wander-well

The perfect equation of unspoiled beaches and miles of white sand disappearing into crystal blue waters begets the undiscovered destination of Khanom. Located in the northernmost end of the Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Khanom is a beautiful stretch of beach flanked by limestone islands and shale mountain formations. One neat fact about Khanom is that it is breeding grounds for a rare species of pink dolphins. It is extremely challenging to capture a glimpse of these endangered animals and no one is exactly sure how these dolphins get their pink hue. Local fisherman have supplemented their incomes by offering boat tours to tourists in hopes of dolphin sightings but many return empty-handed, so to speak. This tropical paradise has not yet made its mark on the international tourist trail and locals are hoping it always remains an oasis of serenity.

 We made the 60 minute journey by minibus from Suratthani for around $8 US per person. Cruising through the lush tropical foliage we were abandoning crowded cityscapes for remote beatitude. Our driver delivered us to a crosswalk located in the center of a small fishing town with a 7-eleven as its main attraction.  Flagging down a couple of motorbike taxis to transport us in the direction of the ocean, we gave them the only landmark we knew, CC’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. The owner, an Englishmen named Charlie has been serving expats and English teachers on weekend escapes from nearby cities for 3 years often hosting small full moon parties on the beach in front of his establishment. Charlie came to Khanom 5 years ago and hardly received a warm welcome from locals fearing that foreigners looking to develop tourism in Khanom would rob it of its charm.

On the back of that motorbike with the wind blowing in my hair and the blazing Thailand sun shining down on my skin I cocked my head towards the coastline catching glimpses of the blue ocean water peeking through the clusters of palm trees. We turned down a narrow gravel road which dead-ended into a hideaway of thatched roof towers and an outdoor bar full of personality. With a perimeter of multicolored lights and hammocks, wooden tables and tiki lanterns were nestled into a sandy beach floor. We celebrated our arrival with a drink and explored the new paradise in our bare feet. Climbing to the top of the tallest tower in the restaurant, we caught a spectacular view of the ocean as it sat below a canvas of a beautiful painted sky. Pinks, purples, oranges and blues were all around us as we settled into the natural beauty of Khanom. To look out to the ocean and walk on the beach we were the only ones in sight. Except for a few stray beach hounds we had the entire beach to ourselves; the place felt like it was ours. It was absolutely amazing. May is low season for tourism in Thailand but the added bonus of Khanom being off the tourist radar (for now) allowed for us to benefit from its undiscovered charm.

Located next to CC’s, Scott found us a lovely air-conditioned bungalow owned by a sweet Thai family for 700 baht ($23 US) a night. Our plan was to stay for a few days and then make moves toward the island of Koh Phangan for the remaining days until our visas ran out. Our days came to be splendidly spent sleeping in, walking next door to CC’s for eggs and pancakes, spending time in the sun and walking on the beach hand in hand while little white sand crabs scurried away from our feet. With few options close by, CC’s hosted us nightly for dinner, scrabble, adult beverages and sunsets. We slipped away into a timeless routine of bliss reminding ourselves how lucky we are and how good life truly is.

Khanom became a place that was hard to escape and we stayed well past our initial 2 day plan. Hungry for adventure we decided to rent a motorbike for a day and tour around town and in search for the Samed Chun Waterfall. We followed a fairly vague road map supplied by Charlie, which led us close enough to where we could find the entrance of the path for the waterfall trail on our own. We followed a long gravel road past some ambiguously spray painted trees that pointed us in the direction of the waterfall hidden up in the mountain side. We decided to drive our motorbikes as far as we could to save our legs from labor and cut back on exhaustion from the heat. As we began to descend down the gravel hill the wheels of our motorbike began to slide and Scott lost control of the bike. I flew over the handle bars in what felt like slow motion ending up with only a skinned elbow and matching knee. No biggie. Scott laid the bike down on top of his leg and got a pretty bad road rash from the force of the bike’s weight. His leg became a bright, bloody red from skin shredded by the sharp pebbles. Luckily everyone was ok and we decided to bail on the bike and carry on by foot the rest of the way. We climbed the trail until we could hear the sound of crashing water. Ducking into the woods we came to a path which emptied into the waterfall’s cove. Unfortunately, the waterfall turned out to be a little anti-climactic perhaps due to the lack of rainfall in the area or the fact that we have been spoiled with the number of breathtaking waterfalls we have had the privileged to see up to this point. Either way, it was a nice opportunity to wash off our wounds and take a dip to cool off from the stifling heat.

