Author: Salty tales from Bali Hai

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…

We left Koh Tarutao in Thailand on 9 February heading for Ao Chalong where we planned to meet up with other boats heading for the Andaman Islands, India’s furthest ocean outpost except for the Nicobar Islands (where visiting yachts are not allowed). Koh Muk We were later than we had first anticipated partly because we…

Suddenly we had come to end of our first boat guest of the year’s two week stay. Our circumnavigation of Langkawi completed we anchored once again in Telaga Harbour.  Chinese New Year celebrations at the Billion shopping centre We went for one last delicious (guest’s favourite) tuna steak ashore at Tapaz in Perdana Quay, went…

Even though this was our second visit to the Hole in the Wall in Langkawi it was still a thrill finding the “hole” in the towering cliffs and sailing through into the wide “bowl” the other side.  Spot the “hole” Now you can see it!   Once again we enjoyed exploring the network of mangroves…

Living on a yacht in SE Asia in January is fabulous – the water is clear, the weather is comparatively settled, it’s hot but not meltingly so. On land there are plenty of restaurants with a million dollar views but with affordable food and beer at a reasonable price. And occasionally you can lob into…

Arriving back from the cold and fog of a Delhi winter it felt very pleasant to be back in the warmth of Langkawi.  Bali Hai had been on the hard at Rebak Marina during our trip around northern India, and while we were away her anti foul was replenished by Noel Bradley’s team at Rebak…

We started 2017 as we meant to go on – doing something a little different, out of our comfort zone and really challenging.  No, it wasn’t sailing to some far flung place we had never been to, nor was it tackling an ocean with a reputation for being wild – our New Year’s Day was…

We sadly farewelled our boat guests at Kuah Ferry Terminal where they caught a ferry back to Penang. They would catch their flight to KL from there the following day and then on to Brisbane, Australia.  We didn’t have too much time to mope however, as we were also due to hop on a plane…

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.  So wonderful…

We had so enjoyed the gorgeous clear waters of Koh Rawi in the Adana-Rawi archipelago on our last trip from Phuket, Thailand to Langkawi in Malaysia, that we decided to take our boat guests there for a couple of days.  Welcome to Koh Lipe! Thailand has so many beautiful spots but boy, we have begun…

After a few days in Penang with our Aussie friends it was great to be back on Bali Hai with them on the island of Langkawi in Malaysia.  Good Ol’ friends As we wanted to give them a sailing trip to the beautiful clear waters of Thailand we only lingered briefly in Langkawi where we…

Our brief visit to Penang was nearly over – we had done busy Georgetown, we had hugged trees at the Oriental Spice Garden and the Botanic Gardens but we still had to go and get some sand between our toes.  You would think that Penang being a popular tourist destination its beaches would be if…

You hear a lot about the architecture, the food, the cultural delights and the street art of Penang but not so much of the wonderful trees and other plentiful plants that are also so much a part of this wonderful island.  In the Tropical Spice Gardens While we were in Penang with our Australian friends…

Georgetown in Penang is a melting pot of cultures – vibrant, colourful, bustling with a rich history, fabulous food and amazing street art.  Some people can’t get enough of its buzz and pizazz and others like us, yearn for natural habitats and long vistas.  That isn’t to say we hadn’t enjoyed wandering round and savouring…

Our friends visiting from Australia were meeting us in Penang where we planned to spend a few days together before taking a ferry back to Langkawi – our boat being safely ensconced at Rebak Marina. The “tin can” ferry from Langkawi to Penang We arrived in Penang from Langkawi in a high speed ferry which…

As we approached the island of Langkawi in Malaysia the clouds started to roll in on the horizon and we could tell that a storm was imminent. Seems to be the story of our life! We reduced engine speed and moved at a leisurely pace  to the entrance of Telaga Harbour.  Before too long the…

