It's hard to choose between Thailand's many stunning islands, but your choices just might be dictated by the rainy season. Generally, the rains are most severe from May-October on the Andaman Sea side of Thailand, and the east side of the Gulf of Thailand, which left us choosing the one area we haven't yet visited - the west side of the Gulf.

Koh Tao is known to have some of the cheapest diving experiences in all of southeast Asia, and so it was a great choice for Troy to have what are probably going to be his last dives for awhile (we have met people who have dove in the Great Lakes, but…??!!) And although the diving is indeed cheap with all of the competition (about $35 CAD), Troy reported back that the conditions were just average. Seems that our underwater highlights over the past two years have been the Great Barrier Reef, and probably Flores, Indonesia. Clare joined a snorkelling tour that went to nearby Koh Nangyuan - known for a unique 3-way sandbar that connects 3 little islands. It was here that while coming into the shore from a snorkel, the guide pointed out a baby octopus that was hidden down in the coral! It reached out a small tentacle before sucking itself back down, and never would have even been noticed if it wasn't for the keen-eyed guide. Only one turtle was spotted on this trip, which for an island whose name translates as, "Turtle Island" in English, seemed like a bit of a disappointment (or maybe we are just becoming too diva-ish with our underwater expectations.)

Our bungalow by the beach was so comfortable and cozy that we stayed 6 nights on Koh Tao. It had a kind of warm, rustic charm, and felt like the kind of place you wanted to just make your home for the whole summer. And in the on-site restaurant, the rice was served in the shape of a teddy bear. How can you get more welcoming than that?! We enjoyed watching a new batch of beach dogs and the typical dog dynamics and drama that accompanies them, and overall just hung out and didn't do much. Not how everyone wants to spend their vacation time, but we are becoming pretty aware of how work at home is creeping up on us, and how this will quickly all seem like a distant memory. The phrase, "rude awakening" comes to mind?