The Getaway

After our heavenly few days lazing at Lazy Day we consulted our tourist bible (the Gospel According to Tripadvisor) and decided we liked the sound of another island hideaway called Koh Kood. Our obliging hosts took us to the pier and we bounced across another stretch of the Gulf of Thailand on a fast but bumpy speedboat ferry.

Our destination was a small, recently-opened guest house called Bann Makok. After a scenic twenty-five minute trip past other islands the speedboat crossed a wide bay and entered a channel of water about fifty feet wide. As the boat slowed we were thrilled to see a picture-perfect group of cottages nestled in the mangroves - our home for the next three days.

Bann Makok, or 'Olive's Home' in English, consists of eight fishermen's cottages which have been lovingly and stunningly restored by a Thai lady with immaculate taste and style. The furniture was traditional Thai design; pieces which Olive had tracked down from all over the country or had her skilful carpenter hand-build from reclaimed materials. The snug bed in our simple room was draped with silk covers, the towels were soft and thick and big enough to wrap around our ever-increasing girths, and the toiletries in the bathroom were luxurious. The spacious, open-sided communal sitting room was furnished with hammocks and small sofas crammed with soft cushions, and even the extra-wide deckchairs were upholstered in thick, supersoft velour fabric to ensure maximum comfort. (Hope the photos which will follow in a couple of days will live up to my descriptions!)

To reach the beach we could paddle the five hundred or so yards in a kayak, or allow one of Olive's obliging staff to whizz us there in Bann Makok's own speedboat. I know you'll be pleased to hear that every time we went under our own steam, and we have the pictures to prove it!

The bay was simply stunning, with sand the colour and texture of soft golden brown palm sugar. The sea, by far the best we've encountered in South East Asia, had the colour and clarity of my birthstone, blue topaz. No surprise then that each morning after breakfast we swam, lolled and rode the gentle waves for two or three hours; amazingly, with no-one else for company.

All the other guests at Bann Makok were Thai, and very friendly, as were the staff. The menu was uncompromisingly Thai (apart from a nod to an 'American' breakfast of bacon and eggs ). Thai food was absolutely not a problem, as long as we remembered to ask the chef to hold the chilli and the potent fish sauce when marinading the freshest of fish from the day's catch for us. Will I ever forget those sensational mammoth prawns fried in garlic and pepper? Mmmm. I don't think so, especially when a plateful cost only five pounds.

As if the lovely setting, the gorgeous rooms, and the relaxing ambience weren't enough, after dark Olive switched off the dining room lights and directed our gaze to a magical display of fireflies twinkling in the trees like a thousand fairy lights. Not to be outdone, a friend of Olive's called Natai changed into his swim shorts and obligingly swam in the channel, splashing his hands and feet to disturb the phosphorus in the water, making it sparkle like a reflection of the stars shining in the black sky. All in all, a truly special and memorable evening.

Incidentally, Natai is a Nottingham Forest supporter, but that doesn't make him a bad person.

And finally, if you're wondering how a Thai person came to be called Olive, it seems that as a child this lovely lady acquired the nickname because she resembled Olive Oyle of Popeye fame!