Well... I was picked up by the owner of my bungalow, who just happens to be a police officer on the island as well. I hopped off my banana boat transfer from Phang Nga and was immediately greeted and whisked off on a motor bike with a personal police escort, backpack and all! haha. Enroute, he dropped me off at his mothers house, as he wasn't yet finished working for the day. His family was lovely, welcoming me into their home, two sisters and his 94 year old mother. His one sister had only recently had her third baby, a little boy, three weeks before. They brought me a coconut to drink and when the owner came back to pick me up they told me to come back tomorrow. I unfortunately didn't make it there yet, as it's quiet the distance on a bike. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.
Right now I'm sitting on my porch looking out into Phang Nga Bay towards Krabi. Phang Nga Bay is very similar to Halong Bay in Vietnam, and is home to the famour James Bond Island (which I passed on my trip to the island). Unlike other guesthouses, mine is situated off the main road on a hill offering a specatculare view of the bay. Currently a rainbow is peaking out through the clouds. It seems to rain here everyday 4:30/5:00pm.
Koh Yao Noi is the perfect balance of activity and quiet, but I'm beginning to think it would be more enjoyable as a couple (or with friends). I am pretty sure I am the only single person in my hotel and the only solo traveller I have seen. This is somewhat problematic as most activities are priced based on a group of 4 or as a couple. As I can't afford anything on my own I think I will wait until I head to Railay, Krabi to do anything major. For now I'll just stick with renting bicyles, and if feeling adventurous, try my luck with a motorbike!
There are some perks of travelling alone though. People tend to want to take care of you and make sure you arrive at your destination safely. This even happened in crazy Patong Beach where a thai woman and man had me sit and wait with them at 5:30am for a local bus that they flagged down for me. I was also given the man's business card for his taxi and told to call him if I ran into any problems on my trip to meet my volunteer group. The two of them would personally come get me if I needed anything.
This again happened in Phang Nga. The receptionist from my guesthouse in Phang Nga arranged my bungalow booking for me, and knowing that I was travelling alone, she arranged to have the owner pick me up at the pier. I don't think the personal police escort is part of their normal service. She even called him later to make sure I had made it there safely!
Due to the quieter nature of the island, things here are a little bit more expensive. Food is much more expensive then I am used to paying, but my bungalow has a fantastic restaurant that is reasonably price, so I will eat most of my meals here. It also offers the best view of the bay. I even woke up at 6:00am this morning to go watch the sunrise over the bay. It was a bit cloudy but I'll try again tomorrow. The early part of the day is the nicest here as it is also the coolest!
Tomorrow I will bravely rent an automatic motor bike, and head to the other side of the island. There is a local market over there, and possibly some delicious foods to discover. A couple from Switzerland have also said that the sunset is beautiful from the other side as well. They also told me of a fantastic massage place that I might just have to check into.
