Island Hopping in the Andaman

Country, King, and Marley - not sure I can argue with that!

I'm not saying that we aren't enjoying Krabi and Ao Nang - it really is beautiful, but I fear that we may be turning into that slightly annoying breed of travellers who likes to complain about the number of tourists. 

We managed to discover a few 'off the beaten track' places of interest to explore, but there is no denying that the beaches and islands are the main draw of this area, so you just need to come to terms with sharing it with thousands of people. So if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I say.

This meant signing up for the "Four Islands Tour", hopping on the longtail with a bunch of other sunburned tourists, and spending the day being ferried around the beautiful limestone islands and beaches which dot the coastline.

I worked pretty hard at trying to find photographic moments which suggest isolation and seclusion in a gorgeous tropical location - but make no mistake, we weren't the only ones touring these waters today. 

Again, today we seemed to be victims of the elements, and the ride and the beaches were buffeted all day long with fairly steady winds.

This meant a few attempts at body surfing - Dad's head and Owen's legs makes for an interesting shot, I think.

The second stop was "________ Island", named after a particular animal. We all invite you to use the comment box below to suggest what animal shape this island reminds you of. Go on, we'd love it if you try.

Normally this tour would allow for a couple of snorkelling stops, but due to the wind we were treated to only one. The waters were a bit crowded but we managed to see a few interesting fish.

I suspect these fish appeared in such great numbers due to past experienced with swimmers handing out bread and other tasty tidbits. Sorry guys, we don't believe in feeding wildlife, so move along!

I believe this is a Parrotfish with what looks like a small remora (or something similar) attached to it. The fish was desperately trying to remove his 'hitchiker' by scraping his body against the rocks.

This was a real treat - it's hard to tell from the photo, but this was a 2 1/2 foot long Porcupine Fish which we managed to find by peering under a rocky outcropping. They are very shy and it was definitely our best sighting of the day. 

A Moorish Idol

Canadian Idols

Had a tasty lunch at Island # 3, and managed to squeeze in a photo of my main squeeze - we don't get enough shots of us together (or the entire family, for that matter). But Owen can always be called upon to take a good photo of Dad and Mama.

Our last stop of the day (not really an island, but who's complaining) were the stunning and famous Railay (Raileh) and Phra Nang beaches.

It took a bit of luck to make it look like we were the only family on the beach. 

The end of a really enjoyable tour 

I don't want to be so presumptuous to think that our blog followers (I hope we actually have some!) are using our posts for inspiration for their own travel journeys, but for those of you who are thinking of visiting this area, don't necessarily be put off by the fact that it's touristy. 

It's popular for a reason - the scenery is breathtaking. But it's not a secret, and hasn't been for some time now - you will share it with many, many others. But fear not, this is a large country packed with so many other travel gems which you can enjoy in quiet solitude. You can put together a great itinerary, like I think we have, and leave Thailand with an incredible variety of memorable experiences.

We have one more day before we leave this beautiful country and start our Malaysia experience.