We found heaven on Koh Jum

04.22.2014

Koh Jum is a tiny island off the coast of Krabi. It is very undeveloped and can be compared to the Thailand of 20 years ago, before the tourists ruined it. I got that impression immediately upon stepping off the long tail boat to a deserted beach with bungalows built into the hillside. You could barely even see they were there unless you were looking for them. We took the Koh Lanta ferry from Krabi Town, which literally stops in the middle of the ocean and is met by long tail boats picking up guests for Koh Jum. We stayed at a rustic little place called Jungle Hill Bungalows and it will always hold a fond place in my heart. We had such an amazing 5 days defluffing there. My mind, body, and soul have literally never felt so good. I didn't even know I had it in me to allow myself to relax like that. Our first morning we went swimming on the private beach and it was one of those "pinch me, did I just die and go to heaven" moments. The water was that perfect crystal blue that only seems to exist in photoshopped pictures. The sand was powdery soft and flour white. The consistency of the water felt like silk. It very may rank as number 1 in my all time best ocean swimming moments. Even further adding to the effect, there were a pack of monkeys playing in the trees next to the water. It was such a surreal experience, I'm smiling just remembering that blissful moment.
Unfortunately in the afternoons the tide would go out and the beach would become dangerously rocky. We got into the routine of swimming in the morning and relaxing in the afternoon. Basically just laying in the hammock on our porch, listening to Jack and absorbing all the beauty that surrounded us. One day we rented a motorbike to tour the island but there really is not much to explore. There is only one road and only a small portion of it is paved, so if you are a motorbike novice it's not a good idea to rent one here. There's really not much to see anyway. It was quite an adventure navigating the dirt and rocky roads. There are no tourist shops, bars, minimal restaurants, there's not even an ATM! Koh Jum is a place purely to relax and rejuvenate. It was perfect for us and if we didn't run out of the money we bought (remember there's no ATMs) we would have stayed for weeks.

Transitioning from the ferry to long tail mid ocean