Island hopping

I couldn't stop thinking back to my Thailand trips when I was younger and with my family.  I like to think that I'm still young, but there was definitely a feeling to those trips.  Those were the tail end of the "family trips", where I was still effectively a child following my parents and their directions.  Now, I was in a very different position, dictating my own way and making my own decisions.

I booked a day trip out to the islands with Renee.  We were taken out on one of the large tour boats that I remembered from when I was younger.

One of the first stops was at an island which had a small hike to reach a peak with stunning views of the whole group of islands.  Most people seemed to have been a touch more prepared than me with hiking shoes and sneakers, but for me, the thongs/flip flops would have to suffice.  I managed to climb up to the top of the peak, even over the jagged rocks and the views were worth the climb.  Shoes may have been the better option to climb with though.

The trip around all the islands and the various beaches was what you would expect when visiting such an idyllic paradise.  The waters were clear, the beaches were soft and the sun was warm.

The day was spent moving from island to island, and each place we stopped to admire our surroundings and to just enjoy being there.

Having experienced trips like this before, I didn't have the same level of wonder and amazement that Renee seemed to have.  This was her first time in South East Asia, and it's easy to forget how much of a paradise everything can appear when you first arrive.

When arriving at each of the little islands with their secluded beaches, the scenes are always like something out of a movie.  Each one of these places is its own perfect little wonder, completely cut off from any of the troubles of the outside world.

At one of the beaches, we were given the opportunity to paddle around and to the shore from the boats.  As we slowly paddled and looked up, we could see just how sharply each of the islands jutted out from the sea.  They created a shadow which you slowly moved into and which changed the whole scene from one of brightness to one with far more intimacy.  It all of which just seemed to add to the feeling that we really were truly far from the intensity and rush of modern city life.