Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fered by gnarled mangroves and strewn with thick sun-bleached logs. But those nooks
and crannies make it easy to find your own secret shady spot with dreamy views.
Bulon's lush interior is interlaced with a few tracks and trails that are fun to explore,
though the dense, jungled rock that makes up the western half remains inaccessible on
foot. Bulon's wild beauty is accessible on the southern coast at
Ao Panka Yai
, which is blue
and laden with coral gravel. There's good snorkelling around the western headland, and if
you follow the trails through remnant jungle and rubber plantations - with eyes open
wide lest you miss one of Bulon's enormous monitor lizards - you'll wind your way to
Ao
Muang
, where you'll find an authentic
chow lair
squid-fishing camp.
Ao Panka Noi
is another
fishing village with long-tails docking on a fine gravel beach. Here you'll find beautiful
karst views and a clutch of simple but very good restaurants.
Resorts can arrange snorkelling trips (2000B, four hours) to other islands in the Ko
Bulon group for a maximum of six people, and fishing trips for 400B per hour. Trips usu-
ally take in the glassy emerald waters of
Ko Gai
and
Ko Ma
, whose gnarled rocks have been
ravaged by wind and time. But the most stunning sight has to be
White Rock
- bird-blessed
spires rising out of the open sea. Beneath the surface is a rock reef crusted with mussels
and teeming with colourful fish. Snorkelling is best at low tide. The area's best coral reef
is off Laem Son near Bulone Resort, where you can rent masks, snorkels (100B), fins
(70B) and kayaks (200B).
Bulone Resort also offers internet (per minute 3B), and battery-charging services for
laptops (50B) and digital cameras (10B).
Sleeping & Eating
Most places here shut down in the low season. Those that persevere rent out bungalows
at discount rates. For eating, it's worth hiking over to Ao Panka Noi.
There are a few local restaurants and a small shop in the Muslim village next to Bulon
Viewpoint.
Marina Resort
( 08 5078 1552, 08 1598 2420; bungalows 1000B)
Log-built and shaggy with stilted decks, louvred
floors and high ceilings, thatched huts never looked or felt so good. There's a tasty kit-
chen attached to an inviting patio restaurant with cushioned floor seating. The ever-gra-
cious Max will be your wise-guy host. The resort arranges speedboat tickets and snor-
kelling tours. It's located just inland from Pansand resort.
HOTEL
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