Island hopping

---

After thirty hours of boats and buses, we arrived to Ko Phangnan along with thousands of others, in search of accommodation for the full moon party. We headed straight to the main beach, Hat Rin, where there are rows of basic bungalows and colourfully painted beach bars. We soon found a room right in the middle of town. The night life is huge here, and for the two nights preceding the biggest beach party in the world 'warm-up' parties take place! During the day however we left the packed beaches to explore the more remote, isolated parts of the island. Ko Phangnan has some fantastic scenery with beautiful white sand beaches and a very laid back lifestyle.
Along with the full moon, came Paulo's twenty-eighth birthday. We woke up to a bright blue sky and the sun shining down. We rented bikes and drove up the coast road stopping off at beautiful beaches to swim and cool down. We were so amazed by the beauty of the island that is more famous for it’s parties than long, pretty, isolated coastline. The day was perfect, possibly the best day since we've been away. We hopped from beach to beach all day long returning in the evening for the full moon party. This party was huge, with more than ten major sound systems on the beach all within stumbling distance of each other. Fire dancing and fireworks lit up the night sky and body painters were everywhere. We even were skipped in a rope that was set on fire! So much fun. We partied with Mo and Jolene, friends we had travelled with in Laos and had the best night imaginable, dancing till dawn.
A couple of days later when we had finally recovered from the full moon we sailed over to Ko Tao, an island famous for it’s diving. Bad roads made this place the most difficult for us to explore. The east and north coast are still fairly undeveloped, with steep, rough roads not suitable for bikes. And of course it was the east cost of the island we wanted to go in search of sharks. After a bit of a hike we made it though and went straight for the water, snorkelling gear in hand. The visibility was amazing and the water was so calm and clean. It wasn't long before we spotted four black tip reef sharks. They swam so close to us. It was an incredible feeling. We couldn’t wait to go diving so we booked in for the following day. The sea was rough and the waves crashed against the boat as we attempted to get our gear ready. It wasn't an easy task because we were all feeling a little queasy as the boat was knocked from side to side. The strong surface current forced us to make an immediate descent. Once under water everything changed. There was an instant calm and our dive began. Unfortunately the whale shark that had been spotted in the area didn’t make an appearance but we did see some amazing fish including stink rays.
We've been traveling for 3 months now, so it was time for a little treat, some home comforts (clean sheets on a bed and a clean bathroom). I booked us into a five star hotel on Ko Samui, as a present for Paulo's birthday. For the next few days we lived like kings. On arrival we were served up welcome drinks, coconut jelly and cold towels. Porters took our bags to our room and people referred to us as ‘sir’ and ‘madam’. We had air-con in our room for the first time since we came away and the sheets on the bed were fresh. The room had cable TV and a big balcony with a garden view. We had our own private beach and a pool with a bar.
Unfortunately we stuck out like sore thumbs with our well-worn backpacker’s clothes, amongst the happy honeymooners and older couples all dressed smartly and flashing the cash. We sure were a little misplaced in this hotel but enjoyed every second of it, especially our complimentary massage in the hotel's spa. We maxed out our stay and left the hotel at the latest possible check out time, back to the simple life. On saying goodbye to our hotel we said goodbye to Ko Samui and the gulf of Thailand to see what the Andaman coast has in store.

---

Comments

[Amy]

Unbeliveable
Hi Meadhbh Amy here my mam and i were just looking at your blog. looks like your having a great time. we cant belive you point your toes when your on your bed!:)

[Caoimhe]

Wow
Hey Mebs and Pebs the hotel looks fab - what a treat!!! You both look amazing...can't wait to see you soon xx