Saturday, January 24, 2009

Beach time #2 - Koh Lipe

Resort - Bundhaya
Bungalow, breakfast buffet included, complimentary bottled water

Koh Lipe, part of the Tarutao National Marine park and as far south as you can get without becoming Malaysia, is one of the most beautiful islands on the planet. It's small - one can walk it in a day via sandy paths that criss cross between beaches and headlands. It's also discovered - there are lots of resorts on all levels, as well as bars and restaurants and shops. Our place was medium on the price and amentity scale, and down at the end, but it was large with little alpine-styled chalet bungalows lined on "streets" cheek by jowl, and it catered to grouops, so it's wasn't all that quiet. Again no mosquito net - glad we brought our own, even though ity's a challenge to figure out how to set it up - this time we attqached it to the curtain rail - which was fine when the curtains were closed.
The sand on Koh lipe is powder fine and white - it's like walking on bread-flour - and the water is toothgel green. We were on the largest beach, where most of the action took place - great at night when we could pick and choose where to eat - great in the morning too as we went for a pre-breakfast jog and could pace the length of the beach - about 1km each direction.

After our run we'd eat a leisurely breakfast and watch all the action of boats going out and boats coming in. Speedboats, which act as ferries, stay out in the bay as the beach is so shallow. You must walk out into the water to put yourself and your luggage into a long-tailed boat which then takes you out to the ferry, so there's lots too-ing and fro-ing for the half hour or so before each trip. There are also day trips - the place is a snorkelling, diving and fishing centre.
Then we'd prepare for our day on the beach and would set off across the island, stopping for a latte or espresso (the resort had lousy coffee) on the way. We'd pick a beach and set up on mats and hammocks, set to read and swim and lounge until the setting sun called us home - washing the salt off and putting on proper clothes. The food is a little spicier in the south and we'd need a mango lassi or Chang beer to cool our throats. We'd watch the stars come out and commune with a few of the hundreds of soulful cats and dogs that haunt the island and that hover around tables hoping for handouts but having to settle for a little bit of loving from us instead (petting only the un-mangey ones).

Every night we'd pass the same small boy who'd be on the beach practicing his fire dancing - twirling a long baton lit at both ends. He was pretty good, able to twirl behind his back and under his legs, but his only audience was two or three similarly aged friends and the odd dog - and us. He deserved more.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

My God, how did you get that photo of Teddy?
:-)

Martin said...

Shri,

didnt you know that teddy would often just fly in for the day... on another note I was wondering if you knew what happened to Janice Ungaro?

mart

Unknown said...

Marty,
I am surprised I never noticed Ted was gone and that his delicate digestive system was in a state after the jaunts to see you so you must have taken good care of him.
Now the name Janice Ungaro is a blast from the past, isn't it? I had to google her and see that she has been working as a radio producer in L.A. Did you have a close encounter with her in Asia? Did you know her personally in Vancouver?
On a totally different topic: is that an HBC blanket behind you in the photo? And if it is, what a lovely homage to the motherland although somewhat bittersweet now that HBC is no longer Canadian.
Have a safe trip home!
Shriny

Martin said...

yes that is an HBC blanket in homage to the mothership... in 24 hours we'll be on the plane back and I cant wait to have some luvverly cold weather.... threw out our disgusting travelling clothes today - J almost passed out when I took my aged running shoes off today to go inside a temple

Jenny said...

J on the other hand is steeling herself to go back to the cold - she's been loveing this warm waather - able to wear short sleeves day and night - what's not to love?

Unknown said...

Well just for your return home, I have arranged for a solid week of rain. :-) And we have been sleeping with our HBC blanket (God bless it!) on top of our winter duvet, but we keep our house "British" at night.
I chuckled at your shoes off before the temple reference. Your writing has brought back memories of my trip to SE Asia and one of them was how my traveling companion almost died laughing at the horrid rubber shoes I was forced to wear at the palace in Bangkok. I had sandals with no back strap on so had to remove them and don men's shoes - of course my central European feet are so much larger than Asian woman feet. The shoes were hideous, but apparently entertaining for others. I also have a mangy dog image in my head that I'll have to tell you about in person as it is too disgusting to relate in the public domain.
Have a safe journey home.
Shriny