Thailand by Tent

Forget marshmallows and s’mores. Camping in one of southern Thailand’s marine national parks is anything but commercial. It is a deserted-island experience that defines Zen

THE SEATS ON THE BUS ARE ALL STUCK  in perpetual recline. This should be your  first clue about the pace of life in southern  Thailand. Everyone around me on the  three-hour trip from Krabi, a spot on the  coast of the Andaman Sea famous for rock  climbing, to the northern province of Surat Thani along the Gulf of Thailand, is taking advantage of the forced sloth: listening to music, reading HELLO! magazine (the horizontal position doesn’t lend much to Dostoevsky), lazily looking out the window. But I’m yanking on the rusty adjustment lever on my seat, instructing whoever is sitting behind me to, “Please push the seat-back upright! Maybe try jostling it fi rst? Push harder, I have work to do!” No use, it won’t budge. Forced to embrace my inner slacker, I lean back in my seat. Mmmm. What work? And does anyone have the latest issue of People?

Southern Thailand is the reclining seat of adventure travel—very laidback. If you want hard-core, deepjungle trekking, you have to venture further north, to Mae Hong Son. But if you’ve been enjoying the laid-back beaches of the south (the trinity of Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao), and need a break from the crowded tourist scene, camping at the nearby secluded paradise of Mu Ko Ang Thong Marine National Park may be the perfect backto- nature escape.

An archipelago of 42 islands located in the Gulf of Thailand, Ang Thong’s diverse terrain encompasses the best of Thailand’s unspoiled natural environment. From breathtaking limestone cliffs that plunge into brilliant turquoise waters rich in marine life, to dense mountain-top jungle, hidden bays sheltering deserted white-sand beaches, and eerily dark mangrove forests, the park provides endless opportunities for exploration. And exploration is what  I’m after—as are my two travelling companions: Veronica, a friend since the days when catching strange insects in peanut butter jars was our most terrifying adventure, and Iskra, a high-school ally and expert map reader.

Our camping trip to Ang Thong is motivated by the harsh reality of Ko Samui. For me, the mere mention of the word “Thailand” conjures up strong mental images of beautiful deserted beaches and spicy-scented markets (often accompanied by other, less delicate aromas). This idyllic picture may be challenged slightly once you reach the crowded beaches of southern Thailand, which, because of short flights and inexpensive package tours, have become very popular with British “holidaymakers.” In essence, what is an exotic location for North Americans is a relatively routine vacation destination for many Europeans. We want to discover a more secluded Thailand—the Thailand of our fertile imaginations. Ang Thong is just that.

Arranging transportation to Ang Thong is slightly challenging. While day trips that cater to the happy-towatch- it-all-    float-by camp are readily arranged through one of Ko Samui’s numerous travel agencies, they aren’t what my two friends and I are looking for. Travel agents don’t really know what to make of our request for a ride to the islands (about two hours away) so we can “go camping” (blank stares). Next we try hiring a long tail boat to take us across. “Can not!” the drivers all tell us emphatically, and no price will persuade them to make the trip in their traditional wooden boats across such open sea.

Finally, at the eleventh hour, we find a travel agent who seems to understand our unusual request. We want to go to the marine national park. (Correct.) But we don’t need the on-board buffet lunch or unlimited beverages that are part of the package tour? (Right.) After a few phone calls he’s arranged for us to get to the islands tomorrow morning with a tour boat, stay on at the park for as long as we like, and then meet the boat a few days later at the ranger station as it makes its way back to Ko Samui with that day’s group. This part is of great concern to our grandfatherly negotiator. “Make sure boat take back!” he instructs. “No good, you girls stay island, boat go!” he warns.

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