Munnork Island Resort is about 250 km south of Bangkok and an hour boat ride into the gulf. Before we boarded the boat, Noon saw this woman sorting fresh crab on the pier and ordered a few kilos for our dinner.
Munnork is a private resort serving well-to-do Thais. Of the 50 or so guests, I was one of 2 farangs (foreigners). We enjoyed the white sandy beaches, snorkeling in the nearby coral reef, and good seafood.
I enjoyed the bungalows. No TV, outdoor shower (private, of course), AC and electricity for all but the hours between 9 am - 1 pm. Very relaxing.
Thai fish sauce with lots of red and green chiles. Mmmmm!
Here we are hiking around the island. There were areas along the hike where you could see trash that had washed up on the shore from other boats. Traveling to an island like this makes you think a lot about what it takes to run a sustainable tourism operation, especially on an island in the middle of the sea. So much to ponder: issues of trash disposal, waste water, fresh water, facility maintenance, and the list goes on. Then there are the recreational activities and their impact on the marine life and coral reef...
This squid was caught by one of the resort workers. I'm sure we ate this guy at some point.
Here are the trusty boats. The little boat travels between the bigger boat and the island since it is so shallow. Our return to the mainland was the roughest trip on boat any of us had ever experienced. There were about 20 on board so we were a light load, causing us and the boat to pitch in the swells. The captain received quite a few tips upon our safe return. It was a wonderful weekend!
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