Ko Tao

Leaving Ko pangan with food poisoning was not a good idea we had to wait ages for the boat and then it took 2 hours from ko pangan, the boat was rocking and it took all my power not to throw up!!!! This is the most unwell I have been for about 6 years, we got to Ko Tao and checked into a air con room on the beach and slept it off and the next day I woke up singing, mich then knew I was better and she was glad to have me back to normal! It felt amazing to be back in one piece.

Day 1

We bought snorkles on the first day and rented a bike and headed for a little beach called sai daeng, this was so secluded but was a mission to get to on the bike I constanty had the bike sidways and the wheel spining like crazy little advice for backpackers make sure you get dirt tyres or you wont be going anywhere and you will be on the floor most of thetime and you will have to pay bike damages! So many people have fallen off, as you see people walking round with massive burns and cuts all over their body. It was worth the ordeal as the snorkeling was fantasic and we swam with some amazing tropical fish of all sizes and colors, the water is so clear and there is coral everywhere you look. Little gutted we didnt see any blacktip sharks but also a little relieved as me and mich are wimps when it comes to sea life. That night we had yet again some noodles (Pad Thai) and watched some fire jugglers do their thing!

Day 2

We woke up early and headed for shark bay also a nightmare to get to but my dirt riding skills got better and there were less screams from the back of the bike! The coral was really swallow here, so it was impossible to get out any distance, at one point I got stuck on the coral and was panicing a bit as I couldnt move and there were sea urchins all around me. Shark bay was by far the nicest beach we have been to yet it was literaly me and mich and little gorgeous little bay. On the way back I hit the bike on a massive hump in the track and the bike conked out we thought we were in some serious trouble here as we were in the middle of no where 5 mintues later the bike started again and we slid our way back to our hut! We returned the bike and did a few more hours snorkeling on the main beach (sairee beach) which is a stones throw away from our hut. The coral here is also fantansic and you can get out easily from around 3pm without scraping you skin off!

Ko Tao is really cheap if you want to do your open water padi course about 9,000 baht but it was this or do a sky dive and we choose skydiving. Saying that I might wimp out of that as I still cant see jumping out of a plane as a sane thing to do!
Here also the prices shot up to about £8 to £20 a night after the first night we had a little £8 hut and it was fine with a fan and a nice bathroom but compared vietnam and all the other countries we have been its a very expensive island.
Its meant to be the rainy season here but we havent seen a drop and the heat is rediculous but its fine as you are never far away from the sea, and we have become aclimatised to the heat. Another very impressive thai island.

Tonight we have a 12 hour boat bus journey to phuket to check out some islands over there.