Similan Islands and the Moo Moo

Yippee, we're going snorkelling today..!!

The previous day, Boss had said: "Tomorrow morning pickup between 07:40 and 07:50, ok? 1500B per person. Good tour company. How many people?". 

We were at the reception by 07:35, and waited for the pickup. At 07:40 a song thaew arrived and picked up other guests. We looked at each other in silence. I had left the mobile phone back in the villa. Who needs a mobile in the middle of the Andaman Sea? I sprinted back to the room, got hold of the mobile and came back to the reception area. "Don't worry", Boss said, "Pickup at 07:50, maybe a few minutes late, other guests to pick up". Just after 07:50, an air-conditioned van drove in. "This can't be for us", my OH said. "We got a good rate, so we'll get a song thaew." Well, it turned out that the air-con van was indeed for us. The other Boss, in this case, was right. 

We drove through several rubber tree groves (with the coconut shell cups to trap the latex) and reached the pier at Thaplamu by around 08:15. We collected our snorkel sets and fins, trying to look very cool about it, and helped ourselves to drinking water, fruit juice and cakes.  "Take more, take more", the staff kept repeating. There was a small line to pay the tour charges, which took a few minutes. 

The briefing followed. There was something strange about the way in which we were briefed. It was full of drama, humour and entertainment. We looked at each other, wondering whether this is a serious snorkelling trip or a fun show. I mean, a 80 minute speed boat ride across the sea and snorkelling in deep waters is serious business, is it not? Over course of time, it was evident that the staff knew what they were talking about, about the safety aspects and so on. But it was all presented in a highly entertaining manner, which continued during the journey. 

It was only later that we connected the dots. Talking to our tour guide during lunch, I realized that most of them have two jobs. A job with Fantastic by day and dancers with the Moo Moo Cabaret in the evenings. It is a hard life, indeed.

We left the pier at 09:00 sharp. The view behind reminded me of the lines from Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner": "The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free". Unexpectedly, the 80 minute ride was very mildly choppy, just a wee bit. Only one person in our group of 25 threw up. No worries. The tour guides had provided little plastic bags. Fellow passengers chipped in with wet towels, dry towels and water. 

As we reached Island 4, the last instructions were given. Life jackets, anyone? My hand went up. The guide then suggested that even if you know how to swim it helps if you wear a life jacket, after which most of the group collected a life jacket each. This is it, then, snorkeling in the deep sea. Our previous experience of snorkelling in the shallow waters in Maldives barely counted. That was over 10 years ago, and the spots were right off the resort island. 

Junior was all set to rock and roll, as well. 

Swimming in the blue waters off Island 4 was truly an exciting occasion, one for the books.  

Much as the brochures refer to powder white sands, blue waters and deserted islands, several boatloads of people do keep dropping in. However, they soon disperse around the island, so it isn't all that crowded at the end. 

The sand is really white and powdery. The brochures are right. My mother asked, after we got back, why had we not got a bit of it back in a bottle? Oops..!! Sorry..!!

For real peace and quiet, you may need to try the 2-Day/1-Night trip, which my OH did not seem too fond of, after staying in the comfort of NTBR1. "You do that", she said, "Sleep in a tent and use the toilet in the sand."

We did get some time to explore the dense jungles of Island 4 before lunch. We had to do that bare feet, though, since our foot wear had been taken away at the Thaplamu Pier where we had boarded the speed boats. Good for the environment, I would say.

Light levels get very low soon enough. 

After a well organized buffet lunch, we were taken to two snorkelling spots. The pre-monsoon winds made the sea rather choppy. It is a good idea to wear life jackets, so that you can listen to the eerie sound of your own breathing and focus on the colourful fish swimming under water. 

Both the spots were amazing, though the corals and fish would have looked even more colourful had the sun been shining brightly. 

After the snorkelling stops, we trekked up once again through dense vegetation, up slippery paths on Island 8. 

It was time to pause a while and admire the breathtaking views of the bluish waters around us.

As you go around the various spots on the rocks at the top of the island, several islands are visible all around. 

The speed boat ride back to Khao Lak was again about 80 minutes. Some dozed, some chatted and some admired the sea and clouds around. 

A few minutes before we were scheduled to reach the pier, the boat came to a  sudden, shuddering halt, kicking up huge amounts of mud at the back. We had run aground..!! The water level that was about 6 or 8 feet deep in the morning had gone down to about 2 feet. Our tour guides attributed it to the effects of the full moon. There have been instances in the past when the tide got low quickly, but that particular day was unexpectedly quick. 

