Travel
but clean, hotel in Trat to spend the
night before the morning boat left
for Koh Kut. Trat is no tourist town.
Instead, it’s a gritty port city to the
nearby islands. Still I was charmed by
its authentic night market and
relieved that some finger pointing
and a few smiles scored some decent
fish curry.
Yet I was on a quest for the ultimate
swimming and seafood experience in
all of Thailand. I needed to remind
myself of this as I bounced on the
wooden bench of a song thew the
next morning. Song thew translates
to public transportation, but
“pick-up truck without shock
absorbers” is probably closer.
That bumpy ride was followed by
a 90-minute speedboat ride. Once
I arrived at Shantaa Resort though,
all was forgotten.
I was welcomed to Shantaa by a lovely
receptionist who floated through an
exquisite, open-air teak roofed
restaurant, and then led me along the
hillside path to one of only 20 private,
freestanding villas in the resort. The
villa was anchored by a Thai platform
bed leading out onto a deck
overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.
Behind two sliding teak doors was
a lush, open-air garden bathroom,
featuring an outdoor shower, full
tub, and all of the amenities.
In a few minutes I was swimming and
diving in the warm gulf waters, just
steps from my villa. The water was
so pristine that its depth was
deceptive. Shells seemingly just
beneath my feet were actually
twenty to thirty feet below me.
I was giddy; not just in that first
moment, but every time I submerged
that week. Fish, crab, octopus,
and turtles abounded. I even
swam alongside a teal-striped
eel one morning. That abundance
transitioned right onto the table.
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