The holiday vibe of Koh Tao and more celebrations...

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While the overnight journey down south to the islands from Bangkok is always quite tiring and long, this one to Koh Tao was particularly bad. First, after waiting around for ages, we finally boarded the bus over an hour later than we were supposed to. Worrying that it wouldn’t make the 4am boat from Chumpon, which we had been assured was running, the driver must have had similar ideas and drove at break neck speed to get there in time. His efforts were futile though as we piled off the bus bleary eyed at 3.40am, as the 4am boat was clearly not leaving any time soon. We ended up sitting at the pier for over 3 hours in the pitch black just waiting, naturally without any staff around to give us updates on when the boat was going to leave. Eventually at 7.15am we got on the boat and thought ‘at least we only have 2 hours now until we get to Koh Tao’…little did I know that this 2 hour boat ride was about to be the worst I have ever encountered at sea. It started off ok, a bit rocky but not too bad, but about 20 minutes into the journey we may as well have been on a roller coaster – the boat was going side to side, crashing into and over huge waves and everyone was reaching for a sick bag. I was starting to feel a bit queasy and before I knew it the whole boat began heaving and throwing up, me included. This lasted for the whole 2 hour trip and was horrendous, it was one of those times where you think you are about to die as you feel so ill. As soon as the boat pulled into Koh Tao pier I ran off and had to leave Scott to get the bags as I was still not feeling good and just needed to get onto terra firma, and even as we got in a truck to Sairee Beach I was still clutching my carrier bag...it was a pretty traumatic trip which left me scared to get on another boat again any time soon.

Anyway, we made it to Sairee and started the hunt for accommodation. We soon found a great little bungalow a stone’s throw away from the beach for a good price and as it was cloudy and we both felt worn out from the journey we had a few hours rest before grabbing a bite to eat. Walking around the little village, we were shocked to see how much construction there was (mainly amongst hotels expanding) but aside from this we remembered what had drawn us to this small island which we had decided to spend Scott’s 30^th Birthday on – the lovely beach, the variety of restaurants and the general easy going vibe of the place. We loved it here when we visited for a couple of days last year on holiday and vowed if we were lucky enough to come back we would stay put for a bit longer – we actually ended up staying much longer than planned and didn’t leave for over a week!

The weather was great for almost all of our time here, and after a daily breakfast of the best poached eggs on toast we have had outside of the UK, we spent most of our mornings lounging and reading by a nice swimming pool which we had managed to sneak into (cheeky we know!) before having a break from the sun and going for a bit of lunch at our favourite Pad Thai stall or beach front café, then wandering down to the beach in the afternoons for a bit more sunbathing until sunset. Due to the full moon on nearby Koh Phangan, the tide was in quite far until the afternoon so we couldn’t go on the beach in the mornings, but this also meant the island was nice and quiet for the first few days which was good, although it got busier as the week went on. Somehow we had both acquired colds – no idea how in 30 degree weather – so Scott had to wait a few days until he could dive, but when he did he said it was great, even if he did get attacked by a trigger fish! Apparently the dive master said this doesn’t happen to everyone though, and is actually considered a rite of passage so he wasn’t too upset about it. Koh Tao is a very popular spot for diving and it’s easy to see why, with colourful coral and exotic marine life, and if he hadn’t of had a cold he would have done a few more dives around the island with Scuba Junction, a professional and friendly dive company. I had met a couple of English girls by the pool who were on holiday so had some company while Scott was diving, and was thrilled when they gave me a couple of weekly celebrity magazines from back home to catch up on all the gossip – I used to read these mags every week without fail and hadn’t given them a thought since coming away over 5 months ago, but for 2 hours I was completely engrossed in them and am now up to date with what’s going on with who at home.

One day we mustered up some energy and jumped on a long tail boat to the nearby island of Koh Nang Yuan, a gorgeous place surrounded by clear turquoise waters and white sand. We stayed here all day soaking up the sun and dipping in and out of the sea, but also made the hike up to the top of a view point which offered incredible views of the bay and the 3 islands which are joined by the sand banks – just stunning. We also intended to hire a bike one day and see some more of Koh Tao, but as the days went on we just didn’t fancy it, plus we had done this before so had seen quite a lot of the island already.

