Island Life

We're about 1 week into the trip and have been enjoying time in the Gulf of Thailand. We arrived in Bangkok and caught a plane the next day to the island of Ko Samui. Ko Samui is really nice, but very touristy and quite developed. It reminded me a little bit of some of the beach destinations in Mexico. Lots of resorts, but not much local flavor. We spent one day here relaxing and walking the beach.

The next morning we caught a boat to Ko Phanang a slightly smaller island to the north. This is where we spent 3 days at our very fancy resort. We both agreed, this was probably the nicest place we would ever stay. We had our own little villa with a sea view, big balcony, jacuzzi tub, and fancy pool. The Thai in general are very friendly folks, but the people at the resort were even more over the top. We were constantly greeted and thanked and bowed to. Our resort had its own private beach, but we could walk over to a little town that had some more restaurants and guest houses. We spent most of our time lounging, swimming,  eating yummy Thai food, and drinking fruity drinks. We did spend a few hours kayaking out to our own little island which was nice. Unfortunately Derrick did get a little sick at this point, but it was short lived and he was able to fight it off. After several days of relaxing we were ready for a little more adventure.

We boarded a ferry and headed further north to a smaller island called Ko Tao. Ko Tao is famous for its diving and is filled with westerners who have moved here and opened up dive shops. We found a little shop that put together a way for me to get a refresher in scuba (since I'm already certified) and Derrick to get his open water certification. As of this afternoon, Derrick is a certified diver! We spent 2 days reviewing/learning skills and diving from a boat. We did a total of 4 dives. All were very nice and we even saw a whale shark! The water here is really warm and filled with coral and tropical fish.

After about a week, we're starting to feel a bit water-logged and ready to experience a bit more of the "real" Thailand. It's been great to relax, but we have been in really touristy areas so far. As beautiful as the islands are, I have mixed feelings about these areas and the affects tourism maybe having. Only 7 years ago the island of Ko Tao did not even have reliable power. Now, it is filled with hostels, resorts, bars, and big dance clubs. It is not quite the remote island paradise we have heard travelers from the past speak of, but it's hard to know exactly how this development has affected the people of the island.Tomorrow we catch a boat to the mainland and then take a night train back to Bangkok. I will try to upload some photos then.