Back to Thailand 2001                                           Back to Home Page

In chronological order:

Bangkok 1  -  Pictures of Bangkok   

Ko Samui  -  Pictures of Ko Samui

Ang Thong Marine Park  -  Pictures of Ang Thong                 

Ko Taen 1  -  Pictures of Ko Taen   

Ko Taen 2                                   

Chiang Mai  -  Pictures of Chiang Mai

Loy Krathong  -  Pictures of Loy Krathong

Bangkok 2                                   

Ang Thong National Marine Park is a group of 40 or so islands strung out over 10 miles of sea and about 20 miles from Ko Samui. Me, Cobbs and Pablo (the rest were having a day off as they're diving today, Wednesday) got up at 6.30am, caught a boat from Ko Samui across the Gulf Of Thailand as the sun broke through the morning mist. There were only about 17 of us on a boat which could hold 100 - excellent! The islands of the park stick out of a turquoise sea like colossal deep green teeth. Every few minutes a strange shape would fly away from boat like a weird blue line skimming across the sea at 45 degrees - a flying fish, propelling itself through the AIR by it's tail, just beneath the surface of the water. 

Ko Talia Nai is a huge volcanic crater but all you see as you approach is another island. We hopped aboard a traditional Thai longboat to take us to the island, scraped up onto the sand and climbed a near-vertical 200 metre cliff. From the top we looked straight down into an immense lake filling the whole of the interior of the island - a seawater lagoon connected by a tunnel to the sea. This island was the inspiration for the lagoon in "The Beach". From our viewpoint at the top of the cliff we could see all of the islands in Ang Phong Park, also Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan. It was HUMID, the path up was through thick forest with vines, cacti clinging to the rock. Butterflies the size of sparrows flew from the trees and disappeared down into the crater. A little helicopter landed on a tree trunk about 10 feet away and became a brilliant metallic lime green beetle about 2 inches long. A CHONGOLOLLA marched up another tree! 

Back down at the landing beach we turned into basking whales and snorkelled for half an hour before Greenpeace took pity on us towed us back out to sea. I can't swim well so I kept to the shallows while Cobbs and Pablo went farther out. There was a rocky overhang at the end of the beach, and I swam in the patch between sun and shade. It was like swimming in a fish shop - not big fish but many many colours - disc-shaped stripy black and white fish, black and yellow, fat long lime green with electric blue stripes. If I kept still they came right up to my goggles - fantastic. I saw two eyes peeking at me from under a rock and as I approached a little guppy fish scuttled away along the sand and hid again. Same two eyes peeking back at me - it was like chasing a puppy around a room and I was laughing under water. 

Back in the boat we had a simple Thai meal which the crew had prepared, fried rice but it was port and chicken so unfortunately Pablo and Cobbs went hungry... not me BELCH GUFF

Wednesday 24th October 2001

Robs - 

Our next stop was the most beautiful. Ko Wau Ta Lab has the headquarters of the Marine Park, wooden buildings in a shady green valley opening into a 300 meter bay of white sand ringed with palm trees. It looks out over 3 other rugged islands a few hundred metres offshore. No rocks so snorkelling was a waste of time, but Pablo and I had an adventure, a 300m cliff climb up to an ancient cave. The cave was cool, huge old stalagmites and part of the back of the cave had fallen in so the sun shone OUT of the cave from the back. But the REAL adventure was getting there. There were no steps up, just a MOULDY climbing rope over the cliff rocks and we had to use hands, knees and feet to scramble up a wet slippery muddy cliff. I kept right behind Pablo - was that WISE?!? As it happens I was the one who slipped, thankfully I was clinging to the rope for dear life or I would have been guppy food. Whew! 

Back down on the beach we were both DRENCHED in sweat and totally muddy. Aaah the cooooool seaaaaa... Another longboat to our ship and then the journey back across the gulf as the sun set. The droning of the diesel had us sleeping on the deck in minutes. 

This was the best day so far and I felt like a right traveller on the way back - dirty swim shorts, sarong tied around my neck to keep off the sun, hat hanging down my back and soaking wet shirt drying around my waist. Only my lobster pink tan gave away my true Nerd-ness. And my continual faffing with camera, binoculars, Psion etc :) 

We also found out that you can STAY on Ko Wau Ta Lab but because it is a National Park you have to book in advance. It would have been great to do that now, but there's not enough time SO this is something I'm saving for US Robs! It will be amazing - a tropical paradise cliché. You have to bring some of your own provisions but there are shady bungalows to sleep in. Can you imagine staying in the middle of an island National Marine Park? 

Today we're trying to get to a tiny island near here (Ko Taen) and I doubt if there's an internet cafe so I'll write again in a few days. We don't know if it's got a beach but apparently it is very quiet. 

I hope you're OK, we keep thinking about what everyone is doing right now in the UK. And smiling. I've been looking for those ear-rings for you and red/gold fabrics but I'm not going to buy anything until we get to Chiang Mai because I think it will be better stuff. 

Lots of love, JP