Part II of my Tarutao Marine Park adventure takes place on the more basic main island – Ko Tarutao. With rainforest, limestone caves, beaches and mangrove swamp together with a varied wildlife this island is first of all a nature lovers paradise. But there is also a quite interesting history to this island. It was previously used as a prison camp both for political prisoners and for common criminals. I made the short trip on my bicycle to Ao Talo Wow where a trail takes you around the abandoned prison camp – or what’s left of it for the forest has invaded the area now. Here criminals where sent to work … and work hard, in a welcoming jungle environment featuring mangrove patrolled by crocodiles and plenty of malaria carrying mosquitos. Maybe not up to current resort standards, but it was still considered preferable to Thailands ordinary prisons. During WW2 the Thai government managed to forget about the place and stopped sending surplies so in order to survive the prisoners and guards teamed up in a lucrative business of piracy. That went on til 1947 when the British rulers of Malaysia finally got tired of it and invaded the island together with Thai military. No more prisoners since then.

Not far from this place, Ao Talo Udang, can be reached if you trek through the rainforest. I tried to see how far I could go on my bicycle, but it was very slow riding so I had to resign. Otherwise I was looking forward to staying for the night in the remains of the former prison for political prisoners. It wasn’t actually because my own place where luxurious: Electricity where only on for a few hours so from about midnight there was no fan in the room. That was a rather defreshing experience – a word that thanks to the Thais has found a place in my vocabulary. Midnight was also about the time when ants started crawling all over me, so for the two nights on the island I got almost no sleep. I did kill a lot of ants on those two nights.

Besides ants, the island has a lot of interesting wildlife: sea eagles, hornbills, monitor lizards and two kinds of monkeys (crab eating macaques and dusky langurs) can easily be seen. In fact I had a macaque in my room for a moment – in sneaked in while I was sitting outside. Other encounters with wildlife included a near crash situation where I almost ran over a monitor lizard on my bicycle. It was a rather big fella, but still I hadn’t seen it on the road, when it suddenly ran toward safety in the forest.

That's me! Riding on a trail in the jungle. Ko Tarutao

From Satun I head north not really sure where to go … the islands of Ko Tarutaro? – a marine national park described in my “Rough Guide” as “probably the most beautiful of all Thailand’s accessible beach destinations.” Or just head further north that admittedly will offer loads of beach destinations?

As I reach the pier in Pak Bara it turns out I have timed my arrival with the departure of the ferry perfectly so I take that as I sign and go through the process of loading my bicycle onto yet another ferry and takes off to Ko Lipe. At Ko Lipe it turns out the ferry can not go all the way, so we are transferred to longtail boats that takes us to one of the beaches. By chance we have been two cyclists on the ferry. I have company of Kerrie from England. We chat a bit on the beach and Kerrie shall soon make herself useful as I realize that I have forgotten my tripod back on the ferry. It turns out Kerrie speaks Thai so she takes control of the situation and arranges that one the chao ley (one of the local inhabitants – often referred to as sea gypsies) takes me back to the ferry in a longtail boat for 100 Bath. We cannot see the ferry from the beach, but it hasn’t left yet and my tripod is recovered. Kerrie and I then start touring the island in search of a place to stay – Kerrie on a even tighter budget than me brings a tent so is preferring a place where she can just pitch that. We end up at Porn Resort (don’t ask about the name, I don’t know!) on “Sunset Beach” … not to be mistaken with “Sunrise Beach”

Ko Lipe is enjoyable but also a bit of a tourist trap. Despite its designation as a national park it has some 700 Chao ley inhabitants living there more or less permanently – they were forced to move there before WW2 to prevent the British rulers of Malaysia to lay claim of the islands. It is interesting to see their extremely humble shacks cluttered together in small villages. Apart from their small settlements space on the island is largely taken up by resorts and shops catering for tourists. For instance there are at least 5 dive shops on the small island. I decide to support one of them and tuesday I go diving. First dive for some 5 years so I have to go through the exercises first – flood mask under water, loose octopussy etc. I pass the test and do my two dives.

Ko Lipe beach life as seen from the longtail boat

My boatsman. A chao ley (sea gypsie)

Sunset on Sunset Beach, Ko Lipe

Today I leave Langkawi on the ferry to Thammalung in Thailand, from where I ride the short distance to Satun. I reach Satun together with a rainstorm so opt for the first guest house I see. But before I get that far I have to patch a tube – a little bit surprising that I have my first flat tire so soon. I blame it on the rain a few days ago.

You don’t expect massive changes just because you cross a border, but in fact Thailand looks and feels different from day one. One prominent feature of the countryside in this southern part of Thailand is mangrove forest that often lines the road. Another thing has changed: The traffic. The road is much quieter here – at least in this part of the country cars are relatively few. Part of the reason for that is the use of public transport in the form of songthaews, small share taxis in the form of converted vans where people sit facing each other on two rows of seats. Ordinary pick up trucks also often carry a number of people, often as much as ten passengers are stuffed together on the truck. Scooters easily carry 4 peoples. I wonder if there are any regulations at all!

As I ride along the road I see plenty of signs that living close to a road can be dangerous: A lot of dogs have clearly been out playing on the road with bad luck. The result is scars and broken legs, one particular dog can only use its two front legs to drag itself along.

And then there is the language: Thai is way different from western languages at is a tonal language that uses a completely unique script as well. I’m lost and that will not change! With 44 consonants and 32 vowels I’m not even going to try to pick up what the swirling, written mess represents. Fortunately, in areas with tourists road signs are often written in English as well, but outside these places nothing makes any sense to me. It means I will have to learn to say a few things, so that I can at least ask for rice, chicken and stuff like that. It’s a comfort that Thais suffer equally with the English language and everywhere – even in official communications there are sometimes curious misspellings.

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It has been Langkawi holidays for the past days for me! I never really had plan to come here, but everybody I talked to – and not the least the Malaysians I’ve met – told me it was sooooo lovely and I just had to go. The fact that it is top of the list on Lonely Planet’s recommendations for Malaysia did make me a little bit suspicious. Also coming from another tourist hotspot, Penang Island, I didn’t really feel the need for another one. However, it is possibly my last time in Malaysia and being in the neighborhood and all I decided to check it out.

So how was it, then? Tourists are either packed in one major tourist town or scattered around the island on expensive resorts. Guess where I’m staying! Walking down the street in this town you will see: travel agencies selling day tours to this and that. Restaurants obviously catering for tourists. An Irish pub. Shops selling souvenirs.

Langkawi is really about the beaches, and unfortunately I am not a beach going kind of guy, so I did what I normally do. Got on my bike and explored the Island, and that is a rather enjoyable as the roads are plenty, quiet and will take you through a rural part of Malaysia that could be anywhere in Malaysia. So if you are a novice in Asian countries Langkawi might be the place to begin.

Here are a few places I visited:

Wildlife is present everywhere. I saw plenty of colourfull birds, monkeys and water buffaloes.

While enjoying a drink I noticed a monkey maybe 20 metres away. It gradually came closer - it had spotted this leftover coconut next to me. When done with this it jumped on the table and started messing about with my leftovers.

Beach life in Malaysia.

I was caught in the rain - again! Temperatures dropped to a record low 25 C