The secret islands of the Andaman sea, the paradise of the south Thailand

My intention was to tour the southern coast of the Andaman Sea to get to know the less touristy islands of that paradise of beaches in southern Thailand. I wanted to experience them in all their intensity and let myself be carried away by their relaxed atmosphere. I was fleeing from the best known as Phuket or Phi-Phi, already destroyed and overcrowded by tourism. Therefore, the chosen ones were: Koh Lipe, Koh Tarutao, Koh Kradam, Railay and Koh Chang.

I started with the Koh Tarutao National Marine Park, the most important and best preserved marine reserve in Thailand since 1974. It consists of 51 islands and is still a wild paradise in Thailand, with white sand, thick forests and dreamy sunsets. Koh Khai has a rocky arch, which is the symbol of the national park.

KOH LIPE

Koh Lipe is the most visited island in the archipelago. 3 kilometers long, it is located outside the park and has experienced enormous tourist growth in recent years. It is now a favorite destination for young people looking for adventure, exotic places and fun.

Four beaches surround Koh Lipe. The two largest, Sunrise and Pattaya, delimit the island atmosphere in which one lives barefoot from morning to night. There is a pedestrian street with a great tourist atmosphere of bars, restaurants, massage parlors and craft shops, which joins the two beaches in a fifteen-minute walk.

But I wanted to get to know the other side of the island, the one of its marginalized inhabitants, the sea gypsies, as they are known as the Muslim fishermen who have lived for hundreds of years from the wealth of fish in the Andaman Sea. Its fishing rhythms and foreign to the tourist presence are the heart of a nomadic life in coexistence with the sea.

KOH TARUTAO

And I went to Koh Tarutao, the largest island in this protected natural area, where the headquarters of the marine park is located. It housed two prisons that were used during the 1930s for political and common prisoners.

I could choose to stay in a bungalow, but my wish was to be as close to the sea as possible and to rent a tent. I had the entire Pantae beach for me . There were no cars, no towns, just the guards, their families and me.

In its 26 kilometers of length, a magnificent sample of tropical forest is preserved, for which it is well worth walking following the paths of its dense forest. Inland, the softness of its geography disappears after the thickness of tropical forests, rivers and waterfalls. Here the monkeys are the lords of the trees and with their sounds they sometimes frighten you.

There are deserted beaches that can be reached on foot, such as Ao Molae or Ao Son, which are 2 km long. There is no one, only jungle, sand and sea. His only job was to do nothing and let myself be carried away by the magic of the environment.

At the end of the day I would treat myself to dreamy sunsets and simply from my tent I would enjoy the fiery skies that filled my imagination with fantasies and desires.

KOH KADRAN

Trang province has more than 46 offshore islands and a coastline of almost 200 kilometers. Koh Kadran is considered the most beautiful of the islands that are part of the Hat Chao Mai National Marine Park. It is well known for its annual underwater weddings.

And for its powdery white beach and crystal clear water. It is enough to dive a few meters with the appropriate equipment (respirator and goggles) to enjoy the extraordinary life of the Andaman waters. It is a paradise of surprising forms of corals and marine fauna that it is impossible to get tired of.

Every morning when I woke up I was treated to a unique and different show in front of the tent. It was when the sun peeked over the horizon and unleashed a storm of colors as intense as fire, which seemed to explode at any moment. And being able to enjoy this panorama every day made me feel so insignificant and, at the same time, so privileged!

KRABI

I made an exception going to RaiLay in Krabi, another tourist spot not as well known as Phuket, which I was fleeing from, but which I wanted to see with my own eyes, since they told me that it was very similar to Palawan in the Philippines; but you can’t even compare, as Krabi is bruised by tourism.

As Railay is a peninsula surrounded by ocean and mountains, access is only possible by boat, arriving from Ao Nang and Krabi. It has four main areas:

Rai Leh East, the band of mangroves where I stay.

Rai Leh West, a beach with shallow waters, which are filled with boats arriving daily, and suffering from overcrowded bungalows in such a small area.

And Phra Nang, a beach of fine white sand, at the southern end of the peninsula practically taken over by a luxury hotel.

In addition, many climbers from all over the world arrive, who have the challenge of climbing these stones. Thus, it is a focus of tourist attraction. Each of these stone formations hides a treasure: inaccessible precipices, grottos and ancient caves.

KOH HONG

I visit one of the islands an hour from Railay, Koh Hong, with beaches, jungle, and scenic hidden lagoons. Too bad that other boats have arrived before me and they have invaded the only beach. How beautiful it would be without anyone!

Navigating these calm waters it is hard to believe that in 2004 it suffered a devastating tsunami. And today there are hardly any vestiges of that disaster.

These islands and islets that stand out, like sleeping sauris, from the crystal clear waters, with limestone formations, are ideal for finding caves and interior lakes, which easily transport you to a lunar landscape on the sea.

KOH CHANG

The island of Koh Chang is located an hour and a half from Ranong, near the border with Burma. Chang means elephant, because it has the shape of a sleeping elephant. The island is covered by jungle, but all the beaches are interconnected by pedestrian paths.

There are several beaches with different types of bungalows, but most are quite simple. You can choose between some bungalows that are next to the beach or some next to the cliff. I stayed right on a private beach front, Hornbill Beach, where there was no light, only for a few hours at night. The rest of the time I was guided by the light of the stars.

The largest beach is Ao Yai, 3 km long, where the accommodation is hidden in the jungle. The fine golden sand of the beach pushes me to walk from end to end.

It is perfect to enjoy nature in its purest form. It is a magnificent island to disconnect and get away from the world.

The sunsets here are spectacular. As day falls, the light becomes gassy, ​​with soft yellows, stark tones burned by the fading sun, and the sky turns orange, black, purple, and fiery red. All these colors together become an explosive cocktail that leaves me speechless for a long time.

 

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