 The absolute highlight of our 7 days in Khanom was made possible by an offer to join a boat trip for the day traveling around the Gulf of Thailand. Charlie had approached us with details about a Danish couple who had paid to charter a boat for the day and was looking for joiners who were interested. The trip included snorkeling, fishing, lunch, and cruising around the sea in hopes of coming across those highly sought after pink dolphins!  For only 800 baht ($25 US) per person we jumped at the opportunity and our day began at a stiff 8am the next morning. We were picked up at CC’s by 3 fisherman, moved on to meet the Danish couple we would be setting sail with (who spoke very little English) and rode in the back of a truck on the way to the docks. The boat was a 50 foot sampan with a captain’s cabin and bench seating. We loaded the coolers and took our spots near the front of the craft. The clear blue skies, bright sun and calm water were the perfect recipe for what would be an amazing day. We began by cruising along the coastline, passing islands of limestone rock formations sprouting up from the sand. Fish would jump across the water alongside our buzzing boat as we would peer out over the deck back at the tiny native bungalows constructed along the coasts. The layers of nature’s colors: the sparkling sea, the bright white sand, the lush green palms, slated mountains, and clear blue sky were breathtaking visions as the salty breeze whipped past our faces. We headed towards the bay and eagerly searched for the pink dolphins. Fully aware of the infrequent sightings we were not too bummed when we joined the ranks of other tourists who missed the pink mammals. We rerouted and moved on to our next adventure.

 Neither Scott nor I have ever been snorkeling before so we were both eager to see what it was all about. We’ve heard tons of people rave about underwater exploration, whether it scuba diving or snorkeling, and we never really had any motivation to investigate the appeal. As the boat docked a couple hundred feet from another island coastline we anchored and dressed in our flippers and dive masks. While I stood there super anxious about whether or not we were going to become shark bait, Scott jumped right in and began flipping around like a pro. Watching him float atop the water with such ease I decided to put my fears aside and dived in. At first, it wasn’t as easy as it looked and trying to get used to breathing through the snorkel was a huge adjustment. After a few unwanted gulps of seawater and a couple of tries at emptying the mask while staying afloat everything began to click. The moment you begin successfully swimming atop the water face down with the ocean floor underneath you become a part of another world. Everything is silent except the sound of your breathing; your heart races as a result of discovering underwater life. The sights of the golden corals moving below you, their intricate shapes and textures, are breathtaking. Commonly found in shallow depths, the corals provide a home for the large masses of marine life. Often referred to as ‘the ocean’s rainforest,’ coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth.

 Completely engulfed by a school of the most beautifully colored tropical fish, it was fascinating to see how unthreatened they felt with a foreign body in their environment. As a trespasser among their delicate world I could move freely as if I actually belonged. Face to face with these fish in the calm sea and so close you could touch them, feel them as they cut through the water around you. In those moments we coexisted. As we climbed up the ladder leading back into the boat after one of the most amazing experiences we have had, Scott looked at me and said, “I get it now.” The whole appeal of underwater exploring had now made sense to us. It was magical.

 The rest of our day was spent fishing off of another island which was an activity as relaxing as it was comical. I baited my hook with a big, juicy shrimp, casted out into the sea, and hooked my line into a rock….four different times. The consistency was unreal. I broke my line and lost my bait time and time again. It was complete amateur hour. Nothing was more discouraging than casting the line and feeling a great big pull before coming to the realization that all I was tugging on was a big ol’rock. All the enthusiasm and excitement is quickly washed away as you reel in a broken line and have to walk over to the Thai fisherman (again) showing him your broken line with a pout on your face. I eventually retired the fishing pole and cheered Scott on until it was time to call it a day and ride the boat to the dock.

 Despite missing the dolphins and the chance to bring home a freshly caught fish from the sea, the entire day was full of adventure and excitement. Being able to experience something so new by challenging yourself in another environment was deeply rewarding. Our sunburns were as bright as our smiles from a day well spent. We arrived back at our dock and loaded ourselves in the back of the truck just in time to get caught in an extremely cold, heavy downpour the entire way home. Khanom was a special place full of natural beauty, solitude and adventure. An undiscovered treasure on the southern Thailand peninsula, I like to think this special place will never lose its unique charm.