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| Sunset view of the beach at Pansand Resort. |
Even if you have never heard of Koh Bulon, do not think this is a remote island with no specific commodities.
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| A fine, white sandy beach |
There is no pier, and yes you have to walk on the white sandy beach with your luggage till you reach your resort. Nobody is expecting you, because they don't know exactly when the boat is coming, and anyway, there aren’t many places on the island! Simply ask if it’s on the right or on the left! And yes, there are a few resorts, with basic comfort but good food and modern amenities like mobile or WiFi connection. There are absolutely no cars here. I saw just a few motorcycles. Otherwise, you must walk across this small portion of paradise, quiet and truly friendly. People here are Muslims and they always greet you with a smile and a friendly ‘hello’. Many ara sea-gypsies and they all live by fishing and with few visitors, who come to this gorgeous, lush island. The sea-water is crystal-clear and the sand is a fine, glaring white powder. The air is pure and it is a perfect place to relax away from the city noise. I would not go as fas as saying this is a spotless place, because plastic pollution and refuses exist here too; but moderately, as compared to the other Andaman Islands I have visited.
Being in Thailand, it is well organized; there is a school with a large playground for soccer or volleyball. There is a police post as well
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| Lush vegetation |
as a small health center; they even have a small mosque. But of course, no stray dogs at all (because they are Muslims). When you walk across the island, you may encounter a few monitor lizards in the bush or centipedes after the rain. As I walked back from Mango Bay, I came across a small varan that did not seem afraid at all. It simply moved out of the path to let me go. He simply kept looking at me as I was overpassing it! There are also many birds, because of the dense tropical vegetation. But they are more heard than seen. Among the different bird species, there are hornbills, but I did not see them.
The only place that disappointed me was 'Mango Bay'. There is a sea-gypsy fishing community there. It is advertised as a photogenic place but I found it dirty and not really representative of what you could expect by being here. The water was murky, whereas everywhere else it is so clear.
I stayed at Pansand Resort, which is a well-tended place, in a large, tropical garden, facing a lovely sandy beach. The beach has coral rocks on its edge but by walking a bit further away, it is just wonderful. This is where the boats drop off their passengers by the way! Seafood and Thai food are great and quite inexpensive if you consider transport from the mainland for everything.
When you are on the southern beach, you can clearly see the massive relief oh Koh Tarutao, which is a National Marine Park.
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| A view of Koh Tarutao from Koh Bulon beach |
Further out at sea on the West, you can also see the group of the Koh Lippe archipelago.
The island has plenty of fresh water. Electricity and WiFi are sometimes sporadic but you get plenty of light at night. There are not many visitors here. So, it is great to be away from the tourist hordes. Koh Bulon still offers beauty and silence for those, who still enjoy hideaways.
Christian Sorand
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| Tropical atmosphere |
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At Pansand Resort
Island countryside
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| One type of bungalow |
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| Map of Koh Bulon archipelago |
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