Saturday 28th December

So… we reluctantly leave our Christmas hideaway which has been lovely. We get down to the beach to catch the ferry to Koh Libong at around 8.15, the usual fannying around ensues and eventually our boat heads off at around 9. It takes a couple of hours and J and I are the only two getting off at Koh Libong. We meet the lovely Wandee who pops us in her tuktuk taxi and drives us across the island from the port to our o’night, giving us the island stats and highlights as she goes. We couldn’t stay in the hotel that we’ve got booked for NY (& J’s birthday) as the hotel is full so we’ve had to book a one night stay in a shack on the beach and it’s pretty idyllic, on the face of it, although very basic once inside. We dump our bags and jump in the sea and then relax on the veranda, not too many other tourists and those staying are predominantly French, I guess the clue was in the name (Le Dugong). We explore the beach which is beautiful and only a handful of others wandering around. There’s a restaurant at the other end so we pop in for food which is pretty good. Heading back to our hut which is starting to resemble something out of Tenko in my mind. We snuggle into our bed, crank up the fan (no AC) and listen to the waves which eventually sends us off to sleep. J tells me the next morning that he’d shifted a massive cockroach out of the bed before we got in it so I’m relieved that I hadn’t seen it or that he chose to tell me after the event as I doubt I would have slept… I already had nightmares about monkeys coming in through the window and stealing our stuff which they often do apparently…

Sunday 29th Dec

J is up earlier than me and goes off for a swim in the sea. Breakfast is fairly uneventful and we’re packed up and ready to move. Our next hotel comes to pick up the bags but it’s virtually next door. It’s lovely and much more civilised (I’m clearly getting soft in my old age and slumming it just doesn’t cut it anymore!!), at least I know that I can slum it even though I may not like it. We dump the bags and grab a couple of bikes and set off cycling to the other side of the island to Fisherman’s village, it’s basically stilted houses on the side of the beach, a few shops, home-stays and a pharmacy, so not massive. The one ‘tourist attraction’ if you could call it that is a huge long pier with a tower at the end where you can see the dugongs from above (water is very choppy today and visibility is not good enough to see anything even from high up). We cycle back to Andalay Beach and spend the afternoon reading and swimming in the sea. Pop out to one of the local restaurants rather than eating in the hotel and I have to say it’s probably the best Thai food we’ve had since arriving in Thailand.

Monday 30th Dec

It so does not feel like b’twixmus (is that a word?). Breakfast was good, loads of choice, we chat about what we might do next as we’re both probably done with island hoping and decide we might head back to Vietnam and do the south which we hadn’t done before… it’s either that or northern Sri Lanka or Borneo but weather in Borneo is least favourable right now. We leave the plans bubbling and go grab a kayak and some snorkelling gear so we can investigate the uninhabited island opposite Libong. No one else is on the island so we paddle around it before finding a spot to ditch the kayak and go in snorkelling. It’s not as pretty as Koh Lipe but it’s still lovely to be in water that is clear and warm. Back for some more r&r although I do some work on my lounger whilst J looks at travel plans. I’ve got us a massage booked on the beach at 4 so we head off for that, very lovely and our first since arriving, after we head down to the bar further down the beach for a Muay Thai whilst watching the sun set. Back to our favourite restaurant for food tonight, seriously great seafood and veg which is all I need and costs less than £10 for the two of us!

Tuesday 31st Dec

Happy New Year’s Eve!! We hired a moped so we could go and explore Koh Libong, it’s a fairly unpopulated island, and mainly Muslim, only about 4,000 inhabitants spread over 4 villages. We soon discover that it’s really not touristy at all, which is great for us, many areas are just very natural. We head back to Foshermsn’s village, then to a beach much further north from us, we also go to a beach cove called Stonebridge which is a very isolated beach, you walk through the jungle which comprises mainly rubber trees which are also prevalent on the island. Stonebridge gets its name not surprisingly from a natural stone bridge formed of what appears to have been molton ore. We watch the hermit crabs scuttling around (James new fascination). We head back towards our hotel and notice a sign for a bird sanctuary, we attempt to get to it but just can’t get down the track on the moped, I’m happy to walk it but there’s also a fairly ferocious looking dog which keeps barking at us so we decide to skip that idea for now. We get back and book travel for 3/1 as we’ve now decided to head back to Southern Vietnam rather than Borneo or Sri Lanka as the weather will be better in Vietnam. We’re going to fly into Ho Chi Minh City… but we still have a few days left here; NYE and J’s birthday to celebrate… We call home to wish our respective families a HPNY,. It’s lovely to see them. We pop out to our favourite restaurant (ok it’s too grand to call it a restaurant, more a roadside hut). It’s spotlessly clean but does have a huge collection of cats. One tiny turtoishell kitten jumps onto my lap and just wants fuss and cuddles, probably food too but for some reason it unleashes a flood of tears from me. I think I’m upset to see her in a state because once again there is no veterinary care on the island and she’s not in the best shape. She sits happily on me purring, she’s so much like my old cat Poppy that I rehomed whilst working at the RSPCA years ago. Strangely all the other cats look really well. Anyway she stays on my lap whilst I sob all over her, the owners probably think I’m bonkers, I just can’t bear the thought that any animal is suffering. The owners have to prize her off my lap before they bring any food out. Anyway, I eventually pull myself together and eat a bit of food, my usual of mixed vegetables and seafood. It’s then back to our hotel to join in with the party on the beach which turns out to be a lot of fun, we also pop back to the room to play a few rounds of Jaipur (my latest addiction!), it was close but I let J win the final game in the round. Then it’s back to the party for more games (involving darts and small children) which is totally unsafe but hilarious all the same! Then we’re all given fireworks to light on the beach (my health and safety alter ego is going nuts at this point!). Anyway it all seemed to go without any incidents thankfully. After we celebrate midnight, J and I eventually pull ourselves away from the party and head back to our room, we make the mistake of having a joint before bed (figuring that we need to use it up before travelling to Vietnam!) and then both well and truly crash out…

Wednesday 1st Jan 2025

Can’t believe it’s NYD and J’s big birthday. We both wake up feeling less than amazing, totally our fault. I’m just glad I didn’t book the boat trip I was toying with booking, think we’re both too hungover for that so we decide to have a quiet day (I have a few surprises planned for later). We come back from breakfast and the staff have decorated the bed. We finish sorting out our travel plans, send and receive NY messages with friends, relax and swim in the pool for a change. At one point we’re accompanied by a monitor lizard who decides to join us in the pool and sea eagles are floating overhead. We wander along the beach for another massage late afternoon, still amazed at how many hermit crabs there are here, I’ve never seen as many in my life. The massage was lovely but I’m still being nibbled by mosquitoes, although it’s even worse in the mornings when I’m outside doing yoga (I’m even being bitten through my clothing!). Just before sunset we head up onto the roof of the hotel to watch it, I’d arranged a dinner at 7 and Nee the Manager (?) set up a special table overlooking the beach, it was all very lovely and they made a real fuss of J, bringing him out a lovely cake after dinner.