REMOTEST TROPICAL ISLAND IN THAILAND? Ep 2

We furl away the flapping staysail and continue on towards the Butang Islands on a flat sea. We amuse ourselves with the navigation system and vain efforts at fishing but it’s not long before we approach Ko Lipe, the small island in the south west of the Butang Island group… (continued below)

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After dropping the hook on the north side of the island Jamie takes a well-earned dip, whilst I prepare Millie’s supper. In the evening we enjoy a small sundowner.

We take the dinghy ashore to Sunset Beach, a west-facing sandy oasis that’s fairly quiet during the day. We get to frolic in clear waters and find that bar for a refreshing drink and midday snack. After feeling suitably relaxed we take a wander through the canopy of palms into town.

Ko Lipe is part of the Adang-Rawi Archipelago, a small group of islands known as the Butangs. Although Ko Lipe is smaller than neighbouring Adang and Rawi, it is by far the most popular for tourists. It was settled by a group of chao leh, also known as sea gypsies, who originated from Malaysia. Just fifteen years ago there was only one bar on the island, but now the chao leh share their island with hundreds of tourists who come to live in anything from a grass hut to five-star air-conditioned apartments.

There are three main beaches, Sunrise, Sunset and Pataya, all separated by jungle and a few roads known as Walking Street. These streets cater for both tourist and local alike, packed full of bars, shops, restaurants, markets, fishing supplies and, of course, tattoo parlours. If the weather gets too much then grab a motorbike/sidecar taxi, the only means of transport on the island, to be whisked away to your destination in no time.

Having landed the dinghy at Sunset beach we take a stroll down Walking Street and head towards the larger and more popular Sunrise beach on the east of the island. In among the holiday beach huts and shops you’ll find local people going about their own business and, sure enough, on our way to Sunrise Beach we meet a group of lads working on their fishing traps.

We push on to Sunrise beach, where there’s always someone showing off. Here you’ll see a lot of activity both in and out the water. Longtails take visitors and supplies up and down the island, and on a spring low water you’ll often see the operators pushing their vessels through the shallows.

It’s easy to while away days on those two beaches but we don’t have all the time in the world. For us yachties there is a time limit between checking out of Langkawi in Malaysia and checking in at Ao Chalong in Phuket, 150 or so miles north.

Unfortunately, disaster strikes.

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00:00 – Followtheboat’s theme music: ‘Suddenly’ by Otis McDonald
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