Island Life – Koh Chang, Thailand

 Find Your Own Paradise

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin

Once you don’t have a home can be liberated. Your home is the world! For almost one year I travelled as a digital nomad from one place to another. While in Asia, Bangkok is a good hub to be and plan your trips in Thailand and in the neighbouring countries.

After spending some time in crazy Bangkok, I moved to a remote place on the East side of the Koh Chang Island in Thailand, Baan Talay Thai.

Just few beautiful villas and cottages on the seaside, and nothing more: no stores, no restaurants, no nightlife, no banks – a solitary place, on a rocky beach, surrounded by palm, coconut and rubber trees, with colourful flowers adjourning the alleys.

Koh Chang Island,  East Coast

An orchestra of the nature best players, perhaps directed by God, enchants the guests: the waves touching the shore, the wind blowing through the trees and the rain falling on the leaves, the chorus of birds and cicadas, and the occasional tenor’s barks of local dogs or the clicking sounds of geckos at night.

Tranquility

Slow moving gardeners carefully maintain the place and greet the visitor with a smile and a greeting: “Sawadi-kap” (coming from a male) or “Sawadi-ka” (coming from a female) – meaning “hello”.

My cottage has one room with a large bed and office desk, a separate kitchen and a veranda. Internet and cable TV and are included – so I am not completely disconnected from civilization.

To explore the island or to buy food you need to rent a motorbike or a car. The West coast of Koh Chang with its beautiful beaches is the most developed part of the island: resorts, restaurants, shops and nightlife entertainment.

Snippets of Island Life

What I Am Doing

Jogging and Swimming

Mornings in the island can be very hot (temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius), but the heat doesn’t stop me for jogging 5 km on the main island road.

I was intrigued at the beginning why people will honk at me on a portion of the road. It wasn’t me, but the spirits! On this area, on one side of the road, is a Buddhist spirit house with statues representing exotic animals such as tigers, lions and zebras, and other figurines and symbols. The motorbikes and cars will honk two times when passing by the spirit house to show respect to the gone souls that used to live in this area.

Spirit house

Occasionally I stumble upon a snake sliding by or flattened on the road by vehicles. I didn’t venture in the mountains – where pythons, rat-snakes, king cobras and other types of snakes live – but it is enough to know that in Thailand are 85 poisonous snakes!

Golden tree snake on the side of the road

After jogging, cooling off in a pool is a blessing! Swimming in the sea is better in the evening, when the sea level rises. It is rare to have waves here on the East coast, more like small undulations.

Rocky beach, Koh Chang

Fishing boat

Falling Off Motorbike

Always riding a motorbike without any training is an adventure for me. My second time riding a motorbike ended with a small accident. The motorbike slipped and I felt on a muddy, off road. Painful, but I recovered. No more motorbikes for me!

Salak Phet Temple, Koh Chang

Driving a Car on the Left Side of the Road

First time driving a car on the left side of the road, what is the rule in Thailand.

It is so easy to forget on what side of the road you should be here. A couple of times on some lonely roads, at the beginning, I found myself driving on the wrong lane in a dreamy mood, even questioning what that incoming car is doing on my lane! Time to wake up, got another dose of caffeine and switched the brain hemispheres. It worked!

The only annoying thing remaining is the occasional trigger of the wiper lever instead of the signal lever, which now is located at the right side of the steering column.

First day out, first police stop. At a checkpoint I was asked for my driving license. The policeman asked for “International” and I always answered “Canada” with a big smile. This was enough to be forgiven. “Kop-kun-kap” (Thank you)!

The roads here have very steeply and narrow sections with a lot of sharp curves. Some of the roads are damaged or are just dead ends.

The road to the Long Beach

Attending a House Blessing Ceremony

For the first time I attended the Buddhist blessing ceremony of a house at the invitation of my British neighbour.

11 monks have been invited to conduct the ceremony. The ceremony consisted in chanting and praying.  After the ceremony, the monks are served with food, sweets and fruits. Only after the monks finish their meal, the rest of the attendants can start eating. The monks also receive gifts of food, toiletry and other useful items.

Thai monks praying – Buddhist house blessing ceremony

Hungry Man Eating

Prawns Cooking Style

Often I order fresh prawns from the fishermen. They are quite big and my cooking style is “do it fast”. Just throw the prawns in a cooking pan with oil, put some salt, pepper and garlic, and pan fry them as they are, with the shell on. At least I cut the “moustaches” first. Not bad!

First Encounter with a Barracuda

Lucky me, the barracuda was grilled! It looks hideous, but it is delicious!

Barracuda

My Shrimps Jump Out From My Plate!

Yes, the shrimps were kind of alive, jumping out of the plate – if you didn’t catch them and devilishly devour the little creatures at once!

The live shrimps (‘Goong Ten’) or “dancing shrimps” are small and tasty. Would you dare to try?

Dancing shrimps

Everything is 30 Cents from the Lady Boy

Every morning a lovely and always smiley lady boy comes on a motorbike with a bright blue umbrella and sells small food items such as vegetables, sticky rice, spicy soup, corn, Thai sweets – all for 10 Thai Bahts per item, about 0.30 US$.

10 Thai Bahts or 30 cents US a piece

Tropical Forest Walks

A short walk from the main road brings you to the Klong Pu waterfall. If you are adventurous, you can jump into the waterfall’s own natural created pool.

Klong Pu Waterfall

If you like horror movies, you can imagine being in one by taking a walk through a mangrove forest.

Koh Chang mangrove forest

Map

Related

• Porn Bungalow – An Idyllic Retreat on the Koh Chang Island
• Lonely Beaches: Koh Mak and Koh Kood Islands
• Message in a Bottle – Koh Mak Island beach findings