Similan Islands

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Ok. I didn't stay on all nine of them. Only number 4 has National Park accommodation.

Many  people visit the islands as part of a day trip. But as its 64km  off the coast and home to some of the best coral reefs in Thailand I thought i'd stay for a couple of days if i could. So, I got off when the tour got here and rented a tent.

This  is probably as close as i'll ever get to a ' dessert island '  I thought i'd been at quiet spots before , but nothing like this. Theres some tents , chalets , a restaurant and thats about it. So when the restaurant closes at 8.30(!) there's not much to do apart from go to bed!

local
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One of the first things I noticed here were the bats. Big, big bats. I think THE biggest bat  ( about the size of a crow) but will have to check on 'ternet.Actually fruit bats , I think. I know some people mistook them for birds and it's understandable as you hear them chatter and see them  fly in lazy circles in a very unbatlike fashion.

Great to have a tent on the beach . I remember listening once to a ' relaxation ' CD   called Tropical Twilight or some such twaddle. As I fell asleep listening to the waves crashing on the shore  , i thought  'you can't beat the real thing.'

Lifes a beach
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Next day , time for some serious snorkelling. It would be easy to gush at this point so , i'll try and have some restraint. The sheer number and variety of fish is overwhelming , and with visibility of 30 metres, it's like swimming in tapwater.Tapwater with fish every colour of the rainbow with a few more besides. Swimming in a school of fish is a wonderful  experience...

So much for restraint.

For me though ,  the highlight came as I was heading back to the beach on a solo trip . Ahead of me - a turtle! I watched it feeding off the rocks for some time  before it turned and headed for deeper water. I don't know why but I've wanted to see one for a long time , so was chuffed to bits.

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Alas,  I don't have an underwater camera , but I know photos wouldn't do the views justice anyway.Actually , since I lost my camera  lead i haven't been able to download many. Will do when I can.

I'm overnighting in Ko Lak , then heading for a National Park.