Monthly Archives: January 2009

An early wake up call, gets us out of bed at 4.30am to say our farewells to Matt and Dan whose flight leaves at 6pm. It’s been a brief interlude but so good to see them both even for a short while. We return to bed to snatch a few more hours sleep before facing our own 24-hour journey to get to Butterworth in Malaysia – the first leg on the way to Singapore. We catch the 1.30pm ferry expecting to travel as foot passengers and for a bus to be waiting at Donsak port on the mainland or the transfer to Surat Thani station to catch our train. But the arrangements for returning are rather different from the outbound journey. We arrive at the pier to discover that we are travelling by coach from Koh Tao and we must join said coach before boarding the ferry. The coach for some unfathomable reason is parked at another pier about 300 metres away from where the ferry sails and we have to haul our luggage in the midday sun to pick up our tickets and board the coach. We are then driven the 300 metres back to our starting point so that we can get off the coach and walk onto the ferry! No doubt there is a logic to this palaver, but it alludes us.

After a one-and-half hour ferry journey and a further two hours on the coach we arrive at Surat Thani railway station around 5pm. Our train departs at 00.45 so we have 7+ hours to kill. We deposit our lugage in the 24-hour left luggage store in the station and take a look around the surrounding streets in the hope of finding something to eat and an internet cafe or bar where Andy can watch today’s football match. The information clerk in the station is very helpful and after explaining that the train will arrive at 00:40 and we will have five minutes to board. He sends us in the direction of a local street market for food But it soon becomes apparent that there is not enough here to keep us occupied until our train departs.

The train station is in a suburb of Surrat Thani untouched by tourism. The only foreigners are those passing through on their way to Bangkok or points south. There are plenty of the simple pavement cafes where food is cooked on the street and customers sit at cheap plastic-covered tables. The market is a few streets from the station and food stalls line one side of several streets whilst on the other an assortment of shoes, clothes, bags and household items are on display. My bag is falling apart – the strap is abut to part company from the main bag, so I pick up a cheap replacement for £3. We have an average meal in a street cafe and by 8pm we are back at the station having exhausted what little there is to do here.

The station is full of a mix of locals and foreigners waiting for trains which run through the night. The only available seating is hard slatted wooden benches and we settle down and prepare for a long and rather uncomfortable 5+ hour wait. We spend part of the time chatting to a young American woman from Colorado who is travelling for two months and is on her way to Chiang Mai. Just as we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel, a 100-minute delay is announced – our train won’t be leaving until 02:20. Our hearts sink and tiredness is getting the better of us. I manage to catnap for a while but it is a welcome relief when the train finally pulls in and we can drop into our bunks and sink into a comfortable sleep.

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This is our last full day on Koh Tao and our time with the boys is coming to a close all too soon. We have all enjoyed it here; the relaxed atmosphere, just the right balance of commercialism and natural beauty at least here on Chalok Baan Koa Bay. The decision to move from Tanote Bay was definitely a good one. Unfortunately Matt ran out of money and didn’t get any diving but had a good time nonetheless. After lunch we catch the ferry back to Koh Samui to pick up our onward connections; the boys to Bangkok and us to Surat Thani and Malaysia. It’s a very different day to the one that greeted us three weeks ago. Gone are the monsoon winds, the grey skies and rough seas. In their place we have blue, almost cloudless skies, translucent azure waters and calm sea; even away from the coast the sea is like a mill pond. Arriving at Koh Samui we have a free transfer to our hotel courtesy of the ferry company, Seatran, and we are greeted by a melee of transit vans waiting to transport passengers to various parts of the island – but here the organisation nds as none of the 20 or so vans display destinations and there is a lot of shouting as we are led through van park to finss our waiting transport. We are spending our last night at Samui Pier Beach Resort less than a kilometre from the ferry port. The hotel is run by two Israelis who are as welcoming as on our stay a week ago. Of all the people on the islands, with the exception of the woman at The Kae Big Fish Restaurant, who was always jolly and smiling, the staff at Samui Pier have been the most welcoming and helpful. Unlike the Thais further north, particularly in Chiang Mai, we’ve found most Thais on these islands unsmiling and in some cases rather rude as if tourists are just a troublesome nuisance, which is surprising given that the Thai economy depends so heavily on tourism.. After dinner at a rather good Thai restaurant we head back, so that Matt at least can get an early night – the boys have an early start tomorrow. Continue reading →

More sun, sea and sand. The sea is crystal clear today, very inviting. And oh so warm. A stroll into the village to buy postcards. Another abortive attempt to walk to a (different) bay on the other side of the eastern headland for some snorkelling and lunch (the idea of a boat trip having come to nothing) – only to discover that the public footpath has been built on to create the up-market Koh Tao Resort and the bay is no longer open to the public. Instead we have lunch at the pool bar of Bubble 5 Star Dive Resort. First impressions of this bar are good: a pool overlooking the beach, a poolside bar with submerged stools, decked poolside with low tables, parasols and cushions to lounge on. Unfortunately it doesn’t quite live up to its 5-star rating. On closer inspection the pool water is dirty and tainted with debris and there is green algae growing on the stools and the jacuzzi seating. What a shame! We stop for a bite of lunch anyway before deciding that the sand and sea is much more inviting..

