Koh Phayam is lovingly known as rehab island to the 90 per cent of the group who’ve made drinking an Olympic sport. I think of it as honeymoon central. Secluded, non-touristy, and almost untouched, the island is the perfect place to get some R&R, especially after the nonstop crazyness of Koh Phangan.
This island also marked a key moment in the tour, because 1. we were the first LBW group to check it out, ever, and 2. we six-weekers split from the three-weekers, who headed to Railay.
After a mishap where my roommate and I were relegated to a bamboo shack with no real doors or windows and a bucket shower, (this quickly got fixed and we got a cute bungalow style room instead), we were more than ready to take advantage of our peaceful new location. The next three days consisted of laying on a beach in scorching heat, some of the best seafood and omelets I’ve ever had, and watching adorable old couples strolling along the water line. Koh Phayam seems to be the destination for the world’s honeymooners and couples celebrating their silver wedding anniversaries.
Because the island is meant for people who are content with spending their days staring into each others’ eyes there is limited electricity, not much to do, and no WiFi. As a bonafide internet junkie, I was definitely going through withdrawal. Luckily, the overwhelming beauty of the sunsets and the beach, the amazing food and the romantic swings hanging from trees provided enough of a distraction.
The best day was when we took a boat to an even more secluded bay. We were the only people on the beach, we BBQ some prawn and chicken kebabs and snorkeled.
Next destination: Railay!
