pretty choppy round here, and the water seemed a little dirtier, though I think anything would have looked dirty compared to yesterday’s! This side of the island there were two smaller islands nearby which you could kayak over to, that’s what we came for. Though on arrival at the beach we took a walk to try and find some kayaks…..to no avail. Bummer. I am now totally going to photo spam because, well, I just couldnt get enough of this place. I want to stay here forever.
The two islands were full of lush green forests, the beach we were walking on was more of the powder white dust, and the sea in between a glorious turquoise – the perfect blend of greens and blues. It was a scorching hot day without a cloud in the sky so we decided to play safe and pitched up under the protection of a little palm tree in front of a resort that was made up of beach front bungalows and villas. It looked fabulous, and what a view. Well, bar the two scraggly backpackers that had just pitched up centre of the frame! A few long tail boats were bobbing around in the water as well as a white boat which I assumed someone at the resort owned and arrived on!
Martin from our hostel happened to walk by and stopped for a chat. He was off on a boat trip this afternoon….we asked him to report back to see whether or not it’s something we should do tomorrow.
Once it reached around 3pm we headed back to the town to grab some late lunch. We walked a slight back way and ended up on a different part of the main street. The walk took us through the local houses where kids were playing, gardeners were chopping down what appeared to be everything, men were sleeping, laundry was hanging and life was continuing as normal. It was hot. Too hot for real life chores!
We stopped at a little shack near to the other beach. Neither of us were very impressed with our food unfortunately. Whilst the beach we spent the morning on was beautiful, we both preferred the sea of Pattaya beach so spent the rest of the afternoon there. This time pitched up under a tree where the public shower was. It provided a nice little cold splash of water to cool off in the burning heat! One more unwelcome user was a rather large Italian man. He had a big round belly, and tiny pants which he had rolled even smaller to fashion into a thong.
When I looked up there was a old hairy white Italian bum above me. And when I thought it couldnt get worse, he then proceeded to pull the front of his pants lose and spray the shower down there! Some things are just not meant for public places. That was most definitely one of them!
Locals unloaded supplies onto the beach from long tail boats arriving at the end of the afternoon which were quickly carted off to various locations of the island. The sun set a gorgeous orange colour straight into the sea, perfect.
On our walk back to the hostel, restaurants were getting for the evenings service. One place had a cat helping out. Well, not exactly helping. Just chilling out. On the scales! Was kind of ironic as he was sat on the scales of a fish counter but couldn’t have looked more disinterested in the fish if he tried!
We didn’t got for dinner til bout 9pm. We went to the place where the pianist was playing last night….no fish skewers for me! A guitarist joined him. Neither of whom were particularly good! I ordered a Greek salad with chicken and a side of fries and Ben went for a pizza. Both were delicious. Thank god! The bar was busy, they had games for you to play, and was decorated with all sorts of eclectic items.
It was a nice place to be….just a shame about the shoddy music. Once we had eaten and listened to more than we wanted to we decided to go home. There was a TV and DVD player, and Ben had seen that they had Pan which we both wanted to see. Just as we got back two girls had put a movie on. It was Pan! Winner.
For anyone who hasn’t yet seen it, it’s great. Well, the bit that we saw was. The owner came in and told us that he wanted to go to bed so we had to turn it off! So we are still yet to see the final 40 minutes. I’m hoping that it will be on one of our flights!
eat drink travel smile 
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