In the evening we walk round the far end of the bay where a rather ugly, raised concrete walkway has been built in the sea under the cliffs to link the main bay with the small beach further round the western headland. Here there is a restaurant and a bit further on a beach bar. We eat in the restaurant and move onto the bar which is probably the nicest on the bay. Oil lamps burn in pits cut in various geometric shapes in the sand and seating is on mats and cushions on the beach and a raised open terrace. A fire juggler provides the entertainment – the skilfulness of his dazzling display made all the more evident when a western tourist takes up a single fire pole and makes a pitiful attempt to twirl and spin it . We take up our usual pastime of cards rediscovering ‘Sevens’ which we used to play often when the boys were young. And where, other than in Thailand, I wonder, could you go to the bar and order three beers and a Snickers shake??

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More of the same today … sea, sun and sand. Spend a lazy and relaxing day on the beach. In the evening we venture further afield to have dinner at a beach barbecue provided by one of the dive centres further round he bay.

Matt takes back his bike and is charged an additional 300 Baht for the lost key. All in all the loss of the key has cost more than the hire of the bike and it looks as if any chance of diving is receding as Matt’s 5000 Bhat budget is being stretched to the limit. We discuss all going on an organised dive/snorkelling trip with Matt putting the extra towards his diving, but nothing comes of it. We are all so chilled that it has sapped our motivation. Frisbee in the sea round off the day. In the evening we revisit the Easy Bar, watch the juggling and play cards.

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We are now ensconced in our beach-side accommodation at The Kae Big Fish overlooking this beautiful, azure sea of Chalok Baan Koa Bay. The water is calm and gloriously warm, the sun is out and we have no call on our time apart from kicking back and chilling – perffick!

We take a short stroll through the small village, buy a cap for me (I’m fed up of having a sunburnt nose) and visit the supermarket which is remarkably well-stocked for such a small place. When we get back the boys have disappeared on the bike so we decided to walk to another bay about 3 kilometres away for lunch. We don’t get far up the dirt track before deciding that the effort of clambering up and down the steep hillside in the sweltering heat is just not worth the effort. A decision confirmed when three people on bikes who pass us rather cautiously on the sandy and rutted surface, return only minutes later.

Back at The KaeBig Fish the boys have returned and Dan seems to have survived unscathed his first experience riding pillion with Matt, in fact he seems quite relaxed about the whole thing. After lunch on the veranda, what else do do but have a swim (this time without the bike key) take in the late afternoon rays and we chat about the boys’ news and plans? We invest in a frisbee and wile away the last of the sun playing in the sea.

The day is rounded off with a stroll along the beach to a nearby bar to play cards and watch a juggler perform with fire-tipped batons and twirling strings (the technical terms elude me at this juncture).

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The good weather has returned, the sun is out and there is no wind. It should be a perfect day for diving and snorkelling, but the sea at Black Tip is still too rough. Matt takes off on his bike, which he has for another couple of days, to see some more of the island – he has been talking about visiting all the view points of which there are many. Later in the morning, he returns excited about another resort near Chalok Baan Kao Bay on the south coast which he wants us to look at. With nothing to do on the resort, Dan, Andy and I had already decided to take the taxi service to Chalok Baan Kao Bay, so we agree to meet up there for lunch. The so-called two-hourly ‘taxi’ service operated by Black Tip is a pick-up truck similar to the one which brought us here, but today it is without any side bars at all. We are all in the back along with four Dutch people who are staying here. The fare at 150 Baht per person each way is extortionately high for the 4.5km journey, but without any competition the resort has a captive audience. The journey is bone-shakingly gruelling – a more uncomfortable ride is hard to imagine. Not a journey to be done on a regular basis.

Chalok Baan Kao turns out to be even more beautiful than Tanote Bay. The long-headlands on either side provide protection from the Bay of Thailand beyond making the waters of this sheltered bay flat and calm, the waves gently lapping up the beach. It is high tide when we arrive and the sea has all but engulfed the beach, but by late afternoon it has receded to reveal a stretch of soft white sand. The small village along this part of the coast has embraced just the right level of commercialisation. One or two shops, a few restaurants and bars (some of which stay open later than 10pm) interspersed with a range of accommodation, blending sympathetically with the lush environment of palm forests which cover the hillsides of this rugged little island. There is a laid back vibe – just the ambience we have been looking for.

We stop for lunch at The Big Fish Restaurant which has a veranda built over the beach and spend the whole afternoon here chatting and swimming. The restaurant is part of a beach-side complex and we enquire about rooms. They have two rooms with views of the sea for 700 Baht and may have two tomorrow at 500 Baht. A protracted discussion follows about the merits of moving here versus viewing the place Matt has seen in a more remote location with no beach (a bit of a no-brainer this one); should we try other places further along the beach; the cost (we face a penalty if we move from Black Tip early); the logistics of moving and so it goes on. Five months of travelling have left us just as indecisive as ever! Eventually we book two 700 Baht rooms.