Our crew debated what to do. We had three crew members on board. Our chief guide in the foreground (Gaga), the helper in the background on the left, an expert at curling up in the tiny space next to the engine at the back of the boat all day, and our speed boat driver (Jack Sparrow), the strong and silent type who never said a word, and came with a reputation of driving boats in the Andaman Sea for 20 years. 

Much discussion happened, and it was decided that everyone should get off the boat, and the men should push it to a spot where the water level is slightly deeper. The idea worked, we actually did so, after which the engines were lowered at a 45 degree angle to avoid the mud. We slowly reached the pier. The difference in water level relative to the steps of the pier, between the morning and the evening was starkly evident.

April 7, 2012, evening. 

A Boss taxi dropped us to the Moo Moo Cabaret (150B). Boss told us that we would get a taxi back after the show, there would be many waiting outside, not to worry. We had anticipated a crowd, and reached rather early, well before the show time of 21:45. We were the first to arrive. We also realized that food is not served at the Moo Moo. They only serve liquid refreshments. 

There was a simple 'street food' stall outside selling fresh, hot soups of different types (40B). A 7-Eleven store is conveniently located right next door, good for buying drinking water, snacks and small snacks. Our 'tour guide' saw us sitting on the stools outside, downing hot soup, and warmly welcomed us. We went inside shortly, and waited for 21:45. 

The setting of Moo Moo Cabaret is extremely simple, along Highway 4, essentially a small stage, a few sofas, chairs at the side, and a bar attached. Surprisingly, the prices of drinks are about the same as that at most bars and restaurants in the area.

Our Similan tour guide on the speed boat was one of the main dancers, a highly talented performer.

Whitney Houston, one of the highly entertaining 'briefing' staff and guide on another boat, was just as amazing.

Together they performed a high energy Whitney Houston duet, " I will always love you".

Dancers of several nations were represented, including Balinese dancers.  

And Chinese, Japanese and Spanish dancers. 

The colourful, energetic and memorable performance lasted about 2 hours. 

At the end, our "Similan tour guide - Moo Moo dancer" came up, hands folded, thanked us for our support and escorted us into a taxi. We got off at NTBR1. I asked how much, and the taxi driver said 150B. I was amazed. In the excitement of it all, I had forgotten to negotiate a price beforehand, which is the accepted practice in many countries, and at tourist destinations, particularly after midnight, where rather arbitrary 'night charges' are often imposed. The positive attitude deserved a tip. Maybe that's small town Thailand for you, not yet corrupted. We hope it stays that way. 

Acknowledgement: Most photos (C) Junior.

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Related posts:


Khao Lak:
http://feni-and-amok.blogspot.in/2012/04/khao-lak-slice-of-heaven.html

A glimpse of Menus and Food in Khao Lak:
http://feni-and-amok.blogspot.in/2012/04/thailand-menus-khao-lak.html

Chiang Rai - quaint gateway
http://feni-and-amok.blogspot.in/2012/04/chiang-rai-quaint-gateway.html

Guest House, Mae Kok, Rafting and the Hill Tribes
http://feni-and-amok.blogspot.in/2012/04/guest-house-mae-kok-rafting-and-hill.html

Songkran in Bangkok (without a raincoat)
http://feni-and-amok.blogspot.in/2012/04/songkran-in-bangkok-without-raincoat.html

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South Goa in January - relaxed as usual

Saturday, Jan 28, 2012

I was in a bit of a fix. My meetings were at Sanquelim (30 km east of Panjim) and at Zuari Nagar (near Dabolim airport). Where do I stay in between my meetings? Would if be North Goa or Panjim or South Goa? Considering the proximity to my second meeting venue and the airport, I settled on South Goa.

Tony came to my rescue. He runs Balton's Restaurant and Shack. "Come over, I'll help you find a room", he said. The taxi ride from the new campus of the Goa Institute of Management at Sanquelim to Arossim took over an hour. 

The hills around Sanquelim have been ravaged by illegal mining for several years, which the Supreme Court recently put an end to. The environment is now protected, and the roads around Sanquelim are free of miles of ore laden trucks that used to make their way to the river and port.

I peeped into a few hotels, guided by Tony, then settled on Pristine Resort, a couple of minutes walk from the entrance of the Park Hyatt resort. A quick check in, after which I had a few minutes to catch the sunset. Arossim beach is less than a kilometer from Pristine, about a 10 minute walk around the Hyatt. 

The shacks appeared slightly busy, some people were on the beach.

A German Shephard sniffs at a man made sand castle.

