Day 11: Ko Samui

We woke early enough to grab a bite to eat on our last morning in Ko Tao. This little island was really something we both would look back on fondly. A friendly man from the hotel called a cab for us and soon, we were at the pier and on a boat to Ko Samui. We took the Lomprayah high speed catamaran. I definitely think this is the way to go, it was much faster than our boat from Ko Pha Ngan to Ko Tao.

We arrived at Samui and caught a cab to our next bungalow, the Weekender Villa. It is about a half hour from the pier and just south of Chaweng, one of the main beaches. Here's our bungalow.

Skeptical of the island, we went to check out the beach view. I have to say, though it lacked a nice strip of sand at high tide, it was quite beautiful. With its 180° panorama, Nicole said it looked like you were standing at the edge of the world.

We venture into the water, but I quickly spotted a couple of jellyfish, so we jumped out and walked along the shore instead.

Not too impressed with the guest house's food options (or friendliness), we searched for a place to eat. We walked a good distance through Lamai beach when we finally decided to settle on an Indian place that we happened upon called Live India. To our surprise, the food was excellent! We had hoped for mediocre and ended up with excellent. Nicole had Aloo Gobi and I had a shrimp masala with a side of garlic naan and a Singha beer.

Afterwards, we walked around Lamai beach and check out some of the shops before heading back to the bungalow. Perhaps it was the overall vibe of Samui, but we never quite bonded with the island, at least the spot we were staying, as we had in Ko Tao. But in the early evening, the weather was beautiful and before the paper lanterns were lit along the shoreline, we had an opportunity to scrawl this blog's name in the sand

- C

Day 10: Christmas Eve on Koh Tao

We woke up early enough to grab some breakfast and take in the view before being whisked off to the port to get on the snorkeling boat. 

(Seriously, the greatest view ever. Got to love those mango shakes!)

We then got onto a boat that would take us to four different snorkeling locations. We only had Chris' iPhone, but we more than made do. 

(The last stop, and where the most of these photos were taken, was called Koh Nang Yuan.) 

We then went back to Koh Tao. After relaxing for a bit we went to a different massage parlor (can't remember the name), which also had a beach view for coconut oil massages. This may have been the best massage I ever had. 

After this we went and got some dinner and went to enjoy the many festivities happening on the beach. In Koh Tao there are countless little resorts and bars lining the beach. Every single bar had a party going for Christmas Eve including some with live music and fire shows. There were also venders selling paper lanterns to send off with wishes written on the side. Of course, we bought two and set them off into the Thai ski. 

I can easily say that this was one of the best days of my life let alone one of the best Christmas Eves I have ever had. It was magical. I think I will be chasing this day for years to come. 

-N

Day 8: Island arrival, Ko Phangan

Our morning flight was from Don Meuang airport down to Surat Thani province. This quirky little airport had been our gateway to Phnom Penh. It has a golf course right off the tarmac - odd! It was a quick jump down to Surat Thani city, which is mostly a transportation hub town. We found a bus/ferry combo at the Raja Ferry kiosk and were quickly whisked onto the bus. You have to travel to Donsak pier first to get to any of the islands.

The whole process, while utilizing three separate transport means (air, bus, boat) was actually very easy and enjoyable. And, aside from the gross-out sounds of a woman puking her guts out from seasickness on the ferry, it was a seamless process and we were at our next hotel by early afternoon.

Ko Phangan is the so-called "middle child" island, between Ko Samu and Koh Tao, and also between them in size. With white-sand beaches and waterfalls, it also hosts occasional parties on Haad Rin beach like the famous full-moon party. We had reserved a beach-side bungalow at V-View on the southwest side. It was a dreamy, relaxed atmosphere and really the highlight of the whole island for us. The staff was friendly and the travelers were in full chill mode.

We relaxed in the hammocks and swam in the ocean for a couple hours. Then, perhaps to Nicole's dismay, my restless desire for more activity-based fun soon took hold and I asked to rent a motorbike from the guest-house. Soon, a woman and her two children showed up with two motorbikes. We told her we only wanted one, she charged 200 baht for 24 hours, and made me sign a paper and hand over my passport in exchange. Her little one was cute running around with a helmet.

We were soon on our way to explore the island after putting a couple of liters in the tank. Many little shops by the roadsides in Thailand sell recycled bottles full of gas. But, while getting the feel of the bike and its turning style, I misjudged a turn and went into some sandy, bumpy road. We slid onto the bikes side, scraping the side up and popping a mirror off. My right arm was road-rashed along with my right knee and Nicole's hand. Shaken, we got back on and continued. We tried to make it up through the middle of the island but Nicole didn't like the elevation and curves of the road (she had a point) so we decided to turn back, filling the tank on the way.

note my stubborn determined look

We grabbed some Mexican food and margeritas for dinner at a place called Ando Loco which was excellent and a nice break from Thai food. Relaxing on the beach at night was awesome and we could watch movies playing out on the beach at the place next door to us. We went to bed and, after laughing at some lines from "Tropic Thunder" drifting their way into the bungalow, fell asleep.

- C