MIKE AND JESS' TRAVEL DIARY
Thailand and Cambodia Trip
Day 16 - December 16 2014
For the first time in about a week, we have an excursion planned that hasn’t been cancelled. Our excursion is a longtail and kayak trip around a couple islands that only this tour group have rights to explore. We loaded up on the back of a truck and took the long ride to the smaller sister island of Lanta. This island does not have a single resort or hotel on it, and the residents are having to fight to keep it that way.
We load on the longtail once we reach the pier and head off to the first destination; Ghost Island. It is named this because one side of the island looks just like a huge skull. The eyes and mouth are caves that we will be exploring. We climbed from the boat onto the rocks and begin ascending into the opening. Up one very steep, nearly vertical wall, is a tire and rope ladder. Thick ropes are tied to a stalactite on the floor of the cave and looped around each car tire that makes up this ladder. I swallowed the huge lump in my throat and begin to climb.
Once at the top, we headed into the caves covered in stalactites and stalagmites. We continue to climb big boulders and squeeze through thin passages until we are in the giant opening of one of the eyes of the skull. The view is amazing; limestone islands everywhere you look and the Andaman Sea, as smooth as glass. We explore more, our guide shows us some fossils in the cave and we know the only way back is down the hanging tire ladder…
Once back on the boat, we headed to Talibeng island. The drivers anchor the boat near a shell beach set in a cove on the island. We ate the homemade lunch the guide provided on a blanket on the beach and relax. Now, we get to kayak. They allowed us to kayak all we want near the island. We are the only tour for the day and we booked a private one so this island, as well as all the nearby ones are deserted. About an hour after exploring on our own, the guide jumps in his kayak and we start our trip around the huge island. We got to see monkeys, monitor lizards, and beautiful birds. He had us follow him into a cave in which we pull our kayaks onto the beach inside. On the far end of the cave, we see another tire ladder three times the size of the one on Ghost island. The guide tells us they found a pool inside of the cave and asks if we want to go in. We can’t say no.
Once we reached the top, we looked back and our kayaks look the size of a small toy. This cave lacks any holes allowing light in. It is pitch black and our guide has one small head lamp. We feel like we are playing the dumb explorers in a horror flick. The one where I yell, “these dumbies! Don’t go into the dark, damp cave alone!” at the screen. Everywhere the light flashes, we see giant stalactites hanging from the tall ceiling. Sometimes, by the time the light shines on them, they are inches from our heads. We reached an area where there are small pools of crystal clear water. The guide tells us we are almost to the main pool; “it is only over that wall,” and shines his light on a vertical, slippery wall with what look like two shoelaces hanging down. The shoelaces were our lifelines. We quickly decline. Unless the pool floor is covered with gold medallions ripe for the taking, we are not interested. We turned around and headed back. Thankfully, we got a good laugh from me slipping down a small hill on my butt. Cave butt-sledding.
The climb back down felt never ending. One tire after another after another. It sure is a good thing we don’t have a fear of heights, the dark, and claustrophobia. That would’ve been quite a terrifying experience if we did. (We do.)
After cleaning up at the hotel, we headed out for food and a few necessary beers. What an edventure!