 As soon as our new serpentine belt and pulleys for the Balmar alternator were finally installed we dropped our lines and motored out of Boat Lagoon Marina in Phuket, Thailand.  Sadly, because we had to return to Phuket for repairs our leisurely cruise back to Langkawi, in Malaysia was no longer on the cards as…

Early morning is not my best time of day. I’m just not very good at it. However, when I have to get up and get going at the crack of dawn I always love it! We left Koh Rok Nok/Koh Rok Noi, in southern Thailand very early in the morning so that we could reach…

Things hadn’t gone quite according to plan. We were back in Phuket because the second belt that had been fitted with our new Balmar alternator and smart regulator work had gone Kaput! Mr Wiwat whose electricians had installed the new set up, could not have been more apologetic. He had thought by installing a second…

We arrived back on board Bali Hai feeling relaxed after a lovely meal in a beautiful beach cafe on Koh Phi Phi Don.  View from the beach cafe Our laid back mood was soon dispelled however, when we put on the engine to charge the batteries. One of the two new belts serving our brand…

We had hired a car to take our daughter to the airport where we bade a sad farewell.  Time to say farewell Nice calm day to bring in the luggage from the anchorage After all the dramas we had experienced at airports in recent times we decided to leave in plenty of time. We were…

We farewelled the anchorage outside Yacht Haven and made for Ao Chalong, to check out of Thailand before taking a leisurely trip to Langkawi.  The anchorage outside Yacht Haven Marina For once we had left loads of time to get to Malaysia so we could enjoy calling in to a few places en route and…

Having had a great time in Koh Yao Noi previously we were keen to take our daughter there during her short stay on Bali Hai.  Torrential rain! Glad we weren’t on our way to shore We saw out a heavy early evening rain storm at anchor and then took our chances and went in to…

From our anchorage between Koh Kudu and Koh Kudu Yai it was an easy dinghy ride to the gorgeous hong made famous by Tilda Swinton.  Location of the annual film festival Each year she organises an international film festival here and yet there is not a trace of razzmatazz and no film infrastructure remains in…

We were tied up at Boat Lagoon Marina, had hired a car and were all set to pick up our daughter at Phuket Airport the following day.  Then we received the call – due to an administrative error, her work permit had not been ratified and when she tried to go through Immigration at Delhi…

Living on a boat helps you develop important life skills – resilience, flexibility, tolerance, patience, compromise and a sense of humour when things go wrong.  And go wrong they will – It’s the way of boats, no sooner you have fixed something and another thing goes wrong! We had decided to do a shake down…

We had planned to leave Boat Lagoon Marina a couple of days after returning from a three-week break in Australia but it wasn’t until ten days after that we finally got away.  The “lighthouse” (marina office) at Boat Lagoon Marina The delicious and cheap lunches (Aus$4 between us) were a compensation for all the waiting…

After a great three week break in Brisbane we arrived back in Phuket with a little trepidation as when we went to fly out of Thailand we had been prevented from leaving.   On our way back to Phuket flying over Singapore Would they let us in again without a drama? Would we get the…

We were so excited to be returning to Brisbane to see our son and his partner, the granddogs and catch up with other family and friends.  The grand doggies All our preparations to leave the boat safely at Boat Lagoon Marina had gone smoothly and we had even found a very nice local yacht captain…

Continuing our exploration of the shallower, most Northern end of Phang Nga Bay, we made for another cave on the east side of Khao Khian that we had heard about where there were the remains of wall paintings purporting to be from Neolithic times.  First sight of the cave paintings Compared to some of the…

We were in a glorious anchorage – Koh Daeng Yai – surrounded by sea mountains at every point of the compass, totally alone except for birds and insects and the occasional fishing boat lazily passing by in the distance.  Sea Mountains near Koh Daeng Yai Beautiful as it was, paradise had a flaw – a…

The charm of Phang Nga Bay is that you can discover hidden hongs and secret caves that might not be mentioned in any guide or yacht pilot.  Sun setting in Phang Nga Bay With that in mind we decided to use the time left before leaving Bali Hai for a three-week trip to Australia, to…