Watusi Woman - Beach Villa Sailor

Ao Yon, Cape Panwa, Phuket

Ao Yon is one of the calmest and most beautiful bays in the southern end of Phuket. And a bit of a secret, although the tourists are slowly catching on. It's a small bay of aquamarine water fringed with golden sand and surrounded by jungle covered hills. There is a fair bit of luxury accommodation here in this little slice of paradise. Built on a steep hill, the villas and hotels have steep stairs to navigate to find the beach. Or, if your accommodation is exclusive enough, you may have an outdoor lift system that takes you down the hill and back up again.

We met a guy called Mike. Mike has a villa right on the beach here at Ao Yon. Mike went back to America for 3 months and with a little nudge of encouragement, offered us his villa while he's away. For free. Catch? Gotta look after 3 cats and wash all the towels and robes from the 6 villas he rents out on airbnb. Pretty good trade off, I think.

bedroom view

Our little villa right on the beach is fabulous, with awesome views from the bedroom upstairs. We step off our patio straight onto the sand. We have a couple of chairs under the shade of a lovely big tree where we can keep an eye on our yacht moored out the front. Perfect! Except when you run out of beer or gin. It's a looong way to the top of the hill up that very steep set of stairs to replenish the fridge. Needs must though.

climbing and climbing and climbing

There is another way to access the beach, and that is to walk around the rocks at one end of the bay. It pays to check your tides though. We've just had a full moon and very high tides with not a rock to be seen. Just the waves crashing against the sheer cliff. So, if you don't time it right you have to spend a few extra hours hanging out in this superb location. Tough life and all.

waves crashing onto the shore

This time of year brings alot of swell into a normally very flat bay. The swell become waves as they crash onto the shallow shore line with a boom that seems to echo off the hillside. Our boat, and all the others, see-saw up a down then roll from side to side in an alarming manner. I'm very glad to be off the boat. I can only imagine the bruises I would have from getting thrown around whilst on anchor, lol.

We wander onto the beach with the first cuppa of the day and enjoy the peace of zero tourists and admire the remnants of sand art left by children from the day before.

We play on kayaks and paddle boards, drink icy cold beers and gin and tonics at sunset, barbecue our dinner on the patio and keep the cats fed.

My brother said, and I quote,
"You have reached the pinnacle in your life sis. A villa right on the beach at Ao Yon with your yacht moored out front. And for free!"
Life just seems to get better and better.

Until next time, Watusi Woman - Reacher of , out.

view to the right

and view to the left