Koh Lipe is the most southerly island on the west coast of Thailand. We did not know what to expect regarding the crowd as we had met people who warned us about tourism but Koh Lipe was still off the radar a few years back. After a 2h ride on a speedboat, leaving behind majestuous mountainous islands (Koh Lipe is part of the Koh Tarutao archipelago made of 51 islands), we arrived on this small flat island - big enough to have a few walks around and get tired enough to rest on the white sandy beaches or enjoy a bath in the crystal clear blue/green water. Indeed, Koh Lipe is just a beauty! We stayed away from the main beach and stayed very close to the fishermen village where locals do not look so thai yet. It was indeed settled by a band of sea gypsies originally from Malaysia, known as the 'Chao Ley' people. Funny enough, we could see big flat TV screens in the middle of empty bungalows made of wood and tole. It looked very contradictious but shows the importance of technology in Asia, even remotely. We enjoyed our first thai dishes such as mango sticky rice, green papaya salad, green curry...and of course fish and seafood! We also started our massage therapy with a soft one - the oil massage (for my 28th birthday...). What a life!
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| With my mummy (my parents joined us to enjoy south Thailand) |
We left a fairly small island to explore one of the biggest island in Thailand: Koh Lanta Yai (Koh Lanta archipelago is made of 52 islands). The main island is made of 2 parts, with only the south one able to host backpackers and tourists. We ended up staying right on the beach in a bar in the middle of the Blackmoon and alike parties, which are far from being insane, so it was actually ok. Zak, Tawan and their son were very friendly hosts and Thierry got to go sea kayak fishing with Zak at dusk. They went first for squids to catch bigger fishes (snappers...), not too big though as it was only a kayak! We also got our second massage - thai style this time and ouch we suffered... but this was good! The island is not the 'paradisiacal kind' of island but very charming with its varieties of landscapes: West for long beaches, South for nature lovers and East for a bit more traditions with mangroves and small villages. Indeed, on the east side, you can also experience the Chao lai culture (see fact below). Other activities have been scuba diving in caves, moto tours to discover the different parts of the island, among which the north part (crossed the sea/river with a little boat). A little story for those who would adventure themselves like we did on empty beaches. Do not wander on an empty beach in Thailand. If empty, there is necessarily a reason... We got beaten by hundreds of sandy mosquitoes. 3 days of itchiness like I never experienced! Anyway, we still recommend Koh Lanta which has a more backpacking style than others islands...
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| Blackmoon party... Cute. |
The 'Sea Gypsies' or 'Chao Ley' are an austronesian ethnic group (Indo-Malay origins) with about 2,000 to 3,000 members who maintain a nomadic, sea-based culture and speak their own language. They are very good boatmen, skilled fishermen and excellent divers. The core of their culture has developped around the sea and shore environment.
We stayed in Krabi town to stay away from the crowd of Ao Nang and it was a really good choice as it is a lively town with a nice food market and little bars. A 2-day moto tour in the region well-known for its rocks emerging from the sea. Stunning! We did go and have a look at Railay beaches that you can only reach by 'longtails' (boat). Very nice but just for a few hours and early morning as after I leave you imagine the scene... We gave a miss to a short visit on the island of Koh Phi Phi as Krabi was already far too much for us regarding tourism.
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| Longtail boats |
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