The drive took about an hour to get to the pier where the boat was waiting. It wasn’t bad because the driver was blasting Rhianna and other pop artists, so I had fun singing along (it’s always therapeutic to hear English music when you’re in a foreign country).
When we finally arrived, we were welcomed onto the boat which would be home for the next 10 hours. Immediately after setting sail, the crew set out a display of Thai noodles, stir fried veggies and lots of fruit. Jessie and I didn’t think that they would be serving us lunch as well, so we ate before we left for the tour. Despite being pretty full, I ate a bit and it was delicious.
We cruised for a good hour before we hit the small islands of our destination. The journey was beautiful. All around us was bright emerald, crystal clear water and the skies were beautiful. The water was calm and the ride was very smooth. One of the crew gave us instructions and regulations about going through the hongs. Hongs are areas like caves except they’re open at the top. If you think of a doughnut, there’s open space in the middle. Hongs are like that, it’s a solid rock formation all around it, but the centre is open and light can penetrate it. The only way to enter is through a cave from the outside, which can only be accessed at certain times of the day depending on high tide or low tide.
When we finally arrived to our first hong destination, we met up with our guides for the day. Our guide was named Thep. He was a 27 year old Thai man, who was extremely helpful and friendly. Thep kept us entertained the whole day with his crazy jokes and interesting information.
Thep brought the sea canoe up to the edge of the boat and Jessie got in first (in the front) and I sat in the middle. Thep was our motor and paddled us along the rocks quickly and efficiently, explaining to us the different minerals that caused the colorization on the rocks: iron and calcium mainly.
When we first went into the hong, we had lay back in the canoe because there were so many stalactites coming down and the waters were fairly high. It was much cooler in the cave and it had a totally different eerie feeling compared to outside.
Entering the hong was magical. The water was so calm and peaceful and the sunlight wasn’t as strong as outside, it was very relaxing. There were these beautiful mangrove trees that were growing in the water. Their roots were so cool. Thep paddled us along the hong and then stopped in the middle where we could get out and walk around.
Eventually we had to leave because the tides were going down very quickly and soon we’d have no way to get out. It was crazy that when we entered the hong, people were almost to their knees in water, and now there were areas of the ground without water at all. Thep paddled us out and we went around the island to another cave entrance. This hong was also stunning. Jessie joked that she could set up a hammock and read here for hours.
The whole paddling experience lasted for about an hour and then we came back to the boat and were served hot tea and coffee, watermelon and freshly made banana bread… yum! The captain took the boat to another destination and then it was time for more hong exploration.
As we were eating our banana bread, there was a flash of lightning and a loud strike of thunder. All of the guests started to get worried about going into the ocean, but the staff didn’t seem to mind. Jessie and I waited, but it only happened that once, and it wasn’t even raining so we decided to go for it. Again, we got into our sea canoe with our trusty guide Thep, who expertly paddled us along. Within about 5 minutes, it began to rain, but not much.
The contrast between the air and water was huge. Jessie and I commented on how our grandmother would compare the water to a bathtub, but it was refreshing. The rain was coming down a bit harder now, so Thep decided to take us into the ‘honeymoon cave’. He joked that this is where all of the honeymooners go… it was a little beach inside the cave. I guess it would be very romantic if you were with someone other than your sister!
Once we left the honeymoon cave, the sky had cleared and it was now sunny out. We paddled along into another hong and toured around it for a bit. Then it was time for us to head back to the boat and have some free time. Jessie and I thought it would be fun to try canoeing by ourselves. Since Thep had worked so hard paddling us around, we told him he could join us as our passenger and we would give him a tour. He accepted and we had a great time trying to paddle the boat. I was fairly successful but Jessie seemed to only be able to make it go in circles. Eventually I got the hang of it and gave us a little tour, but by the time we were heading back to the boat, the waves became a bit rougher and it was difficult for me to get the canoe to overtake the waves. Luckily Thep stepped in here and brought us back… so much for being the easy going passenger.
As we got back onto the boat, it was time for arts and crafts! We were making Patongs which are traditional Buddhist ‘offerings’ that float in the water. They’re similar to lanterns, but instead are made out of leaves and flowers. We started off with a base from banana tree trunk. This is important because the banana tree trunk has many air pockets in it, so it’s light and floats well. Next we assembled banana leaves into beautiful shapes and decorated it with orchids and beautiful yellow and pink flowers. We made 3 of the orchids into birds that sit in the centre... they're very cute.
We stuck in 3 sticks of incense which symbolize monks, Buddha and Buddhist scripture. Thep also cut off pieces of our hair for good luck. There were two candles that are used to illuminate the way. It was so neat watching everyone build their patongs because they were all different. Each one was beautiful and was specially crafted with the care of the guides.
Soon, the Patongs were set aside and the dinner was brought out. It was a feast! There was curry, rice, soup, BBQ shrimp, fish, chicken, veggies …. So many delicious choices! Jessie and I ate till our heart’s content and then it was time to go and release our Patongs.
Thep was in the canoe waiting for us and soon we were off paddling away. By now, it was dark and the water was black. We paddled into a small cave so that the surrounding area was completely dark. Thep lit our candles and incense and Jessie and I made a wish and released our Patong in the cave. It was a really beautiful experience, especially since the flames from the candles reflected on the water and bounced off the walls of the cave.
A little while later, Thep blew out the flames from our candles and splashed some of the water around. Because it was so dark, we were able to see brilliant glimmers of light coming from the water! Apparently it’s bioluminescent plankton, and when you touch it, it glows. It was amazing to see because Jessie and I have never seen anything like that before. We probably spent the next 15 minutes splashing around off the sides of the canoe… it was unreal! Unfortunately the camera wouldn’t pick it up, so we don’t have any pictures of this, but it’s definitely unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
Heading back to the boat, we climbed on board and got comfortable. We soon departed on the hour long ride back to the pier. Jessie and I met some nice people and had some good conversations. We also took photos with one of the tour guides who has a striking resemblance to Morgan Freeman.
A little while later we arrived at the pier, and soon we were back in our hotel. After a long shower, Jessie and I both hit the sack exhausted.
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