View of Arossim Beach, looking south. The jeeps of the Beach patrol crew have been busy, a common sight this season. 

Yes, that's the parachute of the para gliding outfit, entertaining guests from resorts in the vicinity. 

The sunsets at South Goa are ever so peaceful, like the beaches. 

Even the little beach birds take time off their busy, jumping schedules. 

Balton's restaurant on the road has a wonderful ambience for dinner. Food lovers will love the varied menu. Music lovers will enjoy the soft rock and pop music (going back to the 60's). Bike lovers will probably re-live life in the past, with two shining, 'antique' motor bikes on display, a Royal Enfield Bullet and a Rajdoot 350cc Yamaha from the 70's.

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012

The restaurant at Pristine Resort overlooking the pool is a relaxed place to prepare for presentations.

A little cross inside Pristine. This is a very common sight in Goa. 

My mind went back to Goa in August, when I found this reassuring sight in the back roads behind Curlie's in South Anjuna, the fields at their greenest best after the monsoon rains.   

Crosses in Goa remind me of Thailand and Bali, where similar, little places of worship are found on almost every street. 


A few representatives of the Hyatt-Taxi-Drivers-and-Card-Players-Club sit around lazily on Sunday morning. Give them their due, though. I have found during past visits that this gang is rather mild. Their counterparts in Varca have all the prerequisites needed to qualify for Sicilian citizenship immediately.

Utorda Beach is about half a kilometer further south of Arossim. One flyer lands while another is all strapped up, ready to go.  

Balton's Beach Shack is the perfect pit stop for lunch. 

Ah, this is it. Take the sandals off, dig your toes into the cool, fine sand, adjust yourself a wee bit till the chair sinks in just the right amount, and you are all set for an hour or two. 

The life-giving 'Shack License' is what the pre-October chaos is all about.

Building shacks is hard and involved work, the life span is all of 6 to 7 months. 

Good old Goan Ambotik fish curry and rice. 

Time for a stroll, to take in the warmth of the few hours to sunset. Wonder what goes into the 'home made Goan pizzas'. Racheido topping? Vindaloo topping? 

Management schools may one day teach about the origins of the GPL.

Parts of the beach near Betalbatim are getting fortified against erosion. 

A lonely ice-cream seller waits for customers. His ice creams may be 'home made', as well. 

One of many little stops, this one to admire the games played by the sun, clouds and waves on the way back to Utorda. 

My 14 y/o son used to be skeptical about my long beach walks in Goa, particularly as a child, when he would be taken in a taxi by my OH from Aguada to Calangute or Aguada to Baga, while I walked.  This was back when the entire beach stretch could be walked. He suspected that I sneaked into a taxi somewhere in between. 

Many years later, these are the days of smartphones and GPS enabled apps. This is what my 8 km walk from Utorda to Betalbatim and back looked like. 

Back to Balton's in Utorda just in time before it got too dark. 

Today's dinner is by the waves.  

The sun goes down.

And the shack lights are lit up. 

As are the candles on the tables. 

Monday, Jan 30, 2012

My room overlooks the pool, with fields in the distance, a terrific combination along with the early morning sun. 

The day consisted of few quick strolls between Pristine and the beach, in between spots of 'work'.

Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012

The day began with a 2.5 hour, 14 km sunrise walk from Arossim to Colva and back. The beach stretch is even quieter at that time, except for a few fishermen and early morning walkers, mostly as you approach Colva.  Here's proof for my 14 y/o. Our deal is that this summer he's going to do these long walks, as well. He had enjoyed the bus rides last December.

After the long walk and breakfast, it's time to look around the Pristine area, located about 50 metres from the main road. 

The property right next to Pristine seems to be frozen in time. Very rustic, with dogs, cats, chicken and pigs. And one Maruti taxi parked inside to indicate that time has actually passed by.

Mama pig and baby pigs in the compound.

Pristine overlooks this field, the one that is visible from my room.

Another virtually frozen-in-time sight, this one right opposite Pristine. A huge buffalo lazily chews cud. 

Later that morning, a view from my sun bed. 

My (motionless) neighbour all morning. 

Another view of Utorda beach and sea from the sun bed. 

Lunch, yet another long walk, and back to Balton's shack to say 'see you later'. 

This table is not for me this evening. I have a flight to catch. 

A quick look at the sun setting on Arossim beach.

Up ahead is a 5-minute walk back to Pristine, shower, a 25-minute drive to the airport and a 1-hour flight back home. 

South Goa Menus and Food, from previous visits, are here: http://feni-and-amok.blogspot.in/2011/10/menus-happy-days-are-here-again.html

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