[Koh Lipe, Thailand] Just arrived.. Got an amazing spot up on the hill above the beach for (GBP10).. No internet.. but what a view… We’re on ‘Holiday’ for the next few days and with no WiFi don’t expect any updates 🙂

Flights to New Zealand booked.. We depart KL on 31 December, spend New Year’s day in the Gold Coast airport (Australia) and then fly on to Christchurch to arrive at 23:45 on January 1…that’s 2011 !

[Update: Just Filling in the details]
It wasn’t a challenge to get out to Koh Lipe. Just a little expensive. We had breakfast at the Red Boat and sat around abusing the open WiFi point while we waited for our speed boat ferry. The boat was packed full of cargo before any passengers got near it – just goes to show that everything on remote islands has to shipped in. What a mission.

We headed out at around 50km/h (I checked) and had no trouble on the calm seas. First stop was at Koh Tarutao (an island that is a national park/marine preserve and was once a prison – it now has a few parks board run cabins). Then on to Koh Lipe. Getting to the beach on Lipe is a little cheeky. The ferries stop at a barge about 400m out to sea and you have to pay B50 for a longtail to shore. Anyway we arrived and strolled along the beach until we found a good spot at Pattaya 2 Bungalows. It was a choice of B800 a night for one with electricity and pay-as-you-go WiFi that was set off the beach or B500 a night for a basic spot overlooking the entire beach from the far end. We chose the latter.

The afternoon was spent wandering the island. It’s not very big and not at all busy. A couple of Internet cafes all use satellite connections that are dodgy at times. The usual shops and restaurants (but no 7-11’s). It was VERY hot. Tomorrow we are doing absolutely nothing. Should be fun.

[Pictures: The view from our porch… Lucky us]

– Posted via Satellite internet connection