Day 7 - Tuesday 01 December 2015

Hospitality........I’ve had a comfortable night. There was no need for air conditioning. With almost permanent cloud cover and sea breezes the temperature here is comfortably in the 20’s. Pity though there’s no electric shower. Although I’ve brought some snacks from the mainland I’m told I can get local pastries from the shop just 50 yards away. In fact the lady owner from Pasai Beach Lodge is there and I get the pastries (ba-tong-go in Thai) for free. I know Muslims are getting a lot of stick right now but here I cannot fault their friendliness and hospitality here.

Special Day........of course I could just stay here and do nothing today. Unfortunately the beach at Pasai is quite stony and not really suitable for swimming but I can rent a motorbike quite easily. However I’m not going to make any decisions today as its Katoon’s birthday. Although I always planned to visit Koh Yao Noi at the end of my tour, it’s fitting that the location suites the mood of the day and it would be inappropriate to think about austerity on a day like this. I will wait to see what she wants to do.
Back on two wheels........Without independent transport you are usually at a disadvantage so the answer is often to rent the motorbike. The last time I rented a motorbike was on Koh Lanta, not a million miles from here but that day ended in disaster when I became ill after a long day in the sun. Since then there has been little enthusiasm from either of us to use this form of transport but here on Koh Yao Noi the conditions are ideal. The island is big enough to need transport yet the quiet concrete roads are really easy to negotiate. With Katoon calling the shots today, I’m quite surprised that she agrees to rent a motorbike. It’s clear that there are a number of interesting things so see around the island. However it’s certainly not an early start at 11am.
Around the island tour........To tour the island you of course need a map. The island measures no more than 4 km across in most places while from Manoh Pier in the south to the northern tip is less than 12 km. The northern tip of the island which is quite mountainous belongs to the Phang Nga National Park. The rest of the island is covered by concrete roads. There is a natural circular route around the island with piers, resorts and restaurants on the coast easily accessible from this. I decide to take the route clockwise which means I will be heading back towards Sukha Pier where I arrived.
Manoh Pier........Manoh Pier is the pier used for boats arriving from Phuket which handles a big slice of the traffic to the island. It lies to the southeast opposite Koh Yao Yai. Boats to this island just a short distance away also depart from this pier. As I don’t intend to use this pier, it’s just a photo opportunity with nothing to see apart from island views. It’s just a short ride from here to Koh Yao Municipality. Here there is a market, banks, a 7Eleven, a post office and a hospital. As it's now lunchtime, I stop here for a meal. Selecting one of the quieter restaurants, I’m amazed how relatively cheap the food is. After Koh Tao I was expecting to pay more yet Koh Yao Noi is self sufficient in a number of things including rice I believe.

Ban Thakhao........As I continue north there are rice paddies while to my left, is a sign to Ban Unpao. Along this road is the site of the Holy Spring Water. This is a freshwater spring that is only exposed at low tide. I cannot review it now as the tide is in; perhaps later. I can only continue across the spine of the island towards Ban Thakhao. Ban Thakhao also has a pier, this one servicing boats from Krabi. Of the piers I visit this is the most tourist friendly. In fact unlike the others you can easily walk to find accommodation. Looking back towards Krabi there are spectacular views of the Krabi coastline and islands. Between Ban Thakhao and Laem Lo Mhoon, a small headland, is a sandy beach which is quiet and looks really inviting. Unfortunately the water is very shallow here so not good for swimming. As I head back down the eastern coastline I’m only 4 km from where I started.

Khlong Jark Beach........photo. Khlong Jark Beach is really beautiful and not surprisingly most of the better resorts are located along the beach road. As at Ban Thakhao I’m prepared for a dip in the bay. The water is much better for swimming but there are coral rocks underfoot so you need to be careful. The day’s been great so far and I consider going back to the bungalow and wait till 4pm to visit the Holy Spring but Katoon is looking for another site which we missed near the start.
Ban Lamsai Fish Farm........Ban Lamsai is located before Lamsai Pier which is on a headland opposite Koh Yao Yai. The fish farm isn’t generally advertised although every resort will arrange a visit for you. Stopping at Ban Lamai, Katoon does her usual and asks around. The keeper of the farm is perhaps not geared up to receiving requests from those who just turn up as he has other duties. But on this occasion he is accommodating but first we have to ride a bit further to the pier where he will collect us. The farms are only a kilometre offshore. Of course I know little of what to expect, except that the farms are floating rafts supporting nets. The keeper turns out to be most accommodating and takes us from net to net as there are clearly a number of different species here. If it’s a fish farm then of course the nets will contain fish or other creatures that are reared for sale. The first tank holds fish called bpla mong but I don’t know the name in English. All I know is that it tastes OK. The second is known as bpla chon talay. Again I don’t know another name. However nearby tanks contain fish more familiar to me and these are not bred for the dinner plate. Young red sharks are kept alongside starfish and a moray eel is best left alone. While here the keeper feeds his fish with sardines and in another tank it is safe to feed the fish by hand including another species of shark. Fish more familiar in an aquarium appear and seem to know it’s time for dinner. Parrot fish, angel fish, box fish, puffer fish and other brightly coloured fish present themselves. I wouldn’t be seeing these necessarily while snorkelling. As a grand finale, the keeper checks his lobster net. The lobsters here are about a year old and weigh half a kilo. When they are one kilo they will be worth 2,000 baht fresh or 3,000 on the dinner plate. One thing you never do is grab one by its tail or any other part for that matter. The vicious claws are designed to crack open shells. However they present a great photo opportunity if you suspend them by their feelers. Other fish join the photo shoot. I wasn’t expecting this. This impromptu visit has cost next to nothing. The keeper will accept 50 baht; the resorts will ask 150 baht per person at least. By the time I reach Pasai Beach its gone 4pm and I need a break. The Holy Spring will have to wait for another time.

Celebration........Of course something of a celebration is called for today. After a period I was off my food I’m actually looking forward to seafood tonight as I let out more slack on my remaining travel budget. Well, it’s not really the right type for this meal but I’ve been saving up a bottle of red wine. The Bordeaux red goes down well just the same. I think that’s the best I can do for a party tonight on the Muslim island except there is another treat in store but that will be for tomorrow now. We manage to fix up a boat trip around the islands and that has another affect on this tour. The fourteen day tour which became sixteen is now seventeen. Amazing! Next Page.