Relaxing Beach Days in Koh Lipe, Thailand

Arriving in Koh Lipe was breathtaking! The water was crystal clear turquoise. Sunrise Beach was picturesque with longboards were floating in the bay. Yay! This is what I was looking for in an island. Tony had told me I could snorkel from the beaches and the sand was soft and white. I could see Mila Resort had sent someone to pick me up! Yes! Nothing better than your name on a sign. I waded in to shore and waited for them to unload the bags. I saw that I was going to have to wade back to the boat to get my bag. Ugh! I always expect to fall into the water with my backpack. It is inevitable and the waves always make it harder to balance with a full load. At least the water was perfect temperature. I was excited to get to Mila Resort and hit the beach.

There were 3 of us going to Mila Resort in one small cart hooked to the side of a scooter. I looked at the amount of luggage and all 3 of us were bigger. I know the guy was trying to figure out how we were all going to arrive in one piece. When I saw the roads, I wondered too! We got stuck at two hills. The first hill the driver got 2 people to grab hold of the back of the cart and run uphill pushing us. At the second hill, I looked at him and asked if he wants us to walk up. He smiled and asked if we minded. No problem. As we rode across the back roads of the island I wondered if I had made a bad decision. We passed a dump and I giggled. I have seen so many dumps in my travels! The areas we passed were homes of the villagers. It was poor. One of the guys at the resort described it as "I thought I was in the slums of South Africa." It did not have the island beach feel that I had seen as I goggled Koh Lipe. I realized this is how the people live. While those of us on vacation live it up at the big resorts with beautiful settings, the people that work at the resort have much different living situations. When we pulled into Mila Resort, I smiled. This is what I wanted. A relaxing beach stay.  It was the first grass lawn I had seen at an island resort. It was a beautiful courtyard of grass and trees surrounded by wood Balinese bungalows and a turquoise beach in the distance. I had just stepped into heaven.

Now, I am on a budget and went with the cheap option, I did not book the Balinese bungalows. I went for the cheap garden view bungalow. It was the best room I have had in my 4 months of travel. And the bed! OMG! It was soft and cozy! There were 4 pillows on the bed. I laid down and new immediately I was going to sleep really well here. I have loved Asia, but the beds are rock hard.

I settled in, put on my swimsuit and hit the beach. It was perfect! The water was clear. I barrowed snorkel gear and went out to explore. I was having a hard time finding a mask that fit. I finally decided to ask if anyplace on the island sold snorkeling gear. After lunch, I walked to town to the Walking Street. The first shop was a dive shop and they helped me find a mask. Afterwards, I walked down the main street it was evident that I was visiting during low season. Most of the shops were closed. I did not see many people or restaurants that were open. I liked it. My own island! 

I loved this sign in town! No, I did not get a tattoo. 

When I got back to the resort I enjoyed the beach and relaxed before dinner. I filled my days with sleeping, snorkeling, kayaking and eating. It was a perfect getaway and I extended my stay to 5 days. Koh Lipe is small enough you can walk from one side to the other to swim or snorkel. I loved my time at Mila Resort. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Most of them were from Myanmar and were excited to hear that I had visited their home.

I had planned to take a snorkeling trip of the islands but never found an opening for one person. I decided the snorkeling was good off the beach. It was a relaxing 5 days just enjoying life. Ahhh...this is living! How will I ever go back to a 9-5 job? No worries, I have several more months of pure joy ahead of me!