After a fairly rainy start to our island adventures we decided to move on and try our luck on the much smaller island of Ko Tao about a 2 hour boat ride from Ko Samui. We had no accommodation booked so on arrival the priority was to find somewhere cheap and comfortable to stay. We headed to Sairee beach and started making enquiries at some of the resorts on the beach. Much to our horror the cheapest quotes we were getting were 3x our allowance and after visiting the 4th resort we were becoming concerned that we were going to have to sleep on the beach or seriously change our ideas. After trawling the entire length of the beach we were feeling pretty despondent and were about to give up and not even ask at the last place however Mike persuaded me to wait on the beach while he went to check out accommodation options. As he returned smiling I knew we had success and it came in the form of a tiny hut containing a bed, fan and cold shower so basic to say the least however the beach was stunning and we were right on it so what more could we ask for (maybe air conditioning but beggars cant be choosers). Coming in at a tenner a night it would do just fine and leave enough funds for a few beers and hopefully a couple of cocktails! After checking in we headed back along the beach to the town for a look around and being the diving capital of Thailand we were going to make some enquiries at some of the dive shops. The town itself was nothing to write home about, it had a few shops, cafes, restaurants and plenty dive shops but we weren't here for the town or nightlife so we weren't too bothered. After grabbing a bite to eat in one of the cafes we headed back along the beach to catch a few rays as hurrah the sun was finally putting in an appearance! As we were staying right on the beach the resort provided free sun loungers for guests so we were soon reclined looking out at one of the most beautiful views imaginable. Being west facing we were hoping to catch some fantastic sunsets while we were here and the sunset we watched that first night was the most stunning sunset I have ever seen and I am pretty sure I will never see another one like it. The colours were out of this world with the colour changing every few seconds. We would take a photo, put the camera away and then two seconds later have to get the camera out again to take another photo it was awesome and a fantastic welcome to Ko Tao. It didn't take us long to adapt to the slower, quieter pace of the island as we were soon slumped in a couple of beanbags on the beach with a cold Chang in hand feeling pretty pleased with ourselves.
The next day we wanted to book up some diving so having explored all the competitors the previous day we returned to a dive centre called Golden Sands and booked two dives for the next day however with a 6am start there would be no beer for us today. We then grabbed brunch at a café before rather unexcitingly heading back to the sun loungers for some more quality reclining, reading and relaxing which I know doesn't make for exciting reading but I can tell you it was exactly what we wanted. The only moving we did was for a dip in the 30° ocean or to collect freshly chopped pineapples from the cutest little man who walked the entire length of the beach all day peddling pineapples, mangoes and sweet corns cooked on a tiny tin BBQ. That evening was very low key with a delicious Thai dinner for which we were acquiring a real taste and a couple of soft drinks in our beanbags before heading back to the sweatbox hut for an early night as the alarm was set for 5.30am!
The morning of the diving we couldn't believe the change in weather, gone was the beautiful blue sky to be replaced with some very angry looking clouds however the diving was booked and paid for so we had to carry on regardless and hope for a change once we were out there. Our first disappointment came when we were informed by the dive master that the diving location had to be changed due to the weather which meant we weren't going to make one of the best dive sites in Thailand. Instead we were going to a couple of sites closer to the island where the seas were a little calmer. We checked all our kit for sizes before loading our bags into a long tail that would transfer us to the big yellow boat. As soon as we got into the long tail the huge black cloud hanging over the hills had moved right over our heads and we were all absolutely drowned within seconds because if there is one thing Asia knows how to do its rain! Cold and shivering we all transferred to the shelter of the big boat however it was too late we were all soaked and not appreciating what the rain was doing to the visibility on our first dive. Once at the dive site we were all kitted up and raring to get under the water away from the rain. There were 4 of us on the dive with our dive master Steph and much to our delight and surprise the visibility was pretty good and we were able to have a good 45 minutes exploring some of the fish and corals. After the dive it was back in the boat and of to our second dive location which was even better than the first and again the rain hadn't disturbed things too much and we were able to appreciate why everyone raves about diving in Thailand. The weather didn't really improve so once back on dry land it was straight to the nearest café for a well deserved brunch. The afternoon was spent indoors and under shelter as it was apparent that the rain was here for the day so we were just going to have to grin and bare it.
Fortunately the weather improved the following day and was beautiful for the rest of the week allowing us to spend the final days of our year long trip resting and relaxing on one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen. Every morning our little Thai friend was there to chop us pineapple for our breakfast and then back again around 3pm to toast us a corn for our lunch, it was bliss. Apart from the occasional dip in the bathwater warm ocean we really didn't have to move other than to turn over and toast ourselves front and back ensuring a healthy glow for our return home. The evenings in Ko Tao were a very relaxed affair after watching what was always a beautiful picture perfect sunset it was back to the hut for a welcome cold shower, a colder beer and my daily ritual of covering myself from head to toe in mozzie repellent before heading to one of the many beach front bars for a pre dinner refreshment. With the sun set and the beach emptied the beachfront restaurants and bars transform themselves setting up their dining rooms right there on the sand complete with a smorgasbord of fresh fish cooked to order on the BBQ which was inevitably a metal drum cut in half and propped up on what was always a questionable frame! The bars roll out lots of mats on the sand and adorn them with a plethora of cushions and bean bags that once you sink into you have no idea how your ever going to get back up again!! After a couple of beers it was time to go in search of sustenance. Being an island in the middle of nowhere all the food is imported making all the "western" restaurants very expensive so for us it was Thai all the way, not that we were complaining as so far the food had been delicious. There were plenty of restaurants to choose from and with a curry, rice and a beer coming in at about a quid we were eating like kings on the budget of paupers!! So with lots of lazy days and relaxed nights under our belt by the end of our 3 weeks on Ko Tao we were suitably chilled and able to allow ourselves to think about making the journey back home and what a journey it was to be taking us the best part of 4 days allowing for a two night stay in Bangkok.