Friday 24th Feb
By 10 30 we were motoring away from Koh Panyee with the mainsail up, the intention being to head straight for Koh Phanak, the island we had first visited when we began our Phang Nga Bay excursion earlier in the month. Looking at the map, however, I noticed we would be passing near to Koh Khai and remembered it as a place that was highly recommended in the Hong guide that Jack had given us. Paul made a quick course change and we arrived there at midday. Koh Khai is shaped a bit like a snail when looked at from a distance and the nearer we got to it the prettier it looked.
The guide stated that we might need to swim into the Hong, which was fine by me as I was really feeling the effects of the heat by then. Paul rowed us over to it while filming and commentating with the GoPro which is proving to be a great asset for recording events and places. It became clear as we got closer that small and low as it was, we would be able to take the dinghy under the rock entrance and right on to the tiny beach. Once inside, it was deliciously cool and we could see that this fabulous little Hong with very steep sides was similar to the ones we’d seen before, except this one was in miniature! We parked the dinghy and waded into the clear water for a swim and a closer look at the amazing rock features above our heads. As it was such a pretty and peaceful spot, and we were in no great hurry to reach Phanak we stayed a while longer and had lunch when we returned to the boat. The heat hadn’t abated by the time we set off again so I sat on deck to get as much of the breeze as possible for the rest of the journey to Koh Phanak. There aren’t many anchorages around Phang Nga Bay that don’t have a picturesque view and our next one was no exception. Paul went out in the dinghy to check out the area for our visit the next day. There were several kayakers with guides exploring the caves and the coastline. It’s always useful to watch them because the guides know the locations of the entrances of the Hongs and the best and safest times of day to enter regarding tides.
Sat 25th Feb
At 10am with the sun already hot but with an accompanying cool breeze, we set out in the dinghy to look at our final Hong of the trip. The choppy water made for a bit of a bouncy ride but it was lovely to sit gazing at the beauty of the scenes around us. People on the kayak in front of us were pointing and smiling at something on the cliff’s ledges which it turned out to be a solitary monkey who was doing a pretty good imitation of us gawping at it! It sat and stared blatantly back at all of us watchers with our phones and cameras aimed at it, completely unfazed. A bit further on, Paul slowed the dinghy so that I could photograph two more who looked like they were having a chat on their ledge. We got fairly close and I grew alarmed by the look on their faces, convinced they were going to jump into the dinghy with us, much to Paul’s amusement.
The tide was quite high by 11am and the Hong entrances didn’t look as though they could take a dinghy. We did, however, spot a cave that looked promising – dark and low and twisty, but promising. In we went. I had to use the flashlight on my phone as we went further in because we’d forgotten to bring a torch. There was an extremely pungent smell inside – musty and slightly sulphurous but at least the walls were dry, and I used them to push us away from some of the jagged rocks in the shallow water. It was exhilarating even when it was dark in front and behind us. Paul rowed when the water got deeper and we saw a glimmer of light ahead but the roof was so low we almost had to lie flat at one point. When we reached the light we could see that it wasn’t a Hong, more a cavern with a slit in the roof. Paul swam a bit further on while I held the dinghy steady with a rope attached to an overhanging rock. He was only gone for a minute but it felt eerie sat there alone…in the darkness…in total silence. I was glad to hear him come back – he said it was a dead end but that it had been a thrilling swim. We had the current with us on the return trip and I positioned myself flat on the bow with the phone’s light to guide us back.
At midday we left Phanak and set the course for Yacht Haven Marina, but first we wanted to find somewhere nice to stop and anchor for lunch. With everywhere as far as the eye could see looking gorgeous, there was a vast choice on offer. After picking out Koh Wa Yai, we anchored off its coast and dinghied ashore for a walk. It’s not a resort, but luxury holiday bungalows are advertised for £25 a night and we’d spotted people on the beach and children playing on swings so we hoped that there might be a beach bar or café there. There wasn’t, so we had a short ride along the coast to have a nose at the accommodation (elegant chalet-style bungalows, an ideal place for an away from it all break).
After lunch on board we motored on to Yacht Haven and anchored outside the marina at about 5 30. The Deck bar beckoned before sunset, so back in the dinghy for a drink there and then on to Mama Papa’s restaurant for dinner. It’s definitely the best place I’ve eaten at in Thailand and each time we’ve been it’s been busy, mainly with yachties of all nationalities. It’s always the same friendly lady who cooks the meals, and she often takes the orders too! She does an amazing job, helped by only a few other family members. A varied choice of meals are freshly cooked in a small open kitchen, so the chips I have there – with a spicy cashew salad – are delicious, and a welcome change from the ‘fries’ most places serve. We had to navigate our way back to Sister Midnight using my phone as a torch again in case other dinghies were heading out from between the boats and pontoons. Back to a berth on the marina pontoon tomorrow.
Sunday 26th Feb
It wasn’t until 2 o’clock that we weighed anchor and were guided to our pontoon by staff on a marina dinghy. It was very calm, so berthing was easy and we wasted no time getting connected to power and water and wifi. The rest of the afternoon was spent getting the boat shipshape and catching up on internet stuff. Later Paul went to check us in and I took a huge bag of laundry to the marina facilities at the top of the hill. Paul had lots of computer work to catch up on in the evening and I had a bit of reading to do ;). Inevitably we both fell asleep in the cabin, waking up in the early hours to walk the half dozen steps to bed. Almost time to check out of Thailand and begin the leisurely journey back to Malaysia.
Kathy