I decided to be adventurous and rent a motorscooter on the island, and I have to say that this is an absolute must. On my first day with the scooter I managed to see a small sign for a restaurant on the beach by the river, aptly named "River Restaurant". I hadn't quite mastered the scooter at this point so the jungle/driveway was a bit tricky to negotiate but the result was well worth the effort. Two raised, covered platforms sat near a small patio restaurant where a mother sat playing with her son. I picked the platform nearest the restaurant, slipped off my sandals, and stretched my legs on the mat floor, leaning back on the supplied prism-shaped cushion. Not knowing anything else about Thai food I ordered a curry, rice, and the ever-present cup of tea, and began to soak in the scenery.

The restaurant was indeed, as advertised, next to a small river. The river carves its way through the beach to create a tiny embankment and gurgling creek before mixing with the salty sea. To my le... [more]

The cushions are really pretty clever and surprisingly comfortable, though tend to slide around when not securely propped against something behind. Stores sell them around town for about nothing, so apparently they're pretty popular with the locals.