Advertisement
Published: August 9th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Ko Tao = Paradise. No discussion needed. This place is unbelievable, definitely the most beautiful beach we've been on so far. When we were approaching the island on the ferry the sea was this incredible green colour, just stunning. We opted for Ban's Diving resort because we got a recommendation from some Irish girls, who'd gotten a recommendation from someone who got a recommendation....and so on. Sairee beach is lined with small little diving resorts, and Ban's is probably the busiest. When we arrived at reception we were greeted by a Dutch man, with terrifying teeth, and an uncomfortable resemblance to Rick Mayall. We were shown to our (tiny and slightly smelly) room, and we had about an hour or so to get some lunch before we had to meet our scuba instructor. We'd have to do a few hours in a classroom the first day, then one full day in the pool, followed by two days diving. If we ever got that far. After a yumsies lunch (the staff here are incredibly rude, but the menu is great. They actually have smoked salmon and poached eggs. And wholegrain toast! And mashed spuds!!) we met our instructor Jessie. Jessie has the
colouring and body of Paris Hilton, which is never helpful. However, Jessie has given me no reason to believe she's a porn star, and instead turned out to be an enthusiastic English bird. She talked us through a few things, and relayed a few horror stories, for what reason I'm not sure. On such story concerned the day Jessie was diving and her tooth exploded from her mouth under the water. The pressure was the problem apparently, and too much dental work in South East Asia. Not that Jessie thought it was a problem; the way she looked at it, the pain stopped as soon as her tooth flew out of her mouth. So, nothing to worry about there then.
Our second day was spent at the pool, and it was a bit like Carry On Scuba. We had to swim six lengths of the pool, and then thread water for ten minutes. TEN MINUTES. We did it, but kinda cheated. Mid way through the exercise Sibby had a bit of a near death experience, but suffice to say Jessie was on the case and sorted it all out, even forcing Sibs to stay in the pool to help her
get over her fear of the deep end! We had to set up all the equipment at the end of the pool, then jump into the deep end with it all on. Well you'd swear we were being asked to absail down the Grand Canyon - we were all bricking it!!! But anyway, we eventually all got in, and spent the afternoon being taught endless scuba tricks; taking on and off our masks in the water, switching breathing devices blah blah blah. We were doing all this at the bottom of the pool, and every now and then one of us would start floating upwards - staying where you want to stay is bloody tricky, especially with flippers the size of surf boards on your feet! Despite a few hick ups we all thought we were doing incredibly well, but Jessie seemed to be getting a little bit antsy, especially when the last traces of daylight began to fade away....We later found out that we took SLIGHTLY longer than other groups, but whatever, I think we're all great.
Our first dive in the sea was nerve wracking all over again - you have to take a giant stride off the
side of the boat and plummet into the sea, and remembering to breath under water and not panic is a fresh experience every time. But once the first dive was over, we were all hooked. We did four dives in all over two days, and the fourth was definitely the best. We went as far as 16 metres, swimming around a underwater coral mountain, and we saw so many fishies! A barracuda, clown fish, a giant turtle, a neon stingray and thousand of tiny little fishies of different stripes and colours. It really is an unbelievable experience;this course is the best thing I have ever spent my money on, after the ticket for this trip!
After we finished on the final day we had a night out with all the people on our course, which included the screening of our very own scuba video. It was hilarious watching us all waving into the camera like goons, and due to a few too many bevvies before dinner, our three hands shot up when the videographer Bekah (her spelling, not mine) asked who wanted a copy for the bargain basement price of about 45 quid. EACH. Idiots. But sure, it'll be something
to show the grandkids, but not prospective husbands.....
So since our scuba success, we have been spending our days lazy along the beautiful beautiful beach. Paradise, found. At night the tide comes way in, so you can eat your dinner or chill out on a bean bag while sipping a cold beer, with the water lapping just a few feet away. And the weather has been perfect, just purfect. It's so hot during the day that the going for a dip at the shore feels like putting your toes into a hot bath, you have to go out a good few metres before it cools down......it's tough I tell ya, tough
Every day we're supposed to leave, but we haven't managed to do it
yet, so I think a lot of you may have to consider Koh Tao as a holiday destination......
Advertisement
Tot: 0.043s; Tpl: 0.016s; cc: 10; qc: 19; dbt: 0.0187s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
The Godfather
non-member comment
Green with envy
All I can say is " you lucky sods" and " Catherine Thomas" look out -Meade is after your job !!! The Godfather.