Colin and I decided that it was time for a beach vacation, we are in Thailand after all. We went to two islands in the Gulf of Thailand - Koh Samui and Koh Tao. We spent two nights at each island. We flew into Koh Samui and then took a 2 1/2 hour high speed ferry to Koh Tao.
Day 1 Koh Tao:
Koh Tao was amazing. Rustic but clean bungalows hug the coastline and are nestled within the trees.
The ferry dropped us off at the Mae Head port which is a small town lined with souvenir shops, tons of dive shops, and restaurants. The town had a bit of a backpacker/hippie feel...just enough to add charm.
A Songthaew whisked us away through pleasantly hilly landscape to our hotel. We stayed at the Charm Churee Resort at Jansom Bay. Loved it. A golf cart then took us from the reception down a steep hill (Thai transportation is always an adventure in itself) to our bungalow - which was right on the beach (Jansom Bay). The water was very beautiful and clear - shades of transparent blues and turquoise. When the tide was up the water splashed underneath our bungalow, when the tide was down we had a little bit of sand that separated our front step and the water. No TV, outdoor shower, and outdoor bathroom (but really nice and clean - not an outhouse - just not completely sealed form the elements). We did have airconditioning (I made sure of this when I picked the hotel). The one drawback was the relentless mosquitoes. The bed actually had a mosquito net. The bedroom was sealed well enough but we opted to sleep under the net.
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| Our Bungalow - look to the right of the glass door - that is the shower |
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| View from our door step |
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| That is Colin - he is sitting in the bay and letting little fish nibble on him |
We took a quick swim in the bay. Colin found it entertaining that if you sat in the water little fish would nibble on you. I decided to give it a try and I did not find it so fun - I thought one guy got a little greedy in his nibble and then I decided it was best to be on the move - plan worked, they only nibble when you are idle.
Stayed at the hotel for dinner and we were rewarded of beautiful views of the Gulf.
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| I got the bright memo - my shirt matches the decor perfectly! |
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| Not great pix quality but I though this rock behind the restaurant was really cool |
The main reason we went to Koh Tao was to scuba dive. It has been one year since we earned our certifications in the British Virgin Islands. So the big day finally arrived and instead of reviewing the training book prior to the trip I am frantically trying to review it over breakfast right before the dive.
We did two dives. Colin did great on both. I had a little trouble with my buoyancy on the first one. At the same time I was trying not to float to the surface we were being tracked by a Titan Trigger Fish. I could not figure out why the Dive Master was not helping me - I believe she was preoccupied by this Trigger fish. I did notice that the really large fish had two large front teeth but had no idea it was being aggressive (I thought it was really cool). Later she told us that the Titan Trigger fish was displaying signs of aggression (putting up a fin and tracking us) which they sometimes do when protecting a nest; they do occasionally bite (her friend just got stitches). The combination of me floating to the surface, the trigger fish, and strong currents took us off course and we ascended quite aways from the boat...which in strong currents makes for a tiring swim. Second dive went much smoother (increase weight belt and worked on some techniques). Dive was beautiful - my favorites were the trigger fish, Morey eel, stingray, and clam.
I was relieved when the dives were over. I love diving... I love seeing the life of the ocean and feel accomplishment when it is over - but I always feel nervous beforehand. We went into town for dinner, which is a 10 minute walk along a nice meandering stone path.
Koh Tao and Koh Samui Day 3:
Yay, I can relax at this breakfast....what a view. Watched the fish play in the water below us. I am afraid my camera won't pick up on the fish but here is a photo to show how clear the water is:
Spent the rest of the morning snorkeling and hanging out in town for lunch before catching ferry to Koh Samui.We stayed at the Nora Buri Hotel on Chaweng Beach. It was on a nice quiet end of the beach (I think I am getting old - I prefer the quiet end of the beach now). However, the water is just not as pretty as Koh Tao. The resort was gorgeous and vast. Bungalow style but not rustic.
Koh Samui Day 4:
Spent the day at the pool and the evening in town. Beautiful pool overlooking beach and the Gulf with a fun swim up to bar. Unfortunately we were not cautious enough and we managed to get Colin sun burnt. We tried staying under the umbrellas but I am afraid we were too stingy with the sunscreen - ouch. Fun night in the town where we ate Mexican (yes, I know we are in Thailand - but that is the luxury of living here - you don't have to feel like you need to eat Thai all of the time) and watched a couple of bands. The first was a guy that sang old rock and roll songs - to Colin's delight he would play Buddy Holly. Then we watched this fun rock and roll Thai band - this girl could really play the electric guitar - and she would headbang - all very interesting.
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| Pool and ocean |
Thailand Wineries:
Colin and I stayed in Korat one weekend and ended up going to wineries on both Saturday and Sunday. The wine is not as good as Napa Valley and Sonoma but the scenery is right up there. Most of Thailand is too tropical to grow grapes for wine, however, there is an area between Korat and Bangkok that has mountains and is cool enough to be suitable for vineyards. The weather was gorgeous - it felt nice to escape the stifling heat of Bangkok.
Saturday Colin and I spent the day at a winery called PB Winery. They have a very nice restaurant on the grounds. We arrived at noon and found out that the tram tour of the vineyards would not start until 3:00. No problem, we are at a winery - very leisurely lunch, wine, and a walk around the grounds. The food was delicious. The tour was fun as it was harvest time and they allowed you to get into the vineyards and cut (and eat) some grapes.
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| View from restaurant |
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| Stopped at a coffee place called A Cup of Love. The interesting thing abut this place was the # of Thai tourists taking photos and posing in front of the signs. Supposedly this is a a very popular spot for the Thais...I liked it too - I believe that Colin and I were the only non Thai tourists.
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Hard to believe that our trip to the U.S. is just around the corner (leaving March 24th). We are both very very excited.
I am anxious to see my friends and family. However, it is nice to know that I have made friends here (Bangkok and Korat) and they will be here when I get back.
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| Meeting friends for lunch in Bangkok - which has turned out to be a favorite past time |
