Day 9 - Sunday 5 February 2017

Anticipation........The day breaks with great anticipation of a wonderful trip to the islands of Laem Son National Park. Transport has been arranged to Bang Ben Pier Google Map despite us having transport available and I get the feeling that I could have arranged things directly with the boatman for a better price. After a simple breakfast the minivan arrives at about 8.30am for the 30 minute journey to the pier. Here the boat is already waiting; a typical sea-going long-tailed boat with a crew of two, it will be for our exclusive use for the rest of the day.
Bang Ben departure........The tour as I understand it covers three islands in the park and there has obviously been some provision for lunch as food and drinks are transferred from the van to the boat. At the present time the tide is low and it’s necessary to use the pier. In addition the gravitational effect of the moon is currently not strong at this location so the sea is relatively calm. Soon we’re under way as the boat leaves the protection of the estuary and heads directly out to sea towards one of the islands in the park.

Ko Khang Khao........Google Map Ko Khang Khao translates as ‘Bat Island’ suggesting there is a colony of these creatures there. The island is roughly oval in shape about 1 kilometre in length, totally uninhabited consisting of nothing but a rocky forested hill rising steeply from the ocean like some giant whale. There is but one thing that attracts the boat here. It’s the only opportunity for snorkeling on this tour. As I enter the water off the side of the boat, I know there’s no time limit. I can stay as long as I need to but sadly I’m disappointed with the result as I was at Ko Tao. I’m told the water around here hasn’t been crystal clear since the 2004 Asian Tsunami which destroyed much of the coral around there islands. Apart from a few fish here and there, I see nothing of interest. When I consider the snorkeling I did on Tioman Island for far less outlay, there is simply no comparison. Apart from that I think time would be better spent in an aquarium. OK it’s onto the next island to see if I fare any better ....YouTube.

Ko Hin Pla........Google Map Having seen photographs of Ko Hin Pla (Stone Fish Island) I believe we’re in for a treat. It’s one of those places that leave you transfixed as you gaze at an aerial photograph in a glossy magazine. From Ko Khang Khao it’s about six kilometers southwest. A small island, it is adjacent to a much larger island in the park, Ko Kam Yai. As the boat approaches from the seaward side there seems nothing remarkable about it, just another rocky hill, but then as we pass the headland the splendor of the sandbar lined with sea pine trees comes into view. The bay is small and the boat makes no attempt to enter it. Instead it skirts around a rocky outcrop and passes between it and the island of Ko Kam Yai. From there it heads for the sand bar on the landward side. There is no jetty; the boat simply nudges into the sand and we alight from the ladder into the shallow water. As I capture the arrival on video, it really is a glorious sight and I can hardly recall an island so stunningly beautiful. As I look around, the island seems deserted. There is but one other boat of a similar type anchored on the beach. It’s time to explore ....more.

Inevitably I spend time in the water on both sides of the sandbar but before too long other boats arrive. A speedboat arrives and similarly anchors up on the landward side, discharging a score of visitors. The island is no longer deserted but in any case as I move towards the small hill the sandbar widens and on some flat land amidst the trees is a ranger station. It’s time for some refreshments but all too soon other boats arrive and now there’s a crowd. It seems that in the hour or so we’ve been here, the tide has risen enough to make the seaward side of the sandbar accessible to boats. Now there must be at least ten boats anchored up. I note that half the bay on the seaward side is cordoned off. This is to segregate boats from bathers. By now the boatmen have disappeared and as this is a day trip we’re left with food and drink to take at leisure. Arriving here about 11am, it's bound to be well into the afternoon before departure.

Tragedy........While the next event does not bring this trip to an end, it must surely bring this tour to an end. As it moves into afternoon I take another dip in the warm waters. Only this time, as I walk up the beach I don’t feel at all well. I begin to shiver and shake as the contrasting cool breeze blowing across the island takes effect and my energy levels begin to drop. Katoon does her best to make me comfortable but the only option is for me to lie down on a log bench used as a picnic table. With a towel wrapped around me, the shivering eases but I’ve managed to attract the attention of the boatmen who wish to know whether I would like to return to Bang Ben. I ask then to wait an hour and see how I feel. That would bring it near departure time anyway. Fortunately the discomfort eases from my rest away from the burning sun. At 2pm the boatmen ask whether I’m able to finish the tour which takes in one more island. I nod with approvable as I feel much better.
Ko Yipon........Google Map Easily translated, Ko Yipon means Japanese Island and it’s named for a reason. It lays just a couple of kilometers inside the main chain and to the north of Ko Kam Noi. It is small, barely 500 long and narrow with a rocky spine. It’s not until the boat reaches the landward side that a beach is revealed along most of its length. In fact there are two beaches if you take into account a sandbar which at low tide extends a few hundred metres to a small adjacent island. Presently the sandbar is under water. The boat anchors on the beach and we disembark from the ladder into the shallow water but after recent events, I’m not inclined to do any more bathing in the intense heat. Instead I concentrate on what I am told; that this island was used by the Japanese as a kitchen during the war. However I fear something is lost in the translation. If this was a kitchen, who was it feeding and why? Between the water’s edge and the base of the hill there is a small area of level ground now covered with vegetation. I’m quite prepared to believe there was a camp here but there is only enough space for a couple if platoons at best. In the context of the war as I know it, I would hazard to guess that this was an observation point. One has to remember what the Japanese were engaged in at this time. They were committed to moving men and materials into Burma for an offensive against British India hence the reason for construction of the Thailand/Burma railway. So why didn’t they use the sea routes as they had done in the past to this end. The answer was that it was now too dangerous. Their extended supply lines were vulnerable to attack by ships and aircraft from the sub continent. It’s quite likely that Ko Yipon and a number of other islands in the Andaman Sea were used as lookout stations.

Now with my theory recorded. I look for signs of occupation but there is little evidence for it. A signboard that states that this is Japanese Island lays flat on the ground. I prop it up against a tree. Then I notice amongst the trees what appears to be foundation blocks and evidence of a concrete floor indicating there was a permanent structure here but without excavation I’ve no idea how big it was. What I see is small but could have been the corner of a larger structure. Now with my Time Team investigations complete my attention turns to the arrival of a speedboat and other craft. The vanguard having arrived it’s now the turn of the main force. But on this occasion they are not warring combat gear but instead in some cases hardly anything at all. Soon the waters are infested with humanity such is the crazy situation that mass tourism has found itself in. It’s time to leave.
Return to Kapoe........As we head back to Bang Ben the sea is choppier presumably due to the rising tide. Spray now frequently finds its way into the boat. I hear the boatman radio into shore for the van to collect us. He says it will take an hour which seems a long time but we are at the furthest point and the sea less calm. During the journey back I’m not aware of more discomfort. Eventually the boat glides into the estuary at Bang Ben but does not use the pier. Instead it passes it on the left and runs onto a sandy beach now that the tide is in. this means another climb down the ladder. From the water’s edge it’s now only a matter of yards from the roadway yet as I make my way up to the waiting minivan, I feel like I’m on fire. I barely have the energy to climb the last few feet up to the road. My main concern now is to get into the van and out of the heat then transfer to the air-conditioned room at the resort where I hope to recover in an hour or so. Would it be that simple? By bedtime I’m hardly feeling that better but I do manage some sleep. Next Page.