On Thailand Day 6, we hiked down a steep hill to the secluded Freedom Beach. (I will cover that in my final Thailand post.) For now, I’ll move on to Thailand Day 7. Megan and I both agreed that Thailand Day 7 was our favorite excursion of the whole trip, which says a lot. We were picked up by van around noon and drove a long way, probably over an hour, before we finally got to the drop off point near the coast of Phang Nga Bay.

As we waited for other vans to arrive, we fell into the shopping trap again and bought some more clothes. I got a long sleeve swimsuit top to avoid getting sunburned and two more dresses. I really think that long sleeve swimsuit top will come in handy again this summer under the hot Taiwan sun. Soon, we were in a large tuk-tuk style shuttle bus driving down the pier, sent to be dropped off at the boat. We boarded the boat, climbed the stairs, and sat down, thankful it was covered. Our skin was burned enough already. The breeze swept through the open-air boat and it wasn’t long before we were enjoying another Thai buffet with fresh bananas, watermelon, oranges, and egg rolls. It was a light meal, perfect for the airy trip on the water. As we ate, the tour guide explained that each group of two would have a personal kayak guide who could answer our questions and would also paddle for us (because the sea caves could be hard to navigate). We soon learned that our guide was named Charlie, and when the boat stopped, he was the person in the kayak we’d have to find.

We got to our first stopping point and jumped into the boat with Charlie. I couldn’t believe that he had only started learning English 8 months ago. His English ability was impressive. He took us along the shaded area under some overhanging rocks, pointing out little crabs and lizards scurrying along the rock wall as we floated by.

We came to the entrance of the first cave. It was short, but low hanging, so the cave ceiling was very close to our heads. It was cool and wet inside, and we all leaned back to enjoy the view (and not hit our heads).

When we had crossed through the cave, we came to an area full of wildlife. Mudskippers were everywhere. I had never seen a mudskipper before, so it was really cool to see them flopping around. A mudskipper looks like a fish, but it can also move around on land by using its fins to propel itself forward. Imagine a fish that can swim, but one that can also move around on land. They would pop up out of holes in the mud and then slide right back in and disappear.

The males were jumping in an attempt to impress the females, Charlie explained. We watched as several attempts at “flirting” with very high jumps were rejected by the female mudskippers, who didn’t seem to care much. Soon the male would just skip away and try his skills again on some new lady mudskipper. We also saw some neat birds in this area. The surrounding cliff walls and overhanging trees made it private and secluded. It was very peaceful. Charlie was an awesome guide and would paddle our kayak back to the boat after everyone else, so we’d get to experience it all on our own.

Next we kayaked to another secluded area. It felt like a circular room, with cliff walls on all sides and a window of light shining through the foliage above. These areas are called “hongs,” Thai for “room.” It was really kind of magical being in there… it felt like a room in nature’s house. The limestone karstic islands towered over us, making for a very tall ceiling. It was shady and cool inside. Leaned back in the kayak, staring up at light pouring through the opening in the cliffs, floating on the water… it was so, so peaceful.

It was time to return to the big ferry boat and load the kayaks in, so we hopped on board and met some other people on the trip as we traveled to our next location. We chatted with a funny family from Indiana, about to move to New York. Soon we arrived at an island nicknamed “James Bond Island II.” The famous “James Bond Island” is big on the top and skinny on the bottom, and this was the inverted version of that.

Charlie dared us to jump into the water from the side of the boat, so we did. We pulled ourselves back into the kayak with Charlie and he took us closer to the inverted island. On the way, we found a giant jellyfish. Charlie picked it right up out of the water, telling us the top doesn’t shock you. We touched the slimy sea creature. It was the biggest jellyfish I think I’ve ever seen. He told us his late dad taught him all about the marine life in Phang Nga Bay when he was younger, and that’s how he knows how to pick up a jellyfish. We floated around the area, talking with Charlie.

Since it looked like it might rain, we headed toward the final cave. It was the longest cave so far. We floated in, and all you could hear was the paddling of the water. Charlie shined a flashlight on the cave’s ceiling and it was completely lined with bats. It was so cool to be floating through a pitch dark cave, under sleeping bats, on the Gulf of Phuket. It’ll be something I’ll always remember.

Once we went through and back, we hurried back to the boat because it seemed like it could storm. On the boat, we were given materials to make a Krathong, a floating “leaf cup” that Thai people put on the water during the Loi Krathong Festival. The festival celebrates the full moon of the twelfth month, usually taking place in November. Charlie showed us how to attach flowers and leaves to create an artistic masterpiece. Then he carved a tomato into a blossoming flower.

As if that weren’t impressive enough, then he took the bottom of a flower, serrated the petals, and pressed a red incense stick into the base, making a little bit of red coloring rub off onto the flower. He broke off a tiny part of the incense stick and stuck it through the flower base, and then we could finally see what he was making. It looked exactly like a bird.

We were so impressed that a guy could craft a flower so beautifully. Charlie said that Thai kids learn to craft flowers like this in kindergarten and elementary school. We were so flabbergasted, wishing we had a class like that when we were younger— what a fun craft. We stuck candles into the base, and  set it down with the other groups’ creations. Some krathongs had kissing birds, one even had a small swing on it. They were beautiful.

It started to get dark, and the staff set out the dinner buffet. It looked incredible. So many fresh Thai dishes. I piled a plate, and I got busy talking to other people on the boat. It was so good and I was starting to get full, so I was trying to savor it slowly. Soon all the plates were gone and I was the only one eating. Whoops! I quickly finished. Finally it was time for the last part of the trip… experiencing the sea caves at night. We were told we’d get to see the bioluminescent plankton in the water of the cave. I’d never seen anything like that before, and I actually didn’t even know that was part of the trip, so it was very exciting— a perfect treat for the end of the day. We got back into the kayaks and floated into the cave with our krathongs in hand. We lit the candles of the krathong and let it go in the water.

The cave walls were lit up by candlelight, and when Charlie brushed the water with his hand, bright specks glowed in the water. It was from a dream. We spent some time reflecting on the day and being thankful for nature, and then groups started heading out of the cave.

Charlie, the best guide, let us stay in the cave longer than anyone else. He even let us get into the cave water and swim with the bioluminescent plankton. They swirled around my arms and legs. When we got out, they glowed on my shirt. They were everywhere. It was like swimming through a sky full of stars. I wish I could relive that moment over and over.

When we got back to the ferry, Charlie told me I needed to wash off the plankton, so he started pouring buckets of warm water on me. Then, when I least expected it, a giant bucket of freezing cold water came crashing down over my body. I screamed. Thai people love their pranks it seems. Charlie told me to get Megan from the second floor of the boat. I called Megan down and he told her the same thing, that she needed to wash the plankton off of her clothing. It was great being the observer instead of the victim this time around. Now Megan knew why I had screamed. She had originally thought that I fell down. Not the case!

We talked to an Australian, an American living in Australia, and a Canadian thinking of moving to Australia on the way back. It wasn’t long before we were back on the pier, shuttling back to the vans. We said goodbye to Charlie and exchanged info, thinking maybe we’d meet up before we had to leave Thailand. Sadly, that plan fell through due to lack of wifi when we were on the beach and we never got to reconnect. However, we made some great friends on the trip, Charlie included, and maybe our paths will cross again in the future.

We hopped into the van, Megan and I talked about how great this trip has been on the ride back to the hotel, and we fell asleep easily that night. It’s hard to beat being in the best place with a best friend. I wish this vacation was never ending.