Ko Jum is paradise. Not sure what the whole island is like but ao si beach is amazing and Loma Sea view bungalows adds to the islands charm to make it something really special.
We arrived on Ko Jum with a vague idea where to stay but nothing booked. On the pier we found out plan a was shut down so we moved onto plan b- Ao Si Bungalows. The taxi was a motorbike with a metal cart seating thing added to the back where our driver kept coins in his ears. Arriving at our destination we guessed quickly that it had closed for the season but reluctant to leave a beach we had already fallen in love with. We wandered the beach and came across wooden huts, volleyball nets, wooden benches and a beautiful bit if beach. B500 a night for a wooden hut right on the beach. This was where I spent my 19th birthday, on an empty beach. First night there and we already felt welcome around complete strangers staying there, playing jenga and drinking late into the night.
Second day here we took a boat trip around 5 islands and snorkeled for B4000 for the boat which was split between 5. The first stop was Ko Phi Phi (Lay) which is an uninhabited island except for the sea gypsies which have made their homes on the rocks and in caves. Here was the first stop for snorkeling. Large groups of people were all already snorkeling so we moved further out to sea and had the spot to ourselves. The fish here were amazing and absolutely everywhere, seeing rainbow coloured fish right in front of you. You didn't have to try at all to see amazing fish, it was more of an effort trying not to hit them. Other boats full of tourists turned up and started snorkeling where we were, looking ridiculous in bright orange lifejackets and cautiously getting off their boats where the deck was in the water. Our boat was a long tail boat with steps just added to the side when we needed them and the whole boat would tip drastically whenever anyone got on and off. All of us were pleased we weren't in part of a tourist tour instead a small group on local transport. We did get the choice to go to (BEACH) from the movie The Beach for B300 each however once we saw the beach full of tourists we decided it wasn't worth paying and snapped our pictures from the boat. You could see why they would film a movie there, it was stunning. We stopped on Ko Phi Phi (Don) for lunch on a quieter part of the island. As the island is touristy it wasn't long before a large group of tourists were joining us. We quickly moved onto the other islands Mosquito and Bamboo islands, here I get confused on which one we decided to stop at but I think we stayed in the water to snorkel again near bamboo island and only looked at mosquito islands. Next stop was home back on Ko Jum. Due to the huge waves on our beach the boat was struggling to stay straight and throwing anyone who tried to get off over. Only two of us made it off, one with my backpack which held my main clothes and flip flops. The boat left after a wave crashed through the back of the boat and filled the floor with water, heading for a pier on the island. From here we took a taxi back to Loma, going up a dirt track seeing a large family of monkeys. Although I am sea sick and some parts of the trip were difficult (explaining some lack of photos) the trip was absolutely amazing.
Our day still wasn't over as we had a crab party where a group of 6 of us sat on a table all together and ate freshly caught crabs (except me due to being vegetarian). It was surprising that we had only known these people for less than two days and already bonded.
Our last day here soon became our second to last as we extended our stay to another night- making it a total of 4 nights, same amount of time as Bangkok.
Last two days were spent lounging around and swimming in the sea. The tides here are quite strong and some sections are rocky but said to be one of the better beaches for swimming. First day here and in the rocky sections we swam looking at the few fishes, other days were easier to swim I'm the sandier sections.
We also witnessed thunderstorms the last two nights. From a hut on the beach seeing the sky light up is amazing.
Oh and there are puppies. We learnt that on ko jum people don't like dogs. The accommodation next door had two puppies but only claimed the larger of the two as it would be better at scaring away monkeys. As the two puppies are brothers they have been playing together and spending most of their time at Loma where everyone gives them attention. One of them now belongs to Loma as it wasn't being fed and nobody wants it back.
Less cute there are the poisonous centipedes in the area which apparently cause two weeks in hospital. First encounter with one was our first night where the bartender beat it with a flip flop and drowned it in a glass. These things are nasty looking and vary in size. Second encounter was in our bathroom. After it hide from us near the door Fin managed to get it in a small bowel and transfer it into a tub full of water. We moved it to a glass and went to the bar with our catch. Our centipede now lives behind the bar in an empty alcohol bottle behind the glow of a green light.
The owners arranged their family to take us to the mainland. Walking up the hill I expected a pickup truck or sidecar motorbike taxis to take us to the pier. I was wrong and this became my first time on a motorbike/ moped. That wouldn't be so scary other than Thailand no one wears helmets, the roads on this island are rocky dirt roads, we were off balance as we had a big tube of fuel for the boat and I had a 10kg + backpack and a smaller backpack. I quickly really enjoyed my first time on a bike.
Ko Jum is going to raise the bar high for other islands we see and is somewhere I wish to go back to and would encourage everyone to go to if they get the chance.
