Do we really want to be on a deserted island?

We have all been there wanting that little piece of deserted island heaven but once we are there, do we really want that if were travelling alone?


Everyone dreams of one. A beach with pure white sands, a hammock swinging in between palms in the distance and not a single other tourist insight, maybe just the distant noise of a fishing boat sailing along the horizon at sunset.


When I first arrived in Thailand I was desperate to make my way to the ever so popular island of Koh Phi Phi. I had visions of coconuts falling to the ground, drinking fresh pineapple juice and hearing the crystal waters lap up onto the sand.


After one over-crowded boat journey from Phuket followed by a short, noisy long-tail boat ride I landed hot and sweaty with sand between my toes on 'long beach'. I had been advised this was the quietest beach away from all the hustle and bustle, and when you do arrive on Phi Phi, you will want your space.


Trekking down the beach in May with the heat of the days sun burning into my neck whilst my backpack slipped heavily down my back I began to realise the beach was deserted albeit for a couple of older Thai ladies asking if I wanted a massage.


Four nights into my stay and I would still be turning up to the beach bars and have about a hundred odd plastic chairs to choose from before being enticed into lengthy conversations by young Thai men, the mere sight of a tourist on this beach began to bother me - I actually wanted to see one!


It was after this experience that I pondered on whether it was really worth turning up to the beach nicknamed 'lonely beach' on Koh Chang. Pessimistic yet hopeful for a good balance of tourists and space I was surprised to find Koh Chang exactly what I had dreamt of. No more than twenty odd people would crawl out of the woodwork mix of low end budget huts to mingle on Haad Thanam's soft sand. At night the same crowd would venture out after eating by candle light to either Tree House or Sunset huts for strong mint mojito's or a fire show to close for comfort. It felt like a small community, and OK if I want to exaggerate a bit like my own version of 'The Beach'.


Head towards Koh Chang in the low season. The huts, will be cheaper, the people more relaxed and friendly and you will find a space on the beach. However, this does come with a warning. The 'lonely beach' was made famous in Lonely Planets 2008 guide and the beach could in fact not be so lonely after all.