After all the snags we had overcome since leaving the boatyard, it was tempting to stay in the Butangs. The water is clear, the people laid-back, the fish tasty and there are plenty of uninhabited areas and islands to play around in. But, since we’d left Malaysia almost a week ago, it was imperative that we get to Phuket to check in to Thailand.
“The authorities will give you a week to get from Langkawi to Phuket, or you’ll be fined…”
“Nah, it’s two weeks…”
“You can check in at Lipe…”
“You can’t check in at Lipe…”
“You can check in at Satun…”
“No you can’t…”
With this bar-fly advice buzzing in our heads, we decided to enjoy the scenery and get some sailing in. If we were about to be fined we may as well have some fun first.
We had a few ideas about the route, and would let the wind dictate our final direction. As we upped anchor, another spectacular sunrise unravelled across the islands. We managed some sailing, but resorted to motoring when the wind inevitably died. This was the transitional period – neither NE or SW monsoon – so conditions would continue to be erratic with unpredictable winds and storms, or calm and sunny days.
In the end, we headed for the Ko Rok group, two tiny islands with a channel running between them. The archipelago of Ko Rok Nai and Ko Rok Nok is the mother of all those deserted-white-sand-palm-fringed beaches you see in travel brochures and on postcards. The place is a cliché, except that it isn’t. It’s real and golden and joyous and quiet and infused with peace. It quickly became one of our all time favourite anchorages.
