Beached

Little activity on this old blog for a few days because after just one day in my Bangkok school, it was time for the half term break. With accommodation sorted, I was able to accept Jon and Denise's kind invitation to join them on a trip down to the island of Koh Chang near the Cambodian border. It's a five hour bus journey south east of the Thai capital - but the ticket cost just 250 baht or £5.20.

Once on Koh Chang, we squeezed out of the pick up truck taxi at White Sands beach and started to look for accommodation but what we saw at first was either too up-market or too down-at-heel. We trudged to the northern end of the beach and there we found the White Sands Resort which I had spotted last weekend during an internet search.

This was the Thailand of my imagination. Thatched beach huts. No traffic. A lovely warm sea. Thai masseuses under palm fronds and a white goose called Colin patrolling the littoral. Better still there was a wooden restaurant right on the beach serving exotic Thai fayre. It was like stepping into the cover of a faraway holidays travel brochure even if there was a gecko on the shower room ceiling and a musty smell in the bedroom - probably because the hut was sealed against mosquito invasion.

The best day was Thursday when we took a speedboat ride to smaller islands in order to snorkel above ancient reefs. Heaven knows what those tropical fishes were called but I didn't care as I floated in crystal clear water observing their comings and goings. So beautiful I can't tell you. If only I had had an underwater camera but I didn't and I don't so these pictures will have to suffice:-

From the top:-

My beach hut on Koh Chang

View from the beach hut

At Koh Wai

At Koh Rang