Umbrella beach trees in Chaloklum, Koh Phangan...

Driving along the NorthWest coastal road today we came across Malibu Beach in Chaloklum, about a 15 minute drive from Baan Tai beach in Koh Phangan. To access the beach, you walk through the Malibu bungalow resort (after which the beach is named), over a sturdy wooden bridge that straddles a deep river, and a very surreal landscape greets you: soft (yes, I felt them) fir trees shaped like fat umbrellas are dotted all over the place, looking as if they've been stuck in the (very) white sand, and not actually grown there naturally. The private beach, created by what is called a sand split, overlooks the broad Chaloklum Bay on one side that's rimmed by the Khao Ra mountains, and a smaller cove on the other, with a few Thai fishing boats bobbing in the ocean. It looked like a cool peaceful spot to hang out but today wasn't the day for that...we'll be back though.

Also a pretty unusual tree...

The cove with it's many Thai fishing boats...

See, those umbrella-shaped fir trees...

Oscar, pondering 'Malibu or Milky Bay today?' ....

Walking across the river to Mailbu Resort...it's very lush...

A Malibu four-legged local...

Malibu flora... tres exotic...

For more visit www.malibubeachbungalows.com