Thailand by Tent

On one such island we decide to go ashore. Paddling in a secluded bay toward the beach, we are like explorers first coming upon a strange new land. The bay shelters us from the sounds of the rough ocean, exposing us to the low hum of the dense surrounding jungle. Nearby, a bird call punctuates the din, while in the distance cicadas screech a high note. Dozens of other unseen insects and animals provide a backdrop of sound as thick as the humid air. As we draw closer to shore, movement by the rocks catches our attention; a black monitor lizard, 10 feet from tail to nose, crawling quickly across the sand toward the safe refuge of the jungle. I know that monitor lizards were recently discovered to be venomous, although their bite is not usually lethal. The monitor’s frantic movement startles the Pacifi c Reef egret, a type of heron, standing peacefully in the water nearby. When it takes off, its four-foot wingspan casts a shadow over the kayaks as it flies up, toward the jungle canopy.

A few more strokes of the paddles and we are pulling up our kayaks on the shore of every traveller’s dream—a tropical deserted island with a shell-lined beach backed by thick, wild jungle. We could camp here tonight, and tomorrow morning take off for another deserted beach, the next morning another, on and on, until we had kayaked all the hidden bays, camped on all the islands, and snorkelled all the rough reefs of Ang Thong Marine National Park.

Instead, I believe I have some gummi pizzas back at the campsite calling my name. Sitting on the beach in front of our tent that night everyone gathers to marvel at the intense red moon on the horizon. With so many places left to explore, the parting words of our elderly tour guide continue to ring in my ears. What was once a concerned warning has now twisted, and in the middle of deserted paradise becomes more of a challenge. “No good, boat go, you girls stay on island!” That night in my tent, I fall asleep to the sound of breaking waves echoing my new mantra: “Boat go…girls stay on island. Boat go…girls stay on island.” ˛

SARAH ROE is a fourth-year archaeology student. She is now testing her camping skills in Costa Rica, and has replaced her kayak with a surf board.

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