Day Trip to Koh Phangan!

We were up and out very, very early this morning!! We even had to set an alarm for 5:45am! The restaurant opened at 6:30am but we needed to be at the pick up point at 7:00am, so that felt a bit too rushed for me to eat a substantial breakfast before leaving.

Instead, we ordered 4 cappuccinos and put them in our go-cup. I had packed some small Ziplock baggies, so I put a couple of hard-boiled eggs into one and some oranges and baby bananas into another. That way, we could sip our coffee on the ferry to Koh Phangan.

Ko Samui is the third largest island in Thailand and Koh Phangan is the fourth largest. It is also the island that the founder of 'Wheel & Anchor' calls home. Gordon is originally from Toronto, but now lives in Thailand. He has been here for the last 10 years and expects he might continue to call it home for another 10 years.

Yikes. While I think it is a great place to visit, I could NEVER live here permanently. Nope. For me ... all our travels have reminded me of how much I appreciate being able to call Canada home. 🍁

Our first stop, once we arrived, was to a waterfall in one of the national parks. Apparently, 2/3 of this island is parkland. The waterfall was not large, but was very pretty and fed a small pool at the bottom of it inhabited by those little fish that nibble at your feet. Maybe you have seen those little shops, in your travels, that invite you to immerse your feet into a tank of water filled with these little 'pedicure' fish. We've actually paid for the experience in the past! The old boy got another one free today!!

After our time at the waterfall, we took a longboat to three different beaches. Our first stop was Bottle Beach. I have no idea why they called it that, but it was enchanting. We enjoyed a refreshing drink in one of the restaurants on this beach. I had a mango shake. Shakes are really popular here, so I thought I'd try one. The old boy opted for a "Mai Thai." I'm not sure if Thailand is where that drink originated, but he enjoyed it!

I was glad I had packed my fruit and eggs because I was hungry and this was the perfect spot to eat! I shared my fruit and devoured my eggs! It was just perfect! This beach was so quiet and there were some little cabins that people could rent. Apparently, the beach is really only easily accessible by hiking or by boat ... so ... it was incredibly peaceful.

We got back on our longtail ... which I should share ... is no easy feat! I was grateful that the water was so glassy and calm because the boat is heaving up and down as you try to get your feet on the round rungs of a little metal ladder that they toss onto the side of it.

In fact, one of our group members that went out on the first excursion to Koh Phangan sprained her ankle getting off the boat. She, unfortunately, has been laid up for the last couple of days. I think we were all a little extra careful given our thoughts of how she injured herself trying to get off the longtail.

Our second beach was called Coral Beach. This was my favorite beach! And, it was where we had the most amazing lunch! I couldn't eat the appetizer because it was guacamole, but ... I thoroughly enjoyed the Tuna Poke Bowl. I wouldn't normally have consumed such a meal because it was not cooked, but our founder Gordon was with us and said he asserted it was the best Poke Bowl on the planet. So ... with that endorsement ... I chowed down. It was really good. They replaced the avocado in mine with mango.😋

The dessert was a wee little chocolate looking parfait. I was disappointed to see that mine was different ... but then ... I was grateful. They made me a special one because the chocolate had avocado in it!! Who would have suspected that??? And, my mango version was very refreshing indeed!

We boarded our long tail again and arrived at our third beach ... called Secret Beach. It was filled with people ... so ... it was not so secret. And, for some reason, it was laden with sea weed. So much so, that the water was a very unpleasant green. We understand that it was not that color a couple of days ago though. So, who knows why or how, but none of us wanted to go into to water at this beach.

The neat thing about this beach was the bar/restaurant that was located on the point of the island. It was such a fun place with coconut seed garlands, and swings and all kinds of creative decor! We were able to get a big table and enjoy a glass of good cheer before heading back to the ferry.

All in all, it was a long, hot day ... but ... such a fun day!! We were pretty tired by the time we got back to the hotel at 6:30pm. We had put in a 12 hour shift in the sun and heat. So, the old boy wandered down to Mit Samui and picked up some of those amazing spring rolls for me and some chicken dishes for himself and brought it all back to the room.

We ate and then tucked in so we could get rested up for another day of fun and games (literally) tomorrow. I have to say that we are enjoying the Wheel & Anchor experience. They are taking very good care of us here!! Our rep has organized for us to play some bridge tomorrow at 2:00pm. 🙌

Hugs to one and all,
❤️ k & j ❤️En savoir plus