Big brother is watching you!

We left pretty Koh Muk vowing to return again – if only to visit the Emerald Cave when there were no tourists there. There is small but perfect little anchorage near the cave so it would be very easy to wake up early and take the dinghy over at first light.

We passed Koh Ngai with its towering cliffs, caves. and by the looks of it, plenty of interest for divers.

As we approached Koh Lanta we clicked over at 7,000 nautical miles since we left Scarborough Marina in 2015. By cruising standards that’s not huge nevertheless it felt like quite a milestone to us!

Travelling down the coast of Koh Lanta the big black cloud we had spotted behind us earlier finally caught up with us and gave the decks a good wash. Shortly after the rain had passed over, the wind at last turned just north of east which meant we could sail from lunchtime onwards.

That night we anchored at Koh Phi Phi Don in Yongkasem Bay – straight across from Ao Chalong where we were heading the following day. This anchorage is far less crowded and noisy than Ton Sai Bay although when we arrived there were still boats full of yahooing tourists having their last hurrah.

At breakfast the next morning the boat traffic had already started with hordes of longtails delivering their customers to this jungle-fringed bay. It looked as though was great snorkelling but for us it was time to leave.

We had a rollicking good sail to Ao Chalong and arrived mid afternoon- just in time we hoped, to check in at Immigration/ Customs and Harbourmaster. 

Unfortunately there was a big sea and the dinghy ride extremely slow and uncomfortable. We arrived just before 4pm but the offices were all closed for the day.

The following day, disenchanted by the terrible roll at Ao Chalong, we motored round to nearby Nai Harn Bay and hired a car so we could check in and do a big shop ready for our trip to the Andaman Islands.

During the check in process we were served in the new Harbour Master’s office upstairs which has the most amazing and up-to-date technology we have seen.

A large screen in the waiting area shows the position of every one of the foreign boats anchored in waters around Phuket. There’s no place to hide Big Brother is watching you!