For the longest time, beach vacations were my unicorns. They are drastically easily to plan one is one is filthy rich. You to just decide exactly what time of year you would like to fly to Bora Bora to your glass bottomed hut on the water. But, if you have tangible spendable assets then the process stiffens up quite a bit.
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| When reality meets expectations.. |
The search itself is painful. You look at a globe and imagine where perfect beaches could be found. You run google images to confirm your suspicions. The flight deals to these places immediately put the brakes on. And beaches which can be actually got to leave much to be desired. The sand isn’t white. At times, sand is replaced with pointy rocks that need you waddling around with water shoes. Fellow tourists in flocks eliminate the adventure. Local food that included packaged ice cream or synthetic hot dogs don’t sizzle your buds entirely. It is, then, hard work to find a destination.
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| ..twice |
Thailand, however, held the promise of insane beaches. After struggling between 21 top beaches, we decided on a stretch of land about 2 hours south of Phuket but away from Railay to keep the throngs of the tourists out. We spent more than our normal on a lavish hotel hoping that would keep the riff raff away and backpackers who run on a shoe-string budget. Google images promised white beaches, crystal clear water and enough local flair. So we flew in.
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| Islands that shot out of water |
Almost as if on cue, we landed well after dark. Our drive from the Airport to the hotel didn’t reveal much. We just took respite in finding the luxury of our Hotel the way we had expected it. It wasn’t until next morning, as we made our way to the beach, that we realized that Thailand wasn’t lying. On a gentle sloping white sanded beach the gentle crystal blue green waves lapped lovingly. There was a solitary long tail boat that lay loosely anchored, waddling slowly, begging to be photographed. Our fellow tourists, meager in number, avoided us like we avoided them. I quickly had to find a lounger to grasp the strangeness of getting exactly what you wanted.
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| coves |
It was surprisingly easy to get used to the gorgeousness and establish a routine of sheer relaxation. I swam in comfortably cold waters. I snorkeled with small fishes that were striped generously. I waded into the sea and yet didn’t feel the sea bed fall away from me. I looked back at our beach chairs from the ocean and swam back from a refreshing beer. Drying out was without drama. Books were devoured. Hot spicy delicious Thai food was had in the shade of shack. Evenings were spent infinitely in a pool. We lunged into lounges to watch an average sunset but at that point we simply didn’t care.
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| Lunch is served |
The little time that we spent away from the beaches revealed realities of Thailand. It was surprisingly clean, as we wondered if India is possibly the only not-clean country that is also poor. The vendors weren’t exactly friendly unless you were buying. Their Machiavellian schemes were painfully familiar for the Indian in us. Tourists were everywhere and most of them were Germans of different dimensions and ages. It was plenty warm but the locals lacked that warmth. Mostly, I couldn’t see myself wanting to do anything more than going back to that long tail adorned beach and read a book intermittently while getting a toasting that would last for years.
Checking a box usually has uncool connotations. But when that box entails a perfect beach vacation it can hardly be anything but be at least thirty degrees warm and sunny. Go east, it is beautifully sandy there.
I like looking back at these images 🙂 I want warm again !
Just so you don’t feel jealous that I hadn’t commented on your blog too…you know you’re going to have to share this ‘secret location’ with Kerstin and I. It sounds fabulous and I know she’s been wanting to visit Thailand since they apparently have amazing scuba opportunities. Maybe in return we’ll share a few locations we’ve heard about and been to in the last few years. We just heard of a new Caribbean place that we’ll be looking into for the next couple years as a post-WT escape – I need something in March to cleanse the Baudette from myself.
But until then she and I will just have to live with seeing you at restaurants 😉
It was an hour south of Krabi. Let me look up it again and tell you precisely where it was 🙂