sensational Koh Tao

We really fell in love with this little island. To get there from Koh Samui it is an easy 2-hour air-conditioned ferry ride. Not as well known as the larger and more developed party hub of Koh Phangnan, Koh Tao is celebrated for beautiful beaches, recovering backpackers and above all – scuba diving. It is easy holiday living at its best and charming to boot.

Our last minute scheduling meant several of the accommodation options were already booked out but we opted for a beach hut at Palm Leaf Resort which sits at the north end of the main beach of Sairee. We were uncertain what we would find when we arrived but really hit the jackpot. It was slightly pricer than some of the options on offer but we found the big room, air conditioning and modern bathroom more than sufficient.

Apart from relaxing and snorkelling we didn’t have any set agenda for our time on the island, and enjoyed strolling along the beach and sidling up to any of the numerous chilled out bars that dot the shore line.

On one night we took a short taxi ride to Chalook Baan Kao Bay on the south of the island. From here we trundled along a narrow jetty, through Taraporn Restaurant and around to the whimsical Babaloo. Hammocks in the shallows, a driftwood hemmed bar and cold cheap beer make this the ultimate place for sunset.

Another favourite spot was Blue Wind, only a short walk from our beach hut. Pull up a pew on the sand, a cushion on the deck, or even better – head upstairs for a fan-cooled perch overlooking Sairee Beach.

We also made a special effort to visit Whitening Bar & Restaurant on the sand near Mae Haad Pier. It wasn’t cheap by island standards, but the chic all-white interior gave a feeling more akin to Ibiza, and the cocktails slipped down easily as the sun set into the sea.

One thing you must do while on Koh Tao is hire a long boat and driver for the day and explore the bays and snorkelling spots around the island. The highlilght of our day on the water was a visit to picturesque Nang Yuan island, just off the coast of Koh Tao. The colour of the water belies belief and a short but sweaty walk to the island’s viewpoint gives you a great perspective from which to see it.

Palm Leaf Koh Tao, 15/2 Moo 1 North Sairee Beach Koh Tao, Amphur Koh Phagan, Surat Thani, Thailand

http://www.kohtaopalmleaf.com/

Babaloo Bar, Chalok Baan Kao Beach, walk along the jetty and through Taraporn Restaurant, Ko Tao, Thailand

https://www.facebook.com/babaloo.tao

Blue Wind Bakery & Resort, 14/2 Moo 1, Haad Sairee, Ko Tao, Thailand

The Whitening Bar & Restaurant, 17/2 Maehaad Moo 2, Mae Haad, Koh Tao, Thailand

https://www.facebook.com/pages/WHITENING-BAR-RESTAURANT/110334805646894

our thoughts on the Kala Samui Resort

After the disappointment of our Mumbai failure we were in need of a real pick-me-up. Koh Samui offers an incredible selection of luxury accommodation and acknowledging that our budget wouldn’t stretch to the fabulous-looking W Hotel Samui or the Six Senses we were lucky to find that the Kala Samui Resort had last-minute half-price rooms.

What a spectacular property it is. Hugging the smooth rocks on the coast between busy Chaweng and Lamai beaches it really fit the bill.

We opted for one of the seven one-bedroom villas with a private pool. Room 101 has magnificent views over the turquoise ocean to the busy lights of Chaweng. It also is on the end of the row so is more private and the open-air rainfall shower was very impressive. The private pool is actually on the lower level below the bedroom but is a good size and receives a pleasing amount of sun in both the morning and afternoon. Down another set of stairs and you reach a small sun deck with a table and two chairs – a great spot to sink a few Singha beers while listening to lapping waves. Just a few steps from the sun-deck and you reach your own small rocky beach where the crabs go about their business and you can easily wade-in for a paddle or snorkel.

Room 101 bathroom

Room 101 outdoor rainfall shower

Inside room 101

Room 101 private pool deck

View from the private pool

Main hotel pool

The hotel’s Rabbit Bar

Daily breakfast at the restaurant – yoghurt with mango, fruit plate and fruit pancakes

Other breakfast options all included in the room rate were banana muffins, toast, poached eggs with spinach, omelet with bacon and potato, or the Asian option of chicken with rice or noodles 

Pros:

• Incredible views
• Real feeing of luxury
• Great breakfast included in the room rate and served any time you were ready up until 6pm
• Direct access to small rocky beach and good snorkelling
• Free Kayak and snorkel hire
• Infinity pool
• One free daily transfer to Chaweng Beach at 4pm and one free daily transfer to Lamai Beach at 11am

Cons

• Not really walking distance to anywhere and not a lot of passing taxis so your best bet is booking a transfer with the hotel (300bht one-way to either Chaweng or Lamai)
• Dinner at the hotel restaurant is pricey and portions are not large, although room service was better
• Only a short 5-6pm daily happy which gives you two drinks from a selected list including for the price of one (and you are still paying more than you would for a cocktail on the beach)

 

The Kala Samui,  210/8 Moo 4, T.Maret, Koh Samui,Surat Thani 84310, Thailand

http://www.thekalasamui.com/

…this is not mumbai

 

 

So we had worked hard, saved up, planned an itinerary, quit our jobs in London, sent our belongings back to Australia, and then the day had finally come! First stop Mumbai, India! We headed to Heathrow Airport, approached the check-in desk, handed over our passports… “Visa please”. Oh no. We’d both independently thought we could get a visa on arrival in India. Wrong! Rookie mistake.

After a frantic night of reorganising at a hotel near Heathrow we realised we would have to scrap India. Visas can take up to 2 weeks for Australians to obtain from the Indian High Commission in London. The alternative we came up with? Thailand.

Thailand is never a bad idea. Even though it is one of the hotter times of year in an already hot country the promise of beaches and Thai food made the decision for us. In a cruel turn of irony the cheapest flight we could find had us transiting through Mumbai. We just weren’t allowed out of the airport.

And so this is how we find ourselves in Koh Samui. An island paradise.

view from our hotel balcony

hotel pool

lunch – satay prawn skewers, prawn pomelo salad and rice paper rolls

view from our pool

testing out the Go-Pro camera