Tropical Thai Islands – Part III

Thong Sala pier was full of backpackers heading to Ko Tao after the Full Moon Party craziness. A tiny tropical island of the Central Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand, also know as Turtle Island due to its shape. A paradise for divers owing to budget PADI courses and the number of dive sites with a vast variety of aquatic life.

From Mae Haad pier to our destination we still had 3 km more, so we decided to rent a motorcycle and search for a budget place to stay. After driving from one place to another we finally find one. Bow Thong Bungalows (500 Bath around 13 euros) at Sairee beach.

First morning we skip the traditional noodles and ate muesli&fruit with yogurt on the beach restaurant where we were staying. The view was so beautiful that we decided to enjoy breakfasts there everyday.

Then we set out to explore the southern part of the island, looking for good places to swim and snorkeling. The first beach was Haadtien right next to Freedom Beach.

Later we head to the eastern part, Hin Ngam Bay, Shark bay and Ao Leuk. On our way, we saw a sign board saying “Viewpoint” and made a little detour to check how the views were.
There, we had two options; pay 20 bath to enter the private property or go for free if we consume. It was an easy decision, we bought two beers and stayed for half an hour admiring the seascape.

Evenings were spent in the little town called Sairee Village, a touristic centre with bars, clubs and shops. The most known among backpackers is the Lotus bar with disco parties every night. On the left side of it, there is a narrow street parallel to the beach with many cheap restaurants and cool bars.

Our moment of yūgen was when at 10AM we caught a taxi boat to Nang Yuan Island (around 250 bath round trip). The driver was a funny character, relaxed and always in a good mood. We arrived in fifteen minutes, completely alone and ready for the adventure.
We put our bags next to the rocks, the snorkeling masks on and immediately ran into the water. Shoals of Black, grey and yellow fish were swimming with us. It was really cool!

It finished when the noisy tourists arrived with bags full of food avoiding the only expensive restaurant. By the way, on the entrance we also had to pay extra 100 Bath just to enter, but trust us, it’s more than worth it. Better if you go very early in the morning. 😉

We manage with our taxi driver a returning time to see the sunset from our lovely Sairee beach. Don’t be suspicious! They always come back to pick you up. 🙂 Ahhh… If you get tired of being in the water, check the view point on the left hill or the Japanese gardens on the right.

On our last day we almost didn’t sleep! The storm was so strong that we felt the thunders shaking our bungalow. We woke up at 5 AM and It was raining cats and dogs again. Our boat was leaving at 6:30 AM and we had a long trip ahead of us.

Next destination – Chiang Mai

Start from the beginning…Tropical Thai Islands – Part I
Go back to…Tropical Thai Islands – Part II