wanderer

The deserted beaches of Ko Jum

Ko Jum is a small island off the coast of Krabi in Southern Thailand. It takes about an hour to get there on the ferry to Ko Lanta. There is also a back way, or the local’s way, that takes a little longer, but is about half the price and a little more of a gamble on the way there. The ferry stops mid journey and longtail boats from the various resorts on the island come and pick you up. Its quite the service! The island isn’t that well known. It only has electricity during certain hours of the day. There are bungalows sparsely scattered along the coastline and there are beaches where no one is in sight. Thus, Ko Jum was heaven to me.

The peaceful sunset

I arrived at the island and instantly fell in love. I stayed at a little place called Bo Daeng Bungalows (right next to the Andaman bungalows) where the manager was an amazing lady named Deela who was a constant beam of joy. I don’t think I ever saw her without a smile on her face and her laugh bouncing off the trees.

The bungalow had the basic ammenities: a bathroom (of course, no western toilet), a handheld shower, a comfortable bed, and a mosquito net. There were hammocks everywhere. The few guests that were there were scattered around the grounds, reading, chatting, drawing, or just enjoying the laid back atmosphere. The weekend was full of swimming in clear blue water, sunbathing on a beach where only occasional wanderers could be seen, and reading in my favorite hammock placed perfectly on the beach ready for that sun to set.

Relaxing in the soft sand

The most important part of the weekend was my alone time. I’m constantly surrounded by people, some speak English some speak Thai, but nonetheless I am never in complete seclusion. Well I got it this weekend and it was exactly what I have been yearning for. I took a step in the right direction. Towards who I am, towards what I want and towards who I want to be.

The path to the main town on the island

I feel like I’m constantly searching. That my life is this eternal battle to find out who I am and where my happiness is going to lie. This weekend on Ko Jum forced me to face this battle head on. I spent hours scribbling away in my journal. I wrote every thought that popped into my head, even if it contradicted the one before. Being able to just focus on myself and my thoughts and my feelings brought me a little closer to finding myself and what I want to make out of my life, who I want to be.

The solitude of the island was absolutely amazing and I thank Ko Jum for bringing me one step closer to knowing the true me.

I will be back.