FROM PHUKET TO AO NANG

The day we made the crossing from Phuket to Ao Nang we had a very early rise, so I mentally prepared myself for a two-hour nap on the ferry to catch some sleep, but mostly to prevent seasickness. (That’s how I had survived the rough seas during the journey from Koh Tao to Koh Samui – really, the waves were approximately three metres high and were smashing into the boat what made it a pretty wild ride.) However, the sea turned out to be gentle and with a bright blue sky it was another perfect day. And that was not all… against my expectations (actually I wasn’t expecting anything but to get seasick) the crossing was one beautiful ride! Limestone after limestone rose from the sea, sometimes creating just an impressing statue in every form and shape you can imagine, but also in combination with beaches and sandbanks forming little islands. I was aware of the beautiful Phi Phi Islands, which are of course of the larger calibre, but I had no idea there were so many little ones spread out over the entire Andaman Sea!

We first moored before Railay Beach, where some passengers with that destination transferred to a long tail boat for the last leg of the journey. While the boat slowly pulled into the bay I got a glimpse of the adjacent Phra Nang Beach, but what I mostly saw were dozens of long tail boats lined up along the beach, confirming the research I did on this beautiful but very touristic place earlier. We did have plans to do a day tour to some of the islands, but were still deciding which ones, hoping we would be able to avoid some of the massive tourism that pass the Phi Phi Islands daily.

Ao Nang’s coastline is unfortunately a little less beautiful, so for that reason – and the fact that we had just seen all this beauty along the way – we were even more determined to search for paradise! We did have a little paradise of our own in Ao Nang though; we had found an accommodation, which consisted of three houses, each with their own kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and the luxury of a washing machine! The poolside was lovely – set up as a garden – and right before our doorstep. And because we were the only ones staying there it felt like we had our own private pool!