As we start to think about gathering up our things, Matt discovers he has lost his bike key. A search ensues which includes one of the restaurant staff crawling into the space under the veranda to check whether it has fallen between the wooden slats and the hiring of snorkels in desperate and vain attempt to search the sea-bed. The latter cut short by the need to meet the taxi that is taking us back to Black Tip. The taxi driver agrees to take Matt to the bike hire shop to get another key and bring him back. But we return to find he’s been given the wrong replacement key.. We cannot delay our return any longer if we are to check out of Black Tip before their 6 pm deadline and we leave Matt surrounded by Thais trying to hot wire the bike . Later we learn that the hot-wiring came to nothing and the bike had to be transported back to the hire shop in a pick-up truck. Losing the key has been an expensive experience for Matt.

At Black Tip a discussion drags on about the 20% cancellation fee they claim is due, but which wasn’t part of the booking terms and was only communicated when we arrived. Eventually we agree to pay 10% after the office staff fail to find any mention of a cancellation fee on our booking confirmation or the website. To hold out for the remaining ｣7 was just too much aggravation.

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It’s Chinese New Year’s eve today and we are woken at 8am by the sound of firecrackers been let off in the car park. It is a grey day and by the time we get down for breakfast it is raining again. The wind of yesterday evening has died down for the moment at least although the sea is rough – too rough to enjoy any snorkelling. Fortunately though, the rain is short-lived.

Matt is shocked by the price of diving here and wants to look around at other places. He also wants to explore more of the island and try to find somewhere else to stay. So he avails himself of the taxi service to the nearest town in Mae Haad Bay on the west coast to hire a bike. Meanwhile the rest of us explore the beach and the other places in bay. There are four other restaurants on this little bay and it doesn’t take long to see all there is to see. We clamber over the rocks which separate the main beach from the stretch further round the bay and stop here for lunch. The clouds are breaking up and the sun makes an appearance, although unfortunately not for long.

Dan has brought some extra ram for our laptops as a belated Christmas present – it should make them faster – and installs them quickly and easily. A decision is taken to uninstall Macafee (apparently it slows up the computer) and installing AVG on Andy’s laptop instead (a better and free product). This leads to all sorts of complications because they haven’t used the Macafee uninstaller and the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening is taken up trying to retrieve the situation. Oh the joys of computing.

Despite the auspicious start to the day, disappointingly there aren’t any further celebrations to mark the Chinese New Year and it enters with no fanfare whatsoever. There is nothing to do here in the evening and the bar and restaurant, which are not run by Black Tip despite being on their site, close at 10pm. We have a pack of cards and while away the evening playing various card games including poker using Jenga blocks for chips.

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We wake to a cloudy but warm day and spend the morning catching up on paying some bills that Dan brought with him yesterday. Our pick up for the ferry arrives on time, but the boys are having (very) late breakfast somewhere further down the street and Andy goes in search of them while I organise the loading of the luggage. The driver starts to grumble just as the boys emerge and saunter down the street – they are in Thai time already! The crossing takes a couple of hours and the weather is showing no sign of improving although the sea is calm enough.

We are picked up in Koh Tao in a huge four wheel drive pick-up and we stow all our gear and ourselves in the back. We are perched precariously on the bench seats, which are at the same level as the sides of the truck and only one has a rail, thinking this is going to be an interesting experience.. As is the normal Thai way, we stop several times en route (for the driver has to do some shopping). Andy and I are asked to sit in the cab and several other people are picked up before we start our journey out to Black Tip Dive Resort. After a couple of kilometres the paved road runs out and we’re glad we moved into the cab as the truck rolls, lurches and bumps over the deep ruts and potholes, and negotiates the steep inclines and descents along the next 2 kilometres of this narrow and rugged dirt road. To say we are in an out-of-the-way spot would be an understatement, although our destination – the rocky Tanote Bay on the east coast – is wonderfully picturesque and has a wide sandy beach. The bungalows are set amongst topical gardens on the gently sloping hillside above the bay. There are two or three other resorts on the hillside around, although none quite so inconspicuously nestled in the vegetation as Black Tip.

Black Tip Dive Resort, as it’s name might suggest, is primarily geared up for divers (Matt is a keen diver) and little concession appears to be made to those who might want to sunbathe and relax when not either diving or snorkelling. The pool (we chose this resort because Dan doesn’t like swimming in the sea) is closed between 1 and 5pm for diving lessons and there are no loungers or parasols either on the poolside or the beach. On the plus sidewe have two good-size clean bungalows adjoined by a shared bathroom. Both cabins have a window that takes up most of one wall and gives a wonderful sense of openness and space as well as views into the garden, whilst the sound of waves breaking on the beach below resonates in the background.

In the evening the wind is up and it starts to rain quite heavily.

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