Evenings were a delight, with the toughest decision being what to eat and where – the variety of places to choose from here is huge for the size of the village – and we took great pleasure in trying out several restaurants, all of which were good, but we found ourselves returning time and time again to Fizz for its chilled beach-side vibe and its delicious Thai food. We probably treated our time in Koh Tao like a bit of a holiday, not really worrying about budgeting for food or drinks, especially as it was Scott’s birthday whilst we were there and we agreed that as it was a big one it could last all week. We had a lovely evening for his actual birthday, having a great meal at Fizz – they do the best Massaman curry we have ever had - accompanied by a few cocktails, a fire show and a walk along the beach. We had intended to make a bit more of a night of it but we didn’t know it was a Buddhist holiday the same day, so a lot of places weren’t serving any alcohol and all the bars closed at midnight! Still it was a really nice night and he was glad we had chosen to be in Koh Tao for it, as it is definitely one of our favourite places in Thailand. He even had a cappuccino in the morning to celebrate, a real treat. We also had a few nights out whilst here, making the most of the happy hours at the beach bars and taking advantage of the free drinks vouchers handed out most nights. We went to a couple of beach parties which were lots of fun, complete with buckets and fire shows, and one night towards the end of our time on the island at a great open air club called The Castle which we stayed in dancing until the early hours. Scott even caught some football games in a sports bar which he was pleased about and went for a few runs along the beach, and we have also perfected our technique at various card games which he always ends up winning! I enjoyed having a wander round the shops, finally buying a new pair of shorts, and most days had a well-deserved nap – this travelling malarkey gets tiring you know! The island got busier as the week went on and you could definately tell the difference between people travelling for a while and those on a shorter holiday - a lot of people had come over from Koh Phangan from the full moon party and were still in party mode, and while we love a good night out and enjoyed our fair share whilst on the island, the crowds and noise was getting a bit annoying. All in all we had a fabulous time here and it remains one of our favourite islands; we just hope it doesn't get any more developed (although this probably isn't likely judging by the rate of construction around). Still, we loved it weren’t ready to leave Koh Tao when we did but the weather had taken a turn the last two days so I suppose it was for the best.

The night before we left there was a huge thunder storm which woke us up, and the rain lasted all morning, soaking us as we walked to get our lift to the pier for our boat to Koh Samui. I had visions of a terrible boat ride again but it was fine as the seas, despite the bad weather, were very calm. Sadly, the rain was not about to disappear any time soon…



S&V's Travel Info & Tips:

General Info: Approx 45 Baht to £1.

Transportation: We took the Lompraya overnight bus/boat combo from Bangkok and despite the long wait for the boat we still think this is the best option to get down to the islands, although prices are going up and we paid 1,250 Baht each for the journey. A long tail boat to Koh Nangyuan costs 200 Baht per person return.

Food: We were spoilt for choice for food on Koh Tao and ate far too much in the days we were there, but our favourite places were Fizz for its delicious Thai curries (95 Baht) and beach vibe, Sairee Cottage for it's good value BBQ (120 Baht for 2 skewers of meat, baked potatoe and salad) and pizza's, and Shalimar for tasty Indian food. For breakfast, Zest cafe did amazing poached eggs on toast for just 50 Baht.

Accomodation: Lots of accom options but not so many budget places - the bungalows at Prik Thai resort were great though and we paid 700 Baht a night for a fan room with hot water, just opposite the beach.


Other observations:

x) The yellow (Krungsi bank?) ATM charges a lot more than others for withdrawing cash, don't use this one!

xx) Dives here were very good value at just 850 Baht each with Scuba Junction, and 3 day PADI open water courses were around 12,000 Baht, including free accomodation at some resorts.

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Comments

[Vince n Suz]

Sick tabs
Boat trip sounds horrendous.... I get motion sick a lot, but I absolutely swear by taking motion sick tablets from the chemist, they really seem to work for me. Just make sure you take them about 30 minutes BEFORE getting on a boat/bus/plane/train, because if you get sick then try to take them, it's too late.