All good stories come with some drama. We got our share right from the start at the Bangkok train station. We boarded the train as usual just to notice that our tickets were due days ago. In fact the lady at the desk had sold us the tickets for the day that we had purchased them even though we had told her specifically for what date they were for! The problem was that we had already booked a night in Chumphon and the ferry tickets to Ko Tao the next morning, plus it was the biggest Thai holiday at hand... so clearly we panicked for a second. Good news is that we had 15 minutes before departure and could still run back to the sales desk to change our tickets- no refund whatsoever but instead we had to buy even more expensive first class tickets because there was nothing else available! Awesome. In the end of it, we were just relieved to board and head down towards the anticipated Thai islands!
Ko Tao, which literally means a turtle island, is a very small island and known for its clear waters and amazing underwater life. We had read and heard that it's one the best places to snorkel or do you scuba diving certificate. But even no matter how you've heard stuff before, it's not until you see it for yourself that you actually grasp it. So here we were standing on a small secluded beach about to find it all out; as soon as we entered the shallow water we could see tropical fish everywhere! We were stunned. I'm not even kidding when I say that we could observe multi-coloured fishes just by standing there, head above the water! It really was unbelievable to see what goes on beneath the surface, even if just a little by little merely off the shore like that. In the upcoming days we had plenty adventure as we got around the island with an ATV checking out some amazing beaches, visited the tiny island called Nang Yuan, swam with a school of sharks and just enjoyed this chill and gorgeous island. Whereas the snorkelling with the sharks was definitely one of the highlights, seeing the Chinese snorkel in knee-high water with full-scale life vests on was equally entertaining...;).
Tao really is a place where you can get in touch with the genuine island life. It sounds silly but lot of the islands are so big and over-developed that you don't even feel like you're on an island! Tao, on the other hand, is a magnificent spot to discover what the Thai islands are all about without the major drawbacks of mass tourism. Our only regret was not to spend more time here and less in Samui, which was our next island after Tao. It's really no wonder that Thais themselves like to spend their holidays here, as the options for all kinds of activities are endless along with a good nightlife and some top restaurants! Pretty good recipe for good times...
Jansom Bay
Sai Nuan Beach
Ao Leuk & Sharks
(There is a small stingray in the middle of the picture)
Ko Nang Yuan
Sunset on Sairee
{All pictures © Voyages of Discovery}
TIPS & LINKS
To get there
From Bangkok: You can fly directly to Ko Samui and Chumphon. Alternatively you can take a night / day train down to Chumphon. This is a great link (Seat61) for all train- and bus schedules for all Thailand!
From Chumphon: Songserm Express Boat or Lompraya High Speed Catamaran
*We would recommend the Lompraya although it's a little bit more expensive and only half an hour faster, but it's the newest boat around. Songserm wasn't bad either, just the pick-up was a bit overcrowded and long, and the boat older.
Accommodation
In Chumphon: A-TE Hotel
0 comments:
Post a Comment
We would like to hear what you think!