We started the day with some Chicken Satay and Vegetable Phad Thai, then set out south, up the hill, to find Nui Beach.
The walk from where we are on Klong Nin to Nui Beach is only about 15 minutes but there was some good heat and incline to contend with. Up at the top of the hill we found the stairway down to the beach, winding its way through three different levels of the Diamond Cliff restaurant. The steps started as stone before giving way to plank and driftwood, and got steeper closer to the beach. We took it one step at a time and then hopped onto the sand of gorgeous Nui Beach.
About 20 or so Thai-style driftwood palapas line the back of the beach and I was lucky to snag one. I opened up my Turkish towel and stretched out in the shade, closed my eyes and listened to the waves. MAX RELAX. We got in the water and floated for a while. I looked back at the beach and was stunned by its beauty, with palm trees all around and not a single hotel or business to be seen (other than Diamond Cliff.) It’s probably the closest to a castaway-style beach that we’ll see on this trip. I’m not sure how long Nui Beach will stay this way but today it was incredible.
We chilled at the villa in the afternoon and then headed out at sunset for dinner. We finished the night with a swim in our pool with the full moon rising.
Dijai Magha Puja!
Today was actually the second most important Buddhist festival of the year, Magha Puja. Celebrated in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Sri Lanka, Magha Puja takes place on the full moon of the third lunar month. This part of Thailand is predominantly Muslim so I wasn’t sure what we’d see of this festival.
Google Maps indicated that some businessed might be closed. Case in point: Earlier, I hiked to a cannabis dispensary that’s 100 metres past the stairs down to Nui Beach. “Open Every Day!” was screened across the doors, and a driftwood sign was hanging on the door knob that said, “Closed Today.”
In the Diamond Cliff restaurant, I said “Dijai Magha Puja!” to a couple of workers (unsure if “Happy Magha Puja” is actually appropriate but figured I’d get a free farang pass if it’s not) but they didn’t know what I was talking about. I said, “Today, Magha Puja! Full moon!” and again just smiles. But when I bought beer at the little store next to our villa, the man asked me twice to hide it while walking down the street. It was not yet 2 o’clock when alcohol sales are paused for the afternoon but alcohol sales are banned on Buddhist holidays.
So, we didn’t really see any Magha Puja celebrations but back at the villa, under that full moon, we could hear music in the air, a woman’s voice singing, what sounded like Buddhist mantras.
