ANOTHER ADVENTURE: 2019

Koh Phayam

Koh Phayam has lots of trees, including cashews and rubber, and beautiful beaches. We rarely saw more than a few people on the beach. We found good food to cook, sociable bars which also did excellent coffee and iced drinks, and we often visited a vegan café called Cha-Chai Home. We especially liked their pesto made with cashew nuts and 'hori ba' (Thai basil). There are several Reggae bars and on Buffalo Beach the quirky multi-level 'Hippy Bar' built from driftwood, with a stream in the middle complete with bullfrogs.

Meeting friends and exploring the island

Bullfrogs in the Hippy Bar

Anais, Jorge, Alesandro, John

We thought we had missed Anais, who we met while waiting to fly to Ranong, as she had told us that she only had a short time on the island. Then a few days in, while we were swimming in Buffalo Bay, a voice shouted and it was Anais. It turned out that she loved Koh Phayam so much she had changed her plans to stay for a few days longer on the island.

Laura, Jorge, Alessandro, Anais

Laura, Alessandro, Jorge, in 'Hippy Bar'

Alessandro's sketches

It was really good to meet up again and we spent time with her and friends she had made at Flower Power, Italian Alessandro and Jorge from Spain. John played guitar on the beach and later we went for a meal at Cha-Chai Home, followed by evening drinks on Long Beach. Allesandro sat and sketched us as we sat outside on the beach.

Before they left for the next part of their individual trips, we met at the Hippy Bar for drinks, Laura too. When the others all went off to a party, John and I went for a midnight swim. The water was really warm, bliss.

We had great fun whizzing around on the motorbike, a Honda 100cc, (as were most of the other bikes on the island. Some days we went down for an early swim then stopped for breakfast at Cha-Chai. Some mornings we went a bit later and had a coffee at a beach bar, usually iced as it was very hot and humid.

Wat Koh Phayam

Koh Phayam has one 'Wat' or temple, located on the east coast near the main pier. It is unusual because the main hall is reached by a long pier which stretches out into the sea, and is octagonal with a door in each of the eight sides.

I left an offering of a sea shell
and a 'found' coin

The Wat has the appearance of an ornate cake. Entry is free but when you place a small donation at the entrance a resident monk ties a piece of twisted cotton around your wrist as a blessing, and hands you a small bundle of tiny candles to light when you reach the shrine.

We sat in the shrine with the sea breeze blowing through the open doors and found it very peaceful.

Beach Life

We often had afternoon and evening swims too. We liked Long Beach for the breakers, and Buffalo for the sunset.
But Aow Kwang Peeb (Monkey Bay) at the northern tip was always almost deserted and we had lovely dips there early morning and at sunset.

Aow Kwang Peeb

Firing up 'The Oven'

We fancied firing up Christian's outdoor bread oven, so we picked the brains of Cha-Chai's owner as they made bread every day, and she suggested somewhere we might find yeast and flour. It turned out to be the shop from where we usually bought ingredients, fresh, tinned and otherwise. We found bread flour and yeast there and John made a pizza dough and a bread dough. We've never known dough to rise so fast!

We found enough wood around to fire the oven up. A family from Myanmar live in a house on the same land as Christian's, and 'Mr O', looks after Christian's house and dogs when he isn't there. He fetched more wood for John and shook his head because we hadn't waited until it was hot enough. But it made edible pizzas and lovely bread.

Songkran

The only time we saw more than a handful of people on the beach was the first day of Songkran, the Thai New Year. We had heard all sorts of stories about Songkran, that it could be unruly in Bangkok for instance, but in Ko Phayam there was a lovely atmosphere.

Mango sticky rice … yum!

Children stood outside restaurants with bowls of water and water pistols (and the occasional hosepipe), and each time a motorbike came by they were really good natured — if the motorbike put a hand up, the children refrained, but if the motorbike slowed down, they 'blessed' bike and rider. We had our dowsing, then sat and ate mango sticky rice and watched as the kids squealed with delight.

Later we had a proper blessing when we got caught in a thunderstorm!

Firing up The Oven — again!

During the afternoon of Songkran, our last day on Koh Phayam, Laura asked John to show her how to make pizza and bread. She bought some more flour and found starter wood for the oven, and this time they let it burn for longer.

I was flagging with the heat so I did little more than round up plates and glasses, and enjoyed their results — delicious pizzas, and Laura's bread turned out splendidly.

Later John and Laura played guitar, then we went for a drink at the Reggae Bar, our last night on Koh Phayam.

Koh Phayam Photo Gallery with links to more photos

Thai Dogs and the occasional cat

Arrival in Koh Phayam

Orso (above) Matyi (below

View from the pillion

We were so lucky to have our time on the island Koh Phayam, thanks to our host Christian. Because he had to go back to Venice earlier than planned, he arranged for an Italian friend to meet us at Koh Phayam pier. Giuseppe greeted us, then told the motorbike 'couriers' where to take us. They wait for incoming boats to arrive and take passengers and luggage to their accommodation around the island. We had far too much luggage but they organised it quickly, me on the back of one bike, John on another, the huge rucksacks with another rider. My motorcyclist said she was a good friend of Christian's, and was disappointed that he'd gone home sooner than expected. As she negotiated the bike round a tree trunk on the edge of the lane, she felt me tense — it was about 45 years since I'd been on the back of a bike … "Don't worry madam, I am a safe driver"! We arrived at Christian's house and were greeted by Laura, a French friend of Christian's who was staying there. She helped us carry our bags in and gave us fresh watermelon, very welcome. We were also greeted by Christian's dogs Orso and Matyi, who probably sensed how much we love dogs.

Laura had use of Christian's battered motorcycle, and she took John back to 'the village' near the pier to hire a motorbike which was to be our transport for the next nine days. There is no other transport on Koh Phayam, except for the odd tractor trailer or push bikes and it was far too hot to cycle. Later we followed Laura to Aow Yai (Long Beach) for a swim, then followed her around the island where she showed us another beach, Aow Khao-Kwai (Buffalo Bay). Laura pointed out a good family-run restaurant where we could eat, then left us to it.

Aow Yai (Long Beach)

Hard to spot this gap in the
hedge in the dark!

We had a good meal, but unfortunately when we set out to return to the house we realised that we had no torch or phone with us and in the dark we couldn't find the gap in the hedge which led to the land around the house. After going up and down the road several times we asked for help in several places, were directed to a tourist police point (a group of men sitting drinking beer under a CocaCola sign), they led us to someone who spoke English who turned out to be Christian's neighbour, and she sent a lad on a motorbike to lead us home.

We never ventured out without a torch after that, but after trekking up and down that lane several times that night, we knew every landmark and never made the same mistake again!