For four days we lived on the small island of Koh Tao. We had a great time there: drank lots of delicious juice (a few with a lovely splash or two of rum), ate some incredibly cheap and tasty curries, swam and swam (for me at least, each outing a baby step toward oceanic freedom), hiked for hours through the jungle to see some gorgeous bays, watched several stunning sunsets, and snorkeled all day at various points around the entire island (plus those of Koh Nang Yuan).
The island pace and temperature were a welcome change from our somewhat hectic -and sometimes freezing - London lives. Though, as irony would have it, we are starting to feel that familiar restlessness that arises from having essentially done nothing new for too many consecutive days.
Still we're taking in all the island has to offer and are now on Koh Phangan enjoying the soft ocean breeze as the sun and its heat dip below the hills surrounding the beach of Haad Salad. It's a small bay and is perfect to swim in as it's relatively shallow quite far out. I'm incredibly tempted to swim out to this weird looking floating waterslide thingy but I don't know if I'm quite ready for that one yet. It's just sitting there looking all mysterious and fun! Tomorrow we might hike up to a local waterfall which would be a good time.
I can see the appeal of island life. It's very relaxing and all about enjoying the beauty of the ocean, the lush green hills, and the simple life. If you are looking for a place to melt into the sand, breathe in the fresh air, and eat fruit fresh from the tree , you'd find yourself quite content here. For me, its a bit too much of the same but I understand why for some it's heaven. I'm ready to head north though to trek in the mountains, see villages that don't exist for the sole purpose of catering to tourists, and experience the Thai culture that is oddly missing from beaches covered in pasty Europeans (myself included -though now I am a brindle of ivory and ruby).
After the islands, our next stop is Chang Mai where we'll start our visit with a three day trek. Can't wait to see some views over the mountains! Until then, we'll soak up a couple more days of lazy island life.
The island pace and temperature were a welcome change from our somewhat hectic -and sometimes freezing - London lives. Though, as irony would have it, we are starting to feel that familiar restlessness that arises from having essentially done nothing new for too many consecutive days.
Still we're taking in all the island has to offer and are now on Koh Phangan enjoying the soft ocean breeze as the sun and its heat dip below the hills surrounding the beach of Haad Salad. It's a small bay and is perfect to swim in as it's relatively shallow quite far out. I'm incredibly tempted to swim out to this weird looking floating waterslide thingy but I don't know if I'm quite ready for that one yet. It's just sitting there looking all mysterious and fun! Tomorrow we might hike up to a local waterfall which would be a good time.
I can see the appeal of island life. It's very relaxing and all about enjoying the beauty of the ocean, the lush green hills, and the simple life. If you are looking for a place to melt into the sand, breathe in the fresh air, and eat fruit fresh from the tree , you'd find yourself quite content here. For me, its a bit too much of the same but I understand why for some it's heaven. I'm ready to head north though to trek in the mountains, see villages that don't exist for the sole purpose of catering to tourists, and experience the Thai culture that is oddly missing from beaches covered in pasty Europeans (myself included -though now I am a brindle of ivory and ruby).
After the islands, our next stop is Chang Mai where we'll start our visit with a three day trek. Can't wait to see some views over the mountains! Until then, we'll soak up a couple more days of lazy island life.
