19th- Away from Lanta and onto Ko Yao Noi for the next 3 days, we crossed the Phang Nga bay with it's incredible limestone karsts (flooded mountains formed many years ago when sea levels rose) and were pleased not to be mobbed by any touts, in fact we'd come across in a small long tail boat with just a few other tourists, some locals, 2 motorbikes crammed in and nearly a goat in a bag.
It was quickly apparent that we'd arrived in a quiet paradise! As we took a Songthaew to our accomodation we drove along a road that gave tantalising views of white sand and palm trees without any buildings blocking the view.
Our bungalow was basic- mosquito nets over the beds as the floor boards were open to the ground though raised above it and the shower just had the one temperature (though the most useful!). We had a much needed swim on from the deserted beach across the road but the water was so warm it didn't cool us down very much!
We'd decided with its quiet roads that this was the best place to join the natives in the Motorbike-riding habit, well mopeads really, the lady we hired from clearly had some misgivings but gave us the safest, and slowest (memories of learning to ride horses!) and a younger lady who spoke no English demonstrated, wobbly and uncertain we had a few goes (insisted that 1 each was less likely to end in disaster than sharing one) and I suspect were the best live entertainment she'd ever seen! Still, we got the hang and pottered off to explore this small island....Incredible place, still so unspoilt by tourism, a coastal road with the sea and groves of mangroves on the one side, placcidly grazing cattle and water buffalo backdropped by forested slopes on the other, altogether stunning!
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