Ko Libong - Andaman Sea - Thailand

Ko Libong


So I arrived back in Bangkok and had to spend the night here until the following afternoon. I also discovered that my overnight stay, the 'Shanti Lodge,' was right next to my first accommodation, the 'Sawatdee Guesthouse.' The style here was a bit different. Peace and cleanliness were at the same level. But when I entered the restaurant in the morning and found myself suddenly engulfed in a thick cloud of smoke, it was just too much for me. But of course, everyone has their preferences. The confusion of the staff suggested they managed with it daily quite fine.
A funny story from the night of my arrival was my plan to take the bus to Chinatown for the food market there. Unfortunately, I waited for about 45 minutes, but no bus came. So, I reoriented myself and decided to go to another food market. I turned a corner to catch the bus for it. But this one seemed to be done for the day as well. And Tuk Tuks as an alternative were now also banned from the planet. Annoyed, I simply walked off and stood about 150 meters later in front of a restaurant where some nice fish were on the grill. This immediately became my place, and after some initial language barriers, I found myself happily sitting at a table with super delicious fish ten minutes later. I was so well-fed afterwards that I needed a walk. I passed my first bus stop, went another 50 meters further, and found myself at a large (food) market. What a joke, just an hour ago, I had nearly lost my patience while hungry, and now I was standing, satisfied from the aforementioned fish, in a land of plenty. I couldn’t resist indulging in a dessert frenzy. With sticky rice and mango, another rich sweet dish, and a fresh passion fruit shake, I made myself comfortable by the nearby Chao Praya River and enjoyed the hearty meal; what must be, must be!

On the afternoon of the next day, I set off, treating myself this time to a comparatively expensive Tuk Tuk and had it take me to 'Khrung Thep Aphiwat,' the main central station. Upon arrival, I quickly found the departures area heading south. Food and drink were, of course, provided here as well, and precisely at 6:30 PM, the digital barriers opened for our incoming train, and exactly at 6:50 PM, our train started moving. We traveled through the night for eleven hours, and shortly after departure, our seats were transformed into beds, Good night. I awakened shortly after seven, freshened up a bit, and shortly thereafter, the traveling vendor with coffee floated through the compartment. Great service. Around 8:30 AM, we reached the final station in Trang, a city just before the Malaysian border, thus in the far south of the country.

Just before 9 o’clock, the van arrived that picked me and two others from the train, and after a one-hour stop at the nearby airport, we headed to the 'Khuan Tung Ku' pier, where I had to change again and was taken to 'Hat Yao' pier, 10 km away. A full boat was already waiting there. Once aboard, we set off directly for the 15-minute crossing. Afterwards, a motorcycle taxi was already waiting for me, which finally took me to my destination, the 'Le Dengong' resort. It was quite fun that halfway through, another motorcycle taxi came toward us. Both drivers dismounted and switched vehicles. Lots of laughter from me and the other passengers.

My resort was the perfect choice, situated in absolute tranquility right by the beach. Genius for the coming 5 days. Audibly, this was interesting. Sitting on the beautiful terrace, I was continuously serenaded by the sound of the sea. Behind the bungalow was a pond full of fish, a remnant of a river after the rainy season, surrounded by jungle. Fish, birds, monitor lizards, and monkeys alternated in this setting; there was always something to discover. And when I opened my eyes in the morning after yoga and 'Shavasana,' the shimmering water was wiggling on the ceiling of the bungalow.

Ko Libong island was the right choice for me. Here you can truly find peace. The predominantly Muslim population is incredibly friendly, and you can literally count the other tourists on your fingers. This way, you often have every beach kilometer to yourself. Quite the opposite of my next destination, the nearby island of Ko Mook or Ko Muk. I set off there after five days. Upon arrival, I quickly felt unhappy. In my small, actually also beautiful 'Mook Bamboo Bungalow,' I felt immediately cramped. The walk to nearby 'Carlie' Beach left me speechless; I felt like I was amongst countless tourists and beach umbrellas in Lloret de Mar. And the walk into the main town sealed my growing urge to escape. I found, on one hand, a ghetto with heaps of trash and, on the other, tourist constructions one after another. Such a shame for the small island, but I set off back to Ko Libong the next morning and allowed myself to be enchanted for another 4 days.
Kop Khun krap
Wonderful, truly, energy-giving – a feeling awakening the spirits of life!