This hong (Thai for room) can only be entered by dinghy or kayak from the shallow lagoon at high to middle tide. There is another entrance on the southwest corner of the island where you can enter on a low tide. This hong which gives the island its name is stunningly beautiful with an enclosed pool and a large chimney opening to the sky. Once inside, it is ideal for relaxing, snorkelling and taking photos. Again there were dozens and dozens of tourist boats. Many long boats wait there to take the tourists into the hong. We took a tour around the island, there many limestone formations hanging off the cliffs which were spectacular, I'm running out words to describe the beauty of the islands we have seen so far. After our tour, we decided to head to Koh Pan Yi before all the tourist boats got there for their scheduled lunch stop.
Koh Pan Yi, known in the trade as Sea Gypsy Village. It sits almost entirely over water on stilts with sheer cliffs towering above the village. The majority of the people here are Muslim fisherman and families, not sea gypsies. There are sea gypsies but they live far south on Phuket Island. Koh Pan Yi is just like any other fishing community or island community, schools, shops, police etc. At midday (everyday of the week) approx. 3,000 tourists arrive to lunch at the many seafood restaurants and browse through the souvenir shops. By late evening, all is peaceful and tranquil.
After lunch, the 3 of us got in the dinghy to go in search of the cave drawings that possible date back to Neanderthal times. We went up many branches of the river, but we had no luck. We probably should have hired a longboat.... We stayed overnight, opted to have dinner aboard.