Angthong National Marine Park

It was a seven hour journey from Railay to Koh Phangan involving several busses and a ferry. I didn't have a room booked when I arrived but found a woman offering nearby bungalows at a reasonable price. She showed me the pictures and they looked good to me.

Soon I was eating a sunset green curry dinner with a large Chang beer at the resorts hotel beach bar. Nice place. Swimming pool, air conditioned large bungalows, hot water, wifi in the rooms. All for the same price as last night's jungle mud hut!

I was chatting with the friendly bartender as I ate and told him that I was thinking of going a day trip to the Angthong Marine Park where they also filmed some scenes from the film, "The Beach." I asked him if it was a good tour. He said it was and that he was going to be the guide tomorrow!

It was a good tour. A bit expensive but worth it. It's at least a forty-five minute speed boat ride each way and fuel is the same price here as anywhere. There was swimming, snorkelling, sea kayaking, sight seeing, and a Thai lunch on the beach.

Going on these tours reminds of when I was working on the cruise ship as a videographer and going on tours all the time. This time I had to pay!

Thailand in some ways reminds me of certain spots in Mexico, like my favourite beach La Bocanna in Huatulco and of some of the French Polynesian islands in the South Pacific like Moorea and Raitea. Same same but different as the T-shirt says.

Tomorrow I begin heading in a counter clock wise direction around Koh Phangan. Apparently the northern part of the island is more remote and less touristy. I tried calling ahead from my hotel for a place but they were booked. I'll just show up and try my luck and see what happens walking door to door around the various bungalow resorts. I'm looking for a nice bungalow where I can do some serious hammock lounging.