( Overview
/ 2023 more travel adventures
Wednesday 1st Feb
After pinching and punching J we pack up and set off and reluctantly we set off on the next leg of the journey. We’re making our way to Koh Muk (Mook?)
We catch a longtail boat to the pier on Koh Ngai and then we wait for a speed boat, along with the masses. Eventually we get to Muk / Mook around 12.30, we’re dropped on the beach and from there we walk to our accommodation, Mookies. It’s ok, not a patch on where we’ve been but then we’ve been totally spoilt. We grab a quick bite to eat whilst waiting for the room to be ready and after dumping out bags in the room we walk to the village which is a few miles away and it’s a very different experience. Very real I would say but not necessarily in a good way… ah well, let’s hope the island grows on me. We walk back part of the way after sussing out another hotel for a few days time (the one we’re in is ok but I’d like to be in another part of the island). We’ve managed to find a beach side villa with a plunge pool, it has a touch of faded glamour, I leave J negotiating whilst I snoop round one of the other hotels. We decide on the one I left J in so we’ll be moving there in a few days. Where we are currently is very close to the main beach (Charlie Beach, and yes it has very fine powdery sand!) but I’m just not in love with Mookies. We catch a tuk tuk back to Charlie Beach for the sunset. After that, it’s back for a shower and we’re off to a restaurant I’ve spotted, called Hilltop, which as it turns out, does great food.
Thursday 2nd Feb
Beach day today on Charlie Beach, I’m not a massive fan of beaches, sand or the masses, but I’m going to give it a go. Actually it turned out to be quieter and nicer than I expected, had some local beach food and a pineapple juice and even managed a nap in the afternoon. Dinner at Hilltop which was superb, garlic and pepper fish with rice and kale, absolutely delicious and about £10 for both of us.
Friday 3rd Feb
I dressed head to toe in all the clothes I have brought with me because the mosquitoes at the place we’re staying are SAVAGE around the breakfast table and I picked up tonnes of bites yesterday. I must have looked strange sitting there in my hoodie fleece and long trousers but I kid you not, they’re like flippin’ horse fly bites. Oh well suck it up, it’s part of the experience of being here….
After breakfast we head out for an island walk as the weather is overcast and cooler today. We walk to town and then keep going, finding a jungle path that takes up to a top of the island view. It was a hard and steady climb but worth the viewpoint, at the top we get chatting to an English couple, Alex and Georgina, who are travelling for a year and are two weeks in. We continue to walk with them to a beach and eventually make it back to our start point. We continue on along the beach and find a lovely spot to stop for a pineapple shake, just ice and pineapple pulped, so lovely. We then head to the pier to see if we can spot the Dugones but the water is shallow so I don’t think they’ll be around. We then walk all the way along the beach, taking in the private beach at the very swanky Sivalai Beach Resort (£250 per night) and continue on passing Perfect Bar (we stopped there last night for a drink, ironically I’d say less than perfect!?) and this time we find ourselves in Sugars Bar on the beach and it’s lovely. Large bottle of water and some chicken satay appetiser. So far we’ve clocked up about 9 miles today so it’s good to have these lovely stop off points.
After Sugars we head to Perfect Bar for Happy Hour - cocktails on the beach. Perfect Bar got a little more perfect a few cocktails in! A great day of activity followed by a little bar hopping!
Sat 4th Feb
Breakfast followed by packing up and then checking out, we go and chill out on Charlie Beach for a few hours before donning the back packs and walking to Mook Tamarind where we’re staying for a few more days before heading back to the mainland. It’s nice, quiet and peaceful, owners seem very friendly. I handed over a few kilos of laundry and they still seem happy enough. Later we head over to Perfect Bar (it’s getting more and more perfect, particularly with a 2 hour Happy Hour) and celebrate with a few cocktails before walking back through ‘Friendly Village’ the kids were amazing and so friendly, I think secretly they were teaching me naughty Thai words because they had lots of giggles. Anyway, leaving my little fan tribe behind we make our way to Hilltop and join Alex and Georgie for dinner, it’s an easy walk back to our place. Sleep comes very easily…
Sunday 5th Feb
Watch the sun come up from our bed which is awesome but obviously awake very early. Going to have a quiet chilled out day today although we may take the kayak out in a bit as the tide has come in. We sort out a few bookings for our trip to the Philippines, all the while enjoying the view of the Andaman Sea.
Monday 6th Feb
Eat, sleep, beach, repeat and of course there’s lots of eat pray love too!
Seriously though we’re enjoying the last few days of relaxation as it’s all going to go rather bonkers again what with travelling back to Bangkok and then onto Manila at the end of this week. They’re both very hectic cities so I’m just enjoying the peace before we get sucked into the maelstrom.
Anyway back to today, it’s mainly been about the wildlife. We’ve been watching all kinds of activity; white bellied sea eagles, oyster catchers, golden oriels, swallows, wild dogs and a randy bull. The bull was basically playing with a tyre (think large tractor tyre), he would pick it up with his horns, balancing the tyre on its side and then get up and mount it ( see photo - ‘Billy the Bull does Dunlop’). He didn’t just do this once but numerous times - we lost count. Poor boy, but he is stuck in a field on his own!! Next it was a spot of kayaking, we went over to a neighbouring beach and then sat and watched the crabs coming out of their holes and dumping sand. Kayaked back to our place and then a spot of reading, a beach walk (the rubbish is sadly depressing although I did pick some up but sadly I’d easily fill a skip or two) and then some yoga on our terrace to stretch things out. Walked over to Perfect Bar for Happy Hour and then we’re going for fish at Hilltop. I can’t believe we’re moving on tomorrow, have got into a nice little groove here, although very upset about the dog situation (I’ve emailed the animal sanctuary on Koh Lanta where J and I volunteered the last time we were here, so watch this space).
