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Published: August 5th 2007
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After lazing around for a week in Hua Hin, we decided to move to 3 paradise islands off the east coast of Thailand for some more lazing around!!!
So to get to the tiny paradise island of Koh Tao, you have to get a boat, around 2 hours from the mainland. We decided upon a luxury catamaran as Katie managed to get an offer on it! We were picked up from Hua Hin by a very nice coach at 12 midnight. It had nice seats that laid all the way back and we had ok sleep for the next 4 hours until we got to Chumphon; the port. We walked down the longest pier in the world to be packed on to the catamaran. It was 6 in the morning by now and Luke was feeling a little ill and worried he was going to be sick. I gave him my travel sickness bands as I have never been sea sick before and was more worried about him. 20 minutes into the journey while watching a very gorey film, I started to feel very hot meanwhile Luke was fast asleep. I went outside to find the toilet and ended up
having a lengthy chat with hewie and ralph over the side of the boat until we got to Koh Tao!!!! It did give Kate a chance to take a good look at the amazing paradise island as we were arriving.
Little 21 sq km island of Koh Tao has what is said to be the best diving in the world. Koh Tao means 'turtle island' due its turtle shape and the turtles that inhabit the surrounding sea. It is mostly an undeleveloped island, with only 2 small villages (comprising of 2 roads) and not 24hr electricity everywhere which makes for peace in paradise. There are still a good few beach bars which are busy and open late. We stayed in a very cheap and basic beach bungalow with a pail toilet. So our week in beautiful Koh Tao was mostly spent relaxing on the palm tree lined, white, soft, sandy, beaches; swimming and snorkelling in the clear, calm, turquoise waters or relaxing at beach bars in the evening and lounging on those funny triangular shaped pilows (they are really comfy). While we were there we decided to go scuba diving; it was so amazing. As soon as we jumped
Nangyuan Island
Just off Koh Tao, a three part island join by a y shaped beach! off the boat, we were surrounded by fish wanting to play with us. We went together with our instructor Jimmy (an ex cabaret ddancer from Bangkok "if you know what I mean" he said). The reefs were beautiful. We saw all different kinds of coral, anemones, sponges and the little worms and bugs that live on them. We saw the place where Nemo lives but he didn't come out to play. We saw batfish, triggerfish, parrotfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, bannerfish, whitemonoray eels and loads more we didn't recognise. We saw even saw a family of seahorses clinging to rocks. It was just an amazing colourful, underwater playgound. We managed not to get any embarassing photo's of us in wet suits but we're sure you can imagine!!! The snorkelling around the island was just as amazing; with a reef just off the beach. We nearly ended up with just brown backs! (Now listen Ryan and Gemma!) While we were snorkelling we saw some pink kisser fish kissing but over here they are called 'sweetlips'.
After a week we dragged ourselves away from paradise and moved on Koh Phangan. We travelled over by boat but this time we took some travel sickness
tablets!!! Koh Phangan is a lot bigger and more developed but with 80% of it rainforest, it still has that relaxed paradise feel; that is until the moon appears! Koh Phangan is the home of the world famous full moon party; a monthly global dance festival held on the beach. But not to be party poopers they have parties for any kind of moon; black, blue, fat, thin, no moon or half moon. Whatever moon there is there's a party! We were there for the half moon party which lasted the 3 nights which we were there. If you think of it as a bit like leadmill but with a bit of republic (before it burnt down), turn the volume up so you can't here anybody, put it on the beach and throw in very cheap buckets of alcohol. Its an experience!!! This all happens on sunrise beach so we decided to stay in a very nice beach bungalow on sunset beach (where the sunsets were amazing). We acquired a very friendly dog who waited for us on the track everynight and walked us home.
After 3 days of partying we moved onto Koh Samui. Koh Samui is one
Thailands major holiday destinations and again has beautiful, white, sandy beaches and turquoise waters. We spent our five days here by the sea during the day and shopping by night (this produced a changeover of clothes in our backpacks). This place had a more homely feel with recognisable shops such as Boots, Starbucks, Burger King, McDonalds and Pizza Hut (that is really sad that these things make you think of home!!!!). Of course we tried a few out but only because 'we had to'. One night we ate at a seafood restaurant and Luke decided to have barracuda. It was going to be shark but the restaurant hadn't managed to catch any that day. Ooh barracuda!!!
From here we organised our trip to our next destination; Penang in Malaysia and said goodbye to Thailand. As we were departing Thailand it rained soooooooo much! There's a pattern here; everytime we leave a country it rains!!!! The sky is sad!!!!!!
We are in Penang now. It was a long journey of 14 and a half hours by nearly every mode of transport apart from plane!!!!
I think we have bored you enough so we will give you a Malaysia
update soon.
Hope everyone is well.
Lots of love Katie and Luke x
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Mum and Dad
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Glad to see the Blogg Back!
Glad to see you have managed to get all your photos and comments back on the site. Really jealous of the great weather and the snorkling/diving you have been doing but will try our hand at it soon...... Have a safe journey to Australia and keep taking the photos. Love you lots Mum and Dad xxxx Sam and Sapphie xxx