Friday 20th

Caught the ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe, transferred by longtail boat to the shore and then queued through passport control, we actually had to give up our passports in Malaysia at the ferry terminal and you don’t get them back until you’re in Thailand. We arrive and as ever it’s haphazard and you think you’re never going to see your passport again! We queue for passport control (a shack on the beach), pay our National Park fees and then collect the bags which are lying on the beach in a pile. We then make our way to our hotel (Anda Resort) and it’s a shock… we have the usual dark team but gaudy, mismatched room which is hotter than hell. We both wonder what we’ve done…. Anyway, we decide to dump bags and head straight out for food as we’re both starving and only eating twice a day. End up eating at a seafood restaurant, order a fish and some veg.

Saturday 21st

Despite my nervousness about noise (as our room faces the pool) we have a really peaceful night and sleep well, although we have a pointlessly small mosquito net over the large Emperor bed! At breakfast we met the German couple (Rudi & Effie) who we met yesterday when we all checked in together and they feel very similar to us about where we’re staying, they were talking about leaving immediately for Koh Ngoi! We totally agree with them but because J has booked a special place for Christmas we now can’t change our plans so we’re going to be stoic and stick with it! We decide to walk to the northern side of the island in search of something quieter. The hotel we’re in now is very family oriented and lots of screaming kids (my idea of hell). The beach on the north is definitely quieter and the longtail boats aren’t buzzing around all the time. We wander up the beach and then wander back as we’d both spotted something we liked the look of, a restaurant/ bar (Boke’tto) on the beach that looks lovely and ask if they accept non residents, which they do, for a charge. We hand over 2,000 tbh (£50) which they then tell us we can use for as a credit for food & for the day so we’re happy with that. We check out staying here at the hotel but it’s £700 per night, a miracle that they let us in! I think I’d be a bit ticked off if I was a resident here but it’s all very discreet so no body around us seems aware or concerned. We swim, sunbath and read and then head into the bar area (which is on the beach anyway when we loose the sun, it’s the sunrise side of the island so you lose it early) it just so happens that their happy hour kicks off at 4pm. I apologise to our livers in advance and vow that things will change after J’s birthday on 1/1! We walk back through ‘walking street’ collect a bit of street food, a delicious papaya salad and some other bits (which aren’t that healthy) but our bedroom picnic is very tasty.

Sunday 22nd

Met up with Rudi & Effie at breakfast and they have decided to stay for the nights that they’ve booked but they are moving onto Koh Ngoi. We decide to hike around the island as we’ve spotted a cove that might be very private. It’s an interesting walk, about 2.5 miles, the last bit takes you through the jungle down to the beach, only two other couples so it’s nice and peaceful. We find some shade and pop in for a swim, dry off and read. We head back to the mayhem of our hotel to shower and cool down. I manage to spot sea eagles overhead as I’m out on the balcony. Head into Lipe for some Thai food, just a simple Pad Thai for me and J ordered a weird concoction of Tom Yam Soup, rice and morning glory… he then wanted to get one of the shrimp with seaweed crackers (he’s addicted alresdy!)

Monday 23rd Dec

More of the same I suspect… amazingly we found a spot in the shade by our pool and it was really peaceful until around lunchtime then the hordes of Asian families arrived so swiftly made an exit. Decided to walk to a cafe in town and have a few rounds of Jaipur (card game). On the way back we purchased a few small Christmas gifts for each other (J a couple of joints and for me a brownie). Back at the room for some yoga followed by a walk along the beach (already pretty dark) and then back in land for a bite to eat (Veggie green curry, delicious).

Tuesday 24th - Christmas Eve!

We’re moving hotels today (yay!)so pack up after breakfast and update the blog whilst we wait patiently for 11am. Serendipity is a few doors away from where we have been staying but it feels worlds apart when we arrive. J did well to find this place, and has treated us for Christmas, what a star! It’s right at the tip of the island only 18 rooms so not the hordes like the previous place… the room and view are lovely. We settle in and just enjoy the tranquility of the place. Although they appear to have some fairly vicious mosquitoes and they’re bloody huge! Anyway, my mosquito theory… they descend on you when you arrive to see what you taste like and then they leave you alone (well that’s what I’m hoping but it seems to be my experience from
The numerous places we’ve stayed at so far!). In the evening, we head into Koh Lipe town for dinner, J seems to be obsessed with shrimp fritters and sticky rice with mango.

Wednesday 25th - Christmas Day

A very Happy Christmas! Slept brilliantly and we were greeted with breakfast in bed (almost) which was fantastic, the best breakfast I have ever had in Thailand, there’s so much food we pop lots in the fridge for a room picnic at some point later. After breakfast we swap gifts which is lovely. I have a new set of Bose noise cancelling headphones which is great because my current pair oair are in their way out. I plug myself in and continue my obsession with listening to The Doves best of playlist on Spotify which then leads me into Guillemots, Johnny Marr and many others, whilst relaxing on the terrace, alternating between that and the hammock. We then fancy heading down to the beach and spend the rest of the afternoon snorkelling, we get across to the small uninhabited island opposite Serendipity which is fabulous. Head back for a shower, a few games of Jaipur and then we smarten up and head down to the restaurant overlooking the sea for dinner, thankfully they are not doing any cheesy or expensive gala dinners so we’re free to choose whatever we like, so both go for lobster obviously (it would be rude not too!). Try to get hold of family when we’re back in the room but no luck, have sent plenty of WhatsApp’s instead. We’ve had a fabulous, alternative Christmas Day.

Thursday 26th - Boxing Day

Another beautiful day here and I’d slept for England! After breakfast we go and grab a kayak and our snorkelling gear and we’re off exploring. We find a beautiful isolated cove just a sort way down the coast and lie on the beach watching the hermit crabs scuttling around. Making sure the kayak is secure we then spend a while snorkelling, it’s very pretty and lots of fish life. We decide to paddle over the uninhabited island again for some mire snorkelling and are bitten by some fairly innocuous looking fish that are obviously not happy to share their territory. Head back to shore eventually, dry off on our beach and then we head back to our room to chill for the afternoon… we both love it here and it may be difficult to leave the day after next. I read the news headlines and am reminded of the tsunami that hit Southern Asia 20 years ago… it feels unthinkable now, just so very sad for those who lost their lives. After that sobering thought I read my book for a while and chat to a friend (Kim) who is on a similar time zone (she’s in the Maldives).