Days 112-116
I had spent a few days between bed and the sand in Khao Lak, unable to do much other than lay there and pray my inflamed tonsils away. The insides of my ears were screaming. Each night consisted of five or so hours of sleep. I had been dealing with a middle ear infection for almost three weeks.
Please, pleeeease be gone. Please don’t be what I think you are, I pleaded with my body as I tried, in vain, to equalize my ears.
I had booked six days for an 18-tank dive in the Similan Islands, which was rumored to be some of the best diving in the world. I was so excited. I had expected this to be one of the highlights of my travels in Southeast Asia.
The day of the dive came and I couldn’t ignore it anymore, I had to see a doctor – the fourth doctor I would see in the span of 3 weeks.
“You have a middle ear infection, at this point, it’s chronic. No diving for you for at least five days,” he told me.
Crushed, I cancelled my diving trip, and whipped out a map to see where I might head to next.
Krabi sounded good, and wasn’t too far away, so I jumped on the next bus out.
I had heard good things about Railay, near Krabi, and therefore set my sights on that as a final destination. However, on the long tail boat over, we passed a seemingly underdeveloped stretch of beach, nearly devoid of much apart from misty skies and wooden bungalows.
What’s that? I wondered. I landed on Railay and immediately headed back to the water taxi and asked to be taken to the other beach, which he told me was Tonsai.

We pulled up and someone with dreadlocks walked by. I knew I had landed in a hippie paradise. It was perfect.
Tonsai is the type of place where the electricity turns off during the day. Most people who visit this place stay for several weeks, if not months. These types of places always seem to steal my heart.
My days were spent lazily wading through the water, laying on the wooden decks and staring at the long tail boats, and reading Jack Kerouac novels.
Though not particularly easy with a middle ear infection, as it threw off my equilibrium, I tried out one of the more popular activities on Tonsai – slack-line walking. The more skilled ‘slack-liners’ could jump from line to line, balance on one leg, and lay down on the line only to push themselves back up without falling. It was impressive, to say the least.
The other favorite activity in Tonsai is rock climbing, given the near-vertical cliffs that line the beach. Each evening, base jumpers whoop as they hurl themselves from the tops of the cliffs to the beach below.
When not hanging or jumping from cliffs, most people kayak, or swim in the beautiful blue sea.
But me? I laid on the wooden decks of my favorite coffee shop, and drank chai teas churned out by an awesomely-tattooed local who wielded a mortar and pestle.
Every day when I got up to leave, he’d ask, “When are you coming back?”
Each day I said, “I’ll see you tomorrow!” extending my stay that much longer, and writing off Koh Phi Phi as my penciled in finale of Thailand.
Every now and then, I sat up to survey the beautiful sea in front of me.
I even caught a sunset or two.
I finished the very last day of my 60-day Thai visa in Tonsai. It took a lot of searching, but as it turns out, there are still beautiful, unspoiled beaches in Thailand. Thank goodness!
Perhaps the ear infection was what the doctor ordered, after all.
Tonsai, I’m coming back in May. Until then, stay beautiful.
Have you found a perfect beach paradise? Please do tell. My list is ever-growing!
JustChuckinIt says
I’m sure you were crabby to miss out on diving and substitute Krabi. But looks like Tonsai turned out to be stellar even with your inflamed Tonsils :). Sounds like paradise to me with beachses and no electricity. Crap, I am totally not trying to rhyme! Anyways, Tonsai looks perfect for you and seems like it gave you some much needed relaxation. And that barista looks badass!
Kristin Addis says
He was pretty badass, and I WAS crabby, but tried to be positive, and it worked out 🙂
Nicole McIsaac says
I loved Tonsai. Not really into to the whole rock climbing thing as I have pretty much NO upper body strength (other than what it takes to carry my backpack…), but the chilled out vibe is exactly what I was looking for in a beach away from the package tourists.
Kristin Addis says
I didn’t manage to rock climb either, but it was fun watching the hard bodies do it 🙂
BeyondBlighty says
I stayed there too. It’s a little slice of paradise. Really sorry for you that you missed the diving though. I’m in Rio at the moment and those slack lines are everywhere!!