After pinching and punching J we pack up and set off and reluctantly we set off on the next leg of the journey. We’re making our way to Koh Muk (Mook?)
We catch a longtail boat to the pier on Koh Ngai and then we wait for a speed boat, along with the masses. Eventually we get to Muk / Mook around 12.30, we’re dropped on the beach and from there we walk to our accommodation, Mookies. It’s ok, not a patch on where we’ve been but then we’ve been totally spoilt. We grab a quick bite to eat whilst waiting for the room to be ready and after dumping out bags in the room we walk to the village which is a few miles away and it’s a very different experience. Very real I would say but not necessarily in a good way… ah well, let’s hope the island grows on me. We walk back part of the way after sussing out another hotel for a few days time (the one we’re in is ok but I’d like to be in another part of the island). We’ve managed to find a beach side villa with a plunge pool, it has a touch of faded glamour, I leave J negotiating whilst I snoop round one of the other hotels. We decide on the one I left J in so we’ll be moving there in a few days. Where we are currently is very close to the main beach (Charlie Beach, and yes it has very fine powdery sand!) but I’m just not in love with Mookies. We catch a tuk tuk back to Charlie Beach for the sunset. After that, it’s back for a shower and we’re off to a restaurant I’ve spotted, called Hilltop, which as it turns out, does great food.
Thursday 2nd Feb
Beach day today on Charlie Beach, I’m not a massive fan of beaches, sand or the masses, but I’m going to give it a go. Actually it turned out to be quieter and nicer than I expected, had some local beach food and a pineapple juice and even managed a nap in the afternoon. Dinner at Hilltop which was superb, garlic and pepper fish with rice and kale, absolutely delicious and about £10 for both of us.
Friday 3rd Feb
I dressed head to toe in all the clothes I have brought with me because the mosquitoes at the place we’re staying are SAVAGE around the breakfast table and I picked up tonnes of bites yesterday. I must have looked strange sitting there in my hoodie fleece and long trousers but I kid you not, they’re like flippin’ horse fly bites. Oh well suck it up, it’s part of the experience of being here….
After breakfast we head out for an island walk as the weather is overcast and cooler today. We walk to town and then keep going, finding a jungle path that takes up to a top of the island view. It was a hard and steady climb but worth the viewpoint, at the top we get chatting to an English couple, Alex and Georgina, who are travelling for a year and are two weeks in. We continue to walk with them to a beach and eventually make it back to our start point. We continue on along the beach and find a lovely spot to stop for a pineapple shake, just ice and pineapple pulped, so lovely. We then head to the pier to see if we can spot the Dugones but the water is shallow so I don’t think they’ll be around. We then walk all the way along the beach, taking in the private beach at the very swanky Sivalai Beach Resort (£250 per night) and continue on passing Perfect Bar (we stopped there last night for a drink, ironically I’d say less than perfect!?) and this time we find ourselves in Sugars Bar on the beach and it’s lovely. Large bottle of water and some chicken satay appetiser. So far we’ve clocked up about 9 miles today so it’s good to have these lovely stop off points.
After Sugars we head to Perfect Bar for Happy Hour - cocktails on the beach. Perfect Bar got a little more perfect a few cocktails in! A great day of activity followed by a little bar hopping!
Sat 4th Feb
Breakfast followed by packing up and then checking out, we go and chill out on Charlie Beach for a few hours before donning the back packs and walking to Mook Tamarind where we’re staying for a few more days before heading back to the mainland. It’s nice, quiet and peaceful, owners seem very friendly. I handed over a few kilos of laundry and they still seem happy enough. Later we head over to Perfect Bar (it’s getting more and more perfect, particularly with a 2 hour Happy Hour) and celebrate with a few cocktails before walking back through ‘Friendly Village’ the kids were amazing and so friendly, I think secretly they were teaching me naughty Thai words because they had lots of giggles. Anyway, leaving my little fan tribe behind we make our way to Hilltop and join Alex and Georgie for dinner, it’s an easy walk back to our place. Sleep comes very easily…
Sunday 5th Feb
Watch the sun come up from our bed which is awesome but obviously awake very early. Going to have a quiet chilled out day today although we may take the kayak out in a bit as the tide has come in. We sort out a few bookings for our trip to the Philippines, all the while enjoying the view of the Andaman Sea.
Monday 6th Feb
Eat, sleep, beach, repeat and of course there’s lots of eat pray love too!
Seriously though we’re enjoying the last few days of relaxation as it’s all going to go rather bonkers again what with travelling back to Bangkok and then onto Manila at the end of this week. They’re both very hectic cities so I’m just enjoying the peace before we get sucked into the maelstrom.
Anyway back to today, it’s mainly been about the wildlife. We’ve been watching all kinds of activity; white bellied sea eagles, oyster catchers, golden oriels, swallows, wild dogs and a randy bull. The bull was basically playing with a tyre (think large tractor tyre), he would pick it up with his horns, balancing the tyre on its side and then get up and mount it ( see photo - ‘Billy the Bull does Dunlop’). He didn’t just do this once but numerous times - we lost count. Poor boy, but he is stuck in a field on his own!! Next it was a spot of kayaking, we went over to a neighbouring beach and then sat and watched the crabs coming out of their holes and dumping sand. Kayaked back to our place and then a spot of reading, a beach walk (the rubbish is sadly depressing although I did pick some up but sadly I’d easily fill a skip or two) and then some yoga on our terrace to stretch things out. Walked over to Perfect Bar for Happy Hour and then we’re going for fish at Hilltop. I can’t believe we’re moving on tomorrow, have got into a nice little groove here, although very upset about the dog situation (I’ve emailed the animal sanctuary on Koh Lanta where J and I volunteered the last time we were here, so watch this space).
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