Beaches of Southern Thailand
Trip Start
Nov 16, 2007
1
19
20
Trip End
Jan 14, 2008
Ko Tao,
Thailand
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Koh Samui and Phuket were overrun with big resorts and tourists, not our favorite destinations, but necessary stopovers on our way to the more remote islands. You can only reach them by boat.
We took a speedboat out to Koh Phi Phi - a nice, smooth, fast one-hour trip - although we were told it can get pretty rough. We weren't so lucky on our trip to Koh Tao. There had been some bad weather out to sea, and it was one rough couple of hours
Koh Samui airport
. Luckily we had an optimal seat - on the upper deck, but indoors with windows where you could see out to "try" to watch the horizon. These were the highest waves I have ever experience, 15-20 ft, and the boat was listing badly. Bernd and I didn't get sick, but he was feeling pretty green around the gills. It's tough when everybody around you is puking (the crew passed out plastic bags) and you have to brace yourself to stay in the seat. The poor people out on deck ... the boat was packed and there wasn't enough room inside ... were getting soaked as waves broke across the (upper!) deck and were hanging on for dear life.But, we made it, recovered, and enjoyed our stay on Koh Tao. The trip back was smooth and uneventful. Koh Tao is not terribly built up or heavily touristed. It's a really nice, laid-back place with excellent snorkeling, diving, and hiking. The storm made the water a bit murky - poor visibility and high seas. It settled down pretty well before we left and we got in some good snorkeling. The island is steep and rocky, with no paved roads other than right in the small town. One day we took a "taxi" (4WD pickup truck) across the island 4.5 km up and over a very steep, rutted road. There are some neat bays, but if you don't stay in town you're very isolated.
We stayed in a really neat "boutique resort" called Charm Churee Villa. It was a 10 minute walk up the coast from town - a cluster of bungalows hugging cliffs over a rocky coast
Charm Churee Villas, Koh Tao
. All of the villas have ocean views. They are all uniquely designed and decorated - ours was very comfortable and had a big, clean, private outdoor bathroom! I like taking outdoor showers under palm and rubber trees. We really enjoyed Koh Tao. We'd like to go back for an extended stay, explore the island and do some diving.Koh Phi Phi has certainly been discovered, but many more tourists go out on day trips than stay on the island. We stayed in the largest resort on the island, 112 bungalows, but it was very nice with good facilities, tours, and a dive outfit. Food and services were expensive, given the captive audience, but there aren't too many choices. We walked out the back entrance to a little cluster of huts and businesses that had sprung up just outside to eat dinner. We had some great food at ¼ the price of meals at the resort.
Koh Phi Phi was hit hard during the tsunami in 2006. There are signs and evacuation routes all over the island. The island and water are strikingly beautiful (see photos below). The diving and snorkeling were some of the best we have experienced anywhere. It was really beautiful - a nice way to wrap up our grand SE Asia tour!
After our island hopping, we went back to Bangkok for a couple of days and then headed home. It took some time to re-adjust, get over our jetlag, go through mail, etc. It was wonderful to be back home, sleep in our own bed, see our friends, and be back under New Mexico's clear blue skies. This was a fantastic trip - truly an adventure of a lifetime. Thank you for following us on our adventures through this blog. Hope you've enjoyed it!
