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POSTCARDS FROM JOHN & JODY

                    | JODY JAFFE  & JOHN MUNCIE |            Postcards from
                                                             Yao Noi



















                   EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series of
                  “postcards”  sent  to    WDT Magazine  publish-
                   er, Ron James, from veteran journalists and
                   friends Jody Jaffe and John Muncie as they
                   travel the globe. We hope you find them as
                   informative and enjoyable as he does.




            Dear Ron,

            You know how “amazing” is the most over-
            used travel word around? Well, our boat ride
            to the Thai island of Yao Noi was. . . .

            We hopped a “long-tail” from Phuket’s Bang
            Rong pier in late afternoon for the one-hour
            ride to the island.  “Long-tails” are skinny
            wooden boats with a monster outboard in
            back and a tiny cabin for the captain/stew-
            ard/crewman.  We were the only passengers.
            We sat on deck, the wind in our hair and the
            tangy smell of warm Phang Nga Bay (mixed
            with diesel fumes) in our noses.
            The sun set behind us and silhouetted the
            famous limestone islets that jut dramatically
            out of the Bay. A “National Geographic” mo-
            ment come to life. (Make that a “Wine, Dine
            and Travel” moment.) When we reached the
            island, the sky had turned from bright Car-
            oline blue to deep lilac, the western horizon
            from yellow to red-orange.

            The captain ran the long-tail right up on   from the tourist destinations of Phuket to the west and Krabi to the east.  Yao Yai is bigger
            the rocky beach. He grabbed our bags and   but Yao Noi has more amenities. And by “amenities” we mean a few miles of paved road,
            we scampered over the side. A jeep awaited   some restaurants, the obligatory coffee shop, a small strip of produce booths and beachwear
            us, nothing else. No McDonalds, no shops   shops and one ATM.
            selling snow-globes.  Just palm trees and a
            mild sea breeze.                   Yao Noi is the antidote to Phuket and Krabi. It’s a great place to idle. And after the crowds
                                                and craziness of Hong Kong and Bangkok, we need idle time.
            Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai (“koh” is the
            Thai word for “island”) are the biggest is-  Love,
            lands in the Bay and are roughly equidistant    John and Jody







            100    Wine Dine & Travel  Summer 2014
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