Koh Lipe: Getting settled into island mood

A plane trip and a three-hour boat ride later I arrive at Koh Lipe, a small island on the Andaman Coast, close to the border of Malaysia.

The contrast against buzzing Bangkok could not be sharper. While staying at the most exploited beach on the island, Hat Pattaya, things here are still very laid back and mellow. There is plenty of room on the beach, no hustlers bugging you to buy things you don’t want, and there are no cars and occasional mopeds on the island. Beach chairs are few, free and readily available given the relatively low volume of tourists here. Fine, white sand and crystal clear, turquoise water make the beaches here compare well to the best tropical post cards. The only negative is that about 50% of the tourists here are Swedish. Seriously, how can a country of 9 million people completely populate all of Thailand?!

Spent the day reading on the beach and writing in my diary. Feeling very balanced and content. Interestingly, I am finding that I enjoy the silence enforced upon me. I like observing the beautiful scenery and the people around me without the pressure of making conversation. I have fallen in love with the charm and the low-key atmosphere here. I cannot think of a better place to wind down, read, write and relax.

I have noticed that when travelling backpacker style, it takes me a day or two to adjust to the level of standard on the road. Being the spoiled brat I have become after years of business travel, my room with cold water shower, non-flushing toilet, and rock hard bed without comforter at first appeared non-plausible, but after spending my first night here I am instead feeling lucky about my porch and the 50 meters I have to walk to the beach.

Given the monstrous weight of my backpack (I am a travel rookie, yes I am, and also clearly shallow enough to gain comfort from my material belongings), I have decided that I am not allowed to leave this island before I have finished at least four books. I simply cannot be bothered to carry that big blob around until it is significantly lighter.

One good thing about being over-packed is that it forces me to slow down. I woke up this morning with the ambition to scope out the entire island to find the best bungalow available; to ensure I am getting the best Koh Lipe has to offer and to make certain that I am not missing any of the sweet spots. This is so typical for me; do your homework, lay out the facts and then figure out a way to maximize and optimize. Luckily, the thought of moving my bag two days in a row, made me decide that where I am is simply good enough, and it is pretty damn good! So now I have decided to stay put here for at least a couple of days, maybe even a week.