Relaxing at Indigo Pearl, dinner at Black Ginger
Morning in Nai Yang
13 hours later, 8am, and we were over any jet lag and ready for breakfast. Cereal, croissants, full English were all at the buffet, as expected. But there was also exotic jams (mango, pineapple, banana), beautiful fresh guava, papaya, water melon; lemongrass, mango and orange juices that tasted other worldly; eggs cooked however you wanted, cakes, freshly made waffles, pancakes, spicy Thai noodles, cheeses wrapped in banana leaves to keep them fresh, flavoured breads, salads and sautéed potatoes. And tea and coffee, of course.
Having tried a bit of everything, we headed to the beach to check out our surroundings. Walking down the smooth sandy Nai Yang shore, we dipped our toes in the sea and found a wooden shanty dwelling with a couple of eateries and parasols to rent.
Back at the hotel we spent the day by the pool, with its infinity ledge, jacuzzi, sun bathing spots (in the water) and built-in bar. The fresh juices, cocktails and shakes here are divine.
The sun has set and the light is fading fast; the bugs are awake and the chirps, buzzing and whistles surround me. A storm is moving across the sea in the distance and I can hear Sam talking to a German family in the pool. Lizards are scuttling about, there’s a cool breeze and the bar’s music isn’t too cheesy. Just enough time for a quick dip in the pool.
Black Ginger
Come evening, post burger/mango and aubergine salad, we realised our sun lotioning had lacked vigilance, we were both, me more-so, a little lobster like. With careful preparation, avoiding glowing red feet and arms, we dressed smart and headed to Black Ginger, an air conditioned restaurant on stilts in the middle of a lake.
Shoes off before entering (a Thai custom), we were seated with a view of the distant storm. Opting for the three course set menu we shared prawn crackers, green curry beef with lemongrass, soups with ginger and banana in coconut milk.