Kristin Addis says
I suppose I’ll have to get back soon. It’s the new thing! I must learn.
Kristin Addis says
Was it bottle beach? I loved it there.
Kristin says
How was it 12 years ago? Yeah, everything happens for a reason, right?
B in Korea says
This will be my home away from home forever. I am a climber who kept hearing about this place. I went for 5 days on a short trip to Thailand and went back just 3 months later and stayed for a full 30 days!
Gözde says
Hey Kristin,
Where did you stay at Tonsai during your healing time?
Cheers,
Kristin says
Viking
Stephen says
i know I’m late here, but just read this post for the first time, in may of 2016……i went to tonsai in June of 2014, and it was the most magical place i have ever been. it is hands down, the definition of paradise. I was there for 3 nights, as part of a month long backpacking trip through Thailand with a few friends….without a doubt our favorite three days of the trip…..Funny how after i read this i knew exactly how you felt being there. I find it very hard to explain my experience at tonsai to friends/family back at home.
I am rather upset, as i have heard from the locals that the corporate hotel companies have found this slice of paradise, and have begun to build a huge resort taking it over to make it ‘theirs”. SMH.
I am leaving the USA in 4 months for a 1 year trip to South Korea, will deff be coming back to Thailand to visit….hope to see you!!!
Best of luck with everything! 🙂
Kristin says
Nnnnnooooooo! What a bummer. It gets harder and harder to find the good stuff as Thailand gets more touristy 🙁
Leah Marie MacCarter says
Where did you stay on Ton Sai. I have read accommodation are limited. Would you recommend trying to get there in a day of travel from Bangkok by train/ferry to Krabi and then over, or should I spend the night in Krabi and then travel?
Thank you for the tips!
Kristin says
The boat from Krabi is pretty quick and they leave when full so you can make a gametime decision. I stayed at Viking which is bungalows on the sand. It was OK
Char says
We did a 3 week island hopping trip and Tonsai was hands down the best place we visited. I also crave the hippy-free-spirited type places and I spent 3 days drinking rum and dancing (on my own) to reggae music, totally lost in my own world. I’ve never felt so free and un-judged… I was gutted to leave but our next destination was Phi Phi which I a shock to the system as it felt like thai people were the minority.
I’m contemplating packing in my 9-5 in London as I haven’t been happy with such a regitmented life style for a while and Thailand will be my first stop. Koh Chang is definitely on my list!
Kristin says
Koh Chang is similarly awesome. Glad to hear Tonsai is still good too! Yes, I can imagine Phi Phi was terrible after that.
Audrey says
Hi Kristin! I know it’s been a while since this post, but where did you stay (or might recommend staying) in Tonsai? Thanks for the tips 🙂
Kristin says
I stayed at Viking guesthouse but I know a lot has changed over there.
Roman says
Hi Kristin,
I have a question. Haha 6 years after and there’s still comments on this page. That’s because Tonsai is a dream. I’ve been in Tonsai 2 years ago, it was an amazing experience for me. The thing about no electricity, nice people, magical place inside jungle and sea at the same time, this is traveling !
I’m back in south east asia now, I would love to find other places like tonsai, in the same mood, not to touristic. Do you have some ideas ?
Kristin says
I felt that way about Nusa Penida, though it’s getting more touristy, it’s different – more wild and bigger – but still feels authentic. I’d look at the smaller islands in Malaysia and Indonesia for that. I really loved Romblon in the Philippines too: https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/romblon-island-hopping/
If you discover one please come back and let me know!
TL says
I’m sure you don’t often get comments on some of your older stuff, but I stumbled across your Southeast Asia story sometime last year, and something about the lead up to, as well as this entry especially resonated with me. It left me with this kind of sweet, dreamy yearning for something I realized I was missing in my life. I thought I would drop in and say that I am actually in the process of leaving my job and traveling to Southeast Asia at the end of the month, and hopefully I will find my own slice of Tonsai Beach, wherever and whatever that may be.
Kristin says
Aw that’s so beautiful. Thank you for your comment. That was such a sweet time in my life, and I wish the same for you.