February 5th, 2013 - Ao Yon Beach

Ao Yon Beach (By Secret Cove)

Geo and I walked to Ao Yon Beach today, intent on exploring the section of beach that lies around the corner from Secret Cove. I’m not sure if it has its own special name, but it’s a lovely spot. There seem to be frequent weddings (or wedding photoshoots, at least) taking place in this particular area, no doubt due to the scenery.




The beach next to the Secret Cove Restaurant leads down to a little bridge, past which is an assortment of boulders and sheets of rock.





If you are undeterred by the swarms of mysterious centipede-like bugs living in the rocks (I’d include a picture, but these are not very photogenic creatures), you can make your way over the boulders and around the cliff separating the beaches. Doing so, as you’ve probably anticipated, leads to the second beach.

The Second Beach, as promised.

This one is actually noticeably nicer than the Secret Cove beach and virtually deserted. The sand is softer and cleaner. Part of it is bracketed by trees and foliage, with vines crawling out over the sand.

Up close, you can see purple flowers growing on the vines.

As you walk farther down this beach, there are a number of nice little houses. We didn’t notice any restaurants, though, so we went back to Secret Cove for dinner. Their pad thai and tikka masala (the restaurant serves Thai, Indian, and Western foods) are amazing.  And when we were accidentally undercharged on the bill (significantly so), the owner gave us a ride back to our hotel for drawing their attention to the error (and also because they are just very nice like that here). Good thing, too, as the sun had set by this point and walking along the side of the road is hazardous enough in the daylight.



The Secret Cove is the perfect place to relax next to the ocean with good food and good company. You can sit at one of the little bamboo tables, with its thatched roof and the seashell light dangling from the beam above, listening to the waves and feeling the breeze coming off the ocean, while asking yourself, “Is this my life?” And indeed, it is. Or rather, it can be. Why not?

- LuckyStar