Langkawi to Phuket (posted Mar 17, 2010)

We finally left Langkawi on March 11 and stopped at Ko Tarutao, Ko Muk and Ko Lanta Yai before we got to Phuket on March 14.

  

We didn’t get ashore at Ko Tarutao.

  

After we anchored in a lovely bay in Ko Muk, we took the dinghy to the famous “Tham Morakot” or Emerald Cave north of the bay.  We could not have timed it any better, as it was mid tide and we took the dinghy through the tunnel (an 80m pitch dark passageway) into the cave (a completely enclosed circular, cathedral-like ‘hong’ with a diameter of 60m.)  It was a very magnificent cave or grotto.  The Thais call it a ‘hong’, meaning ‘room’.  The walls are draped in lush foliage above a tiny patch of grey silica sand beach and an ethereal glow makes it seem as if you were encased inside an emerald, looking out.  The pictures do not do it justice; you’ll have to be there to appreciate how beautiful it is.  When we got to the entrance to the cave, a large boat full of a local tour group was there and they were getting the people to swim through the tunnel.  They all had their life jackets on and had formed 2 lines, and they were singing as they made their way in.  It was so fun watching them.  Most of the people swam in, except us.

  

After we got back to the boat and got cleaned up, we went ashore to a little restaurant up the hill for some cold ones and food and sat there watching the boats in the bay at sunset.  What a beautiful way to end the day.

  

The next day, we sailed to Ko Lanta Yai and anchored in the same bay we did on our way down from Phuket. 

From Ko Lanta Yai, we had a great sail up until a little past Ko Phi Phi, when the wind died and we motored the rest of the way to Ao Chalong, Phuket. 

And there we sit while we meet up with friends and get boat chores and stuff done.