Getting away from it all

After all the hassles checking in at Koh Lipe, Thailand it was great to get away from it all on a nearby island, Koh Butang, where we had the beach and anchorage completely to ourselves. 

It was great to enjoy the clean clear waters and to completely relax for a couple of days. 

All too soon it was time to sail back to Koh Lipe for the check out process. This time instead of walking to the Customs/ Immigration office we took “taxis” – motorised trishaws – virtually the only vehicles allowed in Koh Lipes “walking streets” (except for the occasional mechanical digger)!

Fortunately the check-out process was much smoother than the check-in we experienced and soon we were on our way back to Langkawi. 

We anchored in Telaga Harbour and tying our dinghy up alongside the super yachts stopped for a chat with the crew of “Batavia”. They were about to take off and were just waiting for “Russell” the owner of this sleek super yacht. 

A bit of sleuthing led us to wonder if this could be actor Russell Crowe. He is currently producing a movie about the fate of the 17th Century Dutch sailing vessel Batavia which was wrecked on its maiden voyage. Seems possible doesn’t it?!

Before our friends left to return to Australia we went for a fantastic meal at The Wonderland Foodstore. This is a Chinese seafood restaurant where the food is fresh and delicious. It is always packed with local residents of Chinese ethnicity- a sure sign that it is good!

You can watch as your food is freshly cooked and the wait staff are extremely helpful in helping you choose a great combination of dishes to order. 

As always, it was very sad to see our guests go but we didn’t have long to mope as we only had a couple of days to get back to Rebak marina, haul the boat out and prepare to Bali Hai to be left while we took a month-long